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When Dinara Auyelbekova left a successful corporate career to found a nonprofit for girls in Kazakhstan, she didn’t know where the path would lead—only that she couldn’t stay silent. What began as a personal leap of faith became a movement for gender equality that is now empowering over 1,000 girls across Central Asia to lead, innovate, and dream without limits.
For Dinara, courage is not the absence of fear but the choice to act despite it. “I chose to leave comfort for purpose—to build courage into the DNA of a new generation of women leaders,” she says.
Today, as the founder of Girls Power Fund, Dinara is closing gender gaps in education, leadership, and technology by offering mentorship, STEM programs, and leadership training to girls across Kazakhstan. Through GFiC, she’s found the tools, confidence, and global network to scale her work and strengthen the movement she leads.
There are two key ways that GFiC has supported my work. First, I gained valuable skills in using AI and the business model canvas to strengthen my organization, while also learning new tools and approaches from my peers that I could immediately apply to my programs. Second, being selected out of 2,500 applicants to join this community significantly boosted my confidence, reminding me that my work truly matters and encouraging me to build on this confidence so I can serve my community with even greater impact.
Nelson Mandela’s words capture the essence of courage: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” Courage means taking action despite fear—whether that fear comes from the threat of punishment or from the weight of societal expectations. I see myself as a courageous person because, although I was afraid to leave a successful corporate career, I chose to follow my calling and start a nonprofit to empower women and girls in Kazakhstan. Along the way, I faced barriers such as the lack of a philanthropic culture, limited government support, and my own inexperience. Yet I found the courage to learn, adapt, and persevere—and I never gave up.
The problem I am most committed to solving is gender inequality in Kazakhstan, a challenge that continues to limit the potential of women and girls. While progress has been made, women remain underrepresented in leadership and STEM fields. In rural and remote regions, girls face limited access to quality education, mentorship, and role models. This not only restricts their opportunities—it slows down innovation and social progress for the country as a whole.
Breaking this cycle is urgent. By restricting half of our population from fully participating, we are holding back our nation’s growth. Empowering women is not just the right thing to do—it’s the smart thing to do.
Through the Girls Power Fund, I have reached more than 1,000 girls and young women across Kazakhstan, providing leadership training, mentorship, and access to STEM opportunities. One of our participants gained confidence through our program, created her own community project, and later received a full scholarship to study computer science at NYU Abu Dhabi—now she mentors other girls. Our alumni network of more than 400 active members continues to multiply this impact, creating a ripple effect of empowerment across the country.
In the next decade, I hope to see a generation of young women in Central Asia who view leadership, innovation, and independence as natural parts of their identity. My vision is for the Girls Power Fund to grow into a leading accelerator for women-led initiatives, reaching rural and underserved areas while connecting our alumni to global opportunities. By building a cycle where empowered girls return as mentors and changemakers, we can create lasting systemic change and make gender equality the norm rather than the exception.
Partnerships and networks have been essential. Through the Girls Power Fund, we have collaborated with USAID, UNDP, and Libra Philanthropies, which have supported us with funding, expertise, and platforms to scale our initiatives. I’ve also benefited from global leadership networks like the Obama Foundation Scholars at Columbia University and the IFA alumni network in Germany, which have strengthened my leadership and visibility. These connections opened doors to new models of programming—such as integrating virtual and augmented reality into education and launching mentorship-based accelerators for girls.
Dinara’s leadership embodies the essence of GFiC—courageous, visionary, and grounded in community. Her story is not only about empowering girls but redefining what leadership looks like in Central Asia. From rural classrooms to global forums, Dinara continues to prove that when women lead, societies thrive.
