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Impact Stories from Entrepreneurship Policy Area

Fellow featured in Logitech’s #WomenWhoMaster series

Fellow(s): Ainura Sagyn

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Cohort: 2017

Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development

Fellow featured in Logitech’s #WomenWhoMaster series

​Fellow Ainura Sagyn (Kyrgyzstan, 2017) was recently featured in an article, “Revolutionizing Recycling: Meet Two Women Breaking Barriers in Science and Sustainability,” as part of Logitech MX’s #WomenWhoMaster series. In the profile, Ainura describes her nearly tech-free childhood in a small town, her early career as a developer, the catapulting effect of her TechWomen experience, the establishment of “Coding Caravan” for Kyrgyz girls, and how she ultimately co-founded Tazar, a waste management mobile application with worldwide potential.

“Solving problems in a creative way is really the top skill,” Ainura offers as advice for young entrepreneurs. “It’s better not to focus on the technologies, frameworks, or different instruments. Instead, get the skills for creative solutions.”
​

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Report Date...: 01/08/2024


speakers and moderators for Wspark Women in Tech forum with USAID

Fellow(s): Elnura Kassymov, Aknur Karabay, Asem Tazhieva, Ayimzhan Baytureeva, Azhar Mambetova, Elena Chigibaeva, Ksenia Tsyganova, Munira Begmuratova,Natalya Klimenko

Country: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan

Cohort: 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Central Asian fellows collaborate as leaders, speakers and moderators for Wspark Women in Tech forum with USAID

Fellow Elnura Kassymova (Kazakhstan, 2016), founder and CEO of Wspark Women in Tech, enlisted a multitude of fellows to collaborate as talent in a recent forum for Central Asian women in IT.

Fellows Aknur Karabay (Kazakhstan, 2022), Asem Tazhieva (Kazakhstan, 2019), Ayimzhan Baytureeva (Kazakhstan, 2023), Azhar Mambetova (Kyrgyzstan, 2019), Elena Chigibaeva (Kyrgyzstan, 2018), Ksenia Tsyganova (Kyrgyzstan, 2022), Munira Begmuratova (Uzbekistan, 2016) and Natalya Klimenko (Uzbekistan, 2018), served as speakers and moderators for the Wspark Women in Tech Forum, which took place on December 13. 2023 with support from the USAID Entrepreneurship and Business Environment Development Project event.

The successful completion of the forum advances WSpark’s educational programming mission to promote regional gender parity and expand the economic rights of women in the Information and Computer Technology (ICT) sector. It provided a platform for leaders to share inspiring success stories, offer expert career advice, promote useful learning programs and network with potential mentors, mentees and partners. In total, over 35 panelists, speakers, moderators and trainers took part in the event, which included an opening greeting from Michelle Yerkin, U.S. Consul General in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

​

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Report Date...: 1/1/2024


Team Sierra Leone launches Wata Na Life impact project

Fellow(s): Faatu Kanneh, Makalay Sesay, Mary Lusenie, Monica Sellu, Titoh Sallay Sheriff

Country: Sierra Leone

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Public Health

Team Sierra Leone launches Wata Na Life impact project

Fellows Faatu Kanneh, Makalay Sesay, Mary Lusenie, Monica Sellu and Titoh Sallay Sheriff (Sierra Leone, 2022) recently implemented the first phase of their seed grant-winning impact project, Wata Na Life, which was established to advance access to clean, safe and sustainable water and provide water treatment solutions to prevent  illness.

Launched in Grafton, Sierra Leone, the inaugural event featured the team handing off their recently installed clean water tank to the local community stakeholders.

The project was made possible with the funding of a $3,000 USD seed grant from TechWomen along with support garnered from the Milla Group and Guma Valley Water Company. A highlight included a visit from impact coach Barham Zuhdi, who attended the groundbreaking event.

 

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Report Date...: 1/1/2024


Fellow wins Best Young Manager Award 2023 from CJD

Fellow(s): Amani Mansouri

Country: Tunisia

Cohort: 2018

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow wins Best Young Manager Award 2023 from CJD

Fellow Amani Mansouri (Tunisia, 2018), CEO of the startup Dabchy, recently won the Best Young Manager Award 2023 at the Center for Young Managers (CJD) Business Awards ceremony. The event was hosted by CJD Tunisia, in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, to spotlight entrepreneurs, managers and young leaders across various sectors who have demonstrated leadership, innovation and creativity in business development.

Dabchy is a user-to-user online fashion sales platform that merges community with social networks to empower its members, known as “Dabchouchas,” to utilize multimedia and interaction to buy, sell, and exchange new and bespoke garments and accessories online.

