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Impact Stories from Entrepreneurship Policy Area

In TEDx talk fellow speaks about African innovation

Fellow(s): Sharon Telewa

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2018

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

2018 fellow Sharon Telewa was a speaker at TEDxKassel, presenting on the “rise and rise” of technology in the African ecosystem. The TEDx event was themed on “New Realities,” exploring the interplay between society and technology. Sharon, an innovation and business development manager, is currently based in Germany. She began her talk speaking about her education, culture and family, using her own story to dispel common stereotypes of Africa and the African people. She then explored her roles at Safaricom, Andela and Kenya Flying Labs, using her career experience to communicate the ways in which the innovation and technology ecosystem in Africa can be better supported: by strengthening education systems, supporting digital transformation in rural areas and investing in African startups. Sharon also introduced Jedimu Elimu Trust, the initiative she founded that supports local schools with STEM resources, builds digital literacy through training and offers economic empowerment opportunities. “I believe that I can make a difference for my home village and for surrounding villages,” Sharon said. “We’re a small organization with big dreams.”

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Report Date...: 3/7/2022


Mentor(s):

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

After spending their first weekend in the Bay Area, Emerging Leaders were hosted by Autodesk on Monday for a virtual Impact Design Workshop. There, they were brought through an introduction to design thinking by Autodesk’s JoAnna Cook: “As you’re innovating, you can always correct,” JoAnna reminded them. “We don’t get it right the first time in all cases. What you can do is not lose your passion to follow up and listen.” After learning about the cornerstones of the design thinking process – intentionally identifying a problem, starting with the end user, iterating on ideas and maximizing collaboration and alignment – Emerging Leaders were led through a stakeholder mapping exercise, drawing out all stakeholders at their workplaces or businesses. In breakout rooms led by Autodesk facilitators, Emerging Leaders applied the method of abstraction laddering to the underrepresentation of women in STEM, discussing together how to reframe problems to create solutions. Week one concluded at the Leadership Workshop with two sessions on advancing women leaders and understanding individual and team strengths. Shannon Bayer of Linkage led the morning session, presenting on Advancing Women in Leadership. “Now more than ever, women are a part of the solution,” she said. “We need to look at how we can influence the change that considers us in the structure moving forward.” Samantha Raniere, TechWomen Impact Coach and principal at Raniere Consulting, led the afternoon session on leveraging individual and team strengths. “We can acquire any skill. Nothing holds us back from doing that,” she said.​

Report Date...: 2/28/2022


Fellow discusses Black women entrepreneurs at Embassy event

Fellow(s): Michelle Sesay

Country: Sierra Leone

Cohort: 2013

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

2013 fellow Michelle Sesay served as a panelist at a U.S. Embassy Freetown film screening themed on Black History Month and the upcoming International Women’s Day. The event, a screening of the documentary “She Did That” at Fourah Bay College, featured a discussion on Black women entrepreneurs with women alumni and entrepreneurs of U.S. exchange programs. Michelle is a civil engineer, entrepreneur and YALI fellow. In her panel, attended by aspiring entrepreneurs and university students, Michelle and fellow U.S. exchange program alumni talked about impostor syndrome, lack of funding for female-owned startups and the need for more women in leadership to acknowledge and celebrate their successes. The group also discussed similarities and differences among women entrepreneurs in the U.S. and Sierra Leone, speaking about the need to support Black-owned businesses. “We spoke about superwoman syndrome, where we take it upon ourselves to do everything and not delegate roles to our staff,” said Michelle. “Women generally don’t give themselves credit or acknowledge how far they have come.”

