Empower the Community is hosted by the Helen Show and will take place virtually on August 22nd, 2020. (Courtesy photo)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
August 15th, 2020
New York (TADIAS) — This year, the annual Empower the Community event, hosted by the Helen Show in Washington. D.C., is being held online due to the coronavirus pandemic. Celebrating its fourth anniversary, the event is scheduled for August 22nd and brings lawmakers, business leaders and up-and-coming pioneers from various fields together for panel discussions and networking.
Guest speakers this year include Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland’s 8th congressional district — which is home to a sizable Ethiopian community — as well as Andom Ghebreghiorgis, a congressional candidate in New York; and Ben Jealous, former NAACP president and Democratic nominee for Maryland governor.
Additional speakers for Empower the Community include Dr. Lishan Aklog, a heart surgeon and medical device entrepreneur who fled political violence in Ethiopia as a young teenager and currently resides with his family in Purchase, New York. Dr. Aklog serves as Chairman & CEO of PAVmed Inc. (Nasdaq: PAVM), a multi-product medical device company which he co-founded in 2014 based on a portfolio of five of his own inventions. He also serves as Executive Chairman of two privately held medical diagnostics subsidiaries that he co-founded (Lucid Diagnostics and Solys Diagnostics). In addition, the program features Teddy Bekele, Chief Technology Officer at Land O’Lakes; and Dr. Haimanot Bekele, Director of Research and Development at Mars Wrigley.
Young Trailblazers
Courtesy photos
The 2020 young trailblazers include Canadian singer/songwriter Ruth B; Founder & CEO of StackShare, Yonas Beshawred; Artist Luam Keflezgy; and communication & international development professional, Melate Bekele.
Workshops to be held in the one-day virtual symposium include: Children with Disabilities, Personal Development, Health & Wellness, Small Business as well as the growing BLM movement and the immigrant experience.
Organizers of Empower the Weekend note that entertainment will be provided by first generation Ethiopian-American R&B singer Mélat who will give a live virtual performance from her hometown of Austin, Texas.
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