IWEC Past Awardee, Claudia Mirza, talks about her journey.
We had the good fortune of connecting with Claudia Mirza and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Claudia, how does your business help the community or world?
At Akorbi, we want to improve the life of our team members, but also impact our society. Helping people connect and be heard is at the heart of our business. We believe this support and success should be shared with the community around us. A specific example of this was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, our CEO Claudia along with other women business owners, spent a significant amount of time and resources repatriating Colombian children, women, sick individuals and elders that were living in inhumane conditions at the São Paulo airport. Our executive team also has dedicated time and resources to supporting interpreters’ organizations, the Genesis women shelter in Dallas, and children who are hard of hearing during this difficult time. Allowing our communities to thrive and get the support they need will always be our passion at Akorbi.
Alright, so let’s jump right in! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?
This world is filled with amazing people who support each other. It is incredible that news can inundate us with so much negativity, when in reality there is so much beauty in this world—it is filled with amazing people and organizations.
The Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) has mentored me through the years. They sent me to a three-year program at Harvard and provided me with leadership skills to manage my business. The WPO has not only helped me to grow professionally, but has given me a stronger skill set to more effectively run and develop my business. Professor Lynda Applegate and other members of the Harvard Business School have been very supportive of me as well.
Running a business can be very lonely. When we are dealing with difficult moments, those are the times when friendships are more important. The WPO is a peer support group that brings together women business owners in a confidential setting. We serve as our own advisory group. The founder of this group is Dr. Marsha Firestone out of New York, and under her guidance we have grown to more than 2,000 women around the world, all united as sisters. Marsha had the vision that if you are running a decent business above certain revenue criteria, no matter the social class, religion, color, disability, or sexual orientation, you qualify for this organization.
Another influential place for me has been the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce., under the leadership of Carmen Castillo and the International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC). There are many woman-focused organizations, such as the Women Economic Forum under Doctor Harbeen Arora, and the International Women Foundation that have also helped me a lot.