Inspiring the Future

8th March - Inspiring the Future - A Future in Which Everyone Thrives

UN Women announces the theme for International Women’s Day (IWD), 8 March 2022 as, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.” The theme celebrates the tremendous efforts by women around the world towards a thriving and sustainable future. 

This meeting explores the impact of women in leadership and how we inspire and empower others to live up to their full potential and leave a mark on their organizations, companies and the world.

Come join us as we listen to some exceptional women working with joy and impact as we explore how we can inspire a future in which we all thrive. The event also includes interactive mentoring groups and allows space for each person to network the WIN way.

Agenda

9:30 CET Opening & Introduction

9:35 CET Facilitated Connections

9:45 CET Panel Discussion: Inspiring the Future

• Bandita Thapa, Founder & Director, Women Foundation Nepal/ Butterfly Ventures
• Gabrielle Kluck, Director of the Ombudsman & Mediation Services, United Nations World Food Programme
• Shiva Dustdar, Head of the Innovation Finance Advisory Division, EIB
• In conversation with Kristin Engvig, Founder & CEO, WIN

10:15 CET Optional Facilitated Learning Groups

10:30 CET Closing Thoughts

10:40 CET The End

Speakers

Bandita Thapa, Founder & Director, Women Foundation Nepal/ Butterfly Ventures

Nepali born and raised global Change Maker, Bandita Thapa started Women Foundation Nepal at just 17 years of age.  As the youngest change maker by founding Women Foundation, Bandita has traveled the world advancing her skills in leadership development, women’s entrepreneurship, and Breaking the Silence – empowering women and young girls in TECH, education, and leadership. A decade of tireless hard work being a change maker and years of extensive work to uplift the earthquake-effected communities in Nepal, Bandita realized that women need entrepreneurship to generate revenue to fight against all kind of discriminations. In 2018, she founded Butterfly Ventures and providing leadership trainings, inspiring to become an entrepreneur and breaking the silence – speaking up, standing tall (young girls voice) to be heard and understand. An award winner CIDA fellowship, in Leadership Development Canada, NUFFIC Fellowship in the Netherlands and a Community Solution Fellowship in U.S Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Served as a Co-Chair in The Global Summit, UN fellowship in Berlin School of Economics.

Gabrielle Kluck, Director of the Ombudsman & Mediation Services, United Nations World Food Programme

To her Ombudsman role at the World Food Programme, Gabrielle brings experience as a cultural change consultant, management trainer, recruiter, and manager of services for operations with up to 7200 employees. After working for almost a decade in the private sector, she moved to the UN to support its humanitarian mandate. WFP is her fifth UN organization, of which four are Nobel Peace Prize Laureates (WFP, IAEA, UN Secretariat, Peacekeeping Operations). Gabrielle, a Dutch national, has lived in seven different countries before coming to Rome a few years ago.​ Gabrielle interprets the role of Ombudsman as one of a Peacemaker, Coach, Influencer, and Innovator, and she brings constructive change to the benefit of the WFP and its almost 20,000 employees located in over 85 countries. She has provided advice to Ministries, UN entities, and NGOs about the advantages of having an Ombudsman who acts as a Change Agent on both individual and organizational levels. Since 2019 she has been the Co-Chair of the United Nations Ombudsman Network and speaks internationally on Leadership and Transformation.

Shiva Dustdar, Head of the Innovation Finance Advisory Division, EIB

I am currently heading the Innovation Finance Advisory division at the EIB, the EU Climate Bank, where I have held senior positions in its lending and risk management since 2003. Before EIB, I worked at JP Morgan in M&A and Emerging Markets in NY and set up Fitch Ratings’ European High Yield Business in London. I studied Economics at Columbia University and have an executive MBA from LBS. I am married and have two grown-up children. Being passionate about innovation and finance, my current position allows me to connect people and ideas and channel more finance towards green, digital, health, and gender intelligent investments. As a strong advocate of equal opportunity for women, I am committed to bringing in greater gender focus in EIB Group activities to pave the way for dedicated financing initiatives to support women. In addition, I am actively mentoring young women to pursue their passions.