Angeline Barrozo is the Global Head of Business Development at Wipro Ventures. She’s an executive at a Fortune India 500 multinational company, yet “mom” is her favorite title.
The Fem Word’s Co-Founder Monika Samtani, and Managing Editor, Emily Montague had the privilege to sit down with Angeline, and learn what it means to her to be a practical but compassionate leader at a global information technology company.
Read MoreGeeta Bakshi is a second-generation American of South Asian descent who served the United States during a 14-year career with the CIA. Having spent much of that time on the ground in Afghanistan, she lived by the notion of “service before self”, realizing she and her colleagues faced an enormous risk to their lives each day.
Today, Geeta is the founder of FAMIL, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Afghan refugees resettle in the United States after the evacuation of American troops from Kabul in summer of 2021.
Read MoreOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about a disease that affects 1 in 8 women in their lifetime and is the most common cancer in American women. This year the theme is RISE - Rally in Supporting, Serving, Screening Everyone - because together we can help uplift women in need. We spoke to two survivors who share their breast cancer stories, and in doing so, are rising in support of women who may be going through the same thing.
Read MoreAs an executive force at HCL Technologies, Payal Vadhani lives at the crossroads of business, technology, and the people that rely on them. Women are fostering innovation like never before, and this is especially true in the world of STEM and STEM-related industries. Payal talks about tech, life, and leadership, and shares powerful insights and lived wisdom to this interview with The Fem Word.
Read MoreLakshmi Paravathinathan is fighting for herself and 200,000 other Documented DREAMers in the United States. When these children of recipients of work visas turn 21 years old and age out of the dependent status, they are rendered undocumented and forced to self-deport. Through her work at Improve the Dream, Lakshmi has been on the frontlines advocating for the inclusion of Documented DREAMers in upcoming policy and conversations, finding power in herself and her story along the way.
Read MoreWhen you hear the term sex crime, you probably picture scenarios from Law & Order SVU or think of some of the high-profile harassment and assault cases which fueled the #MeToo movement. There’s a whole other side to this crime, however, and most of the time the victims go unnoticed and unheard. They would, anyway, if not for the determination and drive of women like federal prosecutor and feminist powerhouse Mona Sedky. We were honored to have the chance to sit down with Mona and learn about a unique kind of crime known as sextortion–a crime she’s spent the last decade prosecuting on behalf of its many victims.
Read MoreAnna Gabriella Casalme is transforming the way young people talk about social change—through a young adult , or YA, novel based education. She is the founder of Novelly, a digital-based education platform where adolescent members can meet, discuss novels, and write, all while incorporating ideas of civic education and societal issues. In collaboration with Vital Voices, The Fem Word is covering the achievements and changes made by its female members.
Read MoreJessica Doyle is bringing a new meaning to disruption, leading with empathy, and finding scalable solutions for women in the workplace where “you can be empowered…and make a living as well as a life.” Etsy’s VP of Global Communications and Engagement Marketing talks with The Fem Word about creative entrepreneurship, storytelling, and the future of business…providing a fierce, optimistic, and much-needed new perspective on how we approach the world of selling and how that world is changing for the better.
Read MoreSunisa Lee is headed toward Tokyo to compete for Team USA in gymnastics. As the first Hmong American Olympian, she represents a community of millions and acts as an inspiration. Having faced serious struggles through the past two years, her resilience and perseverance has defined her journey to the competition.
Competing alongside other notable female gymnasts, Lee is expected to make waves at this year’s Olympics.
Read MoreYusra Mardini is a survivor. At the age of 17, she and her sister decided to escape from the Syrian war and barely made it by boat - and swimming - across the world’s deadliest sea crossing to Europe in order to survive. Just a year later, swimmer Yusra competed in the Rio Olympics in 2016 as a member of the first ever Refugee Olympic Team.
Now this Syrian athlete and the youngest UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador is not only representing refugees everywhere, she’s also swimming for Olympic gold in Tokyo.
Read MoreRunner Allyson Felix is one medal away from being the most decorated female track and field star in U.S. history. A five time olympian with 6 gold medals and 9 total metals so far, she's going for gold again at the Tokyo Olympics at age 35...her fifth olympics and first as a mom.
For the 2021 Olympic Games, The Fem Word is highlighting female olympians who have left their mark on their sports.
Read MoreWomen of color represent the fastest-growing demographic when it comes to new entrepreneurs, yet they still face a great deal of racial and gender bias. Activist and entrepreneur Shelly Bell saw the challenges women of color - women like her - face when they try to get funding for their businesses, so she founded the award-winning Black Girl Ventures foundation to tackle the problem head-on.
Read MoreFor Pride Month, The Fem Word followed up with the 2018 Vital Voices Global Leadership Award winner Esra’a Al Shafei, founder of majal.org, a platform amplifies the voices of underrepresented and marginalized communities in the Middle East, including the LGBTQ community. The video interview above is from 2018, and the written responses below are updates two and a half years later in 2021.
Read MoreThis month to celebrate LGBTQ+ visibility, The Fem Word recognizes the work to achieve equality for LGBTQ+ Americans and we honor the incredible impact LGBTQ+ individuals have had culturally, politically, creatively, socially and beyond. First, a poem of self discovery by The Fem Word’s Emily Montague.
Read MoreWomen have come a long way since the restrictive laws of the past, but there’s still a major gap in the knowledge we have about our own finances. The Fem Word spoke with finance expert and activist Michelle P. Cooper about how we can work to close this divide and keep ourselves safe from financial disaster.
Read MoreThe effects of climate change can easily be seen with increasing temperatures and drier land (think 2020 wildfires) in every part of the world. Human activity continues to impact climate change at an accelerating rate. As part of our partnership with Vital Voices, we spoke with Sarah El Battouty, founder of ECOnsult, one of Egypt’s leading environmental companies about her work across the globe - and what we can do to stop climate change.
Read MoreI have always been passionate about baking, and it was a fateful trip to NYC for my 10th birthday that sealed the deal for me. I went to Baked by Melissa for the first time during that trip and immediately fell in love with the unique and delicious bite-size cupcakes. So good! Since then I started FlourPower, my own baking business, and am so thrilled to talk with Melissa Ben-Ishay, founder of the store that first inspired me to follow my dreams.
Read MoreOn World Autism Acceptance Day, Anshu Kapoor writes a heartfelt love letter to her daughter Sophia. Now 18, Sophia is and always will be essentially non-speaking for her entire life. Anshu wants her to know that she ‘hears’ her daughter’s voice through her actions because Sophia has taught everyone around her to focus on what truly matters - kindness , patience, love, and acceptance.
Read MoreFor as long as she can remember, LaKeisha McClendon has led her life with heart, passion, and a desire to connect with the people around her. As the FDA’s Director for the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, she now has the opportunity to bring all her leadership lessons to the forefront - and she sat down with The Fem Word to share those lessons with women everywhere.
Read MoreThe Fem Word contributor, Meera Dahiya, speaks with her history professor at Georgetown, Dr. Amy Leonard, for Women’s History Month. Professor Leonard has been teaching for over 20 years and specializes in women’s history particularly during the early modern period (1450-1648) and Reformation in Europe. She talks about the field of women’s history and how it has evolved during her time teaching as well as her journey as a historian.
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