Impact Stories from Entrepreneurship Policy Area
Mentor(s): Katie Penn
Company: Twitch
Mentor Type: Professional
Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
Last week, TechWomen Professional Mentor Katie Penn presented at the 13th annual DevRelCon, held this year in San Francisco. The conference brings together developer practitioners in order to build awareness, share tools and explore solutions to diverse needs in the greater developer community.
In her talk, “Leading with authenticity: tips for growing and nurturing developer communities,” Katie, the director of developer marketing at Twitch, shared best practices for interacting authentically with diverse developer communities. Through a top 10 list, she shared best practices on increasing transparency, fostering respect and focusing on inclusivity. She encouraged leaders to admit mistakes and to lead with solutions rather than roadmaps. Recently, Katie traveled with the TechWomen delegation trip to Sierra Leone and wrote a blog post about her experience.
Report Date...: 6/17/19
Fellow shares journey to entrepreneurship
Fellow(s): Sabine El Kahi
Country: Lebanon
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
This week, 2014 fellow Sabine El Kahi was featured in the “Women on Top” series for Berytech, an initiative that provides support to innovative and passionate entrepreneurs in Lebanon. In her interview, Sabine outlined her business and career strategies, sharing what drives her as an entrepreneur.
Sabine is the founder of Kids Genius, a STEM-based initiative that spreads maker culture to young students through hands-on activities and courses in their maker hubs. In her interview, she spoke about Kids Genius’s four makerspaces, three of which collaborate with local foundations and NGOs to serve underprivileged communities. “The main drive was my passion to have a meaningful and purposeful life,” she said. “I love and enjoy seeing the excitement on young people’s faces while working at The Makers Hub… Their eyes glow when they see the connection between what they study and how things are built and produced.”
Report Date...: 6/17/19
Fellows host mentorship event for students in Karakol
Fellow(s): Nazira Sheraly, Aiturgan Zulpukarova, Elena Chigibaeva, Gulzire Minbaeva
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Cohort: 2016, 2017, 2018
Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
Last week, 2016 fellow Nazira Sheraly, 2017 fellow Aiturgan Zulpukarova and 2018 fellows Elena Chigibaeva and Gulzire Minbaeva organized an event that brought together students for a day of inspiration and learning. The meetup, held at the American Corner Karakol, was the first event hosted by Techaim, a mentorship program recently launched by Nazira and the fellows. Through Techaim, the fellows aspire to support women in STEM fields, particularly those outside of the capital city, to grow and develop. With support from program volunteers, the fellows coordinated the event, engaged partners and presented on their own work and initiatives.
Eighty high school and university students attended the day’s programming, which featured keynotes and presentations from local women in tech. Elena, a CEO and independent consultant, presented on her career trajectory and expanded on Techaim’s mission to educate and mentor students interested in tech. Aiturgan spoke to the students about Kuragami, her company that works with local artisans to make sustainable and ethically sourced products. “Participants loved it, and the students were inspired by our supportive community of women in tech,” said Nazira. Techaim hosted its second meetup on June 15 in Osh and has plans to continue scaling.
Report Date...: 6/10/19
Fellow accepted into bioscience accelerator program
Fellow(s): Dr. Tiisetso Lephoto
Country: South Africa
Cohort: 2016
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth
This month, 2016 fellow of South Africa Dr. Tiisetso Lephoto was accepted into FemBioBiz, an accelerator program with a mission to support, connect and empower ambitious women entrepreneurs in agri-food, biowaste and health sectors.
Tiisetso, who has a PhD in microbiology and biotechnology, recently launched Nematech, a biotech startup that will supply farmers with biopesticides and other eco-friendly products to control problematic pests. She was one of 12 women selected for the program and will soon begin a bootcamp followed by a pitching competition to investors. Tiisetso has received multiple accolades and awards for her research, including the Excellence in Science Engagement award from the National Research Foundation.
Report Date...: 6/10/19
Fellows attend GES2019 in The Hague
Fellow(s): Aia Abdul-Haj, Majd Hemiemat, Lucy Wanjiku, Bisma Hayat
Country: Jordan, Kenya, Pakistan
Cohort: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
This week, TechWomen fellows from multiple countries and cohorts convened at the 2019 Global Entrepreneurship Summit held in The Hague. The annual summit, co-hosted in 2019 by the U.S. and Dutch governments, brought together global leaders, entrepreneurs and policymakers for three days of plenaries, forums and keynotes. With a theme of “The Future Now,” this year’s summit offered programming themed on health, water, food/agriculture, women’s empowerment, industries of the future and more.
Fellows of Jordan Aia Abul-Haj (2018) and Majd Hemiemat (2014), 2016 fellow of Kenya Lucy Wanjiku and 2017 fellow of Pakistan Bisma Hayat were part of a group of 2,000 individuals selected out of 5,500 applications to attend this year’s summit. Applicants were selected for presenting innovative and new solutions within their fields and for demonstrating a scalable business that is attractive to potential investors.
