Hot Topics: SHE-CAN and She Will!
SHE-CAN and She Will!
Join Dr. Josh Weiss, program director of Bay Path's MS Leadership & Negotiation program, as he sits down with Barbara Bylenga, SHE-CAN, Executive Director; Karen Hanrahan, President & CEO of Glide Foundation; and Peipei Soeung, to discuss the remarkable story of She-Can’s founding, and hear about individual success stories they have had over the years.
SHE-CAN is a non-profit organization that builds global female leadership by equipping and empowering talented low-opportunity women from post-conflict & climate-challenged countries with the education, mentorship, and leadership skills needed to change their nations and the world.
SHE-CAN Speakers
Barbara Bylenga
Barbara’s passion is rooted in women’s leadership, advocacy, and empowerment. She serves as SHE-CAN’s “fearless leader” — our Executive Director — and is responsible for all aspects of the organization: program development, partnership building, fundraising, communication, and strategic planning.
Before founding SHE-CAN, Barbara spent 15 years running her own market research
consultancy. Outlaw Consulting provided companies such as Levi Strauss & Co., Nike, and Nordstrom with intelligence that informed product design, advertising, and marketing strategies. Prior to founding Outlaw, Barbara had a successful career at a number of major advertising firms, including Leo Burnett; Foote, Cone and Belding; Chiat Day; and Tatham Laird and Kudner.
She is a graduate of Florida State and Michigan State. When she’s not in the office, you can find Barbara on the ski slopes!
Peipei Soeung
Peipei Soeung attends Dartmouth College. Peipei was born in a small town in Battambang province, where her mother’s mango farm is located. When Peipei was four years old, her mother decided to move to the city so that Peipei could pursue an education. At 15, Peipei volunteered to teach English to students in rural areas who couldn’t afford to learn otherwise. Six months later, she was offered a paid internship to teach English at USA International School. Throughout high school, Peipei participated in various competitions and programs, and the Learning Across Borders (LAB) program led her to discover her passion for the environment. Following this, in October 2020, she started an environmental advocacy campaign called SAFE (Social Advocacy For Environment) that works to promote awareness of global environmental and animal issues.
At Dartmouth, Peipei had a newfound interest in Computer Science and Digital Art. Now, she wants to start a career in Cambodia that would open doors for other people, especially Cambodian women who share her interest in this field that is still new to Cambodia.
Karen J. Hanrahan
With 25 years of experience in the public and private sectors, leading large-scale social impact initiatives and public-private partnerships around the globe, Karen Hanrahan is a visionary change agent passionate about advancing equity, opportunity, and democracy for all. Karen has served on the front lines and at senior levels of policy-making, diplomacy, and development across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States, empowering local communities and advancing human rights, gender equality, and economic mobility. For seven years, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy and Human Rights in the Obama administration, representing the U.S. around the world to advance human rights, democratic governance and protection of civilians during conflict. Most recently, Karen served as the President and CEO of GLIDE Foundation, where she led, grew, and evolved this iconic community foundation to break cycles of poverty, support children and families, and advance equity in the Bay Area. She has formed unique partnerships with leaders such as Warren Buffet, social investors, philanthropists, and technology CEOs to generate capital and build multi-stakeholder partnerships and solutions that change lives and systems. A lawyer by training and former counsel to the World Bank, Karen has worked for the United Nations as a Senior Protection Officer, for DFID as a Chief Innovation Officer and for Amnesty International as Director of Advocacy.