Impact Stories from Professional Development Policy Area

Fellow promoted to branch office head of ISTC

Fellow(s): Aziza Haydarova (Tajikistan, 2022 )

Country: Tajikistan

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Development

Fellow promoted to branch office head of ISTC

Fellow Aziza Haydarova (Tajikistan, 2022 ) has recently been appointed the new Head of Branch Office of the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) in Dushanbe. The ISTC is an intergovernmental organization that connects scientists from Kazakhstan, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia with their research organizations and peers in the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Norway and the United States. Aziza, an attorney, has dedicated 10 years to the ISTC Dushanbe office, most recently serving as a deputy manager. Aziza credited the TechWomen program with opening the doors in her career that have led to this promotion. “Only [TechWomen] could give me the opportunity to be the best version of myself,” she wrote in a recent letter. “This program is a great opportunity to discover new, unreleased traits in [one’s] character.”

Report Date...: 07/15/2023

Fellow awarded for Covid-19 Medical Library Guide

Fellow(s): Diala Al Samarani (Lebanon, 2022)

Country: Lebanon

Cohort: 2022

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

Fellow awarded for Covid-19 Medical Library Guide

“COVID-19 USEK Medical Library Guide,” a digital guide created by fellow Diala Al Samarani (Lebanon, 2022), has won the 2023 PR Xchange Award in the materials promoting collections, services and resources category. Her guide connects Holy Spirit University of Kasilik (USEK) students and faculty with the online resources, services and tools available in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Diala’s guide was selected among over 215 entries in print and electronic formats, submitted from over 100 institutions, including libraries from the public, academic, school, state and specialty sectors. The PR Xchange Committee coordinates the annual awards competition under the direction of the Awards and Scholarships Subcommittee of Core, a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The competition was decided by 15 jurists and winning entries were displayed at the PR Xchange Event on Sunday, June 25 at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL.

Report Date...: 07/03/2023

Fellow hosts 5-week leadership course

Fellow(s): Damilola Asalaye (Nigeria, 2020-2021)

Country: Nigeria

Cohort: 2020-2021

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Development

Fellow hosts 5-week leadership course

Fellow Damilola Asalaye (Nigeria, 2020-2021), Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Ashdam Solar Company, recently conducted a month-long online training course for women in leadership roles of the energy sector. “Energy Sector Women Leadership Initiative” ran from May 23 to June 23 and featured more than 15 workshop facilitators, including TechWomen alumnae Hannah Kabir Ahmed (2013), Happy Amos (2020-2021), Olayinka Fagbemiro (2020-2021) and Osazoduwa Agboneni (2019). The 40-hour curriculum covered 20 competency-based modules delivered over a five-week period with training topics such as navigating organizational politics, acquiring skills to coach and supervise, and networking strategically. In addition to her role as COO of Ashdam Solar Company, Damilola is Vice President of the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria.

Report Date...: 06/26/2023

Fellow shares biz insights on Startups Arabia Podcast

Fellow(s): Eman Hylooz (Jordan, 2016)

Country: Jordan

Cohort: 2016

Policy Area(s): Entrepreneurship, Professional Development

Fellow shares biz insights on Startups Arabia Podcast

Fellow Eman Hylooz (Jordan, 2016), was interviewed on a recent Startups Arabia Podcast’s episode focused on the power of listening to one’s customers. Eman is the founder and CEO of Abjjad, the first subscription-based, Arabic-language e-book platform. Eman has a background in marketing and communications and has been recognized as one of the top female entrepreneurs in the Middle East. She previously worked at world-renowned auditing and tax firm, KPMG, for just four months before quitting to found her business. “One day after another, it felt like I was killing myself,” she discloses on her experience in corporate work. “When I went to [a startup bootcamp], I was so happy and energized. I realized there may be more to life than career and salary… that maybe I should just go after what makes me shine.” Eman goes on to share her story of winning $15,000 USD in seed grant funding, quitting her corporate job and bootstrapping her e-book business for several painful and insightful years before raising $1 million USD of venture capital in her 2020 series A investing round. “I always say it took a pandemic for publishers to realize the importance of digital and for investors to realize [the profitability] of digital.” Today, Abjjad is the largest Arabic e-book platform online with thousands of texts available to subscribers.

Report Date...: 06/19/2023

Fellow speaks at water and sanitation conference

Fellow(s): Sylvia Nyaga (Kenya, 2022)

Country: Kenya

Cohort: 2022

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

Fellow speaks at water and sanitation conference

Fellow Sylvia Nyaga (Kenya, 2022) led a session entitled, “Gender and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) financing: Overcoming challenges faced by women-led SMEs (small and midsized enterprises)” at the National Conference on Bankability and Blended financing for SMEs and WASH initiatives, held in Nairobi this spring. “Billions of people worldwide, including 1 billion people with #disabilities, still live without safely managed drinking water, safely managed sanitation and basic hygiene services,” Sylvia wrote in a recent post. “The financing of water and sanitation infrastructure projects in emerging markets is at the heart of this global challenge.” Sylvia is the founder of Syna Consultancy, a social enterprise dedicated to providing safe, inclusive and dignified sanitation experiences, with a focus on elderly, sick, and mobility-impaired individuals. Through Syna, she has developed the UTULAV toilet, an accessible and portable device for the physically challenged.

