Impact Stories from Entrepreneurship Policy Area

a woman-led nonprofit advancing equity for women and girls in Libya
Fellow(s): Tamadhur Abukhamadah Almahdi, Esra Alamami, Noran Buzgaia
Country: Libya
Cohort: 2022, 2023
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Public Health
Fellow Tamadhur Abukhamadah Almahdi (Libya, 2022) recently founded Women for Women LY, a woman-led nonprofit organization working to advance equity for women and girls in Libya through advocacy, action and connection. Since its establishment in late 2023, Women for Women LY has held a series of in-person and online events focused on bringing women and girls together to share and explore topics such as entrepreneurship, data science, operations management, programming, teaching, career journeys and mental well-being. Tamadhur has leveraged her connections with the TechWomen alumnae community in growing Women for Women LY, featuring fellows Ibtihal Elshami (Libya, 2020-2021) and Esra Alamami (Libya, 2022) in her International Day of Women and Girls in Science panel discussion, as well as Noran Buzgaia (Libya, 2023) as a guest speaker in her International Women’s Day event. “I decided to start Women for Women LY because I’m a firm believer in the power of community, mentorship and connection,” Tamadhur shared in a recent post. “The possibilities are endless; the future we dream of could become our reality, our hard-earned lessons could serve as a guiding compass for the younger generation of women and girls, and what we can bring to our community and the world is a lot more significant than our individual contributions.”
Read More »Report Date...: 3/11/2024

Fellows speak at “Be Woman” Central Asian Forum
Fellow(s): Darika Aldasheva, Zharkyn Chsheglova
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Fellows Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan, 2022) and Zharkyn Chsheglova (Kyrgyzstan, 2022) both recently served as guest speakers at the at the first Central Asian Women’s Forum: Be Woman, held on March 5 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Convening experts in many fields, including business, government, media and education, Be Woman provided a platform for women to share and inspire growth-minded engagement in the economy, business and culture of Central Asia and beyond. Darika and Zharkyn spoke on the panel discussion, “Women in IT: the path to a digital future.” “Despite our diverse backgrounds, ” Zharkyn shared, “we empowered each other for success and forged a resilient network — a force that is both invisible and profoundly influential.”
Read More »Report Date...: 3/11/2024

Alumnae & Mentors host Tech Community Impact Week in Abuja to honor International Women’s Day
Fellow(s): Binta Moustapha, Fatima Abdulaziz Sule, Flora Asibe, and Rumana Kabir, Kathy Giori, Katy Dickinson
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020-2021, 2022, 2023
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Youth Engagement
Collaborating with a variety of governmental organizations, NGOs, educational institutions, non-profits and startups, Nigerian fellow Binta Moustapha (Nigeria, 2014) led the organization of fellows Rumana Kabir (Nigeria, 2023), Fatima Abdulaziz Sule (Nigeria, 2018), Ebenezer Ajah Chris (Nigeria 2023), Tolulope Erinosho (Nigeria, 2022), Flora Asibe Ohazurike (Nigeria 2021), Stella Uzochukwu (Nigeria, 2019), and Carolyn Seaman (Nigeria 2015), alongside mentors Kathy Giori and Katy Dickinson, to bring Tech Community Impact Week to Nigeria from March 2 to 9, 2024. With the aim of providing activities, discussions and networking opportunities for anyone from novice to established leader in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,the dynamic lineup of events included panel discussions, speed mentoring, physical computing workshops, and courtesy visits to schools, universities, and influential organizations and companies, mainly aimed at uplifting and empowering women and girls in tech. Highlights of the week included an opening event at Baze University Jabi Abuja with akeynote address delivered by Katy and a design-thinking workshop led by Kathy, a local celebrity panel discussion moderated by Kathy at Cosmopolitan University Abuja, a panel discussion featuring Flora, Fatima and Katy, speed mentoring with Katy and Rumana, and several hands-on physical computing workshops and demonstrations at three local schools and the FabLab in Abuja led by Kathy with fellows acting as teaching assistants. Partners and sponsors of Tech Community Impact Week included 100 Women in Tech Nigeria, Bridge 4 Innovation, Climate KIC, Creeds Energy, Developers FabLab, ECOWAS Liaison Lead, FCT College of Education Zuba, Mentoring Standard, MicroBlocks, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) of Nigeria, Office of the Director of ICT Federal Ministry of Education Abuja Nigeria, She&Tech, SheTechAfrica, Wademos Regional Advocacy, and Young Scholars Initiative of the Institute of New Economic Thinking (YSI INET). Events coincided with the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8. Mentor Jessica Dickinson Goodman and fellow Eyitayo Alimi (Nigeria, 2019) supported as co-organizers remotely.
Read More »Report Date...: 3/04/24

