Press Release
Tanzanian CEO of Relim Entertainment Ltd is back from mentoring programme in the U.S.
June 23, 2009
Emelda Mwamanga, founder and Chief Executive Officer of RELIM Entertainment Ltd, the company that publishes lifestyles magazines Bang! and Bang Star! has returned from a U.S. exchange visit where she participated in the Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership. Mwamanga had a personalized mentoring programme with the most powerful and influential woman in publishing field globally, Ann S. Moore, Chairperson and chief Executive Officer of Time Incorporated.
The four-week programme for Mwamanga and over 30 other participants began in Washington, where Mwamanga and her group visited the White House. At the home office of the U.S. President, she met with senior officials including the Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama. At the U.S. Department of State, Mwamanga met and had a photo with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The group also had discussions with senior U.S Department Of State officials on the role of women in the societies, politics and business. Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women Issues, talked about her experience in leadership, and challenges she has faced as a woman in business.
From Washington, Mwamanga jetted up to New York City, where, she said, “For three weeks I was at the Time & Life building, along the 1271 Avenue of the Americas. I managed to go for tour at Time Warner centre and CNN, and sat at Larry King’s desk and took plenty of pictures.” She added that everyday her calendar was fully scheduled to meet with different people at Time Inc., including marketing directors, executive managers and chief editors of different publications. Time publishes approximately 150 magazines read by more than 300 million people worldwide on a monthly basis.
Mwamanga said highlights of her program were meeting with Michelle Ebanks, the President of Essence Magazine, and Angela Burt-Murray, Editor in Chief of Essence Magazine. In addition, Mwamanga was invited to Time’s “100 Most Influential People” party. Also present at the party were First Lady Michelle Obama, Brad Pitt, Meredith Whitney, Suze Orman, John Legend, Oprah Winfrey and her best friend Gayle King, Whoopi Goldberg Tom Hanks, and Twitter founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams.
“My mentor spoiled me with trips around the states, we flew to Boston in a private Jet and I visited the Harvard University. We flew to Birmingham, Alabama and I enjoyed the beauty of this place as well,” Mwamanga said.
FORTUNE Most Powerful Women Summit and the U.S. State Department established the Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership in May 2006. This public-private partnership places talented, emerging women leaders from all over the world in mentoring programs with FORTUNE’s Most Powerful Women Leaders.
In 2008, Subira Mchumo, Director of Studio 7 Limited, Architects & Interior Designers a leading architectural and interior consulting firm in Tanzania participated in the Fortune/State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership. Mchumo was mentored by a leading female executive at Herman Miller, a Fortune 500 Interior Design Firm in the United States. Following her FORTUNE mentorship experience, Mchumo was invited back to the U.S. to participate in a follow on program in San Diego, California.
The Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership is funded jointly by mentor organizations and the American people. For more information on these exchanges, visit: exchanges.state.gov/citizens/professionals/fortunepartnership.html and www.fortunempws.com. More information about U.S. Embassy programs in Tanzania can be found at tanzania.usembassy.gov.