The 10 Most Empowering Women in Business, 2023 March2023

KarenSimon

The Tale of Remarkable Accomplishments

AbhishekJoshi

Abhishek Joshi

Ilovestories.Beingawriter,that’snosurprise.ButI

thinkagoodstorycanchangetheworldmorethana factevercould.Stories,Ibelieve,havethepowerof transformation–inbothpositiveandnegativeways. Therefore,itisimportanttobeawareofthekindofstories youaretellingyourselfandthepeopleyouareidentifying with.

Thestoryyoutellyourselfisperhapsmoreimportantthan thestoryyoutellothers.Areyoutheheroortheside characterofyourlife?Areyoutheonetowhomthings happen,orareyoutheonewhomakesthingshappen?Do youwriteyourstory,ordoyoujustreadit?Yourhero’s journeywillbedefinedbythewordsyouhavechosenfor yourself.

Thepagesofthismagazinearefullofstories.Storiesof painters,teachers,lawyers,andothers.Storiesofpeople tryingtomakeafailingbusinesssuccessful,oflosinga passiontofindanother,ofstrugglingtobekindinan industrythatrewardsthecutthroat.Storiesofovercoming challenges,findinghope,anddreamingabouttheimpossible.

InthelatesteditionofInsightsSuccess, The 10 Most Empowering Women in Business, 2023, youwillfindstories ofwomenwhoareleadingthedynamicbusinessarena.The starletswhohavenotletanyobstaclescomeinthewayof pursuingtheirdreamsandwomenempoweringotherstodo thesame.

Ihopethatyouseeyourselfinthesestories.Ihopeyousee thatsuccessispossiblebeyondthestrugglesyouface,as thesewomenhavefound.Thesestorieswillinspireyouto dareandwishformorethanyouhave.

Thesestorieswillteachyouthatdoubtsarejustthoughts worthapenny,butdreamsareinfinitelyprecious,and failingisonlyamidpointtowinning.Andremember,asthe authorofyourlife,youcan,atanypoint,choosetorewrite yourstory

AllthebestinyourjourneyandHaveaDelightfulRead!

C O N T E N T S

Sihanee

SME-SMO

Circulation

FeaturedPerson

EllenVoie CEO

HeatherAnneHubbell

CMO

KandyLukats

ManagingPartner

KarenLeslieSimon

The Most Empowering Women in Business

CompanyName

WomenInTrucking womenintrucking.org

Phundex phundex.com

3GIG 3-gig.com

Brief

EllenVoiewashonoredasaChampionofChangeforhertime andeffortdevelopinginnovativewaystohelpgrowandexpand thetransportationindustry.

Heatherispassionateaboutenablinganddrivingstrategic businesstransformation,particularlyusingdigitaltools, processesandapplicationstoincreaseefficiency

Kandywasanamazinglyenergeticandfunpersontowork with,she'dcomefromBPandrelishedworkinginasmall company

KateBolseth

CEO CEO

KimRobertsonSmith

EmersonsCommercial RealEstate emersonscre.com

Fortra helpsystems.com

SmileFoundation smilefoundationsa.org

KarenLeslieSimonisoneofthefirstwomenrealtorstoforge thisgoldenpathwithhersheerdetermination,hardwork,and passion.

Kate'sleadershipisremarkable,highenergyandworkswell acrossvariousdepartmentsandleaders

KimRobertsonisarenownedperformer,arrangerand recordingartistwhohasstretchedtheboundariesoftheharp foranewgenerationofperformersandaudiences.

LinaAcosta

MelanieLauer

CEO CMO CEO

NillyAssia

CEO

SianMorgan

CEO

GLT shipwithglt.com

TriSports kettlersport.com

G-CMO g-cmo.com

HafanCymru hafancymru.co.uk

Linaisdeeplypassionateaboutgettingourbrandexposedby engagingnotonlyouraudiencebutalsoconnectingmore peoplewithourstoryandpurposeasalogisticscompanyat GLT

MelanieisanoutstandingdriverofEagle'sMarketingprograms andalwayshasnewideas,aswellasisbeingopenfornew waysandactivitiesfromtheoutside.

