UpNext: Emerging Leaders

ForUsGirls Foundation
UpNext: Emerging Leaders Podcast

Hello and welcome to The UpNext podcast! Brought to you by The ForUsGirls Foundation. A digital storytelling series amplifying the message of diverse, young, emerging community and global leaders. The UpNext podcast amplifies & highlights the message, personal stories, and projects of young womxn who have participated in The ForUsGirls foundation signature programs, in demonstrating their leadership capabilities and individual aspirations. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/forusgirls-foundation/support

Episodes

  1. UpNext Ep.6- Care with Love with Keziah Oduro

    16 MAY

    UpNext Ep.6- Care with Love with Keziah Oduro

    Today, we are happy to welcome Keziah Oduro, a biomedical science student at the University of Ottawa and a proud participant of the Emerging Young Global Leaders Accelerator program 2020 North American edition. She enjoyed very much the 10-day accelerator program with extensive deliverables on entrepreneurship, leadership, and community development and empowerment.  Keziah was greatly motivated with the keynote address of Canada's Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Youth, Honourable Minister Bardish Chagger @ Bardish Chagger. Seeing women of colour holding this important position in the cabinet serves as a great inspiration for young girls like Keziah to trust their abilities in making a difference in the world.  As a teenager who has living experience in the foster care system, Keziah cares greatly for this particularly vulnerable community in our society. She saw that many young people in the foster care system struggled to connect with their cultural roots, causing the lack of a sense of belonging. She also noticed that the population is often being underserved by the educational system, ignoring the particular psychosocial needs of the youth with often unstable living conditions.  This is why Keziah wants to create a program for kids in the foster care system to connect with their culture through special activities such as a cultural appreciation day for all. This will provide the youth with opportunities to learn about their culture and possibly make connections with other members of the community. She plans to reach out to schools and community organizations to implement this program in the future. Want to support Keziah in her project? Listen to this week’s episode: Love with care with Keziah Oduro. Available on Spotify This episode was hosted by Echo Jiang. It was edited by Zola Mirenge and engineered by Zenga McCurdy. Music by ⁠⁠Jonas⁠⁠ from ⁠⁠Pixabay⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/forusgirls-foundation/support

    22 min
  2. UpNext Ep.5- Discover the Inner You with Shantal Perez Vasquez

    9 MAY

    UpNext Ep.5- Discover the Inner You with Shantal Perez Vasquez

    This week on UpNext, we had the pleasure to talk to Shantal Perez Vasquez, an emerging young leader who is a passionate advocate for mental health issues, especially the mental health issues of people of color. She is also another thriving participant of this year’s Emerging Young Global Leaders Accelerator program North American edition. The YGL program gave her a lot of inspiration and supported her to continue to unapologetically be her true self in both professional and personal settings. Through the personal branding workshop provided by @ Danica Nelson, she was reminded of the importance of strong self-awareness in finding a space to feel heard and valued in the world. At the end of the 10-day accelerator, she created a business pitch for the “Inner You” Project. This project aims to provide a safe space for students from underprivileged schools in order to improve their mental and emotional health. Shantal recognized the lack of resources and funding in underprivileged schools and communities and their negligence of students of color’s mental health. By organizing workshops for students on self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and creative self-help methods, she wishes to provide them with practical tools to connect with themselves and become more aware of their emotions.  Shantal shared with us her view on mental health and the inspirations she got from her own healing journey. She believes that mental health awareness and resources are crucial for the development of kids s living in unprivileged neighbourhoods. This will support them to better managing emotions and gain more understanding of their inner self. Regardless of your socioeconomic status, everyone deserves their own healing journey. Learn more about Shantal and her project by listening to this week’s episode: Discover the Inner You with Shantal Perez Vasquez. Available on Spotify. This episode was hosted by Echo Jiang. It was edited by Zola Mirenge and engineered by Zenga McCurdy. Music by ⁠⁠Jonas⁠⁠ from ⁠⁠Pixabay --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/forusgirls-foundation/support

    30 min
  3. UpNext Ep. 4- Code for Change with Aliyah Qayum

    2 MAY

    UpNext Ep. 4- Code for Change with Aliyah Qayum

    Who’s UpNext? Aliyah Qayum! She is a participant in the Emerging Young Global Leaders Accelerator program 2020 North American edition. She is also someone who is passionate about coding and empowering women through technology. Having coded three apps in the past years, Aliyah wishes to take on her next endeavour to tackle the important issue of period poverty. She believes that all women and girls in the world should have access to sufficient sanitary products to fulfill their basic needs. It was surprising for her to find out that so many women and girls don’t have access to sanitary products due to poverty, causing them great inefficiency in participating in daily activities such as going to school. Aliyah plans to launch an app to help in solving this issue. This educational trivia app will donate sanitary products to local women’s shelters for every correct answer to questions about period poverty. All the profits from the advertisement will also be used to ensure that sanitary products can be provided to those who need the most. How did Aliyah find out about this program? What was her most valuable session? Is there any way you can help her to make this project come to life? Learn more about Aliyah and her experience by listening to this week’s UpNext episode: Code for Change with Aliyah Qayum. Available on Spotify. This episode was hosted by Echo Jiang. It was edited by Zola Mirenge and engineered by Zenga McCurdy. Music by ⁠Jonas⁠ from ⁠Pixabay --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/forusgirls-foundation/support

    28 min
  4. UpNext Ep.3- Crushing the Walls with Ashley Hall

    18 APR

    UpNext Ep.3- Crushing the Walls with Ashley Hall

    It’s time for UpNext! This week, we had the pleasure to speak with Ashley Hall, a participant of the Emerging Young Global Leaders Accelerator Program 2020 North American edition.  17-year-old Ashley said that she took a leap of faith when she signed up for the YGL program and was thrilled to be immersed in this inspirational and supportive environment of the 10-day accelerator program. She describes herself as someone who has an ambition brighter than the stars. She told us that the YGL program helped her to gain a more comprehensive perspective into entrepreneurship.  Not only the YGL program supported her in ameliorating the current business strategies of her own brand, but it also gave Ashely inspiration in her future personal and professional development journey. She was inspired by both the professionals and her fellow participants in the program as they introduced fresh perspectives to her world. One of the most memorable moments for Ashley is when she bravely stepped out of her comfort zone and delivered the business idea pitch to all other participants in the program. This experience helped Ashley to gain more confidence in herself and in her pitch idea. She wants to support black and brown girls in receiving a quality education that they deserve. What to learn more about Ashley and her journey at the YGL program? Dive into this week’s episode: Crushing the Walls with Ashely Hall. Available on Spotify. This episode was hosted by Echo Jiang. It was edited by Zola Mirenge and engineered by Zenga McCurdy. Music by Jonas from Pixabay --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/forusgirls-foundation/support

    29 min

About

Hello and welcome to The UpNext podcast! Brought to you by The ForUsGirls Foundation. A digital storytelling series amplifying the message of diverse, young, emerging community and global leaders. The UpNext podcast amplifies & highlights the message, personal stories, and projects of young womxn who have participated in The ForUsGirls foundation signature programs, in demonstrating their leadership capabilities and individual aspirations. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/forusgirls-foundation/support

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