Peace Through Business
Season 2

Chandelle Mutezintare
Ep. 21-Believe You Have the Power to Create and Succeed in Whatever You Do

It wasn't always clear how she would break out of the traditional gender roles and one day own a business. With a young child and husband, she began going to school at night even though it at first caused friction at home. She was also met with unapproving professors who thought business wasn't the place for her.

www.4netafrica.rw

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She pushed through, gaining her husband's support and getting a job at an internet service provider. Over time, Mutezintare found herself not getting the credit as the other men, and saw she could run such a business herself. She continued to pick up the skills she needed and made the leap.

Today, she's the owner of 4NetAfrica Ltd, which provides internet service and helps Rwandan businesses develop their online presence. She has ten full-time employees and about another 20 who do work for her throughout the country. The path to success was jagged, as just a few years ago she was worried she wouldn't make it in such a male-dominated field. But she found the right mentor, continued to learn, and pressed ahead.

She wants to use her experiences to help the next generation of women of women believe they can enter the workforce, own businesses, and work in whichever field they choose.

About: Chadelle Mutezintare held a part-time job wile attending university and was excited about earning her own small income. When Chandelle and her husband were expecting their first child, she realized how difficult it was to keep up with her studies and maintain her job. Her husband suggested she quit the part time job but she persisted She looks back on that struggle as a lesson in persevrance. Chandelle worked for an internet service provider and soon became a customer favorite, doing many things outside of her job description. When her boss refused to give her a raise, Chandelle established her own internet company, 4NetAfrica Ltd, which aims to provide wider internet service for Rwanda and to hep businesses develop an online presence.

Princesse Umutesiwase
Ep. 22-Embrace the Challenges you Faced and Use them as Fuel for your Journey

Princesses Umuntesiwase always got pushack from her brothers about how much she would be able to accomplish as a girl. Proving them wrong became paramount, and she worked hard through school to earn a scholarship at a university in Nairobi, then landing a job at the central bank of Rwanda.

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Yet the tug was strong for another achievement - owning her own business. With Legacy Brands, she has created a business with a vast variety of services, everything from branding and publishing to event management. A steady part of her business is renting cars, with the Kenyan, Moroccan, and Ugandan embassies as clients.

Despite her earlier experience with her brothers, she came to earn their respect. Her goal is to make documentaries, especially about Rwanda, and to share with the world how her country is a beautiful place that has overcome its past and has much to offer for the future.

About: Princesse Umutesiwase is the third born of the four children. After her family fled the genocide in Rwanda, Princesse was born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo until 1994. When she and her family returned home to Rwanda, Princesse was disturbed by how difficult it was for her own hands. She established her marketing and communications company, Legacy Brands, offering a wide range of services including branding, publishing and event management. She strives to provide excellent services to her clients and to improve her customer base through professional networking.

Karel Ford
Ep. 23-My Role in IEEW

Karel Ford wants to see women worldwide have the freedom and skills to start their own businesses. This is why she heads the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, where she and her team mentor women in Rwanda and Afghanistan giving them valuable entrepreneurship skills to help them find success in their home country.

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Women in the program learn critical skills to launch their business, nurture its growth, and work within their political systems to achieve lasting change. Ford describes the lifelong bonds formed through mentorship training and seeing the women build up their careers and communities, driving a female-powered future.

ABOUT:

Karel Ford is Director of Operations and Mentorship Coordinator for the Institute for the Economic Empowerment of Women. Years of operating with a lean and mean team to produce meaningful, budget-friendly programs coupled with a love of learning people's stories has been the two most beneficial skills needed in the quest to match qualified, enthusiastic mentors with a diverse, international group of women entrepreneurs. Listening to the wisdom of all the professional women and men excited about paying it forward through PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® helps to facilitate the research, planning and implementing that goes into educating women entrepreneurs each year.

Karel Ford
Ep. 24-The Role of Mentors

The Peace Through Business program provides women from Rwanda and Afghanistan with the essential skills they need to unleash their entrepreneurial potential. Karel Ford directs the mentorship side of the initiative, pairing up U.S.-based business leaders with women who are launching and building businesses.

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Ford describes how the women who enter the program thrive, building stronger partnerships with their American counterparts and expanding their networks in their home countries. Graduates have embraced challenges such as helping women arrested for selling their goods on the street by taking them under their wing to build legitimate businesses. She is continually inspired by how they are transforming their world.

ABOUT:

Monica Smiley
Ep. 25-Never Stop Being Inspired

As editor and publisher of Enterprising Women Magazine, Monica Smiley knows the challenges women face in business. Yet what she's seen here in the U.S. pales to the experiences of female entrepreneurs in Afghanistan and Rwanda. Their resilience and ability to succeed, however, leaves her continually inspired.

