Powering Economic Progress For Rural Indian Women Through Entrepreneurship Training
MEETING FOR THE WEEK OF Mar. 10, 2025
This Meeting at a Glance:
Program: Powering Economic Progress For Rural Indian Women Through Entrepreneurship Training
Speaker: Aishwarya Rai
Is this your first time to visit us? If so, welcome to our weekly online meeting! To complete our meeting, please continue reading from here to the bottom of this page. Each Monday, our week’s meeting is posted early in the morning, U.S. Pacific Time. These meetings are designed so that you can read and watch what we post anytime during the week. The entire meeting takes about 60 minutes to complete, with the video conference recording of the program being the bulk of the time. Note that you can easily read this meeting with your favorite device, so feel free to take our meeting on the go with you. Please also complete the attendance form at the bottom and leave a comment. Enjoy!
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Message from our President
Welcome Members, fellow Rotarians, friends, and guests. Thanks for joining our weekly meeting!
WEEKLY FUNNY WITH SHAGS
We believe laughter is an important part of life, and we should all make time to laugh a little. This segment of our meeting is meant to tickle you just enough. These funnies are curated by member Steven "Shags" Shagrin!
Circus Act
A man decides to join the circus. He shows up to demonstrate his skills to the impresario.
"I have the most unusual act," he announces. "I'm sure it will amaze you."
He climbs up to the high wire and jumps off! He flaps his arms wildly, and finally his fall slows and the man begins to fly. He soars upward, turns, and swoops back again. Finally, he stops in mid air and gently lowers himself to the ground.
The impresario says, "Is that all you've got? Bird imitations??"
INSPIRATION
Generative AI is not just about producing text. You've probably seen that there are text-to-image tools, text-to-video possibilities, and more. In this promotional video from NVIDIA, imagine what you'd explore as the musician you've always wanted to be!
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Fix Old Family Photos with Photoshop Generative Fill
Learn how to fix damaged or missing areas in old family photos with Photoshop's new generative fill technology. AI doesn't have to be over-the-top or hard.
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PROGRAM: Powering Economic Progress For Rural Indian Women Through Entrepreneurship Training
SPEAKER: Aishwarya Rai
We bring you a new program every week on innovation, entrepreneurship, and education and how they contribute to service to others.
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs with Sankalp
Sankalp, named after the Hindi word for "resolution," is dedicated to empowering marginalized women in small businesses. Through over 100 hours of entrepreneurship skills training, mentorship from industry experts, access to credit support, and connections with a robust alumni network, our program provides women with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive. We also assist in establishing market linkages, helping them scale their businesses and overcome the unique challenges they face. Our mission is to close the gender gaps in business and create a sustainable, inclusive environment for women entrepreneurs.
Breaking Barriers for Women's Economic Empowerment
Women worldwide face significant barriers—gender disparities, lower labor market participation, and higher unemployment rates—that hinder their economic growth. In India, women-owned businesses represent only 14% of enterprises, with many operating in the informal sector. Sankalp addresses these challenges by offering essential training, financial support, and access to key networks, promoting not just economic empowerment but also social upliftment. By supporting women entrepreneurs, we help foster gender equality and contribute to broader economic growth.
"We believe that when women thrive, economies grow." – UN Women
Our speaker, Aishwarya Rai, has been actively involved in supporting women's entrepreneurship projects, focusing on the implementation of a project backed by the German Embassy in Delhi and the NCR region. She holds a Master's degree in Social Work with a specialization in Criminology and Justice from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and a Bachelor's in Social Work from the University of Delhi.
As a social work trainee, Aishwarya contributed to the implementation of various initiatives in education, urban policy management, health support, youth skilling, and gender-related issues. Her primary areas of interest include addressing gender inequalities and tackling climate change, with a strong commitment to promoting social justice and empowering women.
Members and guests, please welcome Aishwarya Rai!
To learn more, go to:
https://empowerfoundation.net/sankalp/
Or send an email to: mailto:info@empowerfoundation.net
Stories about the women Rai's group has empowered -https://youtu.be/urz02Z_6IZQ?si=rK0HobVpL7D3Fo5E
Karishma's Triumph: Breaking Stereotypes and Redefining Boundaries"
https://youtu.be/urz02Z_6IZQ?si=rK0HobVpL7D3Fo5E
"Vasheela's Journey: Transcending Social Constructs and Redefining Identity"
https://youtu.be/cawU7syYpFc?si=YOyZgKL36wRMLOnx
To learn more about the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley, go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT0rL4TvX-I
Our Three Podcast Series
Our main program speakers are available as podcasts in addition to YouTube videos! Each week, they are available on Spotify and Apple podcasts.
Or you can click below for this week’s speaker:
The Weekly Rotarian
Inspiring Solutions
And our original podcast, featuring some of the best of our previous speakers, is still available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
Development Success Stories
Our third podcast features success stories about economic development from around the world. It is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or you can click below.
UPCOMING PROGRAM RECORDING SCHEDULE
All of our guest speakers and programs are recorded live online over Zoom video conference. We welcome members and guests to join us in one of these upcoming recordings. Recordings are approximately 30 minutes long and are subject to change without notice.
Our online video conference room link for these recordings is always http://zoom.siliconvalleyrotary.com/. You are welcome to join us! Please note the timezone listed for all recordings is US Pacific Time (San Francisco, California, USA).
If you can’t join the live recording, please send your questions for an upcoming speaker to programs@siliconvalleyrotary.com.
THE ATTENDANCE SURVEY
Thanks for reading and watching this week’s meeting. You have two last things to do before you’re done.
We have a very short attendance survey below for you to fill out to record your attendance.
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