Aia received a fully funded invitation after applying on behalf of her startup, SOLVillion, a company that specializes in engineering solutions in construction, water, sanitation and renewable energy. The fellows – engineers, company founders, consultants and business development managers – had the opportunity to network, share industry best practices and learn about new technologies are shaping future advancement.
Report Date...: 6/3/19
Fellow organizes Nairobi’s first UxP conference
Fellow(s): Maureen Macharia
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
Last week, 2018 fellow Maureen Macharia hosted UxP Nairobi, the city’s first design and product conference. The inaugural event was conceived to bring together design leaders, creatives and entrepreneurs to learn about new tools and share best practices in innovation. Through breakout sessions on brand strategy, machine learning, fintech and more, attendees shared ideas and drew inspiration from across multiple industries.
Maureen is the founder of Spindle Design, a UX and product design studio that brings together cross-functional teams to design and develop technology products. “We had a great turnout, an engaged audience, and amazing speakers and sessions,” she said.
Report Date...: 6/3/19
Fellows featured as leading innovators in tech
Fellow(s): Sondos Samara, Afnan Ali
Country: Jordan
Cohort: 2011, 2018
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement
2018 fellow Sondos Samara and 2011 fellow Afnan Ali were recently recognized as innovators in Jordan by Global Innovation Path, an initiative that educates, advises and amplifies leaders in emerging countries.
With a mission to raise awareness about diverse innovators piloting new technologies, Global Innovation Path selects leaders in the fields of tech, health and evolving education. Sondos is the founder of SanadyMe, an interactive online platform where medical patients can share their experiences, find support and learn about research and the latest medical technologies in a safe environment. In her video feature, Sondos explained the mission of SanadyMe, highlighting their goal of creating a database for medical providers and pharmaceutical companies that can improve drug development and better address patient needs in the MENA region.
Afnan is the founder of Eureka Tech Academy, a program that specializes in educating children on engineering, invention and transforming ideas into products and services. In her feature, she spoke about founding and scaling her initiative, stressing the importance of educating the next generation: “If we want to make a revolution in technology, we should start by educating kids,” she said.
Report Date...: 5/27/19
Fellow shares keynote address at tech conference
Fellow(s): Sylvia Mukasa
Country: Kenya
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
2014 fellow Sylvia Mukasa was a featured keynote speaker at this month’s East Africa Com, an annual event that brings together more than 700 technology leaders from throughout the African continent.
Sylvia is the founder and CEO of GlobalX Investments/Innovation Labs and also serves as the Kenya chapter lead of Women in Tech Africa. In her keynote, “Ensuring an Inclusive Journey Towards Africa 4.0,” Sylvia spoke about the opportunity to make the Fourth Industrial Revolution both human-centered and inclusive. “This is a call to action,” says Sylvia. “It is a vision for developing technologies in ways that foster a more empowering, collaborative and sustainable foundation for social and economic development built around shared values of the common good and human dignity.”
Report Date...: 5/27/19
Fellow presents at international climate action conference
Fellow(s): Patu Ndango Fen
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2017
Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth
This week, 2017 fellow Patu Ndango Fen presented at the 2019 International Conference on Climate Action, held in Heidelberg, Germany. Organized by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the conference convened government officials, UN representatives and the scientific community to discuss ways to improve collaboration and coordination for international sustainable development.
Patu is the founder and managing director or of Closed-Loop System Ventures Foundation, a waste management social enterprise that turns organic plant and animals waste into organic fertilizer. In her workshop, “Energizing Cities,” Patu and conference participants discussed policies that can support local renewable energy implementation. Using case studies from her work, Patu presented on developing innovative ways of managing waste in Cameroon, introducing the challenges, opportunities and future plans for innovative waste management systems.
Report Date...: 5/20/19
Fellow advocates for digital rights at inclusion forum
Fellow(s): Sophie Ngassa
Country: Cameroon
Cohort: 2014
Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth
2014 fellow Sophie Ngassa led a session on internet advocacy at the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum held last month in Lagos, Nigeria. The event, now in its seventh year, was attended by policymakers, legal experts and tech professionals who came together to discuss digital policy on the African continent.
Sophie is a civil engineer, STEM advocate and founder of the Center for Youth Education and Economic Development, a digital empowerment training center for youth in Cameroon. After two recent internet shutdowns in the northwest and southwest regions of the country, Sophie began more meaningfully advocating for internet rights in Africa, engaging government officials and stakeholders to address internet connectivity and the crises that arise from blocked communication.
At the forum, Sophie led a discussion and panel titled “Advocating in War Zones and Shrinking Civic Spaces,” where she spoke about the importance of open internet and the role advocacy coalitions can play in ensuring internet freedom. Alongside two panelists, Sophie spoke about creating an internet without borders, sharing best practices on empowering both civilians and policymakers to work towards a more open, safe and accessible internet for all.
Report Date...: 5/13/19
