Impact Stories from Economic Impact Policy Area
Blog post highlights fellow’s contribution to STEM education
Fellow(s): Rana El Chemaitelly
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2017 fellow Rana El Chemaitelly was spotlighted in a blog post from The Global
Ambassadors Program, a partnership between Vital Voices and Bank of America
that connects emerging women leaders to established women executives. Rana is
a Vital Voices GROW fellow as well as a Global Ambassadors Program mentee.
Rana is the founder of The Little Engineer (TLE), an after-school center and
international program that offers youth ages four and up courses and activities in
electronics, physics, electricity, robotics and more. She also founded The Lifetime
Education Foundation, the non-profit arm of TLE that runs a women in
entrepreneurship program as well as a program bringing their STEM curriculum to
public schools. In the blog post, Rana speaks about TLE’s expansion to over 30
countries, sharing that the program develops customized and culture-specific
curriculum that inspires youth to be creative problem-solvers. During the
pandemic, Rana adapted TLE’s programs to an online format, developing free
programs that allowed youth everywhere to learn about STEM, no matter their circumstances.
Report Date...: 9/13/21
Fellows launch free summer innovation camp for youth
Fellow(s): Nisreen Deeb and Sabine Kai
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2013, 2014
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Fellows Nisreen Deeb (2013) and Sabine Kai (2014) co-launched Technical Innovation Summer Camp, a program that introduces Lebanese youth to maker culture. The pilot program was led by the Lebanese League of Women in Business (LLWB), the initiative Nisreen manages, and Ali Ghandour Center, in collaboration with The Makers Hub, the makerspace Sabine founded that serves youth ages seven to 18.
Six 16 year-old students from Ali Ghandour Center participated in the free three-week program, learning about design, machinery and tech innovation. They followed a customized curriculum designed by The Makers Hub, using woodworking machines and learning about 2D and 3D design as well as digital fabrication. The students created items using the skills they learned, such as a chess board with chess pieces and a multipurpose desk organizer.
Nisreen and Sabine have previously worked together, collaborating with the U.S. Embassies in Beirut and Algiers to introduce a STEAM film club for exchange alumni and the greater STEAM communities in Lebanon and Algeria. They also collaborated on the LLWB TechWood program, working together to bring woodworking skills to Lebanese and Syrian students. “The collaboration between me and Sabine started since we both met following the TechWomen program, and we have collaborated on many projects,” said Nisreen. “It’s a collaboration that has also turned into a friendship.”
Report Date...: 9/6/21
Fellow appointed to South African science council
Fellow(s): Dr. Tiisetso Lephoto
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This week, 2016 fellow Dr. Tiisetso Lephoto was appointed to the South
African Council for Natural Scientific Professions by Dr. Blade Nzimande,
South Africa’s minister of higher education, science and innovation. Tiisetso
is a lecturer of molecular and cell biology at the University of the
Witwatersrand as well as the CEO of Nematech, a biotech company that
supplies farmers with biopesticides and other eco-friendly products to
control pests.
The council, comprised of science professionals with diverse specialties, has
a mission to promote natural sciences in South Africa as well as set
standards for the education and training of natural scientists in the country.
The council also has a goal of bringing more women into natural sciences.
During her four-year term, Tiisetso hopes to inspire more young people
through science advocacy. “We need many more young people to participate in STEM orientated careers and
innovations in order to solve day to day societal problems and challenges,” she said.
Report Date...: 8/30/21
Two fellows named to a Top 5 Nigerian Women in Tech list
Fellow(s): Carolyn Seaman, Olamide Ayeni
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This month, 2017 fellows Carolyn Seaman and Olamide Ayeni-Babajide were named to the Top 5 Nigerian Women in Technology list from WebNation Africa, a media company sharing stories of African business, politics and culture. The list features five women who are creating change and positively impacting communities in Nigeria and beyond.
