The Future of Work is Diverse, Inclusive, Just and Equitable
GlobalMindED closes the equity gap by creating a capable, diverse talent pipeline through connections to role models, mentors, internships for low-income students, returning adults, First Gen to college and inclusive leaders who teach them, work with them and hire them.
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Remarkable Rwandan Refugee Becomes International Entrepreneur Helping Girls Feel Comfortable in Their Skin: Meet Francoise Mbabazi, President My Skin Global
I am of Rwandan origin, but I was born and raised in Uganda. There my family and thousands of other Rwandans lived as refugees, shunned, and ostracized. To obtain my education, I overcame major cultural and economic barriers. After the genocide, my family returned to Rwanda in 1996. Ultimately, in 2001, I immigrated to the United States.
As a result of these experiences, I have a deep empathy and understanding for immigrant and refugee populations and for those who have been stigmatized for whatever reason. Growing up in Africa gave me first-hand knowledge of what it is like to be poor, disenfranchised, and vulnerable. As I matured, this knowledge grew into a deep understanding of the need to prioritize gender equity and diminish barriers that disproportionately affect women and girls. Now, as a single mother to beautiful 9-year-old girl, leading an organization that is working to disrupt the practice of skin bleaching, instilling self-love and self-admiration through educational curriculum, normalizing the conversation, building local, national and global partnerships of women mentors for the BIPOC youth, I know now fully that when women thrive, families thrive.
My work life began in 1996 when my family and I returned from Uganda to Kigali, Rwanda. I needed to find a way to earn money so I could pursue my dream of getting a college education. I started working at 14 years of age. One day an American came into my aunt's small shop looking for a phone he could use. He was shocked to discover that I could speak English. He offered me a job in his business as an administrative assistant. He was operating an import/export business at the airport, supplying food and other necessities to the U.N. agencies and other NGOs working in the area. After a few months, they promoted me to the position of marketing director. When their assignment in Rwanda ended, they closed shop and left.
I had learned the business and decided to start my import/export service at the age of 14. I founded a business called the International Clearing and Forwarding Agency (ICFA). IFCA provided complete import/export services including purchase contracts, shipping, warehousing, and delivery and scheduling of goods. Ultimately, I added three branch offices in other parts of the country.
While I was working in the import/export business, one of my friends passed my name on to a New York Times reporter, as someone who might help him with translation. This led to my working with the NYT and ABC News. I was also asked to collect and translate stories from genocide survivors and perpetrators. I conducted interviews in Rwandan prisons, refugee centers, and peoples’ homes. I learned so much about the tragic events that had happened in Rwanda during my family's absence.
Still desiring to pursue my education, I took advantage of an opportunity to sell my business. With the money earned from the sale of my business and my work as an interpreter, I was finally able to finance my college education at U.S.I.U. (United States International University) in Nairobi, Kenya.
During college, I had a one-year internship in Nairobi with New Life Home for Orphaned and Abandoned HIV-Positive Children. My internship involved providing basic care and services to the children, facilitating adoption processes and participating in the evaluation of adoption options for the children. I also raised $20,000 to support the program.
Upon graduation, I took a job as a Credit Controller at Kigali Institute of Science and Technology in Kigali, Rwanda, where I collected tuition debt from students. In 2001, I was able to come to America to continue my studies. I pursued a master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with Emphasis in Gender Studies at Arizona State University. I did some part-time modeling and finally accomplished my education dream.
I have held various leadership positions since then with Colorado nonprofits organizations. I have spent many years working to build diverse and strategic network connections with individuals, organizations, and policy makers to advance human rights for women and girls, economic empowerment programs, and building sustainable relationships with the disfranchised communities and advocating for progressive policy changes.
I am here to tell you: you too can change the world. With the right mindset, self-determination and commitment to make the world a better place, Yes You Can! You are equipped and you and only you have every tool in your toolbox needed to make your dream come true!
How do you embody inclusive leadership?
