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Impact Stories from Entrepreneurship Policy Area

Delegates share their professional journeys at STEM Career Day

Fellow(s): TechWomen delegation trip to Uzbekistan

Country: Uzbekistan

Cohort: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth, Special Report, Youth Engagement

On day four, delegates connected with secondary school students for STEM Career Day hosted at Westminster International University in Tashkent and organized by doITwomen, a tech education program for women started by TechWomen fellows in Uzbekistan. The day offered a chance for students to learn about diverse careers in STEM fields, focusing on the future of STEM careers and opportunities that the students, especially girls, may not have previously considered pursuing.
In her afternoon keynote, mentor Rebecca Biswas of Juniper Network’s spoke about her career as an engineer, stressing the importance of empowering women in the field: “We know that girls belong in STEM just as much as boys,” she said. Once the only female engineering student at her university, Rebecca emphasized that today, the STEM ecosystem is becoming more inclusive and mindful of bringing diverse voices to the table.
The panel that followed gave students candid insight into mentors’ career journeys, showing them that finding your passion is not always a linear path. In one exercise, mentor Eileen Brewer asked panelists their career aspirations when they were 18 versus when they were 30, showing students that successful careers require flexibility and exploration. In the breakout sessions that followed, 2015 fellow of Lebanon Ghana Bteich reiterated that career changes should not just be expected, but also embraced. In her group, mentor Patricia Bovan Campbell of Salesforce explained that she has always looked at new jobs as very exciting opportunities: “They give you a chance to reinvent yourself,” she explained.
In many groups, students were concerned about balancing professional and personal aspirations. Addressing her group, mentor Shachi Patel, who owns her own professional coaching business, assured students that they still had time to find their passions, stressing that professional goals often require hard work, long hours and sacrifice: “If you want to be the best at something, it is going to take some time – but it’s possible.”

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Report Date...: 3/25/19


Delegation kicks off Women in Tech and Science Week

Fellow(s): TechWomen delegation trip to Uzbekistan

Country: Uzbekistan

Cohort: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth, Special Report, Youth Engagement

On day three of the delegation trip, delegates helped kick off Central Asia Women in Tech and Science Week, a week-long event organized by TechWomen fellows and hosted in partnership with Inha University. The event, attended by students, STEM professionals and government officials from across the region, consisted of mentor-led panels, breakout sessions and pitch training for young girls participating in Technovation Uzbekistan.
Throughout the day’s sessions, mentors showed students possibilities in STEM fields, encouraging them to match their talents to one of the many diverse careers that exist in STEM. In interactive hands-on STEM workshops, young children learned fundamentals of robotics, electricity and motherboards, taking turns to control robots, solder hardware and use simple materials to conduct electricity.
Later in the day, mentors and fellows joined nearly 20 Technovation Uzbekistan teams for a session on pitching. Mentors Eileen Brewer of Symantec and Erin Keeley of Western Digital led the group, supporting the girls to refine their pitches and inviting teams to join them on stage to iterate and gather feedback. The teams’ mobile apps paired real-world issues – for example, plastic pollution, teen pregnancy and bullying – with innovative solutions and free resources. Team CyberKids presented their app called “Timeshare,” a platform that suggests to children and parents activities to encourage interaction and quality time. Another team created a mobile app for young mothers, helping them care for their babies through interactive and educational resources. Addressing the girls at the end of the session, Erin congratulated all participants on challenging themselves to create apps that serve a greater purpose: “Your apps have the potential to make a difference in your communities,” she said.

