Fellows

Abdulrahman has developed extensive academic and industry experience both over the past decade. He has worked in a diverse range of environments including public, profit and nonprofit organizations. He completed a PhD in Computer Science at Cairo University, achieving the Most Outstanding Thesis Award. Before that, he complemented his academic path with an MBA in International Business from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT).While working at AASTMT as a Startup Support Officer, he helped student to translate their ideas into business plans, worked on fundraising and taught Computer Science. Previously, Abdulrahman supervised startup support activities at THE Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC) where he orchestrated the Industry-Driven Startups Program to consult entrepreneurs on how to approach common challenges. Through these experiences, Galal has developed various skills, from programming, giving public presentations and drafting proposals.

Host Organization : SAP

Role at Host Organization: Abdulrahman will manage logistical tasks of the department’s programs, liaising with partners to coordinate programs’ related events, engaging as an instructor of the programs’ training offerings, and drafting reports regarding different aspects of the programs.

Abir Chermiti is a Software Engineer from Tunisia. She is a Program Manager of the nonprofit Arab Women In Computing (ArabWIC) as well as an ICT4D Research Fellow for Engineering For Change LLC. Abir has years of volunteer experience among a variety of organizations. Professionally, she is well versed in computer sciences and was selected by the IEEE Women In Engineering as the Winner of the Most Inspiring Student Member of the year 2017 award. Additionally, Abir founded the first women in technology summit in Tunisia, the IEEE Women in Engineering Leadership Summit. She is a proactive team player, problem solver and has impressive interpersonal skills.

Host Organization: Cultural Vistas

Fellow Role at Cultural Vistas: Abir will serve as a Software Engineer Fellow and is responsible for developing, creating, and modifying general computer applications software or specialized utility programs. She will also analyze users needs and design databases within an application area.

Agang Ditlhogo is passionate about education and is co-founder of The Clicking Generation-ICT Academy for Kids and Teens; a social enterprise that offers computing and technology curriculum to kids and teens. She is currently National Expert for UN-World Summit Award Organization, Ambassador-ITU Young Innovator Competition, Ambassador-Africa Code Week and PR Officer – Internet Society (ISOC) local chapter. In these roles she partakes in encouraging Botswana youngsters in the Information Technology field on issues of innovation and e-content creation. She works closely with relevant stakeholders to implement Girls in ICT programmes throughout Botswana. Agang is a Brightest Young Minds Alumni 2015, a selection of top 100 young Africans contributing to their communities. Agang forms part of the prestigious Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship program, being mentored by a successful and seasoned thought leader, Tony Elumelu. She is also a Mandela Washington Fellow 2016, an initiative by U.S. State Department. A Cherie Blair Foundation mentee she continues to receive social entrepreneurship training through the comprehensive support. Agang was selected as OkayAfrica Magazine publication top 100 women in 2017.

Host Organization: Tetra Tech

Role at Host Organization: Agang will support the leadership of Tetra Tech’s international energy division in implementing its new strategy to grow business in additional developing countries, with new clients and launch a new business line. She will use entrepreneurial skills to delve into different aspects of business development, marketing and operations.

Ahmed has seven years experience in the nonprofit sector including two years experience in IT Management and 3 years experience in business administration. He has a mixed educational background as an IT Engineer specialized in software programming and embedded systems from the Higher School of Engineering and Technology in Tunis (ESPRIT), a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics and Enterprise Telecommunications from the National School of Electronics and Telecommunications in Sfax. He also has a Master’s Degree in Social Entrepreneurship from the Institute of High Business Studies (IHEC Carthage). Ahmed is the CEO and Co-Founder of Secure Drive Company, which was featured in TechCrunch as one of the top three successful businesses in Tunisia developing ways to improve society and fix endemic economic problems through innovation and creativity. Previously, he has worked as a Project Manager of Unleash Tunisia Venture Bus, which funds a project promoting entrepreneurship and social business in Tunisia. He has also been selected several times to represent his country’s ecosystem of entrepreneurship in many countries including Germany, France, Italy, Egypt, and Morocco. Through these varied experiences, he has developed strong skills in leadership, public speaking, project management, business consulting, digital marketing, sales strategy, customer service, community management, technology, youth development, and social entrepreneurship.

Host Organization: SD Mayer & Associates

Role at Host Organization: Ahmed will be responsible for strengthening SD Mayer & Associates’ current position in the non-profit space, while also expanding upon it. He will help with figuring out which services their clients could be using but are not already, and assessing what non-profit organizations need in a general sense. Ahmed will also help market their firm, cultivate new client relationships, and perpetuate current ones. Additionally, Ahmed will create an internal program to expand the community outreach of our employees.