NillyAssiahasaknackforbuildingenergeticmarketingteams, andcreatingstrategic,out-of-the-boxmarketingprogramsthat aimtooptimizemarketing’sdirectimpactonbusiness.

SianhasworkedcloselywithGovernmentbothlocallyand nationallyandhasprovedtoworkeffectivelywithinanumber ofarenasbothsocialandpolitical,withaclearunderstanding oftheimpactofdevolutiononaCountry

KarenSimon

Creating New Paths of Success in the Real Estate Industry

“ “

I was the first female to head an industrial or to head any commercial department within the Miller organization. When I walked into a room, people knew who I was because I was the only woman.

Leadingthewayforotherwomen,KarenSimon,a

three-decaderealestateprofessional,hasbeen fosteringgrowthatEmersonsCommercialReal Estate.ExhibitingsheerbrillianceasthePresidentand ManagingPartneratthecompany,shestartedhercareer intherealestateindustryatatimewhenfewwomenchose theprofession.

Karennowspecializesinleasingandsalesfortheoffice, retail,industrialandlandsectors.Shewasthefirstwoman inTarrantCountytopractiseindustrialrealestateandthe firstfemalebrokertobecomeoneofthedepartment'stop producersintheentirestate.

InAugust,Karenachievedtherecognitionof “BusinesswomanoftheYear”whenshewasacknowledged tothefamousMarquisWho'sWhobiographicaldirectory. Thishonourwasgiveninrecognitionofherposition, notableachievements,exposure,andimportanceinthe industry

EmersonsCommercialRealEstateisaskilledgroupofreal estateexpertscommittedtogivingitsclientsallthe advantagesofaninternalrealestatemanagementoperation withouttheusualoverhead,costs,orproblemsrelatedto hiringtheirownemployees.Itsskilledteamprovides owners,developers,andtenantswithexpertproperty managementservices.

Inanexclusiveinterviewwith Insights Success,Karen sharesherjourneyasawomanintherealestateindustry, thesuccessessheexperiencedandthechallengesshe overcame.

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Briefusaboutyourcareerpathasawomanleaderup untilnowtoyourcurrentpositionatyourorganization. Whatwerethechallengesyouhadtoovercometoscale yourprogress?

TheHenryS.Millercompanywasthelargestrealestate companyinTexas.Theyhadnowomenfillingrolesasthe chairpersonofanydepartmentwithintheMiller organizationotherthanitsresidentialdepartment.

Iacceptedtheiroffertostartandchairanindustrialand landdivisionwithintheHenryS.MillerofficeinTarrant County,specificallyFortWorth,whereIlive,thelargest cityinTarrantCounty.Partoftheopportunityofchairing thatdepartmentwasthattheywerewillingtosendmeto

“ “

All clients wanted was someone who was concerned about their business, and was willing to get a job done. So, although I was the first, I always felt that I was pushing the envelope and that there was progress.

industrialrealestateschoolstolearnthetermsandthe jargonandgetabackgroundinthefieldthatIwasgoingto attempttogrowforthem.Iheldthatjobforsixyears.

Inthelate1980s,therealestatemarkettookatremendous fall.BecauseIwasafemaleandwomenandminorities weregivenopportunitieswiththefederalgovernment,I foundedacompanycalledtheR.E.GroupAdvisors,Inc, knownas“TheRealEstateGroup,”andgottohavealot moreopportunitiestodobusinessforthefederal governmentwhenitcametothedisposalofallthe foreclosedassets.

