Impact Stories from Special Report Policy Area

TW & TG alum collaborate for NextGen TechCamp Nairobi

Fellow(s): Ruth Kaveke (2017), Joan Simiyu Nabusoba (2020-2021), Charity Nyaga Wanjiku (2017)

Country: Kenya

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.”

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

Mentor(s): Recap: Week Final 10 days of Fall 2022 TechWomen Program

Policy Area(s): Special Report

The last ten days of the Fall 2022 TechWomen program kicked off on Monday, October 17 when all 21 teams of Emerging Leaders (ELs) and their Impact Coaches converged for Pitch Day, sponsored by Waymo, to deliver three-minute pitches offering scalable and sustainable solutions to combat socio-economic issues in their home countries.
Several days later, on Thursday, October 20, approximately 600 members of the TechWomen community, including ELs, mentors, partner company representatives and special guests from IIE and the U.S. State Department, gathered at the Juniper Aspiration Dome for the TechWomen@10 anniversary celebration. Events included a keynote speech from Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield, a reflection panel composed of long-term mentors, the announcement of the five seed-grant winning teams and a pre-recorded message from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who shared five momentous expansions TechWomen will see in the coming years.
The next week, the program traveled to Washington D.C. for the final sprint of activities. On Monday, October 24, the delegation was treated to a State Department-hosted luncheon with a surprise in-person keynote speech from Secretary Blinken and an empowerment panel with ELs and a mentor. The following day started with regional summits and closed with an emotional Certificate Ceremony to mark their transition from ELs to Fellows. To close

Report Date...: 10/31/2022

Mentor(s): Recap: Week Three of Fall 2022 TechWomen Program

Policy Area(s): Special Report

In the third week of the Fall 2022 TechWomen program, Emerging Leaders (ELs) took part in Action Plan Workshop 2, before embarking on a full week focused on intense and immersive mentorship experiences with their volunteer Professional Mentors (PMs), Cultural Mentors (CMs) and Impact Coaches (ICs) from the Bay Area and beyond.
Led by the TechWomen team, with facilitation from Acting Director & Program Manager Casey Bulen, Action Plan Workshop 2 of the three-part series saw country teams and their ICs refining the design of their action plans. The focus of this virtual workshop was on ideating innovative, sustainable, scalable and collaborative projects to address a socioeconomic issue in their home countries. “You’re not trying to solve the very big thing. You’re trying to solve the issue you are seeing day-to-day,” articulated IC Anar Simpson, identifying a key component of action plan success for the Fall 2022 emerging leaders.
For the rest of the week, mentors took the lead in orchestrating a wide array of customized mentorship experiences that involved dynamic virtual, in-person and hands-on activities. To showcase these events, Emerging Leaders Kseniia Tsyganova (Kyrgyzstan), Esther Wanza (Kenya), Fortunate Farirai (Zimbabwe) and Mahitab Elramel (Egypt) participated in “Instagram Takeovers” of the TechWomen account, offering insider looks at their day-to-day experiences.
“In a team of five, the desire not only to be heard but to listen is essential,” Kseniia reflected. “Treating your team with respect is another important thing. But in those unique conditions, something incredible is about to bloom.”

Report Date...: 10/10/2022

Recap: Week Two of Fall 2022 TechWomen Program

Fellow(s):

Country:

Policy Area(s): Special Report

The second full week of the Fall 2022 program kicked off with Action Plan Workshop 1, hosted at Chime, which provided Emerging Leaders (ELs) with the framework for brainstorming a socioeconomic challenge upon which to focus an impact initiative in their home country. Support from Chime was provided by mentor Beth Steinberg and numerous company volunteers with facilitation from YSC Consulting of Accenture. “We didn’t know each other going into this,” reflected EL Reevana Balmahoon. “The TechWomen program brought us together, each from a different region. And now, through this process today, we are Team South Africa.”
Throughout the rest of the week, ELs immersed themselves in professional mentorship, working on their customized goals and networking through office days, field visits, lab trainings, and virtual meetings. “One fascinating thing is how our professional mentors (PMs) operate,” noted EL Esther Wanza of Kenya. “They have been able to bring all the ELs together where we can leverage our skills, which has enabled them to perform their duties while mentoring us.”
To conclude the week, ELs and Impact Coaches (ICs) took part in a networking reception at state-of-the-art Autodesk Gallery. Keynote remarks were provided by Vice President of Engineering Susanna Holt, who offered insights into the power of organic career growth: “We often advise people early in their careers to have a plan, know where you’re going and then just go for it. I never did that. I drifted a bit and it has worked out well for me. I’m a VP now and I’m really proud of myself. And I didn’t do it by going in a straight line.”

