Review TechWomen program information regarding coronavirus (COVID-19).

TechWomenTechWomen

TechWomen is an Initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Apply Now
  • Home
  • Program
    • Overview
    • 2019 Action Plans
    • Professional Development
    • Cultural Exchange
    • Delegation Trips
    • Impact
    • TechWomen Covid-19 Program Information
  • Participants
    • Eligibility and Application
    • The Experience
    • Award Details
    • 2020-2021 Emerging Leader Profiles
  • Mentors
    • Why Mentor With TechWomen?
    • Professional Mentor Overview
    • Cultural Mentor Overview
    • Impact Coach Overview
    • TechWomen Mentor Application
  • Get Involved
    • Host an Emerging Leader
    • Host an Event
    • Other Ways to Get Involved
    • Host companies and partners
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our Team
    • Program Countries
    • Connect
  • FAQ
    • General
    • Participants
    • Mentors
  • Blog
  • Log In

Uzbekistan Day 2: meeting future entrepreneurs

April 9, 2019 By TechWomen Leave a Comment

Day two provided mentors and fellows an opportunity to learn more about women and girls in Uzbekistan and meet the country’s next generation of entrepreneurs.

The day began with a U.S. Embassy briefing and Q&A session led by Public Affairs Officer John Brown. There, fellows and mentors discussed the leading obstacles – and the leading opportunities – for women and girls in Uzbekistan. Speaking to the group, fellows of Uzbekistan Shodiyabegim Bakhtiyorzoda and Munira Begmuratova explained that women and girls need more freedom to get the education required to succeed in STEM fields and beyond. They are often faced with choosing between work and family, complicating their path to pursuing their career goals. At the briefing, mentors and fellows committed to sharing their advice and expertise with women and girls, encouraging them to follow their career paths despite the challenges they face. 

Meeting Uzbekistan’s young entrepreneurs

At the afternoon session at the Center for Advanced Technologies, mentor Rekha Pai-Kamath addressed students and young entrepreneurs, giving them tips on turning research into business: “Try to be proven wrong – and be ready to pivot,” she said.

Emphasizing that creating a thriving business takes iteration and dedication, Rehka left the students with a quote from Thomas Edison: “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

The day continued with a session on pitch training led by mentors Eileen Brewer and Elaina Tia. Together, they shared the key elements of a convincing and compelling pitch, using examples to show students how to illustrate a problem with an evocative and relatable story. “Explain how big the problem is,” said Elaina. “How many people are impacted? What will happen in the future if nothing changes?” After learning more about pitch flow, research and target markets, it was time to break out into small groups for speed mentoring sessions. Together, students brainstormed a problem in their community and created a pitch that aimed to solve it.


One energetic group of students wanted to bring new technologies to Tashkent with an app-based bike rental system. Using research and personal experience, they concluded that bike rental is in demand, efficient, lowers pollution and brings emerging technologies to their city. With cycling culture increasing in Tashkent, the students hoped to cater to a new trend that serves both university students and city inhabitants.

After refining their pitch during speed mentoring, the team got to test their skills in front of the audience and gather feedback from mentors. They began with a compelling story, demonstrated consumer demand and showed how they would deliver their product. Other student teams also had a chance to pitch, receiving valuable feedback from mentors and learning how to make their product more desirable to potential investors.

2016 fellow Elena Selezneva concluded the day, moderating a fireside chat with mentor Beth Steinberg, discussing what investors look for. Beth shared that she first considers the company’s people, looking at their passion and integrity: “I can’t overemphasize how important the team aspect is in investing,” she said. “Having a high-quality team is incredibly important when making an investment.” She encouraged students to develop a growth mindset and work to create a passionate team with high integrity.

A bright future for women in STEM

The day ended at a reception hosted by U.S. Embassy Chargé D’Affaires Alan Meltzer. Speaking in front of mentors and fellows, local women in STEM and city leaders, he emphasized the importance of including women in the country’s progress: “When women are fully integrated into the government, all of Uzbekistan will benefit,” he said. Mentor Hosai Omarkhil shared her TechWomen experience with reception attendees, saying that TechWomen didn’t just address her own personal and professional struggles, but also the challenges women face globally. Fellow Saida Yusupova followed, speaking about the future of women in tech in Uzbekistan. After spending a day meeting young students and women eager to innovate, Saida’s words rang true: “For women in STEM,” she said, “this is just the beginning.”


Follow the hashtag #twuz on Twitter for more content from the TechWomen delegation trip to Uzbekistan!

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Email

Filed Under: 2018 Program, Alumnae, Central Asia, Cultural Exchange, Delegation Trips, Entrepreneurship, Girls Education, IIE, Impact, Mentorship, Professional Development, STEM, Technology, Uncategorized

Speak Your Mind Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 752 other subscribers

Recent Posts

  • TechWomen 2022 application now open!
  • TechWomen announces 2021 virtual delegations
  • Emerging Leaders refine their projects at Pitch Summits
  • At Regional Summits, Emerging Leaders further develop their action plans
  • TechWomen 2020-2021 begins with Professional Interest Groups

Categories

  • 2012 Program
  • 2013 Program
  • 2014 Program
  • 2015 Program
  • 2016 Program
  • 2017 Program
  • 2018 Program
  • 2019 Program
  • 2020 Program
  • 2022 program
  • Alumnae
  • Announcements
  • Application Tips
  • Central Asia
  • Conferences
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Delegation Trips
  • Emerging Leader Voices
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Girls Education
  • IIE
  • Impact
  • Lean In
  • Mentor Application
  • Mentoring Girls
  • Mentorship
  • Middle East and North Africa
  • Partnerships
  • Professional Development
  • Scholarship
  • Seed Grant
  • Solar Power
  • STEM
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • Washington, D.C.

Archives

  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011

Tags

2013 program 2014 program 2015 program Africa Algeria Alumnae application careers central asia Community cultural exchange Cultural Mentor delegation trips Education Egypt emerging leaders emerging women leaders Empowerment Entrepreneurship guest post impact Jordan kazakhstan Leadership MENA Mentees Mentor Mentors mentorship Middle East Morocco nigeria Rwanda San Francisco Silicon Valley State Department STEM technology TechWomen TechWomen Alumni Tunisia U.S. Department of State Women womenintech women in tech

Blogroll

  • DipNote
  • E-Mediat
  • Fulbright mtvU Fellows
  • Fulbright Student Program
  • Gilman Program
  • Ibrahim Leadership and Dialogue Project Blog
  • IIE Opening Minds
  • Parallel Earth
  • TechGirls
  • Women’s Enterprise for Sustainability

CONTACT US | MEDIA | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Sitemap
Copyright © 2021 TechWomen | Site by MIGHTYminnow

   

Copyright © 2021 · TechWomen on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.