Almaz will be speaking at the following events. 

April 26-27, 2011, 6-7PM
Topic: The Global Perspective for Advancing Women in Conversation with Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, Author of The Dressmaker of Khair Khana
Organizer: 5th Annual Invent Your Future Conference for Women
Location: Santa Clara Convention Center

Dialogue on how leveraging technology, social media and micro-financing can promote the education of girls and support the surge in women’s entrepreneurship worldwide.  For more information on the conference; please visit: http://www.inventyourfuture.com/

Wednesday, March 2, 2011, 12-1PM
Topic: Knowledge Sharing in Developing Countries: Reflections from Eritrea
Organizer: Africa Table, Center for African Studies, Stanford University
Location: Encina Hall, Room 208

Almaz will discuss the challenges and opportunities of economic and social investment in Africa.  She will use her work experience with Seawater Farms, Eritrea as a discussion point.  To learn more about Seawater Farms, please click here.

Monday, December 13, 2010
Topic: How Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation is Transforming Sub-Saharan Africa
Organizer: The Africa Network (TAN)

Almaz will discuss how Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation is Transforming Sub-Saharan Africa. She will discuss why Africa is vital region of the world. With more than 900 million people and vast natural resources, the continent provides tremendous opportunity to enhance its social, political, economic development. Regrettably, these opportunities come with enormous challenges that require targeted and strategic investment in human capital. These challenges, however, are about far more than providing funding. These challenges cannot be met by any one government or entity, or even by dealing with one issue at a time. These issues are systemic, intertwined with societal, institutional, geographic, and global economic forces that require equally systemic responses. Almaz will address how collective innovation from a variety sources including the participation of the African Diaspora can make a positive impact in Africa.
Location: 801 California Street, Mountain View, CA
Program Details:
5:30-6:30    Registration, Wine Reception, lite food and Networking.
6:30-7:00    Introductions and Program Kick-Off
7:00-7:30    Q&A
7:30-8:30    Informal Discussions and More Networking

Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Topic: Return on Investment in Women’s Education
Organizer: TEDx Bay Area
Almaz  will discuss how education can provide returns for generations and a voice and vote in:

• Economic decisions: acquiring, allocating, and selling assets.
• Land use and conservation decisions: rural women tend to favor sustainable environmental practices since they are usually the ones that collect the families’ natural resources such as water and firewood

Location: Cisco, San Jose

Thursday, July 29, 2010, 6-8PM
Panel Discussion:  Africa Today: Realities and Opportunities
Organizer: Synergos
Speakers:

• Jeff Chow, founder of Collaborate for Africa, is a “connector” in the true sense of the word. A Financial Adviser for Morgan Stanly by day, Jeff has also founded and works with several organizations that bring local people together to turn ideas on social responsibility into reality.
• Almaz Negash, a native of Eritrea and Managing Partner and Founder of Entwine Global.  Almaz will talk about the impact of war and violence on progress in Africa and about the realities of living day-to-day in rural Africa. Almaz consults businesses and educational institutions on international trade, economic development and sustainability.  She is contributing author of the book Awakening Social Responsibility [www.csraction.com] and has written numerous articles on global trade, social and education issues. She is also founding member of Global Women Leadership Network of the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University, Sr. Advisor to WE CARE SOLAR, and Sigma Solar Energy.
• Jen Astone on why China and the western world are so interested in Africa and what can citizens of Silicon Valley can do to have an impact if they really what to help. Jen advises donors and foundations on international giving programs, organizational development, and effective networks and collaborations. She has more than 10 years experience in international philanthropy and over 20 years experience working with communities in Africa. Jen served as Executive Director of the Firelight Foundation, Program Officer for Africa at the Global Fund for Women, and Grants Analyst at the African Development Foundation.
• Maasai elder, Sabore Ole Oyie. Sabore will be in his native dress and talk about growing up Maasai, becoming a warrior and the importance of education, also about what it is like to be a Maasai girl, and why he helps and protects Maasai widows.

Location: 1445 Tasso Stin Palo Alto 94301
Click here for more information.

Sunday, July 11, 2010
American Association of University Women (AAUW – CA)
‘Purchase for Purpose’: Almaz Negash will address members of AAUW – CA on how Foundation for Women microcredit loans enable women in San Diego and Liberia to overcome the cycle of poverty.  The Foundation for Women serves women living in dire poverty locally and globally by funding and creating microcredit programs that help generate sustainable income and create economic prosperity. To learn more about the work of the foundation, please click here.
Location: Doubletree Hotel San Jose

Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 5:30 – 7:30 PM PT
EMC Leadership &  Innovation Speaker Series: Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation is Transforming Sub-Saharan Africa
Link to Almaz Interview with the EMC Community Network
Learn how Social Entrepreneurs like: WE CARE SOLAR, VillageReach, Solar Ear, mPedigree Network are positively affecting the lives of people in Africa.  Africa is vital region of the world. With more than 800 million people and vast natural resources, the continent provides tremendous opportunity to enhance its social, political, economic development. Regrettably, these opportunities come with enormous challenges that require targeted and strategic investment in human capital. These challenges, however, are about far more than providing funding. These challenges cannot be met by any one government or entity, nor even by dealing with one issue at a time. These issues are systemic, intertwined with societal, institutional, geographic, and global economic forces that require equally systemic responses.