Report Date...: 06/19/2023

Fellow earns hydropower assessor accreditation

Fellow(s): Asligul (Mavluda) Mamadatoeva (Tajikistan, 2017)

Country: Tajikistan

Cohort: 2017

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

Fellow earns hydropower assessor accreditation

Fellow Asligul (Mavluda) Mamadatoeva (Tajikistan, 2017) recently announced her completion of the Accredited Assessor training organized by the Hydropower Sustainability Training Academy based in London. Asligul works as a Senior Environmental and Social Officer at Pamir Energy Company (PE), where she has held a leadership role in the yearslong process of securing the Sebzor hydropower project as the first project of its kind to be certified by the Hydropower Sustainability Standard, as announced on March 22, 2023. In her areas of expertise, Asligul held direct responsibility for 10 out of 12 topics assessed by the International Hydropower Association.

Report Date...: 06/19/2023

will travel to U.S. for whirlwind visit to NASA and more

Fellow(s): Dania Maraqah (Palestinian Territories, 2022)

Country: Palestinian Territories

Cohort: 2022

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

Fellow mentors winning high school team in Tech-Talent 2023, will travel to U.S. for whirlwind visit to NASA and more

Fellow and physics teacher Dania Maraqah (Palestinian Territories, 2022) recently mentored a winning team in the Tech-Talent 2023 Grand Finale, a science and entrepreneurship competition for high school students in Gaza and the West Bank. As the supervising teacher, Dania and her team, along with 11 other teams selected from hundreds of students, have won the opportunity to experience a 10-day trip to the U.S. to visit NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the University of South Florida College of Marine Sciences and the Imagineers at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. The Tech-Talent program, created by Al-Nayzak (the Meteor Foundation), offers the opportunity for Palestinian high school students to innovate and present unique STEM projects intended for real-world applications. The U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs partners with the Meteor Foundation to help sponsor this event. “As an alumna of TechWomen 2022 Fall,” Dania shared in a recent post, “I am truly grateful for the profound impact the TechWomen program has had on my life, inspiring me to step up and become a mentor for a team of incredible girls in the tech-talent contest.”

Report Date...: 06/12/2023

Fellow featured in article on Technovation Girls’ success

Fellow(s): Maral Hudaybergenova (Turkmenistan, 2018)

Country: Turkmenistan

Cohort: 2018

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

Fellow featured in article on Technovation Girls’ success

Fellow Maral Hudaybergenova (Turkmenistan, 2018) was featured in a recent article for her role in the success of Technovation Girls Turkmenistan as their Regional Ambassador. The story covers the program’s second year in the country, during which participants engaged in 12 weeks of training and project development that included market research, application buildout and video production. The Regional Pitch Day, held at Ashgabat International School, was attended by U.S. Ambassador Matthew Klimow and resulted in four teams, double over the year prior, being selected for the world finals. Finalists, to be announced June 30, will attend the World Summit in Silicon Valley this October. “Technovation is not just a competition,” Maral shared. “There are no winners and losers. All participants are part of a global community of like-minded people striving to change the world for the better.”

Report Date...: 06/12/2023

Fellow moderates panel at AviaDev Africa Conference

Fellow(s): Refilwe Ledwaba (South Africa, 2019)

Country: South Africa

Cohort: 2019

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Development

Fellow moderates panel at AviaDev Africa Conference

Fellow Refilwe Ledwaba (South Africa, 2019) recently moderated a panel discussion, “Designing a sustainable route development plan: How to attract and retain airlines in Africa” during the 2023 AviaDev Africa conference in Nairobi, Kenya this June. Refilwe is the first black female helicopter pilot from South Africa and the founder of the Girls Fly Program Africa (GFPA), an immersive STEAM development initiative focused on aviation, space technology, mentorship and career-building skills for high school girls. The AviaDev Africa conference convenes aviation professionals, policymakers and industry leaders involved in African aviation to discuss and develop solutions to industry challenges through speaking events, panel discussions, workshops and the exhibition of aviation products and services.

Report Date...: 06/12/2023

Mentor-conceived Climate Smart Women Energy Leaders program launches at Berkeley National Lab

Fellow(s): Mentor Reshma Singh

Country:

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

Mentor-conceived Climate Smart Women Energy Leaders program launches at Berkeley National Lab

Mentor Reshma Singh recently took part in the formal launch of the Climate Smart Women Energy Leaders program (CS-WEL) as part of the Net Zero World (NZW) Initiative. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where Reshma works as a Senior Advisor and Program Director, the new initiative serves to empower women leaders in the energy sector from partner countries through intensive training, peer learning and ongoing coaching and mentoring. The launch included leaders from seven countries, including India, for which Reshma serves as the Country Co-Coordinator for the NZW. The NZW initiative was launched in 2021 by DOE Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, with the aim of transitioning to net zero energy systems across multiple sectors, including transportation, industry, buildings, carbon capture and geologic storage, energy storage and the power grid. Berkeley Lab contributes leadership and technical expertise in the recently established NZW Action Center, which is part of a network that promotes global net zero emission energy systems that are inclusive, equitable and resilient.

Report Date...: 06/05/2023

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