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Report Date...: 1/1/2024


Fellow leads 3rd place win at UbuntuNet hackathon

Fellow(s): Yollanda Washaya

Country: Zimbabwe

Cohort: 2022

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

Fellow leads 3rd place win at UbuntuNet hackathon

“We came, we CODED, we conquered,” shared fellow Yollanda Washaya (Zimbabwe, 2022) in a recent post celebrating the victory of Team Kusha from Africa University in Zimbabwe, who won third place out of 300 applicants continent-wide at the first-ever UbuntuNet Alliance Women Hackathon this fall. Held in advance of the UbuntuNet-Connect 2023 Conference in Uganda, the initiative was created to champion gender equality in STEM fields.

Yollanda serves as the Head of Innovation at Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Her team has recently developed an AI-powered authoring tool called KUSHA “in our quest to make educational articles more palatable,” she wrote in another recent post showcasing the AI’s generative abilities.

 

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Report Date...: 12/25/2023


Fellow wins prestigious Ericsson Top Performer Award

Fellow(s): Natalya Tyudina

Country: Tajikistan

Cohort: 2018

Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow wins prestigious Ericsson Top Performer Award

Fellow Natalya Tyudina (Tajikistan, 2018) was recently selected as one among 100 employees for Ericsson’s Top Performers Award, their most prestigious annual distinction, during this fall’s annual Performance Conference. Selected from a pool of 105,000 employees, the Top Performers Award recognizes standout individuals in innovation, operational excellence and sales.

Natalya, a Cloud Technology Developer, was recognized in the Innovation of the Year category for her and her team’s work on the Holographic Communication project, which enables 3D video calls using current telecommunications technology.

 

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Report Date...: 12/25/2023


Fellow visits Tbilisi for networking with WE-Champs

Fellow(s): Darika Aldasheva

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow Darika Aldasheva (Kyrgyzstan, 2022) shared her experience with the TechWomen program during a panel discussion in Tbilisi, Georgia this December for Strengthening the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem by Networking Regional Women’s Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations (WE-Champs), for which she was recently selected as a beneficiary. WE-Champs, funded by the U.S. State Department Office of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI) and facilitated by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), aims to promote women’s economic security and gender-responsive institutions in Europe and Eurasia.
The event brought together women entrepreneurs and leaders of women’s associations and chambers of commerce from 15 countries across the region to share best practices and discuss the findings from the Regional Gender Analysis.
​

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Report Date...: 12/11/2023


Fellow selected as eTradeforWomen Community Leader

Fellow(s): Tadhim Uwizeye

Country: Rwanda

Cohort: 2023

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow Tadhim Uwizeye (Rwanda, 2023) has recently been selected to serve as an Anglophone African countries’ Community Leader for eTradeforWomen, an initiative of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). UNCTAD is an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations Secretariat that amplifies the interests of developing countries in world trade. ETradeforWomen promotes women’s economic empowerment and gender equality by providing a platform for women entrepreneurs to elevate their knowledge, skills and resources in digital innovation, e-commerce & entrepreneurship. Community Leaders must be female CEOs or founders of digital businesses that have been in operation for at least two years.
Tadhim is the founder and CEO of Olado, an e-commerce platform offering business-to-consumer product sales for Rwandan enterprises and organizations.
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Report Date...: 12/04/2023


"Fellow leads two sessions at Ololo STEAM Camp for Girls "

Fellow(s): Kseniia Tsyganova

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Empowering Women and Girls, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow Kseniia Tsyganova (Kyrgyzstan, 2022) recently led two sessions at the Ololo STEAM Camp for Girls in Bishkek last month. Organized by Ololo Creative Hubs with support from the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, the event hosted school-aged girls seeking to learn to develop websites and digital projects.
Kseniia’s first session offered an introduction to STEAM, defining the terms and illustrating how technologies can support arts. She later delivered a session on how to create a website without coding expertise. “Not everything has to be code,” she reiterated in a recent post. “Coding is a tool and shouldn’t be an obstacle to learning or creation!”
Kseniia is a community manager for software company Turbine Kreuzberg. She also has experience as a front end developer and media relations professional.

Read More »

Report Date...: 12/04/2023


Fellow announces founding of STEM training and university preparation platform Stemio

Fellow(s): Natalya Yusupova Klimenko

Country: Uzbekistan

Cohort: 2017

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Education Diplomacy/Mentoring, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Youth Engagement

Fellow Natalya Yusupova Klimenko (Uzbekistan, 2017) has recently announced the founding of Stemio, an innovative online learning platform designed to help students prepare for STEM courses and gain greater access to universities and the admissions process. Subscribers to the platform will receive access to worldwide courses, 24/7 online support, unlimited practice and knowledge testing opportunities, and guaranteed university admission.