We have heard many in our lives say, “it’s impossible. You will never make it, or you are not worthy.” These messages are not true. I was born in a poor environment that rendered a fixed mentality to those willing to buy into it: that you are powerless because you have less resources to tap into. But my limitations ignited fear in me. Poverty never defined me. I knew then as I know now, that wasn’t my life. The way things were then was never the way things would be.
My mission in life wasn’t about making money. It was about making a difference in the world for that little aspiring girl with a thirst for education and a better life for others, to ensure no other girl would have to go through what I went through to accomplish their dreams. I am one out of ten who 1st graduated from college and graduate school in my family because I simply couldn’t stop without accomplishing my God-given dream.
Today, I am the Co-Founder and President of My Skin Global. I’m an international speaker, most recently on International Women’s Day in Paris, France at The World Women Forum 2023 (A Star-Icon Conference). I am a leader in the community, a human rights activist, and a mother to an incredible gifted and talented girl. I embody female leadership by leading by example. I can be vulnerable and share my story and be empathetic and hope it changes someone else’s journey positively.
- I embody leadership by being true and authentic.
- I have made it my lifelong work to empower women and girls because of my childhood experiences growing up in a patriarchal society that saw very little to a girl’s contribution to society.
- No other BIPOC girl or woman should have to relive my experience because of their gender representation or the color of their skin.
- I embody leadership through the lens of inclusivity because together, we are stronger. It’s about human kindness for you and the world around you!
- It’s all about your WHY!
How could GlobalMindED further your efforts?
Educational and economic empowerment of women and girls is not optional for modern society. Every girl regardless of the color of their skin, class and gender representation should grow up believing they too deserve to accomplish their dreams. GlobalMindED can further my vision by encouraging women and girls to believe in their dreams, to love themselves in skin they are in. The self-esteem that comes from achieving educational and career goals with GlobalMindED increases the self-love and self-worth of everyone involved.
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Students and Faculty: Join the (Always) Fee-Waived Equity Event
STEM Stars: Stellar Success Stories
STEM students need to see themselves in the leaders they can become. Join Dr. Ryan Ross, as he interviews leaders who are role models for the emerging talent pipeline of STEM students who will lead our nation and our world. You can meet many of these leaders at the conference June 7-9 in Denver.
April 18 4:00 ET
Brought to you by the Colorado Community College System
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Dr. Ryan Ross Assoc. V. Chancellor Student Affairs, Equity, & Inclusion Colorado Community College System (Doc Ross) with:
Tommie Pittman Founder and CEO, Global Diversified Biosystems
After gaining professional experience as a field engineer with Schlumberger Technology Corporation, Tommie is pursuing the vision of creating an environmentally sustainable water management system. In 2014, he founded Global Diversified Biosystems. His desire to support environmental change and sustainability has expanded into the development of G. Pittman Farms, an organic farm with the mission of providing healthy food to the community and encouraging the cultivation of the next generation of farmers.
Dr. Trina Jefferson Systems Engineer Sr, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space
Prior to joining Lockheed, Dr. Jefferson was a Systems Engineer at Ball Aerospace and a key member of the Roman Space Telescope team. She co-founded the BIPOC Mentorship Program to foster relationships between mentors and mentees and provide support for students of varied backgrounds and cultures. She is an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers’ Denver professional outreach program, visiting schools to build STEM kits with students.
Natasha Herring Senior Client Success Manager, EnergyHub
Natasha has almost a decade of energy consulting experience for utility companies, after receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Dartmouth College and a Master of Science in Global Energy Management from University of Colorado, Denver’s Business School. Outside of work, Natasha’s published author and an advocate for increasing the diversity pipeline into engineering and energy careers.
Praveen Mamnani Co-Founder and CEO, Ninja Focus
Praveen is a product leader with more than twenty years of experience building, launching, and monetizing industry-leading business-to-business and business to consumer solutions in the unified communications, customer service, mobile security, mobile messaging, and collaboration space. He is a strategic and creative thinker with a track record of incubating new product lines and crafting go-to-market plans.