Such challenge calls for a very different kind and level of solution. It requires a massive concentration of collective innovation from a variety of non-profits, NGOs, multilateral organizations, governments, corporations, foundations and individuals, all working together to tackle these critical global issues. In the United Sates and other parts of the world, we have many social entrepreneurs whose mission it is to create social good. At the presentation, you will learn how Social Entrepreneurs like: WE CARE SOLAR, VillageReach, Solar Ear, mPedigree Network are positively affecting the lives of many people in Africa and what they are doing to educate and involve the indigenous communities.

Sunday, May 23. 2010
2010 Rotary Peace Symposium
Title: Invest in Women; Fight Poverty
Almaz will be a keynote speaker.  Click here for more information.
Location: Golden Gate University, San Francisco
Cost: Including lunch: $40; Students: $15

Thursday, May 13, 2010, 6:30-7:30 PM
Sub-Saharan Africa Capacity Building: An Essential Development Mix
A presentation for ‘Collaborate for Africa’
Location: Wiegand Room, Science Arts Building, Santa Clara University

• Background
  For years, the focus of every development has been on poverty reduction, rather than on skilled labor creation and on encouraging Africans to participate in long-term and sustainable economic development.  Today, thanks to the growing trend in social innovation and social entrepreneurship, there are many committed individuals to training and developing skilled labor in Africa with the goal to transform societies from within.  This presentation is will focus on how the system/infrastructure that exists in Sub-Saharan Africa can support those social entrepreneurs who are willingly trying to transfer knowledge and build capacity.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Knowledge Transfer for Greater Impact; The Case for Sub-Saharan Africa
Knowledge transfer has multiple meanings; some are complex and involve ethical and legal dimensions. In this article, the focus is mainly on asking questions about the application of skills and training, and creating local capacity and the willingness to distribute and/or share knowledge. Join the dialogue – http://www.socialedge.org/discussions/scale/knowledge-transfer

Sunday, February 7, 2010, 6:15pm
African Summit
Almaz Negash and Dorothy Dickson will moderate a panel discussion with Social Entrepreneurs who are currently working with non-governmental organizations in Sub-Saharan.  The speakers will give an overview of the work they do, the challenges and opportunities they face in affecting the lives of children, women, and men in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Speakers: Zenebe Ayele, Executive Director, Ladders of Hope, Ethiopia; Sister Marylyn Lacey, Mercy Beyond Boarders, Sudan; Wendy Walleigh, TechnoServe
Location: Soule Hall Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church, 728 West Fremont Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94087-3102

December 3-8, 2009, Melbourne, Australia
PWR Conference
Almaz to speak on: UN Millennium Development Goals, Challenges and Opportunities for Global Stability.  The MDGs are people-centric and measurable, and are intended to transform communities from the bottom up. They range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS to providing universal primary education by the target date of 2015. These goals are backed by a consensus of governments throughout the world. This session will discuss the MDGs, the progress that has been made toward achieving them, and the challenges that remain. The aim is to assist the participant in understanding the nature of the systems that have sustained the status quo and the nature of the systems that will be required.
For more info: http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/index.cfm?n=7&sn=13 and http://www.voicesofgloballeaders.org/
Sponsored by the Leavey School of Business  Global Women Leadership Network, Santa Clara University
http://www.scu.edu/business/gwln/
Location: Melbourne Convention Center, Australia

Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 9AM
University Panel – EMC Innovation Conference – Planning
Innovation, your passion and how you have brought innovation and passion to the University, with your students and colleagues. Location: EMC Corporation

Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 6-9PM
Tech Women’s Program: Women & Technology in Developing Nations
Technology is an integral part of our work and personal lives. But how does it impact women in remote parts of the world? What many people don’t realize is that the introduction of technology can have significant impact on the lives of women and those around them. Come learn about this unknown side of computers and other technologies from panelists who are involved in programs in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere. Click here for more info
Location: Sun Microsystems, 11 Network Circle Drive, Building 10, Meno Park, CA 94025

Friday, June 26, 2009, 11:30am-11:50am
Social Investing Conferences
Almaz will be speaking on Socially Responsible Investing at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. The event is sponsored by the Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA). Click here for more info.
Location: Irvine Auditorium Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS), 499 Pierce Street, Monterey, CA 93940

Friday, June 19, 2009 8:00-8:30am
The U.N Millennium Development
Our PAUR program on Friday, June 19, will be a talk by Almaz Negash on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) set by the international community in 2000 under the auspices of the United Nations to address issues facing more than 2.7 billion people who live on less than $2 a day. She will give an overview of each MDG but focus on poverty, education and HIV/AIDS (a daunting task for one-half hour, no doubt).
Location: University Rotary Club, Palo Alto

Monday, June 1, 2009
Panel: Compassionate Leadership
Almaz Negash will moderate this compassionate dialogue with panelists. This is an important time to lead with compassion. Our economy is in turmoil and most everyone has experienced sudden losses. Although people are not looking for sympathy, they certainly appreciate compassion. The essence of compassion is respect for human differences that includes dignity for all. When we lead with compassion we display the fundamental goodness of our humanity while leading with strength and command in our daily work. Compassionate leaders have the innate ability to engage, motivate, inspire and bring individuals together to positively contribute to their business bottom line These leaders also expect their employees to perform at their best through inclusion, diversity and collaboration. They hold them accountable to these high business standards which sets their organization up for success. Acknowledging and breaking down the boundaries that limit interconnected viewpoints is critical as we redefine how we interact as global citizens and leaders.
This panel provides an opportunity for each participant to explore compassion and leadership from scientific, religious and humanitarian perspectives. For more information on the event, please visit: http://www.sbodn.com/previous.html