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We flew into Washington DC yesterday afternoon from San Francisco – the 37 TechWomen Mentees, some of their Mentors from the Silicon Valley, the Anita Borg Institute staff and I. Last night, we had a delightful dinner at the historic Hotel Tabard Inn, which included watching an extremely violent but very short lightening and rain storm. Then, we had time to walk by the White House in the hot night.
Images Copyright 2011 by Katy Dickinson
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Yesterday, we held the final TechWomen presentations by the 37 Mentees from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and the Palestinian Territories. A year ago, when the Anita Borg Institute staff and I first started working toward this goal with the Institute of International Education, we hoped that this program would further ABI’s Mission to:
* increase the impact of women on all aspects of technology, and
* increase the positive impact of technology on the world’s women.
I still think TechWomen will do that. What I didn’t know was how the program would powerfully effect the lives of these particular women, and how we who have worked with them would ourselves be changed by their passion, dedication, and energy. When I listened closely to yesterday’s 37 five-minute talks, I heard many Mentees call the TechWomen group their new sisters, friends for life.
The King in Shakespeare’s Henry V, famously speaks of “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers”. In TechWomen, we have created a “band of sisters” who I believe will indeed change our world for the better. I have been honored to help teach and support them and I will watch their accomplishments for many years with great pride. They have stolen my heart.
Next week, we enter into the pomp of Washington, D.C. The program participants will be honored at the U.S. State Department by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has generously supported the program from the start. This interim for public celebration comes between the learning and stretching we have all experienced here in the Silicon Valley and the harder work of making new dreams real when the Mentees go home to the Middle East and North Africa.
Images Copyright 2011 by Katy Dickinson
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This has been an inspiring and amazing month working with the 37 TechWomen mentees during their visit to the Silicon Valley. Between workdays, we have held workshops, techtalks, and company tours as well as enjoying more conventional tourist activities. This week, I went with the Mentees to visit Intel and Yahoo! Yesterday was our 3 Mentees’ last day at Huawei (we will miss them!). Today, I was one of three judges of the final TechWomen presentations by the Mentees, hosted by Cisco, followed by a party hosted by Google. The other judges were: Heather Ramsey of IIE, and Telle Whitney of ABI.
I am so proud of all of the Mentees! Sunday, we fly to Washington DC to visit the US State Department together.
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Images by Katy Dickinson 2011 Copyright
This is the last week for the 37 TechWomen Mentees from the Middle East and North Africa in the Silicon Valley. In addition to working at Silicon Valley companies, the technical women have been eagerly participating in workshops, tours, and cultural activities. You can read more about Huawei’s TechWomen in “Huawei Participates in TechWomen Mentorship Program Focused on Supporting Future Technologists in the Middle East North Africa Region”.
This program has taken a great deal of preparation work over the last year but spending time with the Mentees and Mentors has been worth it. John and I ate frozen yogurt with two of the Mentees last night on Murphy Avenue in Sunnyvale. They have adapted and learned so much – I am very proud of them!
Image Copyright Katy Dickinson 2011
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The TechWomen Mentees from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) were hosted by Huawei at its Santa Clara, California, R&D Center on Friday for a workshop on entrepreneurship for women. The Mentees were welcomed by Huawei Fellow Jim Hughes and by Executive Vice President Guolin Wang.
There were two panels of venture capitalists and successful entrepreneurs who spoke and coached the Mentees during the day. After the workshop, Mentors joined us for dinner of MENA foods (including konafa – which I love), hosted by the nearby Muslim Community Association (MCA). Then, we went on a tour of the MCA community center.
Images Copyright 2011 Katy Dickinson
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Yesterday I taught at the well-received Mentor-Mentee Workshop, generously hosted by Symantec. Mark Bregman (EVP and CTO for Symantec) welcomed us. Today is the first day of work for the 37 TechWomen Mentees in the Silicon Valley. Our three Mentees at Huawei are settled into their office – we are still getting everything sorted out but they seem happy and pleased with their first day.
Images Copyright 2011 by Katy Dickinson
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