Impact Stories from Economic Impact Policy Area
Fellow delivers digital fashion talk at FemInno event
Fellow(s): Ainura Tursunalieva Sagyn (Kyrgyzstan, 2017)
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development
Fellow Ainura Tursunalieva Sagyn (Kyrgyzstan, 2017) delivered a talk on digital fashion at the FemInno conference in Yerevan, Armenia this July. The largest female innovation conference in its region, FemInno aims to showcase and empower leading women in science, technology and business. Ainura’s talk delved into the concept of digital fashion and how it connects to web 3 and the metaverse. Ainura works in operations at Artizant, an NFT digital fashion marketplace. She is also CEO of Tazar, an eco-sustainability application. “The contributions of women have been instrumental in reshaping industries, driving progress, and fostering diverse perspectives,” Ainura shared in a recent post. “It’s crucial to recognize and empower the roles of women, as a more inclusive tech industry leads to better solutions and a broader societal impact.”
Read More »Report Date...: 8/21/2023
Fellow joins delegation at 1st Climate Resilience Salon
Fellow(s): Safiya Aliyu (Nigeria, 2018)
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development
Fellow Safiya Aliyu (Nigeria, 2018) recently served as a delegate at the first Climate Resilience Salon to take place in Nigeria. Supported by the U.S. Consulate General Lagos, the event convened women-led organizations, climate-tech entrepreneurs and local leaders championing efforts to mitigate climate change in their communities. Event speakers included U.S. Consulate Deputy Political and Economic Chief Kenise Hill, who emphasized that “climate change is a threat that sees no borders.” Safiya has served in the renewable energy sector for over 15 years. She is a general manager at SOSAI Renewable Energies Company and the country director of their Matan Arewan Initiative, which works to amplify the capacity of women working in all aspects of the northern Nigerian renewable energy industry. “It was an eye opener to understand how climate affects any sector you can think of locally, nationally and globally,” Safiya shared in a recent post.
Read More »Report Date...: 08/21/2023
000 seed grant win
Fellow(s): Safa Buzgeia (Libya, 2022)
Country: Libya
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fablab Libya’s “Libyan STEM Hub”, an educational technology project conceived and spearheaded by fellow Safa Buzgeia (Libya, 2022), recently earned 40,000 USD in grant funding from the Islamic Development Bank as a part of their 14-week Tadamon Accelerator experience. Under Safa’s leadership, the Fablab Libya team prepared a non-profit business plan, submitted a pitch deck, and took part in a pitch competition, ultimately placing in the top three among 47 civil service organizations in the accelerator. The project went on to be recognized as one of Tadamon Accelerator’s seven best development projects at this spring’s Forum on Contributing to the Reduction of Poverty in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Fab Lab Libya is an incubator and civil society organization working to spread the culture of digital manufacturing, technology and entrepreneurship, primarily through the implementation of workshops and projects. Libyan STEM Hub aims to establish a first-of-its-kind interactive electronic educational platform, offering modern and practical STEM teaching methods to help bridge the gap in technology content and capacity building around distance learning in the nation. “I think the Tadamon Accelerator experience offered a great next step, with a wonderful conclusion, to what I learned during my TechWomen impact project journey,” Safa shared in a recent letter.
Read More »Report Date...: 8/21/2023
Fellow delivers smart tech talk at Google I/O event
Fellow(s): Kseniia Tsyganova (Kyrgyzstan, 2022)
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development
Fellow Kseniia Tsyganova (Kyrgyzstan, 2022) gave a talk centered on internet of things (IoT) technology at the Google I/O Extended conference in Bishkek this August. Kseniia’s presentation, “Smart Home: Simpler than you think,” led the audience through her years-long journey of trial and error to embed her own home with smart technology. She also offered tips for adopting home automatization technology and explored the prospective advancements of near-future smart homes. “My journey and its first fruits inspired me to share my knowledge with the world,” she shared in a recent post. Google I/O Extended is a global event that brings together tech-community specialists to share and learn about new Google technologies and products, connect with industry experts and expand their networks. It was organized by the local Google Developers Group (GDG) and held at Ololo Planet, an innovation and creativity hub in Bishkek.
Read More »Report Date...: 08/28/2023
Fellow founds nonprofit Data for Africa Impact (D4AI)
Fellow(s): Rosaline Macharia (Kenya, 2022)
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellow Rosaline Macharia (Kenya, 2022) recently founded Data for African Impact (D4AI), a non-profit organization that aims to equip and inspire African youth with data science tools. To mark the founding, D4AI hosted its first webinar, “Decoding Data Science: Unleashing Its Potential,” on August 23. The webinar, featuring prominent Australian data scientist Dr. Xin Li and D4AI Head of Training Charles Ndung’u, offered insights into the present and future applications of data science and elucidated the importance of data science literacy in Africa. In September, the program will also launch STEMEd for girls, a free online training program for high school girls. “The establishment of Data for African Impact stands as a remarkable milestone—a testament to the career goals I set following my TechWomen experience,” Rosaline wrote in a recent post. “My heartfelt appreciation goes out to… my impact coaches, Beth Steinberg and Arezoo Riahi,” she continued. “Your insights and guidance have been a guiding lig
Read More »Report Date...: 08/28/2023
Fellow discusses AI for impact on ECA exchange Alumni Podcast
Fellow(s): Dr. Reema Diab (Jordan, 2019)
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellow Dr. Reema Diab (Jordan, 2019) recently appeared on the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ ExchangeAlumni series, Mentor Talks. In the episode, “Using AI as a Force for Global Good,” Reema discusses her role as an AI global ambassador, demystifies popular misconceptions about artificial intelligence and illustrates how it can be deployed for positive impact. Through her non-governmental organization, Galaxy for Technology, for example, Reema uses AI as a tool for education and skill-building for local refugees. “I founded Galaxy because there was a huge need in my community,” she explained. “We give them intensive training from web development to python to machine learning — the main skills and tools needed to work with global markets.” Reema also discussed her journey in TechWomen. “I have this kind of love in my eyes when I speak of TechWomen,” Reema shared, highlighting the mentorships, partnerships, entrepreneurial knowledge and professional networking opportunities she gained. “It was truly a transformative experience that has significantly shaped my career.” Reema is the first female Jordanian AI Global Ambassador for SwissCognitive, an international keynote speaker, and Founder and CEO of Galaxy for Technology. She is a youth influencer and also serves as a senior AI consultant for Tesla Motors and the World Bank.
