Impact Stories from Professional Growth Policy Area

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.”

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.”

Report Date...: 2/21/2022

Fellow shares passion for mentorship in video interview

Fellow(s): Faten Khalfallah Hammouda

Country: Tunisia

Cohort: 2015

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

2015 fellow Faten Khalfallah Hammouda was recently interviewed by CIO News, a platform for business and IT leaders. Faten was featured for Wonder Women in Tech, their series led by Khushubu Soni, CIO’s chief editor. Faten is the founder, president and project manager at First Skills Club, a STEM education initiative that introduces Tunisia’s youth to technologies such as mobile apps, robotics, electronics, design and 3D printing. She is also a lead organizer for Teens In AI, an initiative launched at the 2018 UN AI for Good Global Summit, as well as a TechGirls local engagement coordinator. She was recently named Outstanding Mentor at First Global, a yearly Olympics-style global robotics competition for youth. In the video interview, Faten spoke about her career in technology, finding her niche as an educator and mentor and her passion for facilitating early STEM competency. Through dedicating her time to empowering young students with 21st century skills, Faten is fostering a generation of critical thinkers who will be ready to solve leading issues in their communities. “I find myself trying to change the way to teach IT, trying to solve community problems via technology,” she said. “If I succeed I’ll help make future leaders that can inspire others.” Faten concluded the interview by reflecting on her TechWomen experience, explaining how TechWomen challenged her to think differently and pass on knowledge: “To any woman in tech: make yourself someone who can guide others, and share your knowledge with them,” she said.

Report Date...: 2/14/2022

Emerging Leader shares her journey in science

Fellow(s): Naomie Kayitesi

Country: Rwanda

Cohort: 2022

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

The TechWomen blog has published its final post for Emerging Leader Voices, a series that invites incoming Emerging Leaders to share about their background, their STEM careers and their paths to TechWomen. In Motivation, the pillar of my journey in science, 2022 Emerging Leader Naomi Kayitesi of Rwanda writes how the Genocide against the Tutsi and her country’s resilience in the face of tragedy inspired her to achieve: “I was blessed to grow up in the time where education was accessible to everyone as a right and not a privilege,” she writes. Naomie is currently pursuing her PhD, focusing on river hydrology and how rivers are affected by climate change. “Women are more affected than men by these environmental challenges, especially in developing countries, where women are responsible for farming, fetching water, and gathering fuelwood,” she writes. “Therefore, I am looking forward to meeting other women in STEM to brainstorm these topics. It is important to look beyond our boxes and discuss these global challenges, thus contributing to the global agenda.” Naomie concludes her blog post with a message of hope for the next generation of STEM leaders, especially women: “You are capable…believe in yourself and work hard.”

Report Date...: 2/14/2022

Fellow selected as ICANN fellow

Fellow(s): Ayesha Iftikhar

Country: Pakistan

Cohort: 2020-2021

Policy Area(s): Professional Growth

2020-2021 fellow Ayesha Iftikhar is one of 39 leaders from 27 countries selected for the ICANN73 fellowship, a program where fellows engage in policy-building and contribute to the security of the global Internet. ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to keep the internet secure and stable. Ayesha is an assistant professor and researcher with a focus on cybersecurity, network security, information security, policy frameworks and internet governance. She is also the co-founder of Rehnumaa, a mentorship and skill-building platform created by Team Pakistan during TechWomen 2020-2021. Ayesha, who began her fellowship in January, will be virtually attending ICANN73 next month, attending sessions and workshops on policy, governance, best practices and security. “After this fellowship I will be involved in ICANN’s work by becoming part of different constituencies,” she said.

Report Date...: 2/14/2022

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 delivers inspirational webinar to youth

Fellow(s): Sarah Abdallah

Country: Lebanon

Cohort: 2016

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

2016 fellow Sarah Abdallah delivered an inspirational talk at Inspire, a conference designed and presented by youth in Gaza. The conference was supported by Al Nayzak Organization for Supportive Education and Scientific Innovation and the UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People. Sarah is a program director at Anera, an organization that supports refugees in the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon and Jordan. She is also a lecturer at Saint Joseph University of Beirut, delivering courses in professional branding to the university’s engineering students. During her Inspire session, Sarah spoke about the future of jobs, the importance of professional branding and how people in vulnerable regions can remain motivated to succeed. Sarah, a new mother, also spoke about the stereotype that women cannot sustain both a family and career success. “What was important is maintaining the message of hope, as it is our only way to overcome all our current challenges and thrive,” she said.

Report Date...: 2/7/2022

fellow inspires women in STEM

Fellow(s): Iqra Hameed

Country: Pakistan

Cohort: 2019

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

2019 fellow Iqra Hameed was a featured panelist at DevFest Peshawar, speaking about the importance of inclusion in STEM fields. DevFest, a yearly conference focused on community-led learning on Google technologies, is hosted and locally curated by Google Developer Groups (GDGs) across the globe. Iqra works as a product manager as well as a project management consultant. On her panel, “Journeys and experiences in making STEM more inclusive,” Iqra discussed gender diversity and best practices for recruiting, supporting and retaining women in technology. After her panel, Iqra was approached by a young woman who had traveled from Chitral to meet her. The woman follows Iqra on her popular Instagram account, and wanted to speak to Iqra about her career success and get advice about the TechWomen application. “It was the most precious moment of my life,” said Iqra. “She came all the way to Peshawar just to meet me and understand the TechWomen application process. She applied this year, and I am hoping for the best.”

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.

Report Date...: 1/31/2022

Mentor(s): Vasanthi Renganathan

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

Mentor Vasanthi Renganathan shared best practices in communication on the latest episode of Perspectives, a live event where Vasanthi’s LinkedIn colleague, Diana Zhang, invites guests to speak about their experiences and share their paths of empowering others around them. Vasanthi, who has served as both an Impact Coach and Professional Mentor, is a senior staff technical program manager at LinkedIn. “Relationships are the currency of business, and communication is the foundation of successful relationships,” she said during her talk. She then explored what she calls “Communication Meters,” including an audience meter, a goal meter, an emotional meter, an inclusiveness meter, an unconscious bias meter, a boundary meter and more. “The emotional meter really plays a role to create a gage for yourself and keep your team working in the right direction,” she said.

Report Date...: 1/31/2022

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