A-MAZE-ing Women Entrepreneurs from the Middle East/North Africa

Posted under: Center for Global Leadership By /

Observing International Women’s Day at Meridian with Amb. Cathy Russell, Ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues at the Department of State.

Ahlan wa sahlan, is one of what I referred to as my five Arabic expressions at the start of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women / U.S. Department of State Entrepreneurship Program for Women in the Middle East and North Africa. Welcome!

It was my honor to welcome 29 extraordinary women entrepreneurs for a two-week exchange program in which they received training, mentoring, advice, and more than a little bit of snow (February, after all). What they brought, however, was much broader, much richer, and definitely more lasting than the winter’s snow. Continue  

IYLEP Blog Contest: Turning Exchange into Action

Posted under: Center for Global Leadership By /

Sara visits the Native Little Feathers Dance Group.

Alumni of the 2013 Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLEP) reconnected this past February in Erbil. Alums from both the High School and Undergraduate programs gathered to reflect on their experiences and participate in workshops and panel discussions that built upon the skills students developed last summer in the United States. Meridian invited IYLEP alumni to submit a blog post describing their personal experience and growth with the program. We selected the winning entries to post on The LEAD. Sara A. was selected as the winner for the IYLEP High School group.

Continue