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Through her work with the Peace Through Business program, she's helped mentor women through the unique challenges they face in their home country. In Afghanistan, women must still deal with the Taliban and major barriers to entry. In Rwanda, women are embracing technology and playing a pivotal role in rebuilding the country, though gender stereotypes remain. Learn more about these moving stories and how these women are 'holding up the sky.'

ABOUT:

MONICA SMILEY is the editor and publisher of Enterprising Women, a national and now global magazine she and her team launched in May 2000 to provide a strong voice for women entrepreneurs. The magazine will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2020 and is available in print and digital editions, supplemented by The Connector, a blog through the publication's website at www.enterprisingwomen.com. Smiley also serves as president of the Enterprising Women Foundation, a nonprofit she founded in 2010 to encourage philanthropy among women entrepreneurs and support initiatives to strengthen women's entrepreneurship in the U.S. and globally. The annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards, now in its 18th year, honors the top 100 women entrepreneurs from around the globe at a two-day event held each spring.

Monica serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW) and has been a mentor in the Peace Through Business program working with Rwandan and Afghan women entrepreneurs for the past ten years. An award-winning journalist, Smiley has more than 40 years of magazine publishing experience and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2017 National NAWBO Gillian Rudd Business Leadership Award, the first Adrienne Hall Award presented by the Women Presidents' Organization in recognition of her work to build bridges and alliances within the women's business community, and the President's Award from Women Impacting Public Policy. She received the 2013 Gold Stevie Award for "Women Helping Women" and The International Alliance for Women's "World of Difference 100 Award." Folio magazine named Monica to its 2015 list of "Top Women in Media and the "FOLIO 100: Top Leaders in Magazine Media" for 2018."

Mary Ruppert-Stroescu

Ep. 26: Making Clothing Smarter

Mary Ruppert-Stroescu believes clothing can play a role in improving health outcomes. A longtime fashion designer, she is passionate about the potential for EKG and other types of monitoring systems to be embedded in clothing, delivering better information to patients and doctors.

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She designed and manufactured her own clothing and owned a small boutique in Paris for years, part of her lifelong passion for fashion and design. She brings that experience to the Peace Through Business program, mentoring women in industry strategy and helping them build up marketing skills. The women from Rwanda and Afghanistan inject new ideas to her work, regularly inspiring her with their strengths.

ABOUT:

As Associate Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, she brings a global perspective to the table, with nearly 10 years of experience working in Europe and North Africa. Currently based in the USA, she incorporates her passion for diverse cultures and interdisciplinarity into everything she does. She strives to link industry practices and standards to academic analysis and exploration to foster innovation that is useful and meaningful, for her students as well as her personal work. She designed and manufactured her own clothing and owned a small boutique in Paris for years, part of her lifelong passion for fashion and design. She brings that experience to the Peace Through Business program, mentoring women in industry strategy and helping them build up marketing skills.

Angelika Coghlan

Ep. 27: Burn the Bridge of Hope

One of her most satisfying experiences with that message is extending it to women business owners in Rwanda with the Peace Through Business program. Through this mentorship she's been inspired by how they take on challenging circumstances and reach new heights for the companies they're building.

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Business success isn't built on just hoping for the right outcome. That's why consultant Angelika Coghlan is always telling her clients to burn that bridge of hope. Entrepreneurs must do the hard work of understanding who their customers are and what they care about.

Through her company The Success Catalyst, she's always offering that spark of inspiration to her clients, pushing them to focus on what leads to success.

ABOUT:

Angelika Coghlan is a true 'connector' with more than 25 years of corporate experience in business development, sales training, team-building and technology. She has received numerous accolades from organizations and publications such as the Enterprising Women Magazine, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), where she served as a two-year president, and the United States Small Business Administration.

In her role at The Success Catalyst, Angelika utilizes her years of business acumen and expertise to help other business leaders realize, and capitalize on the value of teams. The goal is not only to help them strategically develop new business, but also to support professional development - showing them how to 'Play to Win' in business, every day.

In addition to her professional work, Angelika also volunteers her time to train, mentor and provide micro lending for individuals in developing countries who are working to become entrepreneurs. She also has developed curriculums for young entrepreneurs in these countries, and sits on the advisory board for the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW).

Sonu Ratra

Ep. 28: Two Suitcases and a Dream

Sonu Ratra embodies the immigrant dream of coming to America and seeking success. She arrived from her native India with a pair of suitcases and just the money in her pockets as she and her husband came to chase new opportunities in the 90s in California's Silicon Valley.

