Women of the World's Founder and Executive Director was honored by Utah Business Magazine as a Business Woman of the Year.
At a Gala at a high-end downtown hotel's conference hall, The Utah Business Magazine recognized Samira Harnish and six other women for their leadership in the Utah business community. Samira was introduced by Women of the World Board Member and University of Utah Attorney, Julie McAdams.
In her prepared remarks, Samira highlighted the forcibly displaced women that WoW serves and how it is a large part of the vision of the organization that they are able to work alongside the business women in the audience—that women continue to support women—in order to continue to increase diversity of thought into the workforce.
I am so honored to be among all of these amazing women.
Thank you very much to the person that nominated me and thank you very much to the Utah Business magazine for choosing me for this award. I am profoundly grateful to you all.
As professional engineer and now as a humanitarian, I have always been fighting for women’s rights and equality. This is the best way I know how to build communities of character.
It is my life’s work to give a voice to the voiceless. To give refuge and to guide women who come here with just their dignity and pride. To provide them with the tools and resources that they will need to succeed in America.
Many of these resources are those that have made Utah’s business environment one of the best in the world—innovation and hard work.
At Women of the World, through our Economic Empowerment Program, we have worked to ensure that our ladies have these tools.
Then, we created an Employer Partnership Program to ensure that people like you in the business community knew about these skilled and hard working women.
I hope to see our new neighbors working among you all. I know they will do a great job and will learn and grow into our next generation of business leaders.
Women supporting women! it is such an important message. I am so pleased that the women’s business community has come together to support women…
But we can do more.
For every dollar invested in WoW, our ladies return over $2.80 to our community. This return is seen directly in the lives of some of our community's most vulnerable women but is felt by the entire community.
I encourage all of you to give your dollar (or thousands!) and let us turn that investment into tangible impacts.
I am looking to you to continue to support women, to increase the diversity of your workforce, and to continue to do what you can, to build community.
Thank you for honoring me, and by extension Women of the World, with this award.