Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds
Issue link: https://diversitywoman.epubxp.com/i/343997
Upfront > d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m S u m m e r 2 0 1 4 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N 15 Young Entrepreneur: Sabrina Hersi Issa Daring to Be Bold Next B efore Sabrina Hersi Issa was born, her parents fed political persecution in Somalia to build a new life in the United States. Her father, who had been a diplomat, worked as a taxi driver and security guard, while her mother worked as a housekeeper and looked after their eight children. Hersi Issa, the second youngest, was the frst to be born in the United States. "My father and mother kept our family's connection to Somalia alive through telling stories," she says. "For a long time, their narrative and memo- ries were my only bridge to my other home. But I was lucky to learn through them how storytelling could build a bridge across cultures and divides." Hersi Issa's family back- ground, she says, helps explain why her work uses storytelling to create so- cial change. Now 30, she's a fellow of the Roosevelt Institute, where she writes about the in- tersection of technology, human rights, and humanitarian disasters. She's a cofounder of End Famine, which seeks sustainable solutions to food security, and in 2012, she was named by Forbes magazine as one of 30 leaders under 30 Upfront > who are shaping law and policy. She has also started her own business, Be Bold Media. Te company provides creative services—including branding, digital strategy, and online community building—for nonprofts. Tat process, she says, often gives rise to the development of apps and software that the company then licenses to organizations in health care, human rights, or corporate social responsibility. "I started Be Bold to help nonprofts use digital platforms to tell their stories," Hersi Issa says. "Some of the nonprofts I worked with at the time were doing incredible work that was not captured online." Hersi Issa had a brush with burnout a few years ago and, as a result, has learned to make self-care an important part of her work. "I try to regularly honor my ambition and my health," she says. "I know it is possible to do both with a joyful heart and a full life." Conference Call 2014 National Diversity Women's Business Leadership Conference Date: October 8–10, 2014 Place: Lake Buena Vista, Florida More Information: confer- ence2014.diversitywoman.com Theme: The Future is Now for Women: Transformational Leadership, STEM, and Inclusion as a Cultural Competence Join us at Diversity Woman's ninth annual women's leadership conference at the spectacu- lar Disney's Grand Floridian Convention Center, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, just outside Orlando. This year's conference features more than 50 speakers and panelists representing the top echelon of thought leaders and experts on lead- ership, executive development, and workplace trends. Our roster of speakers includes Sylvia Hewlett, founder and president, Worklife Bal- ance Institute; A.J. Johnson, actress and healthy lifestyle coach; and Judge Glenda Hatchett, founder and CEO, Great Day Productions. In addition, we will feature a Men at Work panel, as well as one-on-one executive coaching ses- sions. Registration Opens: June 1, 2014 Visit diversitywoman.com