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Report Date...: 3/25/19


Fellow wins global UN competition for women in business

Fellow(s): Saida Yusupova

Country: Uzbekistan

Cohort: 2016

Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth

This week it was announced that 2016 fellow of Uzbekistan Saida Yusupova was a winner of SDGs & Her, a competition for women entrepreneurs working to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through their business operations. The contest, sponsored by UNDP, UN Women, the World Bank Group and the Wharton School’s Zicklin Center, seeks out microenterprise owners who are increasing knowledge about the 17 SDGs addressing themes such as gender equality, clean energy and economic growth.
Saida, one of two winners out of over 1,200 applications, is a sustainable development specialist and founder of Green Business Innovation, a consultancy company established shortly after her TechWomen experience. Specializing in green and clean energy, the company focuses on curbing carbon emmissions and advancing green technologies with a mission to accelerate sustainable economies worldwide.
Saida is a co-organizer of the second annual Women in Science and Tech Week, which coincides with TechWomen’s 2019 delegation trip to Uzbekistan. TechWomen delegates will gather with STEM professionals from throughout the country, joining the Women in Science and Tech Week’s official kickoff event as well as sessions for entrepreneurs and students throughout the week.

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Report Date...: 3/18/19


Fellow featured as a speaker at women in tech event

Fellow(s): Zhama Ryskulova

Country: Kazakhstan

Cohort: 2018

Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth

This week, 2018 fellow of Kazakhstan Zhama Ryskulova was a featured speaker at an event hosted by Women TechMakers Kazakhstan, an initiative that brings together women tech professionals throughout the region. Organized by Google Developer Groups throughout Central Asia, the day’s sessions streamed globally, bringing STEM professionals together for workshops and sessions on cloud computing, marketing, tech interviewing and more.
Zhama, hosted by LinkedIn during TechWomen 2018, is currently a hackerspace coordinator and Python/Android developer at Tech Garden, an innovation cluster that provides guidance and support to startups in Central Asia. Her event session, “Digital Nomad Lifestyle,” was attended virtually by tech professionals throughout the region. She spoke about how to best leverage tech skills to find remote work, pursue remote internships and seek out other digital nomad teams for collaboration opportunities. She also shared specific job opportunities for digital nomads and information about programming competitions worldwide. This month, Zhama will travel to Uzbekistan as part of TechWomen’s delegation trip, taking part in activities encouraging women and girls to pursue STEM fields.

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Report Date...: 3/11/19


Fellow takes third place in Queen Rania’s education awards

Fellow(s): Hanan Khader

Country: Jordan

Cohort: 2013

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth

This week, 2013 fellow of Jordan Hanan Khader was invited to meet Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan after placing third in the Queen’s Award for Education Entrepreneruship competition. With a goal of improving education for children in the Arab World, the competition recognizes businesses that combine social impact with a sustainable and innovative business model. Hanan is the CEO of Hello World Kids, Jordan’s first educational organization that teaches computer programming to children between the ages of 6 and 12.
Hanan was awarded a $40,000 grant from the competition and, during her meeting with Queen Rania, was recognized for her work investing in low-resource environments and bridging the gap between technology and education.

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Report Date...: 3/11/19


Fellow named to Forbes Middle East 30 under 30

Fellow(s): Ameni Mansouri

Country: Tunisia

Cohort: 2018

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth

2018 fellow of Tunisia Ameni Mansouri has been named one of Forbes Middle East’s 30 under 30 2019. The list recognizes the region’s youth who are advancing the fields of science, business, arts, culture and sports and have left a mark on the economy of their region. Amani was recognized as the co-founder and CEO of Dabchy, a leading web-based fashion marketplace used by nearly 300,000 people throughout Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. Currently, the company sees a 30% increase in transactions each month.
Last year, Dabchy was selected as a Top 100 African Startup at the Africa 2018 Forum. More recently, Dabchy was selected to take part in a one-year program with Europe’s first fashion tech incubator based in Paris.

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Report Date...: 3/11/19


Fellow brings robotics initiative to New Jersey school

Fellow(s): Rana El Chemaitelly

Country: Lebanon

Cohort: 2017

Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

2017 fellow of Lebanon Rana El Chemaitelly recently partnered with a New Jersey charter school to bring a STEM curriculum to the student body. Rana is the CEO and founder of The Little Engineer, an initiative that educates students of all ages in robotics, coding, AI, 3D modeling and more through hands-on activities.
In 1994, Rana was in New Jersey for a training with Colex, a photofinishing equipment company. Nearly 25 years later, Rana received an email from the company’s founder, who was interested in implementing The Little Engineer programming at College Achieve Paterson Charter School. Rana went to work creating a customized training program, shipping equipment to New Jersey that covered an entire academic year of STEM learning. Rana hopes to continue working with the school and is grateful for the connection she made many years ago. “Wherever I go, I try to plant seeds,” she says. “And I’ve concluded that I will always harvest their fruits – if not at the moment, then in the future.”

