Tag: Women

Categories
Spotlight

Shelmina Abji

IPN Spotlight: Shelmina Abji (Empowerment Speaker at Shelmina Abji Consulting and Advisory Board Member at United Nations Foundation- Girl Up)

Shelmina Abji was born in Tanzania and was the first person in her family to obtain a college degree. She is a global empowerment speaker, a former IBM Vice President, a Distinguished Alumni, a Board member and an angel investor. She rose up to become one of the highest-ranking women of color at IBM by delivering superior business results consistently for 20+ years while being a single mother of two children since they were 2 and 4. She has led hardware, software and services businesses and has delivered over 1Billion USD in annual revenues. She has hired over 1,000 individuals during her career. She has had the privilege of participating in meetings at our state capital and the White House to increase women in STEM.
Abji holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She also has a Bachelor of Science Mathematics from University of Poona India. As IBM’s top talent, she received extensive leadership training at IBM, Harvard and UCLA. Presently, she is an advisory board member at United Nations Foundation Girl Up and TiE-Seattle where she leads the women’s entrepreneurship chapter. In November 2018, Shelmina will be honored for her trailblazing work as a female leader in technology and women’s empowerment by the Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business at their Young Women’s Business Leadership Conference (YWBLC).

What skills have helped you in your career?
• My ability to earn the trust, confidence of and create a win-win for all stakeholders
• My ability to prioritize what’s most important and focusing to deliver on all metrics while not getting distracted by urgent fires coming from multiple sources
• My complete trust in myself to overcome any and all challenges without getting overwhelmed
• My ability to build people up, recognizing their strengths and placing them in the right position to achieve a desired outcome

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
Being on board of TiE, an angel investor in individual companies as well as part of a fund, I get to interact with and learn from many entrepreneurs and other angel investors as well as venture capitalists. I am also an avid reader and love to travel which provides a constant source of learning.

What is next for you in your career?
Over the years, I have witnessed profound positive changes in the girls and women I have had the fortune to work with. After receiving multiple requests, I have decided to share my insights and accelerate the strengths of others by writing a book on empowerment.

What advice would you offer to others?
• Define what success means to you (personal and professional) and ensure all your choices of action are taking you towards that definition. Do not get distracted by noise. Course correct and redefine as necessary
• Become self-aware. Understand what your strengths and weaknesses are so you can lead with your strengths amplify them and neutralize your weaknesses
• Constantly add value in all your interactions
• Continually build new relevant competencies
• Do your personal best under all circumstances

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Be a keynote speaker at events where I can share my insights for personal and professional success
• Lead workshops on various topics as found on my website
• Participate on panels on various topics from leadership to entrepreneurship to work life balance
• Lead round table discussions

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Shelmina Abji

Please provide your preferred email address so interested professionals can network with you:
www.shelmina.com

Region:
West

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

Categories
Event

IPN Women’s Empowerment Panel : Chicago, IL on Saturday, June 23rd 2018

IPN is organizing a Women’s Empowerment training and Panel Program for the professional women in our community. The event will be held on Saturday, June 23rd from 11:00am to 1:30pm in Chicago Jamatkhana Social Hall.

Click here to register.

You will benefit from an inspiring line-up of successful panelists, including:

Peggy Hardek– A Partner at PwC. She has been with Pricewaterhouse Coopers for over 30 years, and runs the Mid-Central Region Risk Assurance practice. For Peggy, success was not always easy. As a woman, and a single mother during the early part of her career, in accounting, she had to face many challenges in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Dorri McWhorter– CEO of YWCA. After holding several successful positions in the corporate world, Dorri decided to pursue her own ambitions of empowering the women of the Chicagoland area, and is now on a mission to bring the agency into the digital age.

Sobia Ansari– Emergency Physician, Assistant Professor at Rush University, and Activist. Sobia has worked with organizations like International Medical Corps and Konbit Sante to volunteer in Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, and Haiti. She loves being a mother to two boys and a dog, a wife to a talented attorney, and is a physician with a conscience and a passion for action.