Report Date...: 10/3/2022

"Recap: Week One of Fall 2022 TechWomen Program "

Fellow(s):

Country:

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Special Report

The first ten days of the Fall 2022 program saw the TechWomen community come together for a full, hybrid schedule of orientations, workshops and networking events designed to launch them into the month ahead. The day following their arrival, Emerging Leaders gathered as one for the first time to take part in their Welcome Orientation, hosted at Chan Zuckerberg Biohub with the sponsorship of long-time partner Synopsys and remarks from representatives Jumana Muwafi, Rita Horner (mentor) and Manuela Salvador. The next evening, the community took part in an inspiring, virtual world café-themed Cultural Kick-Off, during which emerging leaders engaged the community with cultural songs, dances, discussions and presentations. The next week launched with a virtual Impact Design Workshop led by partner Autodesk. This was followed by a full-day Leadership Workshop at partner LinkedIn’s headquarters, where emerging leaders enjoyed a Clifton StrengthsFinder session led by mentor Samantha Raniere and a panel discussion featuring LinkedIn’s Heather McKelvey, Monica Lewis, Shalini Agarwal (mentor) and Preeti Dharwadkar. The next day, Emerging Leaders commenced their professional mentorships with individual leaders in STEM from consultancies, startups and partner companies including Juniper Networks, Chime, PG&E and Intel. Finally, to conclude the week, mentors of the TechWomen Alumni Council (TWAC) convened their first in-person event since 2019 at partner Twitter’s headquarters for an evening of networking with opening remarks by Katie Penn and a panel discussion featuring Heather Richbourg, Pranali Khadpe, Mansi Modak, Kathy Giori and Samantha Raniere.

Report Date...: 9/26/2022

Fall 2022 Emerging Leaders convene for Welcome Orientation at CZ Biohub

Fellow(s):

Country:

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Special Report

On Wednesday, September 21, the Fall 2022 emerging leaders (ELs) of TechWomen arrived in San Francisco, California, hailing from 21 nations in the Middle East, Africa and Central and South Asia. Together with the support of over 250 accomplished STEM industry mentors and 45+ partner companies, the ELs will be working to drive change in their careers and countries through mentorship and connection.
the inaugural year of TechWomen brought 37 Emerging Leaders (ELs) from six countries in the Middle East to Silicon Valley. A little over ten years later, the program has grown to posts 105 Emerging Leaders from Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Lebanon, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe. Together with their mentors they will engage in four weeks of hybrid programming featuring customized career mentorship, design and leadership skills workshops, collaborative coaching, cultural exposure and competitive seed grant pitching. This is followed by a final week of programming in the U.S. capital, Washington, DC.

Report Date...: 9/19/2022

"TechWomen hosts series of events preceding fall program "

Fellow(s):

Country:

Cohort: 2022

Policy Area(s): Special Report

Last week, the TechWomen team hosted its Mentor Kick-Off, the final in a series of events preceding the arrival of the Fall 2022 Emerging Leaders (ELs). The Mentor Kick-Off included a panel with experienced TechWomen mentors Samera Edwards (Cultural Mentor), Zoe Schladow (Cultural Mentor), Rita Horner (Impact Coach) and Nicky Avila (Professional Mentor), followed by small-group breakout sessions for volunteers to ask questions and share insights. “For me, the best way to tap into this community is to stay eager and open. I might not always know exactly what to do or how to help, but I’m always willing to show up,” said Zoe, who has previously served as an Impact Coach and Professional Mentor.
The Mentor Kick-Off was the final in a series of pre-arrival events hosted by TechWomen in anticipation of the incoming cohort of ELs in STEM from 21 countries in the Middle East, Africa and Central and South Asia. Following their arrival in the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday, September 21, the ELs will begin a four-week hybrid program of workshops, mentorship, fellowship and cultural immersion in the Bay Area, followed by a week of programming in Washington, DC. The kick-off was preceded by three Emerging Leader pre-departure orientations and three mentor orientations conducted in August.

Report Date...: 9/12/2022

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