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Report Date...: 3/4/19


Fellow organizes digital festival for International Women’s Day

Fellow(s): Horore Bebga

Country: Cameroon

Cohort: 2018

Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth

This week, in honor of International Women’s Day, 2018 fellow of Cameroon Horore Bebga hosted a Digital Women’s Festival in Douala. Horore, the founder of African Women in Tech Startups (AFRICANWITS), organized the festival with the mission to reduce the digital gender divide in Cameroon and empower women in the digital domain.
With support from Cameroon’s Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the event hosted 200 women and girls for three days of free digital technology trainings and practical workshops led by tech experts. By the end of the festival, the women gained skills in digital marketing using Google Digital Garage, took courses on Facebook Blueprint and learned how to create visuals for the web. At the end of the week, five young women were awarded support from AFRICANWITS for their visual projects.

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Report Date...: 3/4/19


Delegates visit fellow-led initiative at local secondary school

Fellow(s): TechWomen delegation trip to Sierra Leone

Country: Sierra Leone

Cohort: 2013 - 2018

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth, Special Report, Youth Engagement

On day two of the delegation trip, following an initial day of visiting cultural landmarks, delegates traveled to The Services Secondary School in Freetown. The school has partnered with Catch Them Young (CATHY), an initiative started by 2017 fellows Chrisla Koroma, Haja Sovula, Umu Kamara, Victoria Kamara and Jestina Johnson. CATHY aims to provide a platform for young minds to engage in STEM activities, providing peer mentoring and supporting the students in finding their passions and career pathways.
Throughout the morning, mentors and fellows rotated between four classrooms, sharing their career experiences and learning about challenges and opportunities that students face in Sierra Leone. The mentors and fellows encouraged the students to be tenacious, remain curious and start thinking about their futures. Mentor Pamela O’Leary spoke about the diversity of careers within the tech field, saying, “With technology, you can create a job for yourself that doesn’t even exist yet.”
The delegates also had the opportunity to visit the school’s science lab, where fellows from CATHY are working with school leadership to update the lab and provide materials and equipment to better engage students in science activities. Before leaving for the day, 2018 fellow of Sierra Leone Sebay Momoh shared an encouraging message with a classroom: “We are often the only women in the room,” she said. “There is so much you can do if you enter the sciences. Please keep working hard, be consistent and do your best. We are here for you.”

Report Date...: 2/25/19


Mentors share their expertise at Women in Leadership Forum

Fellow(s): TechWomen delegation trip to Sierra Leone

Country: Sierra Leone

Cohort: 2013 - 2018

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Growth, Special Report, Youth Engagement

At Wednesday’s Women in Leadership Forum, nearly 100 mentors, fellows and Sierra Leonean women leaders came together to discuss challenges and opportunities for women to step up as leaders and develop in their careers in science, technology and business fields. The morning’s program aimed to generate momentum to inspire, encourage and nurture the future generation of women leaders.
Seinya Bakarr, 2016 fellow of Sierra Leone, opened the conference speaking about gender differences, highlighting the fact that in Sierra Leone only 12% of parliamentarians are women – a signal of a more prevalent challenge in her country.
To address the lack of women in leadership positions, mentor Shawne van Deusen-Jeffries stressed during her TED-style talk the importance of speaking out for others: “We as women have the opportunity and obligation to enable other women.”
The panels that followed were themed around creating supportive communities, sharing best practices on how to succeed in male-dominated environments and mentoring other women. In the first panel, “Lifting up the next generation of women,” panelists discussed cultural differences, exploring the idea that historically, women are taught to be seen not heard. Trudy Morgan, president of Sierra Leone Women Engineers, shared her personal experience of feeling she needed to be tougher in front of men in order to prove her value. “The power structures haven’t changed,” she said, “but we as women should not change who we are in order to be what they want us to be.”
In the last panel of the day, “Finding and owning your voice,” fellow Sebay Momoh spoke about how she saw her life as a brand and that “we inspire more people than we think.” Habiba Wurie, a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme, also gave her insight encouraging her fellow women to “find your tribe, cultivate your tribe, maintain your tribe. The networks will eventually come.”