Before the Panel, we will have a one hour training session. The objectives of the training are:
· Gender Equality in the Workplace
· Acknowledging Potential Blind Spots
· Challenging Double-Standards

So come join us, learn how to maximize your own potential, explore different careers and roles, expand your professional network, and be inspired by stories of other successful women. We also highly encourage participation from men and interfaith families and friends.

Early bird tickets are $8 and can be purchased through June 16th.
Lunch will be served.
We look forward to welcoming you at the event.

Categories
Spotlight

Shamsah Virani (Pakistan)

IPN Spotlight: Shamsah Virani (Marketing & Communications Director, Aga Khan University Health Services, Pakistan)

Shamsah was born in London, UK to a family with very humble beginnings. Her parents had emigrated from India in the early 1960’s. She grew up watching her family struggle to build a life for themselves, witnessing her parents being frugal, hardworking and persevering through some challenging circumstances. The one underlying strength that held their family together was their steadfast faith and this was a constant in their lives. Being heavily influenced by Hazar Imam’s guidance, Shamsah’s father invested his relentless efforts towards ensuring his daughters were empowered with education.
Shamsah received her Bachelors in Science in Human Physiology from University of Leeds and a Masters in Human and Applied Physiology from King’s College London. Her 20 + years career path spent in pharmaceutical healthcare, began in London in a Sales role, continued in Toronto in Training & Development, Research and Product Management roles, and then onto California in Business Development, Global Brand Management, Commercial Development and Executive Marketing Management roles. In 2014, she and her family landed in Pakistan where she has been the Director for Marketing, Marketing Research, Contact Centre and Communications, working for Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH).

What skills have helped you in your career?
• Communications
• Critical thinking
• Analytical
• Emotional intelligence
• Focus on your goals

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
During my student days – I wish I was more focused. In my opinion, the institutional excellence and caliber has the ability to create a sound foundation in a person’s life and so I feel I wish I had been more studious in my studies to ensure I was able to access the best educational institutions early on in my life. I continue to develop myself through professional development courses and reading material in my field.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
I subscribe to professional associations and online journals which keep me updated on the latest developments and trends in my industry. I actively network within the industry.

What is next for you in your career?
I would like to continue my work at AKUH and the AKDN network, It was a privilege to be able to build a marketing and communication department from scratch and I’d like to explore how else I can contribute as the experience has been very rewarding.

What advice would you offer to others?
‘Find your passion and stay true to yourself. Set clear goals and work hard to achieve them. Don’t forget to always lean on your faith’

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Marketing
• Communications
• Career- professional coaching

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Shamsah Virani

Please provide your preferred email address so interested professionals can network with you:
[email protected]

Region:
Karachi, Pakistan

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

Categories
Spotlight

Kinda Katrib

IPN Spotlight: Kinda Katrib (Engineer I at Virginia Department of Transportation)

Currently Kinda is employed as Architect Engineer I at Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and her job entails review of traffic, hydraulics, and roadway design. Kinda graduated from Old Dominion University last May 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering. While pursuing her bachelors, as Phi Theta Kappa, Kinda participated in Civil Engineering competition WaterJam -Virginia Water Environment Association, VWEA-Student Design Competition Engineer for water replenishment systems. In Student National Mathematics Competition, she received Certificate of Merit.

Kinda is a member in several distinguished honor societies – American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE), Chi Epsilon(XE) which is also known as Civil Engineering Honor Society, and Tau Beta Pi – Engineering Honor Society. Kinda has received several honorary awards including one for Greater Richmond Pocket Books Club Eric and Jeanette Lipman Scholarship.