Report Date...: 2/28/2022


Fellow speaks about work-life balance for mothers at live event

Fellow(s): Dalia Shurrab

Country: Palestinian Territories

Cohort: 2018

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

2018 fellow Dalia Shurrab was featured in a Startups without Borders online event, speaking about how to balance motherhood and entrepreneurship. Dalia is the project manager of Mompreneur, a 2020 AEIF-winning project that supports mothers from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank with training, workshops and starting their own online businesses. At the Instagram Live event, Dalia spoke about challenges that women in MENA face juggling start-up life and family life and offered solutions to women who are seeking better work-life balance. “Moms should find and create a support system and never feel shy or ashamed to ask for help,” said Dalia. “She does a great job as a mom and she should put herself on top of her priority list to give herself some time to meditate, self-heal and to take care of her mental health.” Dalia also shared freelance platforms and ways to find jobs online, offering tools and tips for women entering or re-entering the workforce.​

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Report Date...: 2/28/2022


Mentor(s):

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

108 Emerging Leaders from 20 countries arrived in the U.S. for TechWomen 2022, embarking on five weeks of professional development, mentorship and exchange. In the spring 2022 hybrid program, Emerging Leaders will be guided and supported by nearly 300 Professional Mentors, Cultural Mentors and Impact Coaches and will be learning together in interactive professional development workshops and Professional Interest Groups. After Wednesday’s arrival day, Emerging Leaders gathered online as a group for the first time at the Welcome Orientation, where they learned about essential program information, additional details on their mentorship and other important logistics about the spring program. At Friday’s Cultural Kickoff, Emerging Leaders had the opportunity to share their country’s cultures and engage in cross-cultural dialogue and exchange with their fellow Emerging Leaders and the TechWomen mentor community. The event was presented in an online world café format, where each country group shared about their country and cultures in a fun and creative way during four breakout room sessions. The event also featured five presentations: a language lesson from Cameroon, a traditional dance lesson from Kyrgyzstan, a cooking lesson from Lebanon, a sing-along from Morocco and a lesson in tribe totems from Zimbabwe.​

Report Date...: 2/21/2022


Fellows’ TechWomen social impact project hosts STEM event

Fellow(s): Flora Asibe, Ehiaghe Aigiomawu, Olayinka Fagbemiro, Oluwatoyin Adegoke, Happy Amos and Damilola Asaleye

Country: Nigeria

Cohort: 2020-2021

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

During TechWomen 2020-2021 action planning alongside their Impact Coaches, fellows Flora Asibe, Ehiaghe Aigiomawu, Olayinka Fagbemiro, Oluwatoyin Adegoke, Happy Amos and Damilola Asaleye created EduChamps, a social impact project that provides educational supplies like school bags, textbooks, writing materials and sanitary pads for girls, as well as empowerment trainings in recycling, gardening and more. This month, the fellows held an event with 30 girls from the African Church Grammar School, hosting a day of mentorship and skills training. Jennifer Foltz, U.S. consulate deputy public affairs officer, delivered closing remarks to the students. The day featured workshops in upcycling as well as tech talks from fellows on automotive engineering, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and space science. The students also received solar lanterns and educational supplies such as bags, uniforms, textbooks and sanitary pads to encourage them to stay in school. “My favorite moment was answering the questions from the girls on the career paths they could have in the technical industry,” said Damilola. “Thank you to TechWomen for supporting us with a seed grant for the project, an enabling environment, sisterhood, networks and much more.”​

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Report Date...: 2/21/2022


Fellow delivers workshop on public speaking for 300 students

Fellow(s): Omnia Tayari

Country: Libya

Cohort: 2013

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

2013 fellow Omnia Tayari delivered a webinar on the foundations of public speaking to 300 students from North Africa and the Middle East this month, sharing tips and strategies to help students succeed in their careers. Omnia is the co-founder of BulbulHub Academy of Public Speaking as well as the founder of Oratoriia, an online program that educates and empowers young leaders. The students in attendance are enrolled in a full stack developer course from Edraak, an online course portal established by Queen Rania al Abdallah of Jordan; Omnia has been supporting this credential course as a communications and public speaking instructor. In her workshop, Omnia spoke about why public speaking is essential for career success, sharing tools and simple strategies for overcoming the fear of public speaking. “I was welcomed with great energy,” said Omnia. “The engagement was amazing that I could hardly manage to read the answers when I asked a question. Their insights, honesty and obvious desire to learn and grow was overwhelming.”​

