Impact Stories from Professional Development Policy Area

Fellow(s): Kseniia Tsyganova

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Cohort: 2022

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

Fellow delivers masterclass to women with disabilities

Fellow Kseniia Tsyganova (Kyrgyzstan, 2022) recently delivered a masterclass on essential professional soft skills for Nazyk Kyz, an organization that supports women and girls with disabilities. Aiming to help participants tap into the workforce, Kseniia’s talk focused on teamwork, problem-solving and other nuanced essentials for career success.
“I hope this event is just the first of many to help build a society that is more accepting and accessible with many work opportunities!” Kseniia shared in a recent post.
Kseniia is director of talent operations at Raised, a marketplace of senior business professionals who guide startups in growth, valuation, sales and more. She is an ardent tech community organizer, serving as a Women TechMakers lead, Technovation mentor and regular event speaker for tech hubs and initiatives.

Report Date...: 08/19/2024

Fellow(s): Solange Kalema

Country: Rwanda

Cohort: 2017

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

Fellow moderates Center for a Re-imagined Africa’s Public Sector Symposium with African Leadership University

Fellow Solange Kalema (Rwanda, 2017) recently moderated the Public Sector Symposium, organized by The African Leadership University through the Center for a Re-imagined Africa. Held on July 25, 2024 with the theme “Government Entrepreneurship: Building Africa’s Most Important Products”, the Public Sector Symposium convened industry stakeholders and experts to share insights, best practices and case studies on leveraging leadership, digital technology, and public trust to deliver products that improve the lives of African citizens through government services.

“My key takeaway was the concept of the trust economy and the realization that Africa must move beyond reliance on natural resources,” Solange shared in a recent post. “Instead, we need to focus on building capacities, investing in human capital, especially in developing advanced technology skills, and embracing innovation to strengthen our economies.”

Solange is a business analyst for the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) who specializes in data analytics, agile planning and software development, scrum, requirement engineering, and product and service development. She was recently admitted into the entrepreneurship and product innovation program at One League, a global education institution that seeks to equip high-potential changemakers from across the world with an affordable or free ivy league-based curriculum.

Report Date...: 08/12/2024

Mentor(s): Katie Penn

Policy Area(s): Economic Impact, Professional Development

Mentor shares insights on AI and cryptocurrency responsibility at Crypto Content Creator Campus in Dubai

Mentor Katie Penn, former Global Head of Marketing for X and Twitch, recently spoke at the Crypto Content Creator Campus (CCCC) in Dubai, sharing insights on how creators can adapt as artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency reshape the digital landscape. Drawing from her decade of experience, Katie highlighted the need to build portable communities that transcend platforms, prioritize authentic human connections in an AI-driven world and understand the immense responsibility creators have, especially in crypto, where a single media post can influence markets.
In addition to her involvement at CCCC, Katie recently shared her perspective on women in tech leadership during an interview with Byteline. The conversation explored the gender gap in the blockchain space, where women currently account for less than 5% of crypto entrepreneurs. Despite these statistics, Penn remains optimistic about the role women can play in the sector’s growth, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and collaboration.
“Mentorship within companies, especially women mentoring women, has been highly effective,” she shared in a recent post. “It’s about lifting women up wherever you go—seeing them as peers, not competition.” Through her leadership, Katie continues to empower women to thrive in the evolving tech and crypto spaces.

Report Date...: 01/13/2025

Fellow announces pre-seed funding round for pwron.ai

Fellow(s): Tatyana Plotnikova

Country: Kazakhstan

Cohort: 2019

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

Fellow announces pre-seed funding round for pwron.ai

Fellow Tatyana Plotnikova (Kazakhstan, 2019) recently announced a pre-seed funding round for pwron.ai, an AI-driven market research startup that she co-founded just 6 months ago.
Offering automated insights, expert support, and data visualization, pwron.ai has made significant strides in its first year. The company pivoted in August, launched its minimum viable product in October, and secured its first U.S. sale in January. Based in Delaware and supported by Astana Hub and Silkroad Innovation Hub, pwron.ai has participated in accelerator programs including Draper University’s Hero Training and BetterFuture AI by DOMiNO Ventures. The team is now preparing pilot projects in multiple countries and seeking long-term investors and partners.
In addition to prwon.ai, Tatyana is the founder of PowerOn.space, for marketing and IT professionals.