Report Date...: 2/25/19


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Impact Story Policy Areas

  • Economic Impact
  • Education Diplomacy/Mentoring
  • Empowering Women and Girls
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Professional Growth
  • Special Report
  • Youth Engagement
Back To Impact Map

Recent Impact Stories

  • Fellow(s): Salma Bekkouche, Amel Djenidi, Fatima Zohra Benhamida, Amina Salesse

    Country: Algeria

    Region: MENA

    Cohort: 2017, 2018, 2020-2021

    Project/Action: Fellows debut STEM empowerment project Heya Caravan

    Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth

    After TechWomen 2018, fellows Salma Bekkouche and Amel Djenidi began working with 2017 fellow Fatima Zohra Benhamida to create Heya Caravan, a project that empowers girls and women through STEM education. After securing a grant from the U.S. Embassy Algiers’ Alumni Small Grant Competition in 2019 – and after delays caused by the pandemic – the fellows, with 2020-2021 fellow Amina Salesse as a new team member, launched Heya Caravan in Hassi Messaoud last month, bringing a day of workshops, talks and networking opportunities to women in the region. Heya (Arabic for “She”) Caravan collaborated with local STEM leaders, inviting them to share their career paths in STEM, host Q&A’s and deliver workshops meant to educate and empower the professionals and students in attendance. In Fatima’s session, “Which hat would you like to wear?” she spoke about her journey in higher education as an assistant professor at the National School of Computer Science, her diverse work experience and her mission to combat stereotypes of women in technical fields. In a leadership workshop, participants learned about different leadership styles and their respective strengths and weaknesses. The day concluded with Q&A session themed on mental health challenges and work-life balance during the pandemic. “From preparation to the event itself to the post-event parts…every single task we made with love, and enjoyed it to the extreme,” said Amina. The Heya Caravan team hopes to replicate the programming in other Algerian cities as well as create online content for community members. “I’m proud to see the project become a reality after almost three years full of challenges,” said Salma.​

    Report Date: 5/2/2022

  • Fellow(s): Amanda Obidike

    Country: Nigeria

    Region: SSA

    Cohort: 2022

    Project/Action: Fellow brings STEM training to girls in Ethiopia and Tanzania

    Policy Area(s): Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Growth, Youth Engagement

    2022 fellow Amanda Obidike recently launched STEMNovation, a STEM initiative that trains girls in mobile app development, 3D modeling, 3D printing and basic computer skills. Amanda is a data scientist, general manager for the Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation and founder of STEMi Makers Africa, an organization that trains young Africans with 21st century skills. She was recently named to the Most Distinguished African Women Changemakers list by Humanitarian Awards Global. Last month, STEMi Makers launched STEMNovation’s first bootcamp in Tanzania and Ethiopia, bringing young female students through training courses that will prepare them for STEM careers. At the Ethiopia bootcamp, supported by Addis Ababa University and Abugida Robotics Technology Center, girls ages 10-16 learned about computer software, coding and 3D modeling. At the bootcamp’s conclusion, trainees demonstrated their work for other students, parents and community supporters. In Tanzania, STEMi Makers partnered with the Timizandoto Initiative and dLab to support 40 girls in Dar es Salaam with training on AI, drone technologies and data analytics. “We understand that the increasing demand for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are vital to the development and economic growth of a nation,” said STEMi Makers. “As such, women and girls should not be left behind.”​

    Read More »

    Report Date: 5/2/2022

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