Carolyn is the founder of Girls Voices, an initiative that trains and empowers adolescent girls in human rights, STEM skills and leadership. Girls Voices has reached over 300,000 girls through their programs, and has collaborated with the UN to create policies that seek to end child marriage, violence against women and human trafficking. Carolyn was also recently featured in a World Pulse #SheTransformsTech article about her work with girls in Nigeria during the pandemic.
Olamide founded Pearl Recycling, an initiative that collects waste such as plastic, car tires, newspapers and other recyclables and trains youth and women to transform them into furniture and upcycled items.
Olamide was recently included in an International Youth Day campaign by the British High Commission in Nigeria, sharing her thoughts on how young people have the power to create change: “We hope that young people will stop waiting for the world to call them to the table when they can actually build theirs,” she said.
Report Date...: 8/23/21
Fellow launches Inn2preneur-- a platform to inspire innovation
Fellow(s): Ala’a Agha Karss
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2017 fellow Ala’a Agha Karss launched a new platform to empower youth and women on their entrepreneurial journeys, sharing best practices for those interested in business, coding and more. On the YouTube channel, Inn2preneur, Ala’a shares tips and advice for people at all levels of entrepreneurship, offering actionable steps that encourage creativity, confidence and innovation.
Ala’a is the founder and CTO of Superiors TechHub, and trains women and youth in coding, mobile app development and more. The Inn2preneur videos share content on how to become a developer, an intro to programming, non-programming jobs in the IT sector and more.
Report Date...: 8/23/21
Fellows hold summer camp for over 100 students
Fellow(s): Damilola Asaleye, Ehi Aigiomawu, Flora Asibe, Happy Amos, Olayinka Fagbemiro and Oluwatoyin Adegoke
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2020-2021
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This week, 2020-2021 fellows Damilola Asaleye, Ehi Aigiomawu, Flora Asibe, Happy Amos, Olayinka Fagbemiro and Oluwatoyin Adegoke successfully hosted a five day summer camp for children in partnership with the Girls and Women Technological Empowerment Organisation (GWTEO). The EduChamps summer camp is part of the 2020-2021 Nigerian fellows’ action plan project created during the TechWomen program to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
The camp was attended by over 100 secondary school students, most of whom were girls. Over five days, the students were placed into break out sessions where each group discussed leadership, efficiency, upcycling, solar energy and sustainability. They also received training on various topics including entrepreneurship, financial literacy, renewable energy, team building, sustainable agriculture and more. In addition to workshops and training, the students heard inspiring keynotes from women in STEM who encouraged them to be ambitious, dream big and believe they can be world leaders.
The goal of the camp was to provide an opportunity for students to network, learn leadership and technical skills and visit educational institutions during the summer break. “Through this program, we believe that these kids are better prepared and inspired to return to school having the right mindset on the importance of education and are empowered with the resources to enable them remain in school,” Flora said. Next, the fellows will continue to work with partners to further prepare the students for the upcoming fall school term.
Report Date...: 8/16/21
Alumnae work together for new sustainability initiative
Fellow(s): Elena Selezneva, Saida Yusupova, Erin Keeley, Gisele Beatrice Sonfack
Country: Cameroon, United States, Uzbekistan
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth
2016 fellows of Uzbekistan Elena Selezneva and Saida Yusupova collaborated with 2016 fellow of Cameroon Gisele Beatrice Sonfack and mentor Erin Keeley to deliver workshops on mentorship and best practices for mentoring women in technology. The workshops were organized by Tech4Impact, the initiative Elena and Saida founded that nurtures IT, innovation, green tech and women’s entrepreneurship in Uzbekistan and Central Asia. They recently launched their latest project, Accelerating Women’s Climate Change Tech Startups in Uzbekistan, with funding from the United Nations Democracy Fund. The two-year project will train and support women in the Karakalpakstan region of Uzbekistan, helping them establish businesses and initiatives that address the social and economic effects of climate change. The program includes a six-month accelerator program that will establish a culture of mentorship in the region and connect women-led startups to investors.
