Date:

Thursday, October 22, 2024 at 10:00am Eastern Time (Washington, DC)
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Description:

Join us for an inspiring alumni webinar featuring Pradeep Kumar (India, Whatcom Community College, Tourism and Hospitality, 2011-12), an entrepreneur who has successfully founded both a business and a non-profit organization. In this session, Pradeep will share valuable lessons learned from navigating the challenges of starting and scaling a business and promoting social impact. From initial concept to impact-driven success, participants will gain practical insights into building a venture that balances profitability with purpose. Whether you’re aspiring to launch your own business or looking to integrate social responsibility into your professional journey, this webinar offers essential guidance and inspiration.

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About Your Presenter:

Pradeep Kumar is a tourism professional and founder of Delhi by Locals in India. The company offers Tours across India, all led by experienced and local guides. “We exist because we love our work, meeting people, helping them to understand our culture and giving them positive, vibrant memories of India,” Kumar says.

Delhi by Locals hosts solo travelers and up to medium-sized groups on both well-known tours as well as or ones customized to special interests. The company has also been chosen by an international travel company to conduct name-branded tours on their behalf.

Pradeep and his company have been featured in many international media like Australian magazine Belle. He has spoken at international travel conferences and his company has been rated “excellent” by 99% of the nearly 600 reviewers posting on Trip Advisor, earning it Certificates of Excellence in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Pradeep holds a Master’s in tourism and hospitality management, and has spent a year on a U.S. State Department scholarship studying in Washington State (CCIP program at Whatcom community college that impacted his life a lot).

Running a tour business is not Pradeep’s only passion, however. In 2017 he began setting aside half of his profits to open Learning by Locals (learningbylocals.org), a registered NGO in Sanjay Colony, a low-income and underserved community in New Delhi. The after-school program attracts 1000+ students to its regularly offered classes in its own dedicated space, helping them develop or hone their skills in spoken and written English, computer science, music, theater and other disciplines. As their aspirations grow, the students are introduced to mentors in other NGOs and the local business community and to cities beyond Delhi where their careers may blossom. Learning by Locals has spontaneously generated a global support network, some of them former Delhi by Locals clients.

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Date:

Thursday, September 17, 2024 at 10:00am Eastern Time (Washington, DC)
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Description:

Whether we like it or not – Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of our lives with revolutionizing industries and shaping our future. In this exciting session, we will dive into the world of AI and explore the transformative impact of Generative AI in tools like ChatGPT.

This session will cover:

1. An Introduction to AI
2. Understanding the difference between AI and Generative AI
3. Generative AI applications across industries
4. Ethical considerations and challenges
5. Some demos and Q&A

Whether you are a tech enthusiast, a business leader, or simply curious, this session promises to inspire and inform.

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About Your Presenter:

Gomolemo Mohapi (South Africa, Northern Virginia Community College, IT, 2017-18)
CCI Alum & Microsoft Cloud Advocate

Gomolemo Mohapi is a young South African who is determined to make a long-lasting impact on the world through technology. During his exchange year with the CCI Program, Gomolemo studied Information Technology at Northern Virginia Community College between 2017-18.

In university, he took it upon himself to create multiple written programming tutorials for his peers which significantly assisted those who were struggling to grasp programming concepts. Thereafter, Gomolemo joined the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador program where he gained advanced technical skills and eventually expanded to host workshops, hackathons and speaking at various conferences.

Gomolemo eventually fell in love with the Power Platform, because it was a low-code platform which gave way for him to empower and upskill not just those with a technical background, but anyone from any industry who was looking to learn how to build applications.

He has since co-authored a Power Platform Udacity course and is now a Cloud Advocate at Microsoft focused on Power Apps and Fusion Development.

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Date:

Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 10:00am Eastern Time (Washington, DC)
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Description:

We’re celebrating International Education Week with CCI alumni and Assistant Director, Sara Mohamed. Join us online as we discuss the role of international education in fostering global citizenship and professional development. There will be time for discussion, so be ready to share your experience as an international exchange student!

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About Your Presenters:

Eliyan Umamy is a co-founder of Nusa Tenggara for Nusantara (NTN) Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Lombok dedicated to community development, with a primary focus on educating children and young people. NTN dreams of building strong communities by focusing on practical knowledge for life skills and involving communities in the learning process. Eliyan is a proud alumna of the CCI Program (Cultural Exchange Program) from the 2012-2013 cohort.

Eliyan brings a diverse professional background, having worked in communication roles and education, including broadcasting and journalism. Her continuous dedication as a volunteer reflects a deep commitment to social, educational, and environmental causes.

Eliyan’s passion for education led her to develop the “Eco School Nusantara” program. This initiative garnered significant recognition by winning a gold category award at the Indonesian Sustainable Development Goals Awards (ISDA) 2022, making a substantial contribution to SDG 4 (Quality Education).

