Archive for October, 2009

Roula Antary spreads peace, health and vitality through yoga. The certified yoga instructor already owns an ice distribution business in Jordan, but she also dreams of opening a yoga center for women and children. ”Yoga unites body, mind and soul,” says Antary, a 2009 graduate of SEEDS, a women’s entrepreneurship program that Thunderbird runs in partnership with Jordan’s Business Development Center. Funding comes from the U.S. Agency for International Development. The program provides two weeks of intensive business education for Jordanian women at Thunderbird in Glendale, Arizona. Through the program, Antary also will receive two years of business mentorship from Deborah Smith, a 1975 Thunderbird graduate and president of Smith Club and Spa Specialists in Colorado. Watch the video above to learn more about Antary’s story.

Lina Khalifeh has a back side kick that can send a man flying across the room. She started learning taekwondo at age 5 and got serious about the sport at 14. Since then she has earned a black belt, 20 gold medals at Jordanian national competitions, and three gold medals at international events. Her goal now is to convert her passion for taekwondo into a business in Jordan where she can teach her skills to women and children. To learn the basics of starting her own company, Khalifeh enrolled in a women’s entrepreneurship course at the Business Development Center in Jordan and then came to Thunderbird for two weeks of intensive business education in the SEEDS program. SEEDS is a women’s entrepreneurship course that Thunderbird runs in partnership with the BDC. Funding comes from the U.S. Agency for International Development. Through the program, Khalilfeh also will receive two years of business mentorship from Julie Jones, a marketing professional who learned about SEEDS through the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. Watch the video above to learn more about Khalifeh’s story.

Jordanian accountant Ghada Al-Sharif believes in the power of women. She took a business development course for women at the Business Development Center in Jordan and used her new skills to launch her own accounting firm in 2007. “I proved myself and opened my own business,” she says. “I am now successful and have a wonderful team.” More recently she graduated from SEEDS, a two-week women’s entrepreneurship program that Thunderbird runs in partnership with the BDC. Through the program, Al-Sharif will receive two years of mentoring from Tempe accountant Camala Bailey. Back in Jordan, Al-Sharif also is studying auditing so her company can expand to provide auditing services. Watch the video above to learn more about her story.

Eman Afanah has worked in marketing and communication for 18 years and likes what she does. But recently she has discovered a passion for helping Jordanian businesswomen launch and grow their own companies. “This is where they idea came from that I would like to go out on my own and start my own consulting business and start working with these small enterprises,” says Afanah, a 2009 graduate of SEEDS, a women’s entrepreneurship program that Thunderbird runs in partnership with Jordan’s Business Development Center. Funding comes from the U.S. Agency for International Development. The program provides two weeks of intensive business education for Jordanian women at Thunderbird in Glendale, Arizona. Through the program, Afanah also will receive two years of business mentorship from Stephanie Krinetz, a branding and marketing professional at Graphique Communications Design in Scottsdale, Arizona. Watch the video above to learn more about Afanah’s story.

By Melissa Beran Samuelson

Friday marked the last day of SEEDS and our graduation ceremony for the program participants from Jordan. Owing to our beautiful weather, we took the opportunity to hold the ceremony in the pavilion outside the Yount building on campus. Dr. Angel Cabrera, Thunderbird’s president, gave the graduation address. As he spoke he emphasized what it means to be a part of the Thunderbird community and the Oath of Honor, which places an emphasis on sustainable value creation. It was a wonderful reminder of the power of business and the goals to which we aspire.

As the graduation ended, it became clear what this week has meant to the participants. A few tears and a lot of hugs told us all that what we had done was more than just run a few seminars … it had been a truly transformative experience for the businesswomen. Many of the mentors shared that they felt the same way.

SEEDS was an opportunity for these women to not only build skills, but also connections and relationships with other successful women. The goal is that partnering the women with mentors and other business leaders will provide the women with opportunities to expand on what they learned in the seminars, continue setting goals for their business, and overcome challenges they will face in the future. We are so thankful for the mentors and their commitment to the program as they continue connecting with their Jordanian mentee over email and phone over the next two years.

Riham D. Najia sees her younger sister at a crossroads in her life and wants to provide guidance. The younger sibling has started her final year of high school in Jordan and faces some tough choices about college and careers. “I just want her to do something that she loves,” Najia says. “I could see her in the future, in my mind. I just want her to see where she could go.” Najia, who describes her sister as her best friend despite the 12-year age gap, hopes her new business venture will be ready in time to benefit her sibling. The company will help students recognize their talents and skills through career assessments and counseling. Eventually, the company will expand to include career counseling for working professionals. “We can help people make their first choice the right choice,” says Najia, a 2009 graduate of SEEDS. Thunderbird runs the SEEDS program in partnership with the Business Development Center in Jordan, and funding comes from the U.S. Agency for International Development. The program provides two weeks of intensive business education for Jordanian women at Thunderbird’s campus in Glendale, Arizona. Through the program, Najia also will receive two years of business mentorship from Lori Martinek, a branding expert at Presentation Plus in Arizona. Watch the video above to learn more about Najia’s story.

By Katherine Hutton

The classroom was filled with smiles and excitement as the SEEDS participants met their mentors today! Almost all the couples had been e-mailing back and forth and fell into an easy rhythm with one another. In the morning they had agreements to work on and exercises to get to know one another.  The participants were told they were to develop a presentation on their business plan or what they learned during their time at Thunderbird that will improve their business and their skills as an entrepreneur. Mentors worked with their mentees on ideas, formats and structures for the presentations, which will be made on Thursday.
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By Wynona Heim

The two cohorts traded classes from what they had on Day 9, so the cohort that had completed the marketing class on Monday had Strength Based Leadership today, and visa-versa. This was their last full day of classes and speakers before beginning work with their mentors tomorrow. All of the participants were especially intent on getting every last bit of knowledge and insight possible out of their instructors before putting together their plans for after they return to Jordan.
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By Katherine Hutton

Monday was filled with marketing and leadership lessons for both cohorts. Over the weekend, SEEDs participants completed their “Strengths Based Leadership” online questionnaires to help them determine what kind of leader they are. A leadership class then clarified how to go about utilizing these strengths in their businesses. The conversations overheard were, “I am adaptive,” or “I am futuristic when I lead …”
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By Shireen Yacoub, Business Development Center

How can we empower women? How can we support them to become active and productive members in Jordan’s economy? These are only two questions among many the Business Development Center keeps asking, as a nonprofit organization aiming to contribute to economic development and job creation in Jordan.
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