Read More »Report Date...: 08/28/2023
Fellow Founded Incubator Joins AfriLabs Network
Fellow(s): Ichraf Jarray (Tunisia, 2022)
Country: Tunisia
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development
Hive 12, a multi-faceted incubator founded by fellow Ichraf Jarray (Tunisia, 2022), has recently entered into a partnership with AfriLabs, one of Africa’s leading networks of technology and innovation hubs. In a milestone expansion event, Hive 12 represented one of 19 new hubs from Angola, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Tunisia and Zimbabwe to join the AfriLabs network this spring. “This partnership marks the first step towards developing African markets for our startups, creating opportunities for both parties, and expanding our network,” Ichraf shared in a recent post. Hive12 operates as not only an incubator, but also a co-working space and consulting practice with the recent addition of a research and development department all to serve early-stage startups for women and youth.
Read More »Report Date...: 7/10/2023
Fellow earns Mini-MBA from Felestineya Business Program
Fellow(s): Abeer Saidam (Palestinian Territories, 2020-2021)
Country: Palestinian Territories
Cohort: 2020-2021
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development
Fellow Abeer Saidam (Palestinian Territories, 2020-2021) recently earned her Mini-MBA from the Felestineya Business Administration Program, an initiative offered by the Bank of Palestine in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and in partnership with the Business Women Forum (BWF), and Ernst & Young Company (EY). The program provides skills and leadership development for women entrepreneurs and project leaders across Palestine who possess demonstrated business acumen. “It has been an intense and rewarding experience and I’m proud of the knowledge I’ve gained,” Abeer shared in a recent post. “I now feel more confident than ever in tackling complex challenges.” Abeer is the founder and CEO of Khzanty, an e-commerce platform for women wishing to buy, sell, and donate bespoke clothing
Read More »Report Date...: 9/25/2023
Fellow founds STEM Sensitization Talks for Nigerian girls
Fellow(s): Adeola Aremu (Nigeria, 2022)
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellow Adeola Aremu (Nigeria, 2022) recently launched her first event for nonprofit initiative, STEM Sensitization Talks, which was held for secondary school girls in Kwara State, Nigeria. The purpose of the event was to educate girls on the gender gap in STEM and encourage them to enroll in science and technology classes for the upcoming academic year. “It was an eye opening session for the girls as they affirmed that STEM seeds have been sown in their hearts,” Adeola shared in a recent post. She has launched this initiative to steer girls toward STEM courses on their promotion to Senior Secondary classes, which is a major determinant for continuing on into higher education and careers in STEM. “It’s a ‘catch them young’ approach,” Adeola wrote in recent communications with the team. “It’s a way of giving back to TechWomen.”
Read More »Report Date...: 9/18/2023
Fellow arrives in SF Bay Area to start 12-month research scholar role at Berkely Lab’s Molecular Foundry
Fellow(s): Raushan Nurdillayeva (Kazakhstan, 2020-2021)
Country: Kazakhstan
Cohort: 2020-2021
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development
This August, fellow Raushan Nurdillayeva (Kazakhstan, 2020-2021) arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area to start a 12-month research scholar role at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s (Berkeley Lab/LBNL) Molecular Foundry. She credits access to this momentous opportunity to her supportive TechWomen mentor, Virginia Altoe, who made her aware of the research possibilities at Berkeley Lab, and Kazakhstan’s Republican Commission for Training Personnel Abroad, which awarded her a grant this June covering the travel and cost of living expenses for a fellowship program at a leading scientific center of the world. Her project “Investigation of 2D-passivated 3D halide perovskite thin films” is being conducted at two lead centers, the Inorganic Nanostructures Facility, where her assigned scientist is Dr. Carolin Sutter-Fella, and the Imaging and Manipulation of Nanostructures Facility, where her assigned scientist is Virginia Altoe. Both of these scientists will be serving as 2023 TechWomen mentors. Raushan is the Head of her Department at Ahkmet Yassawi University in Kazakhstan. She has an M.S. in Environmental Science from Almaty University of Power Engineering and Telecommunications. “I’m proud to share my success story of the impact of the 2020-2021 virtual TechWomen program,” she expressed in recent communications.
Report Date...: 9/11/2023