Arwa has five years of experience in the energy industry and two years of experience in the nonprofit sector – specifically in women’s empowerment, gender equity and inclusion of women in the technology and engineering sectors. Arwa earned a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with focus on Electrical and Control systems from the National School of Engineers in Sfax, Tunisia. As an electrical and instrumentation specialist engineer Arwa worked in design and technical consultancy with oil and gas operating companies in Tunisia. She is responsible for carrying out conceptual engineering design, preparing technical engineering documents, budget estimation, testing and commissioning procedures, feasibility studies, and risk assessment reports.Arwa is a fellow of the Techwomen Program, an immersive leadership program administered by the U.S. State Department and the Institute of International Education tailored for emerging female leaders in STEM fields. Through the Techwomen program Arwa learned about day to day operations in Silicon Valley and visited the world’s top companies, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Symantec, and Autodesk. In 2015, Arwa was selected as a visiting engineer for an internship in SolarCity San Francisco America’s largest solar provider, during her internship Arwa worked with the Grid Engineering department on identifying solutions for energy integration problems. Arwa is also a fellow of the SHE ENTREPRENEURS, a recognized leadership program administered by the Swedish Institute in Sweden for female social entrepreneurs in the MENA region. Arwa is the co-founder and Communications and Social Media Manager of Women Leaders in Technology “WoLTech”, a Tunisian nonprofit promoting and empowering women in the tech field. She is passionate about renewable energies and sustainability, women empowerment and global citizenship.

Host Organization: CleanChoice Energy

Role at Host Organization: Arwa will work to help develop new consumer options to offer customers new opportunities to make clean choices. She will work on product development for new renewable energy, community solar, and smart home choices.

Awais Farooq is a marketing professional with an avid belief in the power of love and empathy to connect with people. Awais has 4 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. After he earned his MBA, he worked at a Stanford-funded education and leadership startup called Amal Academy, helping fresh graduates be the best versions of themselves through soft skill development and self-discovery. Awais is passionate about and skilled in a wide range of areas, including outreach and marketing, tech management, professional development, curriculum design, program management, and counseling. He cares about working for a cause bigger than himself. Other than Amal Academy, Awais has taken part in Seth Godin’s Marketing Seminar and the altMBA programs to develop better empathy for his team and his approach to work. These experiences have helped him appreciate the exposure that humans can provide each other and have inspired him to become an Atlas Corps Fellow. He enjoys working in education, youth empowerment, and social awareness and has an overwhelming passion for social inclusion. Awais loves humans and hopes to connect with some amazing humans through his Atlas Corps fellowship.

Host Organization: American Red Cross

Role at Host Organization: At the American Red Cross, Awais will serve as the International Response Knowledge Management & Learning Fellow: supporting the Knowledge Management and Learning efforts for response operations and readiness activities to facilitate access to, utilization of, and learning from existing data, evidence, and knowledge generated from past operations both within the American Red Cross and with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Partners.

Brenda Hali has five years of experience in the for-profit and non-profit sectors. During these years she has had the opportunity to serve and work in marketing, sales, product development, internal communication, social projects management and the organization of international conferences and summits, all in different countries across Latin America. She earned a Bachelor´s Degree in Business Trades from the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico. Brenda Hali most recently worked as Chief Marketing Officer in the NGO AIESEC in Panama. With her team, she organized more than three hundred international volunteer and professional experiences, facilitating a network of one hundred youth leaders. She also created and replicated in Panamanian universities a forum called “Youth Competitiveness in a Multicultural Country” to create awareness about the social situation in the country. Through her experiences, Brenda Hali has developed strong multi-cultural teamwork, project management, volunteers management, facilitation, startups development consulting and mentoring skills. Brenda Hali feels ownership over the second big problem in Latin America: Education. She believes that good youth leadership and social entrepreneurship can make a difference in her region.

Host Organization: Meridian International Center

 Role at Host Organization: As a communications coordinator, Brenda Hali will recruit and place Fellows in fellowships. She will coordinate site visits, cultural and volunteer activities, and speaking engagements that will provide opportunities to apply skills. Uniquely positioned at the intersection of the public, private and diplomatic sectors, Meridian’s broad network will support Summit and Fellowship components.

Talha has four years of experience working in the nonprofit sector and has expertise in using technology for social impact. He has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology in Lahore, Pakistan. While working with Chanan Development Association, he developed and implemented a digital strategy to optimize multiple projects in the sectors of sexual and reproductive health and rights, democracy and HIV/AIDS. He has also developed websites and mobile apps in the healthcare, medical, utilities and lifestyle sectors. He is passionate about solving world problems using technology and he has accomplished this by starting ibjects.com, a digital agency that leverages technology for social impact and innovation. He also co-founded and managed projects like Cafe Entrepreneurship, which engages young people to use technology in the development of solutions that can solve social issues of Pakistan.

Host Organization: Points of Light

Role at Host Organization: Talha will develop and manage a digital marketing and optimization strategy for the Points of Light Civic Accelerator (CivicX) program. He will further develop digital optimization skills and have the opportunity to implement strategy and create recommendations for senior program staff.