Fellow(s): Aseel Honein
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2013
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellow Aseel Honein (Lebanon, 2013) recently attended PCA’s “Tomorrow’s Technology from Lebanon to Qatar” delegation in Doha on January 28 to 29, and the Step Conference in Dubai Internet City, UAE on February 21 to 22, to showcase her educational tech creation, Architecture in a Box. A development of professional training and innovation center Parallel Studio, which she founded in 2010, Architecture in a Box sparks curiosity and creativity in children by providing enlivening STEAM-focused programs and educational games that teach them to build smart cities. “As a Design Thinking Trainer,” Aseel shared in a recent post, “I’ve learned that before we can innovate, we must first master the essentials — communication, team building and negotiations. These are the pillars of radical collaboration, the fertile ground where innovation takes root.
Read More »Report Date...: 3/4/24

Fellow launches e-waste-to-STEM kits at university in Algeria
Fellow(s): Ahlem Benazzouz
Country: Algeria
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement
Fellow launches e-waste-to-STEM kits at university in Algeria
Inspired by her TechWomen program mentors and learnings, fellow Ahlem Benazzouz (Algeria, 2022) has introduced, EcoBioMedTechMakers, an electronic waste upcycling innovation project to her students and colleagues at the University of Science and Technology Mohamed Boudiaf in Oran, Algeria, where she works as a research assistant professor while earning her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.
The project emerged from a dual commitment to sustainable technology development and the promotion of women in STEM, Ahlem shares. She integrates physical computing into her curriculum using micro:bit technology introduced by mentors Kathy Giori and Meg Gordon. Components are salvaged from e-waste, such as circuit boards, resistors, capacitors and LEDs to create STEM education kits. The kits are instrumental in designing experiments that teach electronics and coding concepts. Moreover, she is actively encouraging students to embark on sustainable projects and startups, considering both environmental and socioeconomic impacts to generate lasting positive outcomes.
“The results have been promising, with increased enthusiasm and participation from our female students,” Ahlem shared in recent communications. “The real-world applications of physical computing and coding have bridged the gap between theory and practice, fostering creativity, critical thinking and practical skills development.” Ahlem further shares that she is collaborating with a team of research professors to elevate the project to the next level. “Techwomen is really the beginning of a new journey.”
Report Date...: 02/12/2024

Fellow green tech org wins $1000 Social Impact Award
Fellow(s): Olamide Ayeni
Country: Nigeria
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development
Fellow green tech org wins $1000 Social Impact Award
Fellow Olamide Ayeni (Nigeria, 2017) recently won the Social Impact Award and a $1,000 USD prize at the Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition for HOPCYKU, a sustainability-as-a-service organization for which she serves as Chief People Officer and co-founder.
Hosted by Michigan Technological University, where Olamide is currently pursing a Master of Engineering and Industrial Management, the competition offers professional business coaching to students of all disciplines and the chance for them to present four-minute entrepreneurial concept pitches before an audience and panel of judges. Winners are awarded prize money for their businesses.
HOPCYKU, formerly Pearl Recycling, is a circular economy company expanding from a waste-to-furniture upcycling startup into a more holistic green tech organization.
Report Date...: 02/12/2024

Fellow joins board of Asian Credit Fund
Fellow(s): Sevara Siradjeva
Country: Uzbekistan
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Fellow joins board of Asian Credit Fund
Fellow Sevara Siradjeva (Uzbekistan, 2016) has recently joined the board of the Asian Credit Fund (ACF). It is the third largest microfinance institution (MFI) lending to rural borrowers in the nation of Kazakhstan and boasts a portfolio of more than 60% women clients.
Sevara joins the board with over 12 years of experience in tech industry digitalization and product development. Throughout her career, she has expertly developed and launched tech products in global markets, including the U.S., the UK, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Georgia and Uzbekistan.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Sevara has also served as a mentor for women and girls in STEM, particularly in her home region of Central Asia. She recently joined TechWomen on the spring 2023 delegation to Kazakhstan and intends to join the spring 2024 delegation to Tajikistan.
Report Date...: 02/12/2024

