,,Hversu fjölbreytt er fyrirtækið þitt og iðnaður? Ert þú að hvetja til fjölbreytni og nýsköpunar í þínu fyrirtæki? Er grundvöllur fyrir fjölbreytni á Íslandi? Það eru spurningar sem fyrirtæki verða að svara,“ segir Grace.
Húsfylli var þegar Fida Abu Libde, stofnandi og framkvæmdastjóri GeoSilica Iceland hf., Paula Gould, stofnandi Float and Gather ehf. og meðstofnandi hjá WomenTechIceland, Safa Jemai, stofnandi og forstjóri Víkonnekt ehf og Kathryn Gunnarsdóttir, stofnandi og framkvæmdastjóri Geko töluðu á viðburði FKA Nýir Íslendingar, FKA New Icelanders ,,Diversity and Inclusion”.
Nefndin byggir brú milli kvenna af erlendum uppruna og íslenskra kvenna og stuðlar að því að konur af erlendum uppruna geti myndal gott tengslanet á Íslandi, deila reynslu og öðlast sýnileika.
Diversity and Inclusion event:
What a fantastic start to 2023 with our Diversity and Inclusion event held at Hús Atvinnulifsins.
Diversity became an essential concept for companies. Evidence suggests that businesses that value and create diverse teams are more profitable and more innovative. Teams that are built of people from different cultural backgrounds, ages, genders and experiences have a broader view of the world. They show higher creativity, make solutions in a new way and have a better approach to problems.
Here are quotes from our inspirational speakers.
“Diversity is when everyone can see themselves in people in the public sector. It is about sharing skills and knowledge to build a better place where we live.” – Grace Achieng, Founder and CEO at Gracelandic and Chairwoman of the FKA New Icelanders Committee
“The biggest challenge in a company is team growth. How to scale up the company is complicated, and it is about taking risks. Getting people with different perspectives and backgrounds is key for diversity.” – Safa Jemai, CEO & Founder Víkonnekt (https://vikonnekt.is/)
“Even though my native tongue is Arabic and not Icelandic, I knew I had my potential. I persisted to do my studies in Iceland and in Icelandic. I did my bachelor’s degree in Energy and Engineering and then my MBA. My final thesis was on geothermal, which started my idea for GeoSilica. We initially applied for a grant – not because we were 100% confident, but because we couldn’t get a job. Today, the company is valued at 900 million kr. Lífsverk is an investor – it was the first time this pension fund invested in a Startup. We have had 20% year-on-year growth, with 70% international revenues.” – Fida Abu Libdeh, , Founder and CEO at GeoSilica Iceland.
“Does diversity affect innovation? Yes, it is critical and companies must choose and commit to diversity. It is about team composition and inclusion. Firstly, they must hire them. Then they must invest in them. And they must demonstrate allyship. If your company mitigates hiring or cause attrition, it is the whole culture. And you must change the damn culture.” – Paula Gould, Go-to-market and growth consultant, Founder at Float and Gather (https://floatandgather.com/)
“To create a truly equal, diverse and inclusive workplace, companies have to think about every single step of the employee experience, and take action. How? 1. Attract. 2. Onboard. 3. Engage. 4. Develop. 5. Progress. 6. Managing Exits. No company would exist without their people, people are at the core of business.” – Kathryn Elizabeth, , Founder at Geko – Specialists in Innovation Talent.
FKA Nýir Íslendingar – Komið með!
Ný stjórn var mynduð nýverið þegar félagskonur hittust í Advania til að skipuleggja magnað ár fyrir FKA Nýja Íslendinga. Það verður fundur nefnda FKA í ágúst og munum við deila dagskrá með ykkur skömmu síðar. Stjórn FKA Nýir Íslendingar.
Grace Achieng, formaður og eigandi Gracelandic
Emily Nikolova, ritari og Legal and business consultant. Grant writing.
Danielle Pamela Neben, almannatengsl og meðeigandi Unbroken RTR og Iceland China Trade Winds
Berenice Barrios Deildarstjóri Microsoft Solutions, Rekstrarlausnir Advania Ísland
Michelle Bird, eigandi The Art of Michelle Bird
Sólveig Jan, eigandi Höfðabóns Þjónustan
#Gracelandic @Safa Jemai # Víkonnekt @Fida Abu Libdeh #GeoSilica @Paula Gould #Float and Gather @Kathryn Elizabeth #Geko #hreyfiafl #fka #sýnileiki #tengslanet #FKAkonur @Grace Achieng @Emily Nikolova @Danielle Pamela Neben @Berenice Barrios @Michelle Bird @Sólveig Jan #FKANewIcelanders #FKANýirÍslendingar
