WASHINGTON D.C. -The U.S. Department of State, through the Providing Opportunities for Women’s Economic Rise (POWER) Initiative, and in partnership with Google’s Women Techmakers, will host the Women Tech Founders Kick Off: #LoopHerIn on May 17, 2021 to launch the Women Tech Founders Program.
Over the course of 4 weeks, the Women Tech Founders Program will provide skills training for 50 women tech founders from the Middle East and North Africa, with a focus on UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain. The #LoopHerIn event will feature a panel discussion on how governments can support women’s tech entrepreneurship, with participation by Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology from the United Arab Emirates, Dr. Rania Al Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation from the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Hala al-Ansari, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Women of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The panel will be followed by a fireside chat with two tech pioneers, Rania Atef and Rola Fayyad, who will discuss their journey and achievements as tech founders of Make This! and Viavii respectively. Google Women Techmakers Ambassador Rayan Al Zahab will moderate the event, and opening remarks will be provided by Ambassador Jonathan Cohen from US Embassy Cairo, Charge d’Affaires Maggie Nardi from US Embassy Manama, Charge d’Affaires Sean Murphy from US Embassy Abu Dhabi, and Acting Assistant Secretary Peter Haas from the State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.