Ratra recounts the journey that culminated in her founding of Akraya, a leader in IT consulting and digital enterprise staffing. Her company's Women Back to Work program also helps companies tap into the overlooked talent pool of women returning to work after an absence. Ratra details her considerable effort at supporting women in business, including the Peace Through Business initiative.

ABOUT:

As Co-founder of Akraya and Founder of Women Back to Work, Sonu Ratra is a strong believer that with success comes responsibility.
Ratra has been recognized as a highly motivated and focused thought-leader in the Talent and Staffing industry. Besides leading Akraya's aggressive growth strategies, Ratra serves on the Board of Directors at the Institute of Economic Empowerment for Women to support their Peace through Business program. She also serves on the Foundation Board at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. A past winner of the Enterprising Woman of the Year Award, Ratra has received several accolades including the Woman of Influence Award, Northwood's Outstanding business leader award, the Business Journal's Community Impact Individual Champion award and Silicon Valley Leadership Group's Doer' award.
An entrepreneur with a charitable heart, Ratra is passionate about giving back to the community. Over the years, she has been an avid supporter for women's empowerment. She is currently spearheading the initiative "Women Back to Work," a workforce re-entry program for women.
Akraya, Inc. is a Global Staffing and Managed services company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Named Best Places to Work for three consecutive years, Akraya is also ranked by the Staffing Industry Analysts as the Best Staffing Company to Temp and Work for.

Jan Hill

Ep. 29: A Spirit Renewed through Service

Hair Salon owner Jan Hill spent years building a successful business and helping her employees achieve success. However, after contracting an illness that resulted in the loss of using her hands, she couldn't do hairdresser work any longer.

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While she could still run the business, Hill wanted to channel energy elsewhere. She was connected to the Peace Through Business program, and encountered the life-changing experience of mentoring women from Rwanda.

She's worked on helping women gain business strategy skills, but more importantly she learned as much about their resilience and the connections that can occur across cultures.

ABOUT:

Jan began her hairdressing career at the age of 16. Hairdressing and salon /spa ownership has been a wonderful career for her and she feels she has been blessed with the opportunity to "elevate" public perception of the salon/spa industry and provide high quality education and career paths in our salons."

Eden Salon LLC has been recognized in numerous publications and awards: Elle Magazine Top 100 Salons, Rachel Ray, Passion, Passion for Men, Modern Salon, Salon Today Top 200 Salons in North America, Oklahoma Today, Best of the Best, 405, Magazine and Opubco, Haircutting, Styling and Make-up in Oklahoma and Texas.

Jan and husband, Richard believe in paying forward the opportunity to live in a free economy as mentors/hosts for IEEW and supporting grassroots community arts and charitable organizations. Eden Salon LLC has adopted the company mission "to serve".

ABOUT:

Ginger Sloan

Ep. 30-Learning Due Diligence

After Ginger Sloan had her first daughter, she was determined to work from home. On a whim, she answered a radio ad to become a medical transcriptionist, quickly finishing coursework and embarking on a new career.

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With this experience, she was an ideal mentor for the Peace Through Business program, where she was embraced the role of guiding rising business leaders from Rwanda in how to find success and grow their business. In this podcast she discusses the heartbreak of those whose families were killed in the Rwandan genocide. Yet lasting bonds were formed over the shared experiences and challenges these women shared with those everywhere who enter business.

Alyssa Weathers-Murphy

Ep. 31-Siren Call of Independence

Alyssa Weathers-Murphy knows the dread of an unfulfilling corporate job. One day, it was finally time to put her considerable skills and passion to use on her own business, striking out to launch her own marketing agency.

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Nearly a year later, Siren Media is growing fast with an all-female team of close-knit creatives who help small businesses tell their stories and build success.

Her team offers graphic and web design, social media content, search engine marketing, and other key services to a diverse client base. A third-generation small business owner, Weathers-Murphy shares her journey and strategies for how women can self-advocate and support others in their networks.

ABOUT:

Alyssa Weathers-Murphy is the founder and Chief Consultant of Siren Media, an Oklahoma City-based marketing firm. She started her firm out of necessity when she found herself suddenly without a job, after a career move went south. Several close friends of hers were coincidentally in the same boat, so she decided to press on and start doing work under her own agency name, Siren Media, and giving work to her friends who found themselves as freelancers in their respective marketing skills. She is a firm believer in the power of networking, telling your story and being transparent about failure, as this was the only reason she believes she was able to start her company and grow as quickly as it did in its first year. After 14 months of business, she and her team have built 17 websites and executed on 31 social media and creative projects. Her background is in corporate media sales, business development and social media marketing, and uses her knowledge and skill set to help business owners and organizations successfully market to their target audiences. She is an Alumni of the University of Central Oklahoma where she majored in Marketing and took a minor in Professional Selling

Cathy Cruzan

Ep. 32-The Unexpected Joy of Mentorship

As president of Funds for Learning, Cathy Cruzan leads her the consultancy in assisting schools and libraries navigate the E-rate program, a critical source of discounts on Internet services. She has a broad portfolio at the company, overseeing their various business efforts.

