Impact Stories from Special Report Policy Area
TechWomen hosts bi-city Pitch Day in Chicago and SF Bay
Fellow(s):
Country:
Cohort: 2023
Policy Area(s): Special Report
The TechWomen community gathered on Monday, October 16 for the Pitch Day program held consecutively in the Chicago area and the San Francisco Bay. The evening commenced with a keynote address from Britta McKenna, Director of Emerging Technology of Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) in Aurora, Illinois, where the event was hosted. Teams Algeria, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tunisia and Uzbekistan presented their three-minute impact project pitches first, then turned the stage over to San Francisco, which opened with a keynote speech from Dr. Wendy Okolo, a research engineer from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Following that, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Zimbabwe presented their pitches. Each team was evaluated by a qualified panel of judges on their project’s social impact, sustainability and innovation. VisMed3D Chief Executive Officer Dima Elissa, and 1871 Director of Channel Partnerships Tenille Johnson sat on the panel in Chicago, while mentor Tina Shakour, a senior manager at Amazon Web Services, and Charlie Matar, a senior vice president at Synopsys held the post in the Bay Area. Special guests Melissa Kirschner of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), and Edith Cecil, Senior Vice President of Government Programs at the Institute of International Education (IIE), also attended Chicago’s Pitch Day.
Report Date...: 10/16/2023
Seed grant winners announced at Community Celebrations commemorating close of city-wide TechWomen programs
Fellow(s):
Country:
Cohort: 2023
Policy Area(s): Special Report
On Friday, October 20, the TechWomen program completed its Chicago and San Francisco Bay Area programs with Community Celebrations held at Fulton Labs and Juniper Aspiration Dome, respectively. These events serve as a culminating milestone for the programs, where Emerging leaders, mentors, partners and supporters could gather to enjoy gallery walks showcasing each country team’s action plan, share highlights from the program, hear the much anticipated seed-grant winner announcements and connect around their common mission to drive global change. Keynote addresses were delivered by Dr. Azurii Collier, President and Board Chair of Women in Bio (SIB) in Chicago, and Hillary Weingast, Vice President and Global Head of Inclusion and Diversity at Juniper Networks in San Francisco. Following these remarks, select mentors and emerging leaders took to the podium to offer powerful insights on their cultural mentorship, professional mentorship and impact coaching experiences. To close out the evening, grant winners from Monday’s Pitch Day were announced. The first grant, sponsored by partner Amazon Web Services, went to Chicago’s Team Algeria, who plan to develop a data-driven application that will help Algerian women access accurate blood typing and donation services. The next two grants, sponsored by TechWomen, went to Team Zimbabwe to develop the Nyamukuta project to combat maternal mortality, and Team Palestinian Territories to create a STEM-based mobile application for young Palestinian students. The next grant, sponsored by partner Synopsys, went to Team Kazakhstan, whose AI-based application project will work to increase equity and transparency in public water distribution. To round out the winners circle, Team Lebanon won a seed grant sponsored by partner Juniper Networks to support their WeCare mobile app, which will bridge connections for Lebanese women seeking emotional, social and peer support as they battle breast cancer.
Report Date...: 10/16/2023
Mentor(s): 2023 Emerging Leaders arrive in San Francisco & Chicago for historical year of expansion
Policy Area(s): Special Report
On September 20, 2023 nearly 100 global Emerging Leaders arrived in Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area, fulfilling the expansion mission announced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony S. Blinken during last year’s TechWomen@10 anniversary event. Emerging leaders from Algeria, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tunisia and Uzbekistan made landfall in Chicago, and those from Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Zimbabwe carried on to San Francisco. This cohort also includes the first alumnae of TechGirls, Houa Seghouani of Algeria and Khadija Bencekri of Morocco, to follow the path from TechGirls to TechWomen. The first half of welcome events included bi-state welcome orientations, a virtual program orientation, cultural workshops and a first-of-its-kind, simul-cast leadership workshop hosted by partner Chime at their offices in San Francisco and Chicago.
Read More »Report Date...: 9/18/2023
TW ’23 sees retooled Cultural and Leadership Workshops
Fellow(s): TW ’23 sees retooled Cultural and Leadership Workshops
Country:
Cohort: 2023
Policy Area(s): Special Report
As the TechWomen 2023 U.S. program takes flight, several workshops have seen innovations and reimagination for the historic Chicago expansion pilot. The Cultural Workshop has been reenvisioned from what was traditionally a cultural showcase event into a competency-building workshop, which was led this year by facilitators from Intercultural Communication Edge (ICEdge) Nancy Buchan in Chicago and Wendi Adair In San Francisco. The Leadership Workshop, meanwhile underwent a technological innovation, serving as a first-of-its-kind simulcast, hybrid event, seamlessly hosted by program partner Chime in both San Francisco and Chicago. The event featured mentors Samantha Raniere, who led the Clifton StrengthsFinder workshop, and Beth Steinberg and Samantha Krause of Chime, who served as keynote speakers.
Report Date...: 9/18/2023
Fellow(s): Historical Chicago expansion launches with Mentor Kickoff
Country:
Cohort: 2023
Policy Area(s): Special Report
The inaugural in-person Chicago expansion event took place on September 12, when an all-new cohort of volunteers gathered at Nvisia for the 2023 Chicago Mentor Kickoff. The Kickoff allowed mentors to gain insights into their interconnected roles, network and discuss effective mentor-mentee partnerships. The event featured a virtual panel with experienced mentors Samera Edwards, Ateka Ali, Maya Bisineer and Donna Flores. “With each TechWomen mentorship, friendship and relationship, we’re sowing the seeds for the world we want to see,” shared program director Katie Zee, casting a vision for the newly inducted mentors. A companion kickoff took place two evenings later at Waymo in San Francisco’s South Bay.