AnotherpositionIheldwastheheadoftheindustrial departmentfortheWoodmontCompany,alargeregional firm.In2003,Iwasaskedtostartacommercialrealestate officefortheBradfordcompanyinTarrantCounty,andI heldthatpositionforthenext12years.Ultimately,in2016, ImettheownersofEmerson’scommercialrealestate,and theywerelookingtoopenanofficeinTarrantCounty.One ofthemwasfromFortWorth.Theyfoundedthecompany in2004,andin2016,webecameequalpartnersinthe TarrantCountyoffice.ThatiswhereIam,theofficeI managewithintheirorganization,andithasbeenavery fulfillingrole.

Atwhatstagedidyourealizethatyouwereontheright trackregardingyourcareer?

IdecidedIwasontherighttrackformycareerwhenI

openedtheofficeforBradford,whichwasfora12-year stintandwasanormalizingexperience.AtMiller,Iwas activelyinbusiness,butthenallofasudden,wewereno longerinbusiness.Withtherealestategroup,Iknewthat wehadsometimeexpirationbecausewewereoperatingthe waywedidbecausewewereprimarilyrepresentingthe federalgovernment.

Bradfordwasafull-servicecompany.Wedidmanagement, sales,leasing,andconsulting.Wecoveredthewaterfrontof commercialrealestate.Everydaywasdifferent.Irealized howmuchIenjoyedthefactthatIhadbeengiventhe opportunitytodosomethingIlove.Iwasn’tcompletely satisfiedwhenownershipwasnotavailable.Bradfordisa highlywell-runcompany.It’srunandownedbyone individual.Andalthoughwegotmanagementparticipation infeeswhenourofficesweresuccessful,wewerenot partners.Wemightmakesuggestions,butwereallyhadno seriousinputinthedecisionsastohowitwasrun.

Karen,canyoutellme,beingawoman,howdifficultitis tosurviveinrealestate?

Well,whenIstartedintheindustrialrealestatebusinessin 1983,IwasthefirstwomaninDallasorTarrantCounty.I wasthefirstfemaletoheadanindustrialortoheadany commercialdepartmentwithintheMillerorganization. WhenIwalkedintoaroom,peopleknewwhoIwas becauseIwastheonlywoman.

ThefirsttimeIwenttoanindustrialrealestateschool,there were32menandme.AtthesecondoneIwentto,ayear later,therewereapprox.threewomenoutof42.Iplayeda roleintheestablishmentofthefirstcommercialrealestate women’sorganizationinTarrantCounty,andthatwasin 1987.So,webegantomakesomeprogress.

Ilearnedthatclientsdidnotresentdealingwithawomanat all.Whattheywantedwassomeonewhowasconcerned abouttheirbusiness,waswillingtosaythattheydidn’t haveananswer,buttheywouldtrytofindout,andsomeone whowaswillingtoworklongerthanfrom9:00to5:00ifit wasarequirementtogetajobdonewithinaspecifiedtime period.So,althoughIwasthefirst,IalwaysfeltthatIwas pushingtheenvelopeandthattherewasprogress.

Whatstrategiesdoyouimplementtopromotegender diversityforvariousleadershippositionsinyour organization?

IthinkwithinEmersons,genderhasnotbeenasignificant

issuebecausewhenIcametoworkforthem,theyalready hadawomanwhowasinaleadershiproleonthe accountingside.Theyalsohadwomeninotherleadership positionswithintheorganization.Genderhasneverbeen significantwithinEmersons,norhasracialethnicity Emersonsisaverydiversegroup.Ifyouweretoseethe membersofEmersonsandtheirco-partner,youwouldsee thatitcrossesallracialandethniclines.It’snothingIever hadtoworkfor.Thatopportunityexistedonitsown.

Whatvaluesdoyouincorporatetoenhancethework cultureatyourorganization?

Well,someofthepeoplewhoworkedwithusduringthe worstpartofCOVIDwantedtoworkremotely AndI understoodthat.Acoupleofthemstillworkremotely.I don’tconsideritideal,butIdorespectthefactthattheyfeel morecomfortableandchoosetodothat.Theycome

“I think women need to be able to say, as should men, “I don’t know the answer to your question, but it’s a good question, and I will find out.”

