One Young World Summit Montréal/Tiohtiá:ke, 2024

In Conversation with Reckitt: Empowering Women in STEM

• 18:22 - 18:52, 19 September
• Palais des Congrès
• Reckitt Accelerating Impact

Speakers

• Munazza Kasmani

  Global Head of Leadership, Learning and Culture , Reckitt

  Munazza Kasmani

  ×

  Global Head of Leadership, Learning and Culture , Reckitt
• 

  Dr Fay Cobb Payton

  Professor Emerita, Researcher, Entrepreneur and International Speaker

  Dr Fay Cobb Payton

  Counsellor

  ×

  

  Professor Emerita, Researcher, Entrepreneur and International Speaker
  North Carolina State University

  Dr. Fay Cobb Payton is an award-winning researcher, international speaker and entrepreneur. She is a Professor Emerita and was a Full Professor (with Tenure) of Information Technology/Analytics at North Carolina State University. She is currently a Visiting Scholar of Inclusive Innovation at Rutgers University - Newark. She completed a rotation as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation where she initiated the CISE Minority Serving Institution Research Expansion Program, and worked on several initiatives, such as Smart Health and Biomedical Research in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Data Science; AI Fairness, Equity, Accountability & Transparency; and Research Expansion and Cloud Computing with partnerships with Amazon, Google and Microsoft. She received the NSF Director’s Award during her rotation at the agency. Dr. Payton worked in industry as an engineer, developer and consultant prior to earning her doctoral degree. She serves on advisory boards of the ACM and ASEE, and is a Forbes AI Contributor. She is the author of Leveraging Intersectionality: Seeing and Not Seeing, and a board member, consultant, public and keynote speaker who has appeared on or cited in Scientific American, MIT Tech Review, Essence Magazine, Forbes, IEEE Spectrum, Aspen Institute, CBS Radio Network, Sunrise America, Financial Review, NPR and others.

• Zamanguni Ntozakhe

  Zamanguni Ntozakhe

  ×

  I am a beneficiary of the Rickett Bursary Fund because I come from a marginalized background. Hailing from a township called Umlazi in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, I knew I was smart, but my family could not afford my dreams. I attended a township school that partnered with an organization called TechnoGirl, which aims to attract young talent toward STEM careers. Before TechnoGirl, I had never seen an engineer or a representation of success. My community was plagued by substance abuse and gender-based violence.

  Through TechnoGirl's seminars for young girls, I was empowered to dream big. In June of grade 9, I participated in a job shadowing experience at a construction site in KwaMashu, where I was exposed to civil engineering. Fascinated by the career that intertwined mathematics and physical science to create innovative solutions, I decided to pursue civil engineering, despite the industry's gender gap.

  I passed grade 12 and was accepted at the University of the Witwatersrand for a degree in civil engineering. However, I faced significant financial challenges and was on the verge of financial exclusion when Reckitt funded my tuition with no obligation. This opportunity made my dreams a reality despite my disadvantaged background. My journey was fraught with struggles, including times without food, shelter, or basic essentials, leading to poor performance and depression. However, I joined a church to build a supportive community, which helped me maintain a positive outlook.