Nargiz: entrepreneurship training for rural women

Nargiz Askerova can sing in four different languages, works as a translator, and has travelled around the world, but she claims that her undying sense of curiosity is the trait that she is most proud of and is what has contributed most to her personal and professional journey.

Originally from Baku, Azerbaijan, Nargiz has always considered herself a social entrepreneur at heart. After graduating from the Korean Translation Faculty at the Azerbaijan University of Languages in 2014, she has spent the past four years working as a Korean translator for international businesses. During this time, she was able to collaborate with international organizations to encourage young social entrepreneurs, support community betterment initiatives, and develop custom mentorship programs. She believes strongly in the power and potential of education and entrepreneurship, and the importance of empowering others to create their own opportunities.

I fundamentally believe that all of us humans are entrepreneurs at our core, and I am on a life journey to explore, encourage, and tap my entrepreneurial potential. I love to think outside the box, and I believe that there is a lot to learn from failures.

Nargiz channels her entrepreneurial efforts into thinking broadly without losing sight of the issue at hand. She also loves working with enthusiastic and passionate peers, which is exactly what excited her about participating in DOT’s first Impactathon for social entrepreneurs in Ottawa, Canada.  

Growing up I did not have access to the kind of programming that are offered by DOT. In joining the Impactathon I developed a more comprehensive and practical understanding of the models that can be used for my social enterprise, and had the opportunity to work with a cohort of social entrepreneurs and changemakers that helped enhance my critical-thinking, communication and collaboration skills.

Nargiz’s vision is to change the lives of marginalized women by empowering them through access to personal education and entrepreneurial training. 

I’ve personally experienced the power of access to education, and have seen first hand the role it played in addressing some of the most pressing problems in my community. Not only does education create a more equitable society, it also ushers in economic empowerment, a better sense and appreciation of gender equality, awareness of good health, better poverty alleviation efforts and more responsible consumption.

Through DOT’s Impactathon, Nargiz focused on further developing her social enterprise, newHorizons, which helps young marginalized women from rural areas access education and opportunities to contribute towards the education, health, and well-being of their communities. Through newHorizons, Nargiz is building a platform that will unite, inspire, and empower the next generation of progressive women bound together by a shared commitment to health.

Nargiz is one of seven young women in Ottawa, Canada who were selected to attend DOT’s youth innovation summit in Nairobi, Kenya.