EmpowerWomen.org

Credit: UN Women

I've just come across an amazing initiative called the Knowledge Gateway for Women's Economic Empowerment. Launched on 23rd September by UN Women and Canada, it aims to provide an online space where women have access to resources, innovation, collaborations and partnerships in order to advance women's economic empowerment. 

Their mission is to provide a tool whereby women can make connections with other like-minded females, leading to a  cross-collaboration network between young women and girls and experts and professionals. The ultimate goal of the Knowledge Gateway for Women's Economic Empowerment is to 'enhance  young women and girl's capacity to drive innovation for a better world'. This cause is one I feel very strongly about and I'm glad that such an initiative exists to make the world a more fruitful, innovative and fair place.

The powerful video below demonstrates the importance of female economic empowerment and the positive influence it has on the rest of the world.

-Nikita

Silicon Valley: The Land of Innovation

The opportunity found within the Silicon Valley is evident from just walking down the street. A mere 4 hours ago I returned from work and had exciting evening plans such as eating ice cream for dinner. Little did I know that I actually had an evening ahead of me filled with innovation, first-hand entrepreneurial advice and the infamous Google Glass.

This all took place at Singularity University (SU), sister university of my very own International Space University (ISU). After bumping into Peter Diamandis, co-founder of ISU, founder of the X PRIZE Foundation and now SU, my friends and I were invited to a 'fireside interview' with Marc Andreessen. American entrepreneur, software engineer, co-founder of Silicon Valley venture capital firm 'Andreesson Horowitz' and of course multi-billionaire, Marc was interviewed by Peter Diamandis for the SU summer graduate program entrepreneurs and I to hear.

I gained valuable insight into the behind-the-scenes trials and tribulations involved with starting and running a company as well as investing into one. When asked what two pieces of advice he would give to the next generation Marc suggested:

1) Use lead bullets not silver - focus on working more, not spending more

2) Work smarter, not harder - if a strategy doesn't work, then change it. 

The icing on the Silicon cake was finally getting a chance to try on a pair of Google Glass. Luckily for me, future-medicine genius & medical chair of SU, Daniel Kraft whom I met last year in Florida was in attendance and kind enough to accommodate my geeky excitement and let me try the $1500 gadget on. I have to say, saying "okay Glass" to a pair of glasses on my head did make me feel pretty ridiculous. Especially since Google have yet to add a posh British-girl accent recognition feature! However the capability that the product already has and will have are endless.

What do you think? Is Glass the future of hands-free technology or an invasion of privacy? One thing's for sure: it will definitely become the Marmite of the technology world: you either love it or you hate it!

-Nikita