Nargiza Zhakypova is a perfect example of how U.S.-CAEF alumni can leverage their scholarships and university experiences to achieve their career goals and impact their communities. Passionate about providing quality educational opportunities and equipping students with valuable skills needed in today’s fast-paced, hyper-digital world, Nargiza has co-founded two successful businesses: IT-RUN, a programming bootcamp with several branches in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Russia that employs close to 130 full- and part-time staff; and the American-European School (AES), a Western-style, full-day elementary school for grades 0-4 in Bishkek. Recently, a local company invested $265,000 in AES. With the help of the new funding, Nargiza hopes to offer classes for students in grades 5-11 starting next year. The school currently employs 40 teachers and staff and is rapidly growing; it is on track to enroll up to 400 students. Nargiza’s business successes have been recently acknowledged by the Kyrgyz government, which issued a recognition letter thanking her for her positive contributions to the development of women’s entrepreneurship in the country.
Despite her busy schedule, Nargiza finds time to support U.S.-CAEF. As a member of the alumni panel, she shared her expertise on cross-border business opportunities and challenges with the participants of the U.S.-CAEF alumni conference. She was one of the main funders of Idea Pitch 2021, a pilot program designed to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit among current fellows and younger alumni.