I think that the humility of recognizing that you can’t be the best at absolutely everything and have all the answers is essential.

togetherwithuswhenwehavecompanymeetingsacouple oftimesamonth.Wetrytoallowpeopletoworktothebest oftheirabilitywithintheframeworkthattheyfeel comfortableworking.

Doyoufeelinrecenttimesthatthereisadifferencein opportunitiesforwomeninrealestate?

Well,womenarestillsortofrecognizedasbeingaminority asfarasrolesincommercialrealestate.Buttherearea greatmanywomentodaythatplayessentialroleswithin theirownorganizations.Iwouldventuretosaythatinthe last30years,womenhavemadeleapsandboundsin recognitionwithinthisindustry

Whatdoyoubelieveisthesignificantfactorforwomen inthebusinessarena,andwhatisthemostcritical aspectofyoursuccessinadheringtothese fundamentals?

Ithinkwomenneedtobeabletosay,asshouldmen,“I don’tknowtheanswertoyourquestion,butit’sagood question,andIwillfindout.”Ithinkthehumilityof recognizingthatyoucan’tbethebestateverythingand havealltheanswersisessential.

Thewillingnesstogotheextramile,Ithink,issignificant. Thewillingness––forexample,ifsomeonecan’tseea buildingonaMondaythroughFridayandyoufeelan obligationtomakeitavailableonSaturday,youshouldbe willingtodoityourself.Youdon’tnecessarilyneedto “sendsomeone.”Youneedtoshowthataclient’sinterests arevitalenoughtoyoutoputyourselfout.

Whatcouldbethenextsignificantchangeinthemodern businessarena?

Somuchhasgonedigitalthatithaschangedthewaywedo businessinconsiderablemeasure.Butwearestillrequired, inmyopinion,tomeetaclientfacetofacetoshowa propertyasopposedtotellingsomeonethatthereisa lockboxandhereisthecombination,andyoucangetthe key.Imean,Ithinkwecannotpushthatenvelopesofarthat wehaveatotaldisconnectfromhumancontact.I sometimesfeelthatmyyoungerassociatesarenot practicingtheartofconversation.Theyalmostdo everythingbytextoremail.Idon’tthinkthatisthebest methodofgreatsuccess.Ithinkyoumustshowapersonal interestandparticipation.

Whatadvicewouldyougivetothenextgenerationof womenleaderswillingtoventureintothemodern businessarena,especiallyinarealstate?

Iwouldsay,amongotherthings,don’tallowgendertobe anactivepartofyourtransaction.Inotherwords,ifyou’re dealingwithsomeonewhoiscourtlyandwantstoopenthe doorforyou,letthemdothatasopposedtopushingback foratotallackofinvolvementfromthefeminine perspective.Benatural,benormal.Butatthesametime,be thebest-educatedpersonintheroom.Bethepersonwhois willingtogotheextramile.Atthesametime,don’tbe disruptivebecausegeneralbehavioralpatternsaresuchthat weliveinasocietyinwhichmengenerallydoopendoors oratleastoffertodoso.

Ellen Voie Ellen Voie

Everynonprofitorganizationwasformedfromidea

bysomeonewhosawaneed. Currently,thereare over1.8millionnonprofitorganizationsinthe UnitedStates,andtheyrepresentnearlysixpercentofthe USeconomy.Therearedifferenttypesofnonprofits,and thelargestcategoryincludeschurches,schools,and foundations(40%)whicharesupportedbycharitable donations.

Anothertypeofnonprofitisatradeorprofessional association,whichcompriseaboutfifteenpercentof nonprofitorganizationsintheUS. TheWomenInTrucking Associationfallsintothiscategorybutisahybridtrade (representingorganizations)andprofessional(representing individuals.)

IfoundedtheWomenInTrucking(WIT)Association becauseIrecognizedtheneedforanentitytorepresent womenemployedinthetruckingindustry. Ourmission includesencouragingtheemploymentofwomeninthe industry,addressingobstaclesthatmightkeepwomenfrom succeeding,andcelebratingthesuccessofitsmembers. Ourmembershipincludesbothmenandwomenwho supportthemission. Wecurrentlyhaveover8,000 membersintencountries.