What skills have helped you in your career?
I think having the strength and belief in myself gave me the courage to do more and more and I always said to myself that I could do it. Never give up – believe it or not I reached a time where I was so close to giving up. I never gave up, I always had faith in God and that he put me in this for a reason and he knows I am good enough and able to go through it all, so I got up again every time and kept working hard until I got to my goals. Moreover, I always tried to look at the bright future and hope for good results and imagine where I will be if I keep working hard.
Create a vision of your goals in your mind – this will help you push yourself to work harder and put in more effort. Set measurable goals to achieve as milestones and when you reach those goals, they will serve as a motivational milestones to make you feel happy. Always tell yourself, ”Never give up, you can do it, and you are where you at for a reason.”

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
I don’t have any regrets, and I am very thankful for all of what I have done till this point, but if I can go back in time, I wish I had the chance to do more internships during school and be more involved in different activities.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
Always keep in touch and network with people at work and friends from school about the most recent improvements and things that might be helpful for your future.

What is next for you in your career?
I am looking forward to my growth in VDOT while I build my work experience, knowledge, and skills. I will be working on getting my Professional Engineer License. Not sure yet, but maybe when I settle down, I might get my MBA.

What advice would you offer to others?
Set your goals and know what you want. Then, start working hard and do your best to get to these goals. Always have hope, and be optimistic, but the most important thing is never give up.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Filling out application for school
• Career advises
• Interviews

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Kinda Katrib

Region:
Northeast

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

Categories
Spotlight

Laila Bandali

IPN Spotlight: Laila Bandali (President at Ivy Kids Early Learning Centers)

Laila is President and Founder of Ivy Kids Early Learning Centers (ELC). She has over 15 years of experience in developing Early Childhood Education (ECD) curriculum, management systems, operational policies and procedures. To date Laila has managed teams that have started up eight child care centers in the state of Texas. Prior to Ivy Kids ELC, she has over 25 years of experience as a Chemical Engineer in the Oil and Gas Industry.

What skills have helped you in your career?
My education and work experience as a Chemical Engineer helped me in designing systems, processes and evaluation methods. My MBA and work experience in refining economics and marketing taught me financial discipline, how to evaluate financial statements and manage the business side. I also had great mentors who inspired me to become an entrepreneur.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Be more data driven, by that I mean use data analytics more to drive your decisions rather than using gut feeling. I have a tendency to jump to conclusions when making decisions based on what seems like the right thing to do.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
Currently my focus is on Early Childhood Education (ECD) curriculum. I attend as many professional conferences as I can on this subject matter. I spend a lot of time with experts in ECD to increase my curriculum knowledge. I read at least two articles every day. I train and lead curriculum workshops to solidify my knowledge base (in short, I am obsessed with developing my skill set).

What is next for you in your career?
I would like to take our systems at Ivy Kids and build a solid franchising business. My hope is that we can inspire others to become independent entrepreneurs and experience the joy and success of running a school. I would also like to take our model to third world countries where there is a severe lack of quality Early Childhood Development (ECD).

What advice would you offer to others?
Don’t let fear of the unknown stop you from venturing out. I truly believe that taking calculated risks is better than inaction. My advice would be to find a good mentor, trust your mentor and let them guide you through your journey (but begin your journey – don’t wait).

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
I can help professionals with their business plans, evaluate business options within the ECD space, motivate people to take action, and help with recruitment and hiring.

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Laila Bandali

Region:
Southwest

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

Categories
Spotlight

Nadya Shakoor

IPN Spotlight: Nadya Shakoor (Designer at Houston Chronicle)

Born in Bangladesh, Nadya Shakoor traveled and studied in Iran and Pakistan and finally settled in Houston, Texas in 1995. Houston Chronicle, the state’s most read newspaper, gave her the first chance to showcase her talent. Nadya works as a features and news designer as well as an illustrator for Houston Chronicle’s editorial staff. Nadya was awarded first place for her design portfolios in the 2015 and 2016 Texas Associated Press Media Editors awards.

Some interesting facts about Shakoor are that she is an accomplished paper artist who can sculpt animals and flowers out of paper; Nadya didn’t intend to be a journalist. She trained to become a product designer who would give form and life to various ideas — from the shape of chairs to the style of beverage bottles. Now she helps shapes the Chronicle’s visual image.