Report Date...: 9/11/2023
Kazakh fellows convene with IIE Co-President Jason Czyz
Fellow(s): Kazakh fellows convene with IIE Co-President Jason Czyz
Country: Kazakhstan, United States
Cohort: 2023
Policy Area(s): Special Report
On October 26, IIE Co-President Jason Czyz met with TechWomen Kazakh fellows Ainur Kuanyshbayeva (2020-2021), Aknur Karabay (2022), Dina Shaikhislam (2017) and Elmira Obry (2022) over dinner during a business trip to the capital city of Astana. During the event, fellows shared their experiences during and following the program and their work to help expand TechWomen’s mission of increasing access to STEM fields for women and girls and create a more equitable global community. Ainur Sembayeva of the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan also attended.
“I am continually motivated by the dedication and passion of the TechWomen team and their alumni,” Elmira wrote in a recent letter. “I look forward to future collaborations and am here to support our shared vision for progress in Kazakhstan and beyond.”
Report Date...: 10/23/2023
TW & TG alum collaborate for NextGen TechCamp Nairobi
Fellow(s): Ruth Kaveke (2017), Joan Simiyu Nabusoba (2020-2021), Charity Nyaga Wanjiku (2017)
Country: Kenya
Policy Area(s): Special Report
TW & TG alum collaborate for NextGen TechCamp Nairobi
26 fellows from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Zimbabwe participated in the first of three NextGen TechCamps (NGTC) conceived to commemorate the 10th anniversaries of TechWomen (TW) and TechGirls (TG). TechCamp, a diplomatic program hosted by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, seeks to leverage the expertise of U.S. exchange program alumnae to engage and train local tech communities across the world. TW and TG alumnae served as mentors and trainers for women ecopreneurs seeking to advance their projects through technology. NextGen TechCamp Nairobi, hosted June 22 to 24, was implemented by fellow-founded Pwani Teknowgalz and included lightning talks, interactive trainings, pitch practices and more. Pwani Teknowgalz is a STEM-training initiative for marginalized women and girls headed by fellow Ruth Kaveke (Kenya, 2017), Co-founder & Executive Director, and Joan Simiyu Nabusoba (Kenya, 2020-2021), Director of Professional Development. Fellow Charity Nyaga Wanjiku (Kenya, 2017) also played a key role, moderating a fireside chat with Meg Whitman, U.S Ambassador to Kenya. Charity also presented a training entitled, “Sustainable Resource Management and Green Buildings.”
Read More »Report Date...: 07/03/2023
TechWomen Delegation journeys to Kazakhstan
Fellow(s): TechWomen Delegation journeys to Kazakhstan
Country: Kazakhstan
Policy Area(s): Special Report
At the end of April 2023, a delegation of nearly 25 TechWomen mentors, fellows and staff from IIE and the U.S. State department traveled to Kazakhstan for a week of diverse and enriching events focused on women’s and girls’ leadership and upliftment through mentorship and collaboration. The delegation journey took place across two cities, starting in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, and ending in Astana, the nation’s capital. In Almaty, the delegation commenced with a cultural day of learning, before progressing on to a series of enriching events including a U.S.—Kazakhstan relations briefing with the Consulate General, pitch training and a Silicon Valley Symposium at MOST Business Incubator and a Career Day hosted for students of IT International University. The delegation then carried on to Astana to continue the mission, with events including an embassy briefing, another Career Day for young women at the local American Corner, a reception with Deputy Chief of Mission Judy Kuo, a women’s leadership assembly co-hosted with several national utility companies and an awe-inspiring workshop at state-of-the-art Nazayarbev University. To close out the week, delegates took part in several culturally enriching farewell events arranged by their Kazakh hosts.
Report Date...: 04/24/2023
Delegation to Kazakhstan drives youth mentorship
Fellow(s): Delegation to Kazakhstan drives youth mentorship
Country: Kazakhstan
Policy Area(s): Special Report
The TechWomen delegation to Kazakhstan enjoyed several opportunities to offer mentorship and exchange ideas with local young learners during their week in the country. The delegation hosted a Career Day at IT International University on career trends and opportunities in STEM followed by breakout sessions entitled Career Talks, Entrepreneurial Discussions and Hands-on STEM. In Astana, the delegation hosted another Career Day geared toward TechGirls and Technovation students at the American Corner in Astana, focusing on global trends in STEM careers and their future impact. Several days later, the delegation toured gcutting-edge Nazarbayev University before co-hosting a Women in STEM forum with students, faculty and staff. Topics included growth mindset, design thinking, presentation skills, interview skills and networking, which the students and delegates earnestly engaged in immediately following the event.
Report Date...: 04/24/2023
TechWomen fosters powerful bond with Techno Women
Fellow(s): Techno Women served as a powerful business partner and cultural ambassador to the TechWomen delegation.
Country: Kazakhstan
Cohort: 2018, 2022
Policy Area(s): Special Report
The TechWomen delegation to Kazakhstan was heavily influenced by fruitful collaboration with local nonprofit Techno Women, a community platform that aims to advance the status of Kazakh women and girls by encouraging them to reach their full potential in STEM. Techno Women counts several TechWomen fellows in its ranks, including Elmira Obry (2022), Zhanargul Izimova (2018) and Zharkyn Chsheglova (2022). With their leadership, Techno Women played an integral role in co-executing several collaborative events, including the Pitch Training and Silicon Valley Symposium at MOST Business Incubator, the Women in Leadership assembly at KazMunayGaz utility company headquarters and an IT Startups workshop at Astana Hub. Furthermore, Techno Women also engaged as ambassadors for the delegation, hosting several socio-cultural events that fostered enriching education and friendships.
Report Date...: 04/24/2023