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.