“By my calculations, every year more than 2 million school students in Central Asia and neighboring countries take exams in mathematics, physics, chemistry or biology when applying to STEM universities.” Natalya explained in a recent announcement. “80% of them fail due to the low level of education in schools. It is an incredible 2 billion dollar opportunity in this region alone.”

Natalya has a professional background in digital marketing management and most recently served as the Head of Sales at Billz, a retail business management software company. She launched Stemio to help students shore up teacher and resource shortages, combat institutional corruption, alleviate personal study pressures and develop a clear and desirable career path.
​

Read More »

Report Date...: 11/27/2023


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Impact Story Policy Areas

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

Recent Impact Stories

  • Fellow(s): 21 TechWomen mentors and fellows organize impact trip to Lebanon to implement international collaboration in STEM

    Country: Lebanon, United States

    Region: MENA, US

    Cohort: 2014, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024

    Mentorship Type: Cultural, Impact, Professional

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

    TechWomen mentors and fellows organize impact trip to Lebanon to implement international collaboration in STEM

    From May 31 to April 8, 2025, TechWomen mentors from Silicon Valley journeyed to Beirut for a powerful week of knowledge exchange, mentorship, and community building led by Lebanese TechWomen fellows who co-organized a series of high-impact events. U.S. mentors Jill Finlayson, Kathy Giori, Rekha Pai, and Terri Khonsari joined Lebanese fellows Aseel Honein (2013), Christelle Bou Harb (2024), Claudette El Hajj (2022), Diala Al Samarani (2022), Ghiwa Haddad (2022), Hala Awkar (2024), Lara Chikhani (2017), Lara El Khoury (2014), Nisrine Bou Ghannam (2024), Noura Al Merhabi (2024), Rola El Hafi (2022), Sabine El Kahi (2014), Sawsan AlJamal (2023), Sawsan Sleiman (2024), Talar Kichian (2023), Zahraa Sweidan (2024) and Zeina Farah (2022) in orchestrating this impactful series of events that brought together a variety of institutions, students, entrepreneurs and local changemakers in an inspiring journey to advance international and local innovation, mentorship and STEM excellence.

    Highlights included a high-level AI and Entrepreneurship forum at the American University of Beirut, featuring guests from the U.S. Embassy of Lebanon and speakers from the National Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (NCEI). Another standout event was hosted at Lebanese American University (LAU) in partnership with the LAU Innovation Center, where mentors met with computer science students and faculty to explore the intersection of entrepreneurship, startups, and global collaboration. Additionally, a panel titled “AI Tools: Accessibility, Ethical Use, and Impact was organized in collaboration with LAU Libraries, Arab Union for Specialized Women, and others. At Beirut Digital District, the event “Connect & Elevate: Lebanese Women” welcomed leaders in STEM from across the country for an evening of community networking and mentorship with the visiting U.S. STEM pioneers. These mentors also met with entrepreneurs at the Chamber of Commerce in Tripoli (Lebanon) and delivered sessions at Lebanese University Roumieh, supported by partners such as IEEE Lebanon Joint Chapter, EdTech Syndicate in Lebanon, and the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon. Mentors also brought their STEM expertise and leadership to youth, delivering inspiration and hands-on physical computing workshops to students at the American High School in Lebanon, girl scouts from the AGBU – AYA Antranik Antelias Scouts, and more.

    “Let’s keep bridging global wisdom with local talent,” reflected fellow Zahraa Sweidan on the powerful week of events.

    Read More »

    Report Date: 04/07/2025

  • Fellow(s): Adetoun Akitoye

    Country: Nigeria

    Region: SSA

    Cohort: 2022

    Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Environmental Sustainability, Professional Development

    Fellow hosts chemistry educators event at UNILAG​

    Adetoun was commended on her food insecurity research at the U.S. Mission in Nigeria.

    Fellow Adetoun Akitoye (Nigeria, 2022), a lecturer at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), recently hosted the Women Chemistry Educators Network event, “Shaping the Future: Teaching and Mentorship for Women Chemistry Educators,” supported by the Royal Society of Chemistry. The gathering brought together leaders in academia to explore the transformative role of mentorship and continuous learning in the sciences.

    Adetoun, who mentors undergraduates and champions innovation and food security research at the university, led the event with a focus on community, growth, and collaboration. During a presentation of her work at the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, she was commended by U.S. Ambassador Richard M. Mills Jr. for her efforts to combat food insecurity in her country.

     

     

    Read More »

    Report Date: 04/07/2025

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