Meet Claire!

June 24, 2015

We are very excited to announce that Claire Uwineza is joining the Resonate team as the Operations Manager. Claire comes to Resonate with an impressive academic and professional resume. An International Youth Fellow, Generation Rwanda scholar, and Frontier Market Scout, Claire has made significant contributions in development and business. Claire worked at Oxfam and World Vision Rwanda before serving as the manager of the Discover Rwanda Youth Hostel. A graduate of the University of Rwanda, College of Science and Technology with a Bachelors degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Claire also holds a certificate in Social Enterprise Management and Impact Investing from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.

At the end of Claire’s first week with us, we sat down together to ask her a few questions.
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You’ve been with Resonate for about a week… What are your first impressions?

Resonate is a dynamic team committed to the mission of empowering women and girls through storytelling to develop their leadership potential. I really enjoy working in the office environment – it’s very nice.

What was it about Resonate that inspired you to work with the organization?

Resonate’s mission to work with women aligns with my personal dedication to empowering women. Significant efforts have been made to ensure women are represented in leadership positions in government, but we are still behind in rural areas. When we educate a woman we educate a nation, that’s what Resonate does and that’s what brought me to Resonate.

I hope to share my skills and abilities to advance Resonate’s mission while gaining new experiences and embracing new challenges.

As you noted, Rwandan women have made incredible progress entering leadership roles in government and in business, but most people agree with you that more work needs to be done to achieve gender equity. What should we do to continue working toward this goal?

We must connect with women who have not been given the opportunity to realize their full potential. Although many opportunities exist, many women are unable to take advantage of them. It is essential that we reach out to them where they are and we can use storytelling to motivate and encourage them to achieve their goals and inspire others around them to do the same.

You have already had a very impressive and successful career working in a variety of different organizations. What advice would you give to young women aspiring to work in leadership and management roles?

Believe in yourself! Women must be encouraged to say, “I can do this!” and to recognize the power of their potential.

Know what drives you. Know what you want, set a goal, and seek to make an impact. Seek opportunities you can use to change your life and your world.

Above all, love one another…always.

If you had access to all the resources you needed, if you could achieve any goal, what would it be?

I love fashion! I would like to have my own line of clothing as part of a business that benefits women. Women often face more difficult challenges than men but can have a harder time finding a job that is supportive of their goals. I want to design my own brand that enables me to focus on helping women see their personal capacity and realize their full potential.

Helping and serving people, especially women, is my passion. This is what drives me and this is why I love Resonate. The focus is not on the organization and what it can do for others, but on serving the community to support them to do great things for themselves.