You're in for a HUGE dose of inspiration and empowerment this week.
From TIME's Next Generation Leaders to the UK's Black Power List for 2022,there are trailblazing BIPOC women leaders emerging in every industry. And, trailblazing BIPOC women in history are finally starting to be recognised for their achievements.
Meanwhile, 14-year-old Vinisha Umashankar is out here saving the planet - kids these days, right?!
This week's community spotlight is a meet the founder special, feat. Sabina Khilnani of Elocance - it makes you listen, literally. And on that note ...
... grab a snack and let's get glowing!
-Shilpa
P.S. I think you'll enjoy this feel-good story about two homecoming queens in Mississippi. Spoiler alert: grab some tissues, it's also a tear jerker!
News To Know
Lead The Way, Trailblazers!
This week is all about trailblazing leaders.
TIME Magazine just released its second round of Next Generation Leaders for 2021. ICYMI, we covered the first round in this newsletter (scroll to the Bites section). The diverse line up of young leaders spans nine countries, and they're all bloody impressive (obvs!) Some of our favourites:
- Dr Chika Stacy Oriuwa from Canada who is fighting to make health care more inclusive. Fun fact, she's also been immortalised as a Barbie doll!
- Sara Wahedi from Afghanistan who's helping keep her fellow Afghans safe. Her mobile app, Ehtesab, crowd-sources verified reports of bombings, shootings, roadblocks and city-service issues.
- Rina Sawayama from England who shares stories of being Asian and queer in the UK, via her music.
Meanwhile, the UK's Black Power List for 2022 has been released. Tech pioneer Jacky Wright has taken out the top spot. Special shout out to Michaela Coel too.
The US Mint has also announced the full list of five pioneering American women who will appear on the first run of the American Women Quarters Program.
The 2022 coins will recognise the achievements of Maya Angelou, Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren, and Anna May Wong. Pro tip: check out this week's Historical Woman section for more on Wilma Mankiller.
Glowreel Reco Of The Week
You need to check out: First Woman 🚀
The fictional series of graphic novels and interactive experiences by NASA tell the tale of Callie Rodriguez, the first woman to explore the Moon. Callie's character is inspired by real life BIPOC woman astronauts like Mae Jemison, Ellen Ochoa and Kalpana Chawla.
Fun fact: the first female astronaut and person of colour will soon set foot on the Moon. An historic milestone and part of upcoming NASA missions - we can't wait!
Bites
- ClassPass x MindBody = soulmates. ClassPass, founded by Payal Kadakia in 2013, has been acquired by MindBody, a leading wellness technology platform. The deal brings two of the wellness industry’s most prominent leaders together - see, soulmates!
- In other business news, the $10 million Neythri Futures Fund (NFF) is addressing the diversity gap in venture. NFF is 90 per cent backed by South Asian women and is harnessing their investing power to foster diverse entrepreneurial teams. It's time to get innovative, folks.
- Kids these days - they're out here saving the planet! 14-year-old Vinisha Umashankar designed a solar-powered alternative for the millions of charcoal-burning ironing carts used in India. Her solar-powered cart is a finalist for Prince William's Earthshot Prize. Go Vinisha!
- The statue of an Indigenous woman will replace a Columbus monument in Mexico City. Known as the 'Young Woman of Amajac', the new statue is a nod to “decolonisation” and “represents the fight of women, particularly the Indigenous ones, in Mexican history”.
- 107-year-old Japanese sisters have been confirmed as world’s oldest identical twins! Umeno Sumiyama and Koume Kodama lived through both world wars. Their secret to such a long life? Apparently they're both sociable, positive and hardly worry about things.
Community Spotlight
Meet The Founder: Sabina Khilnani Of Elocance
Image via Sabina Khilnani
Meet Sabina Khilnani - a third culture kid with Indian origins who grew up in Europe and the Midwest. Currently living in Paris, Khilnani is busy running her startup and runs on "oat milk lattes, vinyasa, solo travel and anything audio."
We caught up with Khilnani to hear more about her startup, Elocance. Let's get to it!
How did you come up with the idea for Elocance?
It was something that both my co-founder and I needed. I was in the process of doing my executive MBA and was looking for something that could help me listen to my case studies while traveling.
Simultaneously, I was falling behind at work and couldn't keep up with all the articles and content I needed to stay current. Audio was already a huge part of our lives but we wanted to create a collaborative audio tool that saves people time at work.
Who is Elocance for?
It's for busy professionals who don't have time to read the things that are most important for their work.
What is the purpose/aim of Elocance?
Above all, our goal is to help people save time and learn by listening.
Any advice for other women who are wanting to launch their own business?
Yes! Just starting is really important. Many times, women convince themselves that they don't have the skills or it's not the right time when in reality, a fear of failure might be holding them back.
One way to get around this is to start small by working on the project or idea for a few hours a week. Start by developing an MVP (minimum viable product) that will serve as stimuli to validate your idea.
Historical Woman
Wilma Mankiller: “Every Step I Take Forward Is On A Path Paved By Strong Indian Women Before Me.”
Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010) was the first woman elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1987. She's celebrated as an activist for Native American and women's rights.
During her two terms in office, she tripled her tribe's enrolment, doubled employment and built new housing, health centers and children's programs in northeast Oklahoma.
A decline in infant mortality and an increase in educational achievement are attributed to her leadership.
Mankiller was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998.
She continues to be an inspiration to women everywhere and to people of the Cherokee Nation.
One Lioness To Another
"Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It's hard work that makes things happen. It's hard work that creates change."
-Shonda Rhimes