Short film covers visionary career of fellow Elmira Obry
Fellow(s): Elmira Obry
Country: Kazakhstan
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Short film covers visionary career of fellow Elmira Obry
Fellow Elmira Obry (Kazakhstan, 2022) was recently featured in 20-minute short film entitled “Elmira Aubrey: STEM Thinking as the Skill of the Future” as part of the series, “Success Stories of Central Asian Women,” produced by Silk Way.
“When you teach a woman, you teach an entire generation,” Elmira shares at the outset of the feature, recounting her earliest exposures to technology via visits to the workplace of her father, a statistician who worked with enormous computers “the size of ATMs,” she reminisces. Her father, also interviewed in the video, facilitated these visits as part of his drive to keep his children invested in education, to which he credits Elmira’s enduring desire for knowledge and education. Elmira went on to graduate high school with Honors in Mathematics and then study Public Relations, Management and Finance in higher education.
Throughout the film, colleagues recount her visionary thinking that positioned her team within their organization, the Astana International Financial Center’s Bureau for Continuing Professional Development (BCPD AIFC), to lead the 2019 development of Edtech, a digital platform for technology personnel training, which skyrocketed at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Fellow Aknur Karaby (Kazakhstan, 2022), also appears in the film to discuss their mutual experiences in the TechWomen program as well as with other programs for women and girls in STEM.
Today, Elmira is the CEO of the BCPD AIFC, as well as MOST Business Intelligence, and the Founder of BRANDWORKS and QWANT> School of Advanced Technologies.
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Report Date...: 02/05/2024

Fellow admitted to JAMII Femmes for entrepreneurs
Fellow(s): Imane Ben Khelifa
Country: Algeria
Cohort: 2015
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development
Fellow admitted to JAMII Femmes for entrepreneurs
Fellow Imane Ben Khelifa (Algeria, 2015) recently announced her admission to the 2023-2024 cohort of the prestigious JAMII Femmes program.
JAMII Femmes, a collaboration between the Women in Africa social impact initiative and the Coca Cola foundation, aims to develop 7,000 women entrepreneurs from Algeria, Egypt and South Africa through four key steps: a competitive selection process, three months of self-paced, online courses offered by the Honoris Academy and United Universities, a set of comprehensive exams to earn Certificates of Entrepreneurship and Leadership, and. finally, an immersive, in-person bootcamp. During this final step, they will engage with experts and mentors on workshops, projects, networking and competition with grants topping out at $10,000 USD.
“My journey from Techwomen alumna to being accepted into the JAMII Women program is a testament to the transformative power of mentorship, education, and perseverance,” Imane shared in recent communications.
Report Date...: 02/05/2024

Fellow and CEO featured in video showcasing impact of NGO’s medication delivery innovation
Fellow(s): Norah Magero
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2022
Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Public Health
Fellow and CEO featured in video showcasing impact of NGO’s medication delivery innovation, Vaccibox
Fellow Norah Magero (Kenya, 2022) was recently featured in a video, “Ingenious Solutions for Rural Health: The Story of Vaccibox in Kenya,” a production of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, which highlights her work in providing innovate vaccine delivery solutions.
Norah is the co-founder and CEO of Drop Access, a non-profit focused on rural energy access. Through Drop Access, she has lead the team developing Vaccibox, a portable, solar-powered refrigerated box that safely stores and transports heat-sensitive medications and medical items for delivery to rural locations. It can be wheeled by hand or mounted on various vehicles, including motorcycles, boats and pack animals. It also features a proprietary printed circuit board that monitors the interior temperature, battery storage, location of the box and more. In remote regions where terrain, resources, or even cultural morays, impede access to conventional brick and mortar health facilities, healthcare workers are able to deliver care to rural patients with Vaccibox.
“Our dream is to scale this impact in the whole of Africa,” Norah shared in a recent post. “In the face of climate change, VacciBox is promising to help reach the most underserved populations, where access to healthcare is often a critical challenge.”
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Report Date...: 01/22/2024