14 Jan What I achieved with the Sustaining Leadership Grant
Natasha Kabir from Bangladesh is a Graduate Assistant and Graduate Student, at Southern Illinois University, Department of Sociology. She has done extensive research in Gender, Disability studies, Policy of Inclusion and Exclusion,Conflict Processes, Comparative Politics and Comparative Democratization.
Natasha is also the founder-president and community volunteer at BRIDGE Foundation, which campaigns for the rights of Persons with Disabilities and helps individuals who are differently abled through the arts and inclusive research, and a Wedu Rising Star.
In July 2024 Natasha won the Purposeful Action Agent Award at the inaugural Wedu Women’s Leadership Awards, highlighting her inspiring dedication to the protection of the rights of women and people with disabilities. The Women’s Leadership Awards celebrated four women in the Wedu Community who model Wedu’s four core values, taking purposeful action, building collective power, showing up with courage, and leading by example. Each of the winners were spotlighted through Wedu online channels, provided on-to-one mentorship, and awarded a grant of 500USD.
Read about how Natasha used her winning grant money and the insights from her experiences.
In September 2024, I had the privilege of attending the Bosch Alumni Network Forum in Colorado. This incredible three-day gathering brought together leaders worldwide to discuss critical issues like migration, ageing populations, and technological change. My participation at the Forum, held at the YMCA of the Rockies near Denver, would not have been possible without the support of Wedu’s Sustaining Leadership Grant, which enabled me to attend and contribute to the Forum’s growth.
Growing with others
The Bosch Alumni Network Forum combines reflective time, group activities, and motivational seminars between Robert Bosch Stiftung Program alumni. The Forum connects alumni, showcases their activism, and allows for mutual learning. The central themes of Future Building in Times of Uncertainty and Authentic Leadership resonated deeply with me, particularly as I continue my journey in social entrepreneurship.
During the Forum, I shared my experiences in social entrepreneurship, particularly focusing on accessibility and inclusion. This was an invaluable opportunity to connect with others working on similar issues, creating a space for collaboration that could drive impactful change.
Practice is worth gold
Wedu’s grant didn’t just help me attend the Bosch Alumni Network Forum—it also facilitated my participation in other transformative programs, including the Xcelero Labs Quest Fellowship Programme. Supported by the Dunin Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre, the Quest Fellowship is a global program designed to equip young entrepreneurs with the tools to turn their ideas into viable ventures. The fellowship provided me with a systematic framework based on MIT’s renowned entrepreneurship approach, helping me refine my ideas and develop them into practical, scalable solutions.
December 2024 wasthe last stage of the programme where we would pitch our ideas. I collaborated with mentor Paul Finnigan, whom Wedu recommended, but unfortunately due to academic pressures, I could not complete the last stage of the programme. Even though I did not complete the programme Paul’s support and mentorship helped me a lot and Wedu’s grant allowed me to access software and methods for developing my business ideas, as well as practice how to present my ideas before a jury.
Sharing my learnings
Lastly, with the Sustainaing Leadership Grant I had the honor of speaking at the Minnesota International NGO Network (MINN) Summit—at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs that connects international development practitioners and humanitarian workers.
At the Summit I shared the findings of a study aimed at describing how refugees with disabilities are often faced with the inadequacies of legal systems that do not provide adequate protection, and how legal systems must be made more inclusive by for example increasing accessibility to other languages such as braille.
What Wedu has given me goes beyond just financial support. Their mentorship, community, and guidance have enabled me to pursue meaningful work and build a career centering social impact. As I continue to work on projects that address social well-being and inclusion, I share my successes with those around me.
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