What skills have helped you in your career?
Humor – seeing the lighter side of any given situation has helped me significantly throughout my career. It has helped me build a strong camaraderie among my colleagues along with grit and perseverance. The news industry revolves around deadlines and changes. Breaking boundaries, taking risks, trying the unconventional routes with designs and annoying the pressmen. Adding humor reminds everyone to enjoy the work time spent away from family.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Although this field of creative and illustrative journalism is learned by engaging in assignments and working through challenges. Looking back, I wonder if getting a degree in Fine Arts or an MBA would have given me further career options. Determination, sincerity in effort, and ability to work with all personalities has helped me land unexpected opportunities, and I am incredibly grateful for it.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
I read blogs and review design sites to monitor and incorporate current trends. I incessantly experiment with animation and After Effects since most of the learning process occurs by trying new techniques.

What is next for you in your career?
Visual Journalism has its limitations, and in these changing and fast-paced times require quick fixes. There was a time when you had days for a particular project; now it has to be done in hours. This means roles change, and you learn to adapt yourself.
Currently, I am being trained by CCI as a Super User to create Codes/Tags for a new, newsroom content management and publishing system. NewsGate is where you plan, design, manage, edit, package and distribute all the content – with one unified tool. Eventually, my role would be to train other journalists, designers and resource staff and provide assistance when required to create additional product changes based on feedback. The goal is to use my years of experience to help others grow and improve their performance.

What advice would you offer to others?
“Don’t waste your potential, do something! Get a canvas, throw some color on it, just splashes of color, and slowly envision it turning into a story,”- the point is to pursue your goals, as it can lead to great success in the future. Follow your passion. Be creative, dedicated, and persistently engage in active learning.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Print and Digital Design
• Career Advice
• Internship opportunities when available
• Assistance with design in their current projects

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Nadya Shakoor

Region:
Southwest

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

Categories
Spotlight

Muneerah Merchant

IPN Spotlight: Muneerah Merchant (VP of Philanthropy, Khan Academy)

Muneerah started her professional career as a management consultant. She worked for over 10 years at Price Waterhouse Coopers and The Parthenon Group. In 2005, Muneerah transitioned to the non-profit sector and has since focused her efforts on non-profit management and philanthropy. She has a passion for working with organizations that provide quality and affordable education access nationally and globally. Currently, she is a member of the senior leadership team for Khan Academy and serves as its Vice President for Philanthropy.

Muneerah has also been involved as a volunteer with the Aga Khan Council for USA and various related institutions and committees since 1999. Her work has focused on quality of life improvement efforts, volunteer engagement and institutional strengthening. Muneerah is presently the President for the Aga Khan Council for Western USA. Muneerah holds a Bachelor degree in Mathematics from Smith College, a Master in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Northwestern University and a Master in Business Administration from Harvard University.

What skills have helped you in your career?
• Communication/interpersonal skills
• Ability to work successfully in cross-functional teams
• Problem solving skills
• Ability to prioritize and deliver consistently
• Being a good mentor/coach for my team
• Strong analytics

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Starting my career as a management consultant was great but I wish I had transitioned sooner from consultancy to a position in corporation. I wish I had known more about non-traditional career pathways and had more mentors who could have guided me.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
• Attend conferences; focus on education dialogue
• Follow key publications on education and philanthropy
• I am part of 2-3 groups that focus on development, women in development. The network is very beneficial for both my personal and work advancement

What is next for you in your career?
Double the funds raised by Khan Academy in next three years (from $50-100M) so we can continue to deliver on our mission.