Patty Beach Chief Executive Officer, LeadershipSmarts
Patty is an inclusive leadership evangelist who combines leadership best practices and coaching to transform managers into the best boss ever and executives into inspirational role models that can scale and grow their companies. She is the author of The Art of Alignment: A Practical Guide for Inclusive Leadership and the Versatility Factor Profile, an assessment for gender intelligent and inclusive leadership.
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Join us in Denver June 7-9 for GlobalMindED 2023
at the Denver Sheraton
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This unique event builds the bridge for students of all ages from education to employment and promotion pathways. If you are an educational leader or faculty, you can attend and also bring one or more students with you.
For more on the conference experience, watch this brief video by The PhD Project, and check out the 2022 Program
The 2022 Conference:
- 800+ attendees
- 140 students from 41 universities/colleges
- 300+ speakers from 65 universities/colleges and 47 businesses
- 130 universities/colleges represented
- Majority of panels featured at least one student
- 74 % diverse speakers
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Dynamic, inspirational college presidents who have led the way for women in higher education share their lived experiences, innovative practices, and vision for higher education
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Female College Presidents: Breaking Barriers in Higher Education, a Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable presentation Click HERE
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Dr. Ryan Ross; Assoc. V. Chancellor Student Affairs, Equity, & Inclusion, Colorado Community College System
with:
Dr. Colleen Simpson, President
Front Range Community College
Dr. Cynthia Lindquist, President
Cankdeska Cikana Community College
Dr. Rochelle Ford, President
Dillard University
Sandra J. Doran, JD, President
Bay Path University
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The GlobalMindED Inclusive Success NetworkTM had another banner year of growth, impact, and outcomes for First Generation, poverty-affected and minoritized students. Here are some of the highlights:
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Return of in-person GlobalMindED conference with record attendance and the largest First Gen Leadership Class ever of 122 student leaders. See PhD Project brief video of the event.
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Our fourth annual Inclusive Leader Awards recognized 15 DEIB leaders across sectors.
- Almost all our 100+ panels and sessions of 2022 featured a student.
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Of the 300+ speakers, 73% were diverse leaders sharing their thoughts.
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We held our first Industry Marketplace Career Exploration Arena at GlobalMindED 2022 with 40 companies, giving K-12, college students, educators, and leaders a way to learn about emerging fields and careers. Join us for the next one at GlobalMindED 2023.
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Our first satellite event at Georgia Institute of Tech was livestreamed via the Atlanta PBS affiliate.
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We became an official initiative of the Foundation for the Support the United Nations (FSUN) and will hold our first UN event on March 22, 2023.
- ·We served ten colleges with the GlobalMindED Success Collaborative connecting students at each HBCU, MSI, HIS and Tribal College with role models, mentors, internships, and jobs.
- We had partners/volunteers from Microsoft, Salesforce, Rubrik, HP, Stanford MBA and more.
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We spoke at the White House Initiative for HBCUs with sponsor Hewlett Packard.
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Our team, Board, Colorado Board and Executive Leadership Council are all majority diverse serving a majority diverse population of emerging leaders.
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We continued to publish our daily newsletter and conduct monthly virtual Equity events, led by people of color with majority diverse panelists and students. These are the role models for our students.
- Our annual operating budget increased by 67% emerging COVID strong.
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We doubled our staff from four to eight as we grow to scale our impact.
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Our Young Professionals grew to 40 strong, with a ten-person leadership cabinet made up of, but not limited to, graduates of our programs who are now working professionals.
- Since 2015, we have successfully connected 1,200+ students to internships and jobs.
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Our founder, Carol Carter, was recognized as one of the Most Powerful Women in Denver by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and one of the Most Admired CEOs by the Denver Business Journal.
We are grateful for the support, inclusive leadership, and financial contributions of our community and sponsors who work tirelessly to open doors for the students we serve, the institutions who support them, and the businesses and non-profits who are committed to hiring a capable, diverse talent pipeline. We look forward to seeing all of you June 7-9 at our best event yet, GlobalMindED 2023 - Transforming Boundaries: Creating Systemic Access and Equity. The Inclusive Leaders Awards Dinner is June 7, followed by the conference June 8- 9 at the Denver Downtown Sheraton.
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