Startinganonprofitisachallenge,asfiftypercentofall nonprofitorganizationswillfail. WITwasformedin2007, whichwasrightatthebeginningoftherecession. However,wereachedourgoalof500membersourfirst year. Thechallengewasinobtainingthesupportforour mission,whichhasneverwavered.

Manyofourmembersjoinedusinourfirstyear,butevery oneofthemwaitedtoseeifwewouldexecuteourmission beforetheyrenewed.Theyneededtobeconfidentinour abilitytocreatepositivechangebyincreasingtheranksof womeninallcareerlevels,fromthecabtotheS-suite.

Sixteenyearsago,genderdiversityinthetruckingindustry wasnotapriority. Infact,thetypicalresponsefrom carrierswasthattheyjusthiredthebestemployee. Once wepointedoutthefactthattherewasn'talevelplayingfield forwomen,westartedtoconvincethemtochange.

Thetrucksweredesignedformen,whoareusuallytaller andhavelongerarmsandlegs. Thetruckstopswere designedformenaswell,astheloungeswereonlyformen andtheshowerswerelockerroomstylewithnoprivacy Eventheuniformsweremen’ssizesandstyles,andwomen hadtoadapttheshirtsandpantstotheirsmallerframes.

Additionally,therewasn’tmuchdataavailableabout womeninthetruckingindustry. Companiesdidn’teven trackthepercentagesofwomenasdrivers,managers, CEOs,ordirectors. Beyondthedemographicdata,there wasrarelyinformationregardingsafetyorinspectionby gender

Wehadtocreateamovementbybuildingabusinesscase forgenderdiversity.Originally,weusedanydatarelevant tofemaledriversorwomenasleaders. However,aswe pushedforamorelevelplayingfield,westartedseeing positivetrendsinattractingandretainingwomen.

Thisallowedustostarttomeasurediversitynumbersandto identifybestpracticesfromthecompanieswithhigher femaleleaders,managers,anddrivers. Thedatabeganto follow,andwewerethrilledtolearnthanwomenaresafer commercialdriversthanmen. Wealsofoundthatwomen weretypicallyeasierontheequipment,betterwith paperworkandmoreengagingwithcustomers.

Althoughwomenwerenotprevalentinthehigherlevelsof companies,theoneswhodidpromoteandempowerwomen intomorepowerfulroleswerefindingtheirnetprofitswere increasing. Women’svoicesreflectdifferentdecisionmakingprocesseswhichcreatesabroaderrangeof perceptionandunderstanding.

Insteadofsonsautomaticallyassumingthetruckingcompanyleadrole,manydaughterswerechosentostepintothetop position. Moreandmorecompaniesarebeingstartedbywomenandrunbywomeninthetransportationindustry.

TheWomenInTruckingAssociationhasbecometherecognizedresourceinprovidinginformation,education,bestpractices andmoreforcarrierstocontinuetoadvancethewomenintheirorganizations. Additionally,wearetrackingthenumbersand watchingmorewomenfindsuccessfulcareersasdrivers,dieseltechnicians,safetydirectors,managers,anddirectors.

Wewillcontinuetomonitortheprogressoftheindustryandsharebestpracticessomorewomencanfindahomein transportation. Weareproudofourhistoryofbeingthebestresourceandforstartingaculturalchangeinalltrucking relatedrolesandwewillcontinuetheseeffortsuntilthegenderimbalanceisnolongeranissue.

Heather Anne Hubbell Heather Anne Hubbell

Inthelead-uptoInternationalWomen'sDay,I'vebeen

thinkingabouthowthingshavechangedsinceIstarted myworkinglife. Thisyear'sthemeis"Chooseto Challenge,"encouragingindividualstochallengegender biasandinequalityinallaspectsoftheirlives. That includeswomen'scontributionstoourfamilies, communities,andsocieties.