What advice would you offer to others?
• Follow your passion and success will follow
• Don’t be afraid to walk away from a ‘cushy’ job if it isn’t giving you the personal satisfaction
• Something I tell my 13-year-old daughter… be good in English and Math and you can be successful in many career paths

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Advice on people seeking a career in non-profit/Ed tech
• Career transition
• Work life balance

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Muneerah Merchant

Region:
West

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

Categories
Spotlight

Sonia Noori

IPN Spotlight: Sonia Noori (Senior Management Consulting Analyst at Accenture)

Sonia Noori was born in Afghanistan, grew up in Pakistan and has been living in the US for the past 10 years. She is a Senior Management Consulting Analyst at Accenture. She works with multiple teams for different clients assisting them to create system change, defines transition processes and analyzes cost and risk associated with necessary transformation. Her experience includes managing and coordinating logistics for training teams of 150+ trainers across a span of three hospitals and provide live training to 10,000+ end users.
Sonia is proficient in JIRA Agile project management software. She graduated with a Bachelors in Business Management and International Relations from Earlham College; and received an International Baccalaureate Diploma in Economics and History from United World College. Her volunteer experience includes working as a differed gift associate at Aga Khan Foundation.

What skills have helped you in your career?
Three skills that have helped me the most are: interpersonal skills, positive attitude, and technological competence.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Well – I wish I had set aside time for networking, being able to reach out to the people in my field to seek their advice and understanding on overall market demand, and the skills needed in my profession.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
In addition to reading, I continuously take classes on Coursera and take advantage of any additional training opportunities offered at work.

What is next for you in your career?
For the next phase of my career and professional growth, I want to pursue a master’s degree.

What advice would you offer to others?
I suggest, seek experts advise and network a lot. Also, I would say, no job is too small, as long as you work hard. Always have a positive attitude and be keen to learn.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Job Placement

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Sonia Noori

Region:
Northeast

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

Categories
Spotlight

Zahida Subramanian

IPN Spotlight: Zahida Subramanian (Partner at J. Walter Thompson Worldwide)

Zahida is a proven change agent and business builder working at some of the top advertising agencies. She brings a 20-year career developing and leading award-winning integrated campaigns in beauty, tourism, healthcare and consumer packaged goods. Zahida’s work has been recognized with numerous awards including Cannes Lions, Effies, Jay Chiat Planning Awards and numerous press mentions.

What skills have helped you in your career?
Passion and Resilience.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
While hard work is important, being visible and networking is as important.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
I have to have a pulse on culture with my job so I try and experience different things so that I can take that to my job and I constantly am reading, watching what other brands are doing.

What is next for you in your career?
Zahida has recently joined JWT as a Partner and is spearheading a new agency group that is tasked with developing a new way to service clients for today’s world.

What advice would you offer to others?
Follow your passion and create a vision for yourself.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Career Advice
• Guidance

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Zahida Subramanian

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

Categories
Spotlight

Ilhaam “Illy” Jaffer

IPN Spotlight: Ilhaam “Illy” Jaffer (Associate Director, Political & Civic Programs at BP)

Ilham “Illy” is an Associate Director who co-leads political and civic programs at BP. Previously she has held leadership positions such as Advance Associate for The White House; External Affairs Consultant in the City of Houston and Deputy Chief of Staff for US House of Representatives. She is an Alumni of John Hopkins University, where she graduated with a Masters of Arts in Government.
She holds a Bachelors of Science in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Houston. She has extensive experience in government affairs with ten years’ experience in both the public and private sectors. Illy has a proven ability to align business priorities with external stakeholder engagement to meet organizational public and government affairs goals.

What skills have helped you in your career?
Collaboration, strategic thinking, communication, adaptability, and time management are some of the skills that have helped me in my career.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
In retrospect, I wish that I had completed a business degree in either my undergrad or graduate studies.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
I’m constantly working towards learning what others in my industry are working on and I’m taking part in development trainings as well.

What is next for you in your career?
I’d like to continue to grow and build on my skills in both government and public affairs.

What advice would you offer to others?
In a constantly globalizing environment of working remotely, be physically present when able — that is when opportunities emerge.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Networking
• Job placement
• Career planning

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Ilhaam “Illy” Jaffer

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.