Elena and Saida recruited Erin and Gisele to deliver workshops for Tech4Impact’s trainers, sharing best practices in mentorship and how mentors can support and guide mentees. Erin, the global director of engineering at Hitachi GST, also spoke about the green tech ecosystem in Silicon Valley, sharing various initiatives that aim to combat the climate crisis. Gisele, a current Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future fellow, spoke about setting SMART Goals, mentoring techniques and the importance of mentoring women in STEM fields. “We are very thankful to TechWomen community for connecting us all and supporting us for all these years,” said Elena.
Report Date...: 8/2/21
Fellows featured in ShareAmerica article
Fellow(s): Nisreen Deeb, Faten Khalfallah Hammouda
Country: Jordan, Tunisia
Cohort: 2013, 2015
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2013 fellow of Jordan Nisreen Deeb and 2015 fellow of Tunisia Faten Khalfallah Hammouda were featured in an article this month from ShareAmerica, a platform of the U.S. Department of State that shares stories of innovation, education, the role of civil society and more. Nisreen is a computer scientist, founder of Girls Got IT and the director of the Lebanese League for Women in Business. Faten is the founder of First Skills Club, a STEM education initiative that introduces Tunisia’s youth to technologies such as mobile apps, robotics, electronics, design and 3D printing. The article highlights both the TechWomen and the TechGirls programs, outlining Nisreen and Faten’s TechWomen journeys and the program’s influence on their leadership skills and dedication to investing in the next generation of women in STEM fields. “I love mentoring girls and guiding them to be future female leaders,” said Faten. Both Nisreen and Faten have been involved with TechGirls: Nisreen collaborated with TechGirls alumnae for a Girls Got IT event, and Faten was selected as a flight chaperone for Tunisian TechGirls participants.
Read More »Report Date...: 8/2/21
Fellow shares entrepreneurship journey in Facebook event
Fellow(s): Ayesha Mumtaz Khan
Country: Pakistan
Cohort: 2019
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
This week, 2019 fellow Ayesha Mumtaz Kahn was featured in a Facebook Live event where she spoke about her journey as an entrepreneur and the lessons she has learned along the way. The Facebook Live was hosted by Circle, a Pakistani initiative with a mission to advocate for women empowerment through research, campaigns, capacitybuilding and workshops. Ayesha is the co-founder and CEO of Hop Orbits, an ecommerce platform that aims to democratize access to technology and create jobs in Pakistan. In the interview, Ayesha spoke about initially pursuing social sciences before discovering her passion for project management and digitization. Eventually, she co-founded her e-commerce company that currently primarily serves womenowned businesses: “I wanted to produce something that would serve my community,” she said. Ayesha also spoke about her TechWomen mentorship at Big Commerce, and gave advice to women embarking on their own entrepreneurial journey: “Women have to say yes to ourselves,” she said. “We have to say, ‘I can do it.’ There is no failure – there is only learning.”
Read More »Report Date...: 7/19/21
With AU grant fellow begins research on sugarcane in Kenya
Fellow(s): Edith Mugehu
Country: Zimbabwe
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth
2018 fellow Edith Mugehu was named a recipient of the 2021 Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme, an African Union program that supports higher education cooperation between countries in Africa by providing financial support to educational institutions and supporting its students.
Edith is a PhD candidate in plant breeding and biotechnology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as a research associate at the Zimbabwe Sugar Association Experiment Station. Recently, she began her six-month research stay at Kenyatta University in Kenya, where she is conducting ground-breaking research that will contribute to food security and poverty alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa. She is working on identifying beneficial genes in Zimbabwean sugarcane germplasm, as well as developing a tissue culture protocol that will be adopted by the Zimbabwe sugar industry in order to help farmers reduce costs associated with the propagation of sugarcane seed. Since TechWomen, Edith has been awarded all five grant or scholarship programs she has applied for. “I bloomed after and because of TechWomen,” she said. “I got a confidence boost. I can address any audience without fearing that I’m not good enough. I can now set bigger research goals because I realize how extraordinary I am. Because of TechWomen, I always want to make other young women and girls feel the same way and look at life with the same ambition and hope.”
Report Date...: 7/5/21