WhenIwasayounggirl,peopleaskedmeifIwantedtobe ateacherlikemymother. NooneeveraskedmeifIwanted tobeanelectricalengineerlikemyfather WhatIwanted wastobeafighterpilotlikemyfather. Womenweren't allowedintheairforcethen,sothatwasn'tanoptionfor me,muchtomydisappointment.

Inhighschool,girlslearnedcookingandsewing;boystook woodworkingandmetalwork. Iknewhowtocookand sew,soIwantedtotrywoodworkingandmetalwork. I negotiatedwiththeteacher. IcouldifIfoundaboywho wouldswapwithme. Noproblem. What'snottolikeabout aclassfullofgirlsforateenageboy?

Duringthefirstfewyearsofmyfirstcareer,Igotturned downforpromotionseveraltimesfornothavingthe"right" experience,andthenIhadtotrainthemanwhodidgetthe job. Ithentrainedasalawyer,onlytohaveamanaging partnertellmethatwomencouldn'tbelitigatorsandhavea family. NevermindthatIdidn'twanttodolitigationand alreadyhadmyfamily! Ipolitelywrotebackandtoldthe firmIwasn'tinterestedinworkingforalawfirmthatfelt thatway. Inthosedays,womenweren'tevenallowedto weartrousersinthecourtroom. Howtimeshavechanged insomerespects.

Iwasaworkingmotherfromtheearliestdaysofmy workinglife,jugglingchildrenandlawschool,workingas alawyerandtheninbanking. Multi-taskingwasn'tan option–itwastheonlywaytokeepeverythingontrack andontime. Thankfullymyhusbandwasprettyhands-on

withthechildren,especiallyoncetheygotinterestedin sports.

Iwatchedmymalecolleagueswithfrustrationastheir wivesmanagedtheirfamilylifeandtheygotonwithwork. ThenIrealizedthatmychildrenenrichedmyworkinglife, andtheycouldseefirst-handthatwomencoulddoanyjob theywanted. Although,whenpeopleaskedmychildrenif theywantedtobealawyerliketheirmother,theybothsaid, "no,that'swaytoomuchwork!”

Havingfelttheinequalityfirst-hand,Iresolvedtobevery awareofmyfemalecolleaguesandfriendstoseehowI couldproactivelysupportthem. Isuggestedtheyapplyfor jobsIthoughttheywouldbesuitablefor(evenwhenthey said,"I'mnotsureIhavetherightskills").Ihelpedthem crafttheirCVsanddointerviewpractice. Ialsohired womenformyteams,eveniftheywouldneedextra trainingtodothejob,becauseIknewitwouldbegreatfor theirlonger-termcareers. Iespeciallylookedformothers asIknewexactlywhattheyhadtodotogettoworkinthe morningandjuggleworkandhomelife.Whatbetter experiencethanthatforbeingabletomanagecomplicated jobsatwork?

Formostofthepast15years,I'verunmyownbusinesses. ThatmeantIcouldmakedecisionsthatworkedformeand allowedmetoworkagainstdiscriminationandopennew opportunitiesforwomen. Thereisnothingmoresoul destroyingthatnotgettingrecognitionorapromotionfor yourworkandcontribution,andI'vetriedhardtocounter thatwithwhateversupportIcould.

IhaveachallengeforyouaswecelebrateInternational Women'sDay. Thinkabouthowyoucanmakeadifference inrecognizingwomen'scontributionsorencourageothers todoso. Startwithonepersonatatime. Youmaynever knowhowmuchthatmeanstothatperson.

Kim Robertson Smith Kim Robertson Smith

HavingbeenaninvaluableteammemberofSmile

Foundationsinceitsinception23yearsago,Kim hasalwaysbeenknownforhernever-give-up attitudeandtheinvaluablepositiveimpactshehasmadeon thefoundation.Inclusivityandtheempowermentofothers hasalwaysbeenthemainstayofthiscompassionateand visionarywoman,whoisdeterminedtocarrythisintoher roleofleadership,asshesupportsandguidesthevisionand missionofSmileFoundation,definedbyitsBoardof Directors.