Report Date...: 01/13/2025

Fellow publishes book on aligning career & purpose

Fellow(s): Yemurayi Chinyande

Country: Zimbabwe

Cohort: 2015

Policy Area(s): Professional Development

Fellow publishes book on aligning career & purpose

Fellow Yemurayi Chinyande (Zimbabwe, 2015), a fintech leader at Flutterwave, recently promoted the publication of her first book, “Called To Serve In The Marketplace.”
“Let conviction backed by authenticity be your springboard!” she expressed in a recent post, where she shared a promotional video about the book published in December 2023. The 42-day devotional guides readers on aligning faith and purpose in their careers, offering reflections, growth strategies, and inspiration from business leaders of faith.
At Flutterwave, coined Africa’s largest startup, Yemurayi is a lead product manager. She has been recognized as a 40 Under 30 Emerging Leader in Zimbabwe and Women Tech Global Award Mentor of the year finalist.

Report Date...: 01/13/2025

Mentor(s): Beth Steinberg

Policy Area(s): Professional Development

Mentor appointed to advisory board of Borderless AI

Mentor Beth Steinberg, former Chief People Officer at Chime, has recently accepted an appointment to the advisory board of Borderless AI, an artificial intelligence-powered human resources platform. Coming on the heels of a $27 million dollar seed funding round in March, Beth’s appointment advances the company’s goal to improve global HR management with generative AI.
“Beth brings vast expertise and understanding of the nuances of the human resources category,” expressed Borderless AI founder and CEO Wilson Cross. “Her leadership experience and passion for innovation will help [us] equip organizations with the tools and information they need to scale globally and deliver results for their people.”
In addition to her prior role at Chime, Beth has held executive and advisory positions at leading companies including Meta, Nike, Electronic Arts, Nordstrom, Madison Reed, Zenefits and Nordstrom throughout her 30 year career.

Report Date...: 08/12/2024

Fellow(s): Fellow Noran Buzgaia enters organizational leadership master’s program

Country: Libya

Cohort: 2023

Policy Area(s): Professional Development

Fellow enters organizational leadership master’s program

“Libyan corporate culture, get ready! A passionate TechWomen alumna is on the way to transform perspectives on psychology and business,” shared fellow Noran Buzgaia (Libya, 2023), who recently started a master’s degree in organizational leadership at Guglielmo Marconi University in Italy.
With a 10-year career blending psychology, humanitarian work, financial technology and business administration, Noran is on a mission to bring a more human-centric approach to organizational psychology in Libya.
“My experience in tech corporate,” she explained, “revealed how psychology, people management, and leadership intersect beautifully in business… influencing employee happiness, satisfaction, and organizational success.”

Report Date...: 08/12/2024

Fellow named in Africa’s Top 50 Business Heroes 2024

Fellow(s): Salma Bougarrani (Morocco, 2020-2021)

Country: Morocco

Cohort: 2020-2021

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

Fellow Salma Bougarrani (Morocco, 2020-2021) has recently been named one of Africa’s Top 50 Business Heroes for 2024. Salma is founder and CEO of Green WATECH, a wastewater management company that provides eco-friendly and affordable soil-based filtration and agricultural repurposing systems for decentralized areas. A leading program of the Jack Ma Foundation, the Africa’s Business Heroes competition spotlights and supports African entrepreneurs creating significant community impact and a more inclusive economy for the future. 2024 Emerging Leader Eya Hammouda has also been named. She is managing director of HK Consulting, which specializes in building information modeling (BIM), bridging engineers and stakeholders construction.

Report Date...: 08/05/2024

Mentor(s): Mercedes Soria

Company: Knightscope

Policy Area(s): Professional Development

Mentor Mercedes Soria, Executive Vice President and Chief Intelligence Officer of Knightscope, was recently featured by the U.S. Embassy in India in #USIndiaFWDforTech, a social media campaign designed to amplify U.S.-India tech partnership.
#USIndiaFWDforTech fortifies the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, or iCET, which was launched by President Biden and Prime Minister Modi in spring of 2022, to amplify a long-term technology partnership and defense industrial cooperation between the nations.
“It is crucial that technology be governed by shared values, including gender equity in tech,” Mercedes shared. “The iCET agreement promotes an open and accessible tech ecosystem, facilitating the exchange of technology experts and knowledge between the United States and India. Establishing more agreements like iCET is essential to share our experiences and insights, and ensures that we stay informed about the latest technological advancements.”

Report Date...:

Fellow enters organizational leadership master’s program

Fellow(s): Noran Buzgaia

Country: Libya

Cohort: 2023

Policy Area(s): Professional Development

Fellow enters organizational leadership master’s program

With a 10-year career blending psychology, humanitarian work, financial technology and business administration, Noran is on a mission to bring a more human-centric approach to organizational psychology in Libya.

“My experience in tech corporate,” she explained, “revealed how psychology, people management, and leadership intersect beautifully in business… influencing employee happiness, satisfaction, and organizational success.”

Report Date...: 08/12/2024

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