Oklahoma Business Leader Dr. Terry Neese Brings Afghan And Rwandan Women Entrepreneurs To Oklahoma

IEEW Celebrates PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Mentorship Week Saturday, July 20 Through Saturday, July 27. End Quote

Oklahoma City, OK (1888PressRelease) July 24, 2013 - The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW) (http://ieew.org), a nonprofit organization that encourages women's leadership and entrepreneurship through education and mentoring initiatives, has announced that the 2013 Mentorship Week will take place Saturday, July 20 through Saturday, July 27. As part of the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program, mentorship week brings together women entrepreneurs from Rwanda and Afghanistan and pairs them with American women business owners in the same industry, who will serve as mentors during this week long event.

Each mentee must first complete an eight week in-country training. Upon completion of this portion of the program, selected students travel to the United States for the leadership development portion of their studies to spend a full week living and working with their mentors. Mentors provide both on-site training in managing a career and guidance in balancing professional goals with social responsibilities and family life to the participating Rwandan and Afghan women.

After Mentorship Week, mentors have the opportunity to accompany their mentees at the International Women's Economic Summit and Graduation ceremony on Monday, July 29 and Tuesday, July 30. The summit will take place at the AT&T Center For Learning in Irving, Texas, and Graduation will be held at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas. Students and mentors will continue to develop their relationships online for a minimum of one year following the program.

In addition to the new students, some women who have already graduated from the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program have returned in order to further develop their leadership skills. During Mentorship Week, these women will stay with a host and participate in vigorous, hands-on seminars and presentations covering topics such as effective leadership and public speaking strategies. On Wednesday, July 24, the leaders will participate in a private roundtable discussion with Okla. Governor Mary Fallin,

Founded by IEEW Founder/CEO Dr. Terry Neese, the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program implements three major components, including in-country education, leadership development and train the trainer. Together, these elements aim to help women promote their business and leadership skills, foster a strong public policy agenda in their business community, and build stable democracies.

This year's mentee and mentor pairings, as well as leader and host pairings, for the week are as follows (listed alphabetically by city):

Albuquerque, N.M.
- Anne Mazimhaka's communications and marketing business is Illume Creative Studio. Mazimhaka is a new student, and her mentor is Joan Schlueter, owner and CEO of Onsite Hiring Consultants.

Chicago
- Fatima Mazari's business, the Refah Technology Company, provides ePayment software and hardware to banks. Mazari is a new student, and her mentor is Angelika Coghlan, president of Catwalk Consulting.

Dallas
- Clarisse Iribagiza's business, HeHe Limited, is working to create a mobile phone application with a directory similar to Yelp. Iribagiza is a new student, and her mentor is Marion Marshall, owner of Absolutely Blooming, a full-service event planning and design production firm.
- Emerienne Nyiramana, a new student, leads the Cocoki Cooperative. Her mentor is Marion Marshall.
- Grace Umulisa, a new student, operates Sabana Safaris Travel Agency, which offers inbound and outbound tours. Her mentor is also Marion Marshall.

Edmond, Okla.
- Gloria Uwizera's business, Glo Creations, specializes in Batik Textiles. Uwizera is a returning to the program as a leader, and her host is Rebekah Ebbs, owner of Urban Lawn & Landscape.

Houston
- Emily Butare, a new student, leads Mutoni Adonai, Ltd. Her mentor is Susan St. Germain, executive director of projects at TransGroup Worldwide Logistics.

Oklahoma City:
- Linda Akeza, a new student, leads GL Cleaning Company, Ltd., a residential and commercial cleaning business . Her mentor will be Ginger Sloan, president of GT Clean.
- Mozhgan Alokozai, a returning leader, owns the consultancy service Impressive Consultancy. Her host is Dr. Susan Chambers, OB/GYN.
- Rose Busingye, a returning leader, operates Creations of Roza, a clothing business. Her host is Nancy Hyde, certified public accountant.
- Khalida Dunya, a returning leader, operates HOH Products, which specializes in soccer ball production. Her host is Vicki Cramer, banker at BancFirst.
- Massoma Jafari, member of the Afghan Midwives Association, is starting the Future Hope Kindergarten. Jafari is a new student, and her mentor is Dr. Deborah Huff, of OB/GYN, Inc., and Freda Deskin, Ph.D., founder and CEO of ASTEC Charter Schools.
- Grace Mbabazi, a returning leader, owns Royal Links, Ltd., which specializes in cargo clearing and forwarding. Her host is Patti Verhille, senior tax advisor at Chesapeake Energy.
- Hope Mbabazi, a returning leader, operates HOBE Enterprises. Her host is Jan Hill, owner of Eden Salon & Spa.
- Lina Safaq, a returning leader, owns the Life Skills Development Center. Her host is Dr. Susan Chambers.
- Manizha Wafeq, a returning leader, operates Wonderland Women, a fashion design and retail business. Her host is Dr. Terry Neese, founder and CEO of IEEW.

Raleigh, N.C.
- Zuhal Latif, a new student, operates the ASA Arts Association Center and Farasa Interior Décor & Fine Arts Co. Her mentors are Nancy Welsh, founder and CEO of Builders of Hope; Monica Smiley, publisher of Enterprising Women Magazine; and Dr. Diane Chen, founder and CEO of CESI Debt Solutions.

Richardson, Texas
- Jessie Gakwandi, a new student, leads Nenimana Sail, Ltd., which specializes in mobile phone and web design. Her mentor is Sondra Achimon, AT&T strategic planner.

Stillwater, Okla.
- Appolonia Kibukayire, a returning leader, oversees Rwandan Heritage, a retail clothing business. Her host is Mary Ruppert-Stroescu, an assistant professor of apparel design and textile science at Oklahoma State University.

Stroud, Okla.
- Winnie Atukunda, a new student, runs Shades Corner, which sells various teas and snacks. Her mentor is Dawn Welch, owner of the Rock Café.

Wagoner, Okla.:
- Anne-Marie Kantengwa, a new student, operates the Hotel Chez Lando. Her mentor will be Lisa Bracken, owner of The Canebrake restaurant, spa and resort.

QUOTE:
"Mentorship Week offers students the unique opportunity to gain invaluable, in-person professional and personal guidance from an accomplished American businesswoman," said Dr. Terry Neese, CEO of IEEW. "Oftentimes, the relationships that are formed between mentors and mentees through our program continue to develop far beyond this week long period, which helps pave the way for future generations of successful women entrepreneurs."

DETAILS:
- IEEW is supported by the following National Presidential Level sponsors: The T. Boone Pickens Foundation, the AT&T Foundation, Office Depot, the Dick & Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, Northwood University and The Hill newspaper.

NEW MEDIA CONTENT:
IEEW Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/IEEW.PTB

IEEW Twitter Page:
https://twitter.com/ieew_ptb

ABOUT IEEW:
Established in 2006, the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, based in Oklahoma City, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that encourages the empowerment of women economically, politically and socially by focusing on their education and mentorship. The IEEW strives to help women in the United States and abroad who want to gain entrepreneurial skills that will help them start and grow a business, which will in turn help them to become more active and effective public policy advocates. Working on the forefront of these efforts, the IEEW believes in the power of women as a driving force in the development and stability of businesses in emerging economies. Through its dedication, hard work and PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program, the IEEW helps provide women with a voice in their fight to establish peace and free market economies. For more information, visit http://www.ieew.org/.

Kelsie Murdock
MMI Public Relations
(919) 233-6600
kelsie ( @ ) mmipublicrelations dot com
http://www.mmipublicrelations.com
http://www.twitter.com/MMIPR

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