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Report Date...: 2/21/2022


Fellow launches Tech Women Club for women in Nigeria

Fellow(s): Stella Uzochukwu-Denis

Country: Nigeria

Cohort: 2019

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

Recently, the American Corner Abuja reached out to 2019 fellow Stella Uzochukwu-Denis with an interest in bringing together women and girls interested in STEM fields for mentorship, networking and support. After strategizing together, Stella and the American Corner officially launched the Tech Women Club, a monthly gathering for women in Abuja that will meet at the American Corner space. Stella is the country director for Odyssey Educational Foundation, an NGO with a mission to equip African children, particularly girls, with STEM skills. Under her leadership, the Tech Women Club will host women and girls who are in STEM fields or interested in pursuing STEM. “The mandate is to demystify technology, especially for those who do not have a tech background,” said Stella. At the club’s first meeting, 10 women gathered to speak about their interest in technology and discuss local opportunities for women and girls. Stella shared an upcoming training she is leading for 25 women on gaming and VR. “This was born out of my TechWomen experience,” she said. “I was mentored at Unity, a video game software development company, and I wouldn’t be thinking about a gaming training for girls and women here in Nigeria without that exposure.” Stella and the American Corner Abuja also collaborated for an International Day of Women and Girls in Science event this week, introducing attendees to innovative ways to teach STEM education and sharing scholarships for young students.​

Report Date...: 2/7/2022


Fellow(s): Thulile Khanyile, Dana Abdel Khalek, Aziza Haidarova

Country: Lebanon, South Africa, Tajikistan

Cohort: 2022

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

TechWomen 2022 Emerging Leaders have been invited to share their perspectives and experiences with the TechWomen community in Emerging Leader Voices, a guest blog post series where incoming Emerging Leaders write about their struggles, achievements and journeys to TechWomen. Thulile Khanyile of South Africa, a non-profit founder, lecturer, microbiologist and podcaster, kicked off the series with Impact through biology, entrepreneurship and podcasting: the journey of a multipotentialite. Thulile writes about her passion for fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship through empowering women and youth: “The combination of giving light to new ideas and connecting science to the people is the goal I work tirelessly to fulfill,” she writes. In her post, Hope is not to believe change is coming, but to work towards it, Dana Abdel Khalek of Lebanon writes about the difficulties she faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and her choice to turn her struggles into growth opportunities. Dana founded GenZ, a startup that addresses youth unemployment in Lebanon through offering training in e-commerce, data analysis and more. “GenZ is committed to reaching everyone in need of those skills,” she writes. Aziza Haidarova of Tajikistan writes about her journey to TechWomen in her post, Setting global goals with TechWomen. “For a long time, I hesitated whether to apply or not,” writes Aziza. “Participation in this program will be a great experience for me, both in my career and in my personal capacity. I will discover a new world for myself.” TechWomen will soon conclude the series with two additional posts from Emerging Leaders representing Rwanda and Zimbabwe.​

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Report Date...: 1/31/2022


Mentor and fellows collaborate to inspire students

Fellow(s): Eileen Brewer, Elena Selezneva, Ozoda Ismailova, Saida Yusupova, Amel Djenidi

Country: Algeria, United States, Uzbekistan

Cohort: 2016, 2018

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

Mentor Eileen Brewer traveled to Uzbekistan, collaborating with fellows to train and empower students throughout Tashkent. Eileen, the mentor manager at startup accelerator 757 Accelerate, first traveled to Uzbekistan with TechWomen as a delegate on the TechWomen 2019 delegation trip. Eileen was invited by American Councils for International Education to deliver two days of training for alumnae of their Young Professional Internships Program (YPIP), an initiative that connects young STEM professionals to internship programs at Uzbek businesses and organizations. Eileen invited 2016 fellow of Uzbekistan Elena Selezneva to support her with the training, collaborating to deliver workshops on entrepreneurship, design thinking, Lean Canvas and pitching. Eileen also visited a local IT park and incubator hub, speaking to girls ages 9-12 from a public school about ideation, design thinking and the Technovation program. There, Eileen was joined by 2018 fellow of Uzbekistan Yulduz Khudaykulova, whose daughter attends the school, as well as 2018 fellow of Algeria Amel Djenidi, who recently moved to Tashkent. Last, Eileen delivered an ideation training to girls from the Technovation program that was organized by Elena alongside 2016 fellows of Uzbekistan Saida Yusupova and Ozoda Ismailova.​

Report Date...: 1/17/2022


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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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