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09/19/13 | Uncategorized

Sponsored: TechWomen Leaders From Africa to Speak at Founder Friday

TechWomen leaders from Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria speak about enterprises they are creating to help their communities at the upcoming Founder Friday in San Francisco. 

By Heather Ramsey (Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships) 

From solving socioeconomic problems with technology to designing software for online event platforms, the 2013 TechWomen Emerging Leaders are paving the way for women entrepreneurs everywhere. This year, TechWomen, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State, will bring 78 women Emerging Leaders from 16 countries in Africa and the Middle East and connect them with women leaders in the Bay Area for professional mentorship and cultural exchange. Through these connections, TechWomen strengthens participants’ professional capacity, increases mutual understanding between key networks of professionals, and expands girls’ interest in STEM careers by exposing them to female role models.

Many of the TechWomen Emerging Leaders are founders of their own initiatives in their home countries. You will have the chance to hear from three of them at the upcoming Women 2.0 Founder Friday SF where they will speak about their innovative ventures that are improving the lives of women and professionals in their communities. Representing Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria, these women will share their stories and their entrepreneurial expertise.

Founders Speaking at Founder Friday

Nihal pic copyNihal Fares, Egypt 

Co-Founder and Product Director, Eventtus

Nihal is an entrepreneur and software engineer. In 2011, she co-founded Eventtus which is a social platform for events where users can explore events and socialize with like-minded people. Eventtus helps organizers promote their events, engage with attendees, and build their own community. Nihal is passionate about solving problems and building great products. And she believes that technology and entrepreneurship can change the world. She previously worked at Orange Cairo Labs and she holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Ain Shams University.

rosemary picRosemary Ochola, Kenya

Founder and CEO, TraceSoft Limited

Rosemary is the founder and CEO of TraceSoft Limited, a technology solutions company in Kenya, and a management information systems professional. Established in 2008, TraceSoft automates business processes and supply chain operations through enterprise resource planning software, barcoding, mobile applications and traceback systems. Formerly general manager at GS1 Kenya, the barcoding standards organization, Rosemary has over 12 years of experience in business technology. She has worked on numerous projects in East Africa, including enterprise automation, agronomy solutions and business process improvement for governments and private companies. Passionate about the potential for technology to accelerate trade and commerce in Africa, her most fulfilling moments come from leading project teams to deliver tools and applications that create efficiency, reduce costs and enable market access for producers. She mentors young interns, community youth and women entrepreneurs, helping them realize their full potential.

Saze Osayande

Saze Osayande, Nigeria

Founder and CEO, Motley Media

Saze Osayande is passionate about telling African stories. Eternally curious, her interests include the internet, arts, food and business. She recently founded Motley Media, an African online content network that merges media with e-commerce. Its first property is www.SportsDEY.com which covers sports from a Nigerian perspective with user generated content and sports radio shows on demand. Previously Saze set up 4Twenty3 Digital Marketing to help brands successfully engage with their customers online. 4Twenty3 developed the www.Ndani.tv content marketing platform for GTBank that has been viewed over 3 million times and managed marketing partnerships for Rocket Internet’s JUMIA.  Miss Osayande is also the co-curator of TEDxIkoyi which showcases the ideas of Nigeria’s brightest thought leaders.”

About Founder Friday

Founder Friday is a Women 2.0 event to promote the creation of new networks among aspiring entrepreneurs, current entrepreneurs and investors in innovative cities globally. Both men and women are invited to attend Founder Friday. For details about the upcoming October Women 2.0 Founder Friday San Francisco, click here.

About TechWomen

TechWomen was launched by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to connect and support the next generation of women leaders in STEM to advance their careers and pursue their dreams. TechWomen connects emerging women leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) from 16 countries in Africa and the Middle East with their counterparts in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area for a professional mentorship and cultural exchange program during the month of October. The 2013 TechWomen program is supported by more than 150 volunteer mentors from more than 50 companies across the Bay Area. TechWomen is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), managed by the Institute of International Education (IIE)’s Center for Women’s Leadership Initiatives in San Francisco. www.techwomen.org; @techwomen #tw2013

 

HeatherAbout the guest blogger: For nearly 20 years Heather (@hramseySF) has been designing and leading programs focused on NGO capacity building, social entrepreneurship, technology and gender equity in emerging markets and developing countries. Her longtime commitment to the rights, empowerment and welfare of women and girls has been reinforced by her role as a mother. 

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