Gomolemo Mohapi is a young South African who is determined to make a long-lasting impact on the world through technology. During his exchange year with the CCI Program, Gomolemo studied Information Technology at Northern Virginia Community College between 2017-18.

In university, he took it upon himself to create multiple written programming tutorials for his peers which significantly assisted those who were struggling to grasp programming concepts. Thereafter, Gomolemo joined the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador program where he gained advanced technical skills and eventually expanded to host workshops, hackathons and speaking at various conferences.

Gomolemo eventually fell in love with the Power Platform, because it was a low-code platform which gave way for him to empower and upskill not just those with a technical background, but anyone from any industry who was looking to learn how to build applications.

He has since co-authored a Power Platform Udacity course and is now a Cloud Advocate at Microsoft focused on Power Apps and Fusion Development.

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Date:

Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at 10:00am Eastern Time (Washington, DC)
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Description:

Join us for a thought-provoking webinar about empowering change and addressing community challenges. This engaging session will shed light on the incredible efforts of Indian alumni who have embraced their roles as changemakers within their communities. Mayuri and Puja will share their inspiring stories, focusing on the diverse range of challenges they have tackled and the innovative solutions they have implemented.

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About Your Presenters:

Puja is currently coordinating the Youth Advisory Board projects at Pravah. She started her own initiative of change to ensure career guidance opportunity in her community in 2019. She is passionate about working with adolescents and young people in education. She has worked with grassroot communities on youth-leadership programs for bridging learning loss of adolescents and been part of designing and facilitating the Youth Advisory Group of the 1 Million Youth Coalition. She has also contributed to the guidebook on “Setting up a Youth Advisory Group” which was published in 2022 by Dasra. Working with a diverse set of audiences has helped her to build understanding about the sector and the importance of capacity building and advocating for social change. Puja has a postgraduate degree in Communications and Public Relations. She is fluent in English, Bengali and Hindi.

Mayuri is currently working as a senior operations associate for ConnectFor, an online platform that aims to connect NGOs with volunteers and create structure within the Indian development sector. She received her bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Mumbai in 2021. She has extensive experience working with NGOs and managing stakeholder relationships.

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Date:

Tuesday, October 03, 2023 at 10:00am Eastern Time (Washington, DC)
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Description:

Join CCI Alumni Martin Jonah (Ghana, College of DuPage, Engineering, 2021-22) and Pew Chowdhury (Bangladesh, Northern Virginia Community College, Tourism and Hospitality, 2016-17) as they discuss their CCI journey and the initiatives they’re implementing within their communities. Come ready to ask questions and talk about your current endeavors!

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About Your Presenters:

Since January 2023, Pew Chowdhury (Bangladesh, Northern Virginia Community College – Annandale, Tourism and Hospitality, 2016-17) has been serving as a Lead Community Mobiliser at Terre des hommes foundation. During her exchange year, she specialized in meeting, event, and executive management for two enriching semesters and accomplished 225 community service and internship hours. With a background in the development sector spanning 6 years, including 4 years dedicated to emergency humanitarian response, she’s had the privilege of contributing to numerous non-governmental projects both at home and abroad, with a primary focus on the protection sector. Her passion and expertise lie in the fields of protection and research, where she’s honed her skills in project management, team leadership, communication, and program development. Equipped with a BBA in Management from the University of Chittagong, Pew brings a unique perspective to development initiatives and excels in engaging with diverse stakeholders. Excitingly, her journey is set to take a new turn as she prepares to join GiveDirectly, a prominent international non-profit organization, as a Safeguarding Field Manager. In this role, Pew will proudly serve as the country focal person for safeguarding in Bangladesh.

Martin Jonah (Ghana, College of DuPage, Engineering, 2021-22) is currently the In-country Research Youth Advisor on the Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Right Project in Ghana, Rwanda, Cameroon, Malawi, India, and Nepal. He recently represented Ghana in the Women Deliver Conference in July 2023. He is also the Youth Activist for Girls Not Bride – Ghana, advocating for rights of children especially adolescents who are forced into marriage because of their family’s beliefs and discrimination against young girls. He has worked in partnership with NASPA to raise funds to support female students in rural communities with menstrual products, hygiene facilities, waste management and Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (ASRHR) education to reduce period poverty. Martin has been a Project Officer for Care Love Charity Foundation in Ghana from 2015 to date and has supervised day-to-day operations for 150+ volunteers in 60+ local communities, assigning tasks to team members and setting milestones to monitor progress. He has led 100+ youth trainings in stakeholder engagement, project management, conflict resolution, rights of a child, mindfulness, and program logistics for groups of 7-110 people. He is currently a final year student at Takoradi Technical University, pursuing Electrical/Electronic Engineering. He is also currently working on a goat milk and cheese production project to help make milk affordable and reliable for all, especially for the rural communities in Ghana.

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