ABOUT:

Cathy Cruzan is the President of Funds For Learning, an E-rated consultancy and software services firm supporting schools, libraries and state consortiums. Her work through Funds For Learning enables broadband connectivity at anchor institutions serving students and library patrons at over 12,000 sites across the United States. As president, Cathy is also responsible for overseeing the firm's business activities, including sales, marketing, business development, finance and human resources. In managing the firm's core consulting business, Cathy monitors and directs the ongoing development of the proprietary, web-based tools that the firm and its software-license holders use for federal regulatory compliance purposes. Cathy is an E-rate subject matter expert who provides regulatory training to schools and libraries regarding high-speed broadband and other technology-related initiatives.

Cathy is also a mentor for the Peace Through Business Program, and we will speak with her about both her business and her mentoring services.

Sylvia Scott

Ep. 33: Building the Girls CEO Connection

After a long career in the fashion industry, Sylvia Scott was ready for a career pivot. New work led her to coordinating a mother-daughter entrepreneurship summit, and it was the springboard for a desire to help teen girls find a path to entrepreneurship.

Her organization, the Girls CEO Connection, offers coaching, mentoring, and regular conferences that connect girls with business leaders and training in how to own their success. Her help hasn't stopped there, as she also has been connected with women in Afghanistan through the Peace Through Business program.

She has been moved by the women's sacrifices and commitment to building a future in the war-plagued nation.
Shop on our site for her book, Realizing a Vision, Your Toolkit for Success.

ABOUT:

Sylvia Scott is the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Girls' C.E.O. Connection, a social enterprise that sets young women on a path toward fulfilling lives as successful entrepreneurs. She launched the Realizing a Vision conference to bring high school girls together to learn from the expertise of accomplished female entrepreneurs and business owners. The young women have the opportunity to meet and interact with these experts, role models and prospective mentors.

Sylvia's experience combines a wide breath of business knowledge linking careers in fashion, public relations, conference management, not-for-profit and business development for entrepreneurs & small business owners.

Her dedication to the empowerment of young women produced pioneering intern and mentoring programs throughout her career in fashion. Subsequently, Sylvia reinvented her innovative internship program for The Center for Women and Enterprise (CWE) in Boston, where she was well known for her groundbreaking work to empower women. At CWE, she significantly expanded the opportunities available to women business owners by initiating a variety of top-tier business development consulting services.

Sylvia finds connecting people comes naturally for her. In Kim Chandler McDonald's book Flat World Navigation, Collaboration and Networking in the Global Digital Economy, Sylvia covers the tools and techniques of successful flat world navigation.

She advocates mentoring as a key to success for women and girls. Sylvia is a mentor to women entrepreneurs and many college women. Sylvia is an e-Mentor for the Peace Through Business® program of the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW). This gives her the opportunity to help women in Afghanistan develop their business plans.

Sylvia is the Colorado Ambassador for the Women's Entrepreneurship Day. Over the years she has served on advisory boards for various youth organizations. She often serves as a judge for competitions for business ethics cases and business plan pitches. Sylvia was selected to judge the business plan pitch competition for the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM) France with the California State University San Bernardino College of Extended Learning. She was also the 2018 Stevie Awards Women in Business Competition, Committee Chair for the Individual/Entrepreneur Awards. Sylvia was included in DataBird Journal's 250 Inspiring Female Entrepreneurs for 2019.

While living in Boston, Sylvia attended Babson College for MBA studies in social entrepreneurship. She graduated from the University of Tulsa with a B.S. in Business Administration with a marketing major.

Mozhgan Wafiq Alokozai

Ep. 34: Empowering Women in Afghanistan

Education. By arming women with knowledge, they are able to develop themselves and their households. Mozhgan Wafiq Alokozai has a passion that continues driving through adversity again and again.

She's lived under the Taliban regime in Pakistan, she has provided training programs and opportunities for women in Afghanistan. She has tried and failed and gotten up again to try another avenue. Her latest venture is Eagle Online Academy, which is a nonprofit organization offering quality, flexible online educational programs globally. She feels that a good quality education can be life-changing for girls and women giving them marketable skills.

Read More: TrailBlazers Impact Podcast, Ep. 118.

Peace Through Business Season 2

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Peace Through Business
Season 2