ALIYA HALLIM-BYNE
A defector from “corporate America,” Aliya Hallim-Byne switched career paths in 2010 and founded a nonprofit organization that aims to empower women to become leaders. As the CEO of Wonder Women, she asks women to add their voices online to the mantra: “I AM a Wonder Woman because I AM…” She made the decision to change to a for-profit business model, since she found the energy of the word “nonprofit” disempowering to Wonder Women´s ideology, mission and vision. The idea for Wonder Women surfaced, says Hallim-Byne, “from the very fiber of my being, culled from my life and work experiences, both positive and negative. I am self-assured in my deep-seated knowingness of the immense potential women have when fully expressed and fully realized.” Why did this corporate exec make the leap to start her own business? “I am a rebel with a cause,” she explains. “I knew it was time to pave my own path in spite of the challenges and risks involved.” Her hope is that her own example can be a guide to others who are looking to make a change in the world. “When we connect with others on a similar path,” she says, “anything is possible.” -SJ
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