Beingaregisterednurseandhealthcareprofessional,Kim isanatural-borncaregiverwithmedicalinsightthatstands heringoodsteadforherroleasCEO.Withherextensive managerialexperienceinthemedicalsalesandmarketing arena,Kimisnostrangertomanaging,mentoring, organising,training,andmotivatingpeople–whichfurther supportsherbeliefthatsolidteamworkwillcontinually growanorganisation.Apartfromthemedicalfield,Kim’s careerspansacrossadifferentareaoffundraisingand outreachprogrammesforvariousorganisations,aligning herevenmoresotoherroleasastrongleaderwithaclear visionandpassionforSmileFoundation.Kimisawellseasonedprofessional,whoiscaringandcompassionate, andalwaysupforanewchallengethatrequiresasmarter solution.

“Myaimistocontinue,withthesupportoftheincredible Smileteam,toseeallchildrensmile.Mylife’sjourneyhas alwaysbeentobeinvolvedwithhelpingothersandinthis position,IcancontinuetodowhatIlove-helpingchildren tobecomethe‘Hero’oftheirownstory.”KimRobertson Smith,CEOatSmileFoundation.

AboutSmileFoundation

Everychilddeservesasecuresenseofself–thevery foundationfromwhichtheirgreatestpotentialcanbe reached.ThisiswhyweareSmileFoundationaredeeply passionateaboutmakingadifferenceinthelivesofSouth

Africanchildrenlivingwithfacialconditions.

SmileFoundationisaSouthAfricanNon-profit organisationoperatinginSouthAfrica.OurNPOstartedat thebehestofthenPresidentNelsonMandela,23yearsago. Webelievethatmakingarealdifferenceisaboutbringing therightpeopletogetherattherighttime.Indoingso,our non-profitorganisationisabletofacilitateexpertsurgical interventionforchildrenlivingwithfacialparalysis,cleft lip,cleftpalate,craniofacialabnormalities,andburn wounds.

Weofferpsychologicalsupporttopatientsandtheir familiesbefore,duringandaftersurgery Wealsooffer “ParenttoParent”supportwhichenablesparentsand caregiverstoconnectwithotherfamilieswhohavewalked thesamejourney.

Educationandskillstrainingissomethingweare passionateabout,ourpassiontowardsupskillingsurgeons inspecializedtechniquescarriesintotheSmileFoundation skillstraining. Indoingsotheorganisationisableto facilitateexpertsurgicalinterventionandpreandpostoperativecareforcommunitiesinneed.

SmileFoundationworksinpartnershipwith17Academic HospitalsaroundSouthAfricawherealloursurgical proceduresandskillsprogramsareperformed.

Notonlydowefacilitateacademicskillsprogramsfor surgeons,nursesandothermedicalpersonnel,wealso investintheinfrastructureofthepublichealthcaresystem throughpurchasingmedicalequipment,upgradingthe surgicalDepartmentsinexistingfacilitiestothebenefitof previouslydisadvantagedSouthAfricans.

Toachievethesegoals,weenthusiasticallyraisefunds throughourcorporateandprivatedonors.Wealsoreachout tocommunitiestoshareandunderstandingthatchildren withfacialconditionsandburnscanbehelped.

WeassistanychildlivinginSouthAfricalivingwithfacialparalysis,cleftlipandcleftpalate,craniofacialabnormalities,as wellasear,noseandhandconditionsandburnwounds.Ourcontributionsgobeyondfundingchildren’ssurgeryand recovery

OurVision

Wehelpchildrenlivealifeinspiredbyconfidenceandpossibility,nomattertheircircumstances.

OurMission

Wetransformthelivesofchildrenaffectedbyfacialabnormalitiesandsevereburnsthroughthebestpossibleand psychologicalcare.