Changes

Bekele is also a co-founder and Board Member of Internet Society Chapter (ISOC) San Francisco Bay<ref>[http://www.sfbayisoc.org/founding-members/, Founding Members ISOC San Francisco Bay]</ref>

Bekele is also a co-founder and Board Member of Internet Society Chapter (ISOC) San Francisco Bay<ref>[http://www.sfbayisoc.org/founding-members/, Founding Members ISOC San Francisco Bay]</ref>

In 2013, Bekele was named Top <b><i>“50 Trailblazers – A future made in Africa”</i></b>, by the influential UK’s NewAfrican Magazine, a <i>“Collector’s Edition”</i> which coincide with the continent’s 50th anniversary celebrations of the African Union, and featured individuals <i>“who are realizing significant achievements in their specific field of endeavor” and who are “breaking ground, making Africa proud and propelling it into a future of great hope.”  </i><ref>[http://techmoran.com/juliana-rotich-jason-njoku-alex-okosi-sophia-bekele-barrack-obama-named-top-50-african-trailblazers-by-uks-newafrican-magazine/,Sophia Bekele, A future made in Africa-50 Trailblazers under 50 MADE IN AFRICA!_New African]</ref> <ref>[http://issuu.com/icpubs/docs/na0513_combinedissue_lowres?e=6326645/2549184,A future made in Africa-50 Trailblazers under 50 MADE IN AFRICA!_New African page 59]</ref>  

In 2013, Bekele was named Top <b><i>“50 Trailblazers – A future made in Africa”</i></b>, by the influential UK’s NewAfrican Magazine, a <i>“Collector’s Edition”</i> which coincide with the continent’s 50th anniversary celebrations of the African Union, and featured individuals <i>“who are realizing significant achievements in their specific field of endeavor” and who are “breaking ground, making Africa proud and propelling it into a future of great hope.”  </i><ref>[http://techmoran.com/juliana-rotich-jason-njoku-alex-okosi-sophia-bekele-barrack-obama-named-top-50-african-trailblazers-by-uks-newafrican-magazine/,Juliana Rotich, Jason Njoku, Alex Okosi, Sophia Bekele & Barrack Obama Named Top “50 African Trailblazers” By UK’s NewAfrican Magazine]</ref> <ref>[http://issuu.com/icpubs/docs/na0513_combinedissue_lowres?e=6326645/2549184,A future made in Africa-50 Trailblazers under 50 MADE IN AFRICA!_New African page 59]</ref>  

Bekele is of Ethiopian decent but studied in the USA for her Bachelor's Degree in Business Analysis and Information Systems at San Francisco State University and earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in management Information Systems from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California.  She is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA, Certified Control Specialist (CCS), and Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT).  Bekele travels globally for her work and shuttles regularly between her residences in Walnut Creek, California and Africa, where she has a firm based in  business and family.<ref>[http://sophiabekele.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/prodigal-prodigy-cbs-international-sophia-bekele.pdf Prodigal prodigy K Kaufman]</ref> <ref>[http://ethiopianwomenunleashed.org/profile_detail.php?PId=111 Ethiopian Women Unleashed]</ref>   

Bekele is of Ethiopian decent but studied in the USA for her Bachelor's Degree in Business Analysis and Information Systems at San Francisco State University and earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in management Information Systems from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California.  She is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA, Certified Control Specialist (CCS), and Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT).  Bekele travels globally for her work and shuttles regularly between her residences in Walnut Creek, California and Africa, where she has a firm based in  business and family.<ref>[http://sophiabekele.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/prodigal-prodigy-cbs-international-sophia-bekele.pdf Prodigal prodigy K Kaufman]</ref> <ref>[http://ethiopianwomenunleashed.org/profile_detail.php?PId=111 Ethiopian Women Unleashed]</ref>   

==Championing the [[.africa]] (dotAfrica) gTLD Project==

==Championing the [[.africa]] (dotAfrica) gTLD Project==

Following her important experiences gained from her work as gNSO advisor to ICANN and successful achievement of IDN work for ICANN and for the global internet community,  Bekele started the DotAfrica initiative. Bekele  made a clear case for a DotAfrica ([[.africa]]) gTLD for Africa within ICANN and also the global Internet Community on behalf of the global African and Pan-African constituency.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:EWBJVYdjy14J:www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/bekele-to-dengate-thrush-18jan11-en.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiuCAe7lIoCYxEwAc5Yu41rx2HvANtGY1LRavobL5r9wHrUKdj1xkZvECp7eQG1GI953IIVHfL_OXu-TfiqGAJA5ZPmXpkHFIal7qWavTkCuEMcA4w2KPcEu5PvA6ILizMOJb8D&sig=AHIEtbSsbKdUSWMD9IZ8rBrUyxvNbW581w, Open Letter to US Department of Commerce National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) making a preliminary case for the .africa gTLD]</ref>,<ref>[http://www.prlog.org/11150099-dotconnectafrica-statement-to-icann-public-forum-cartegena-colombia.html, Open Letter to US Department of Commerce National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) making a preliminary case for the .africa gTLD]</ref> ,<ref>[https://par.icann.org/files/paris/Paris-ICANNPublicForum-25JUN08.txt, The .Africa project announced at public forum in Paris, France]</ref>, <ref>[http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1104224678384.html, Open Letter to US Department of Commerce National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) making a preliminary case for the .africa gTLD]</ref>,<ref>[http://forum.icann.org/lists/5gtld-guide/msg00108.html, DCA statement to ICANN public forum, Colombia]</ref>.  She soon led the [[.africa]] initiative<ref>[http://www.ssinformer.com/ssinformer-old/business_news/Africa/eastern/ethiopia/corporate/2009/december/11/eth_bus_corp_12_11_09_001.html, ‘ .Africa’ domain name  to position Africa’s Web Industry]</ref>. under a successful venture [[DotConnectAfrica]]  organization, a non-profit, non partisan  self start-up, and traveled throughout the various African countries and globally speaking and advocating the benefit of adapting to a .AFRICA Top Level Domain name (TLD) for the African Continent. Her most significant accomplishment so far for the [[.africa]] gTLD project is undertaking and sustaining a successful global campaign,under a “Yes2dotafrica” theme, energizing it and giving it global momentum and raising its Pan-African and International profile to a position of relevance, and introducing it to the Pan-African inter-governmental organizations – the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Commission (AUC) and getting them to endorse it.<ref>[http://www.scribd.com/doc/31565131/African-Union-AU-Endorsement-of-DotConnectAfrica, The dotafrica Project initiative, August 8, 2008]</ref> , <ref>[http://www.scribd.com/doc/31566444/Economic-Commission-for-Africa-ECA-Endorsment-of-DotConnectAfrica, Testimony of Sophia Bekel's IDN work at ICANN]</ref>.  Bekele's  presentations, speeches and publications used for this global campaign and promotional work to create awareness of the .africa TLD are are chronicled by the international and local media and the internet widely and captured on the Organization's website.<ref>[http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/dca-presentations, DCA Campaign Presentations and Speeches]</ref>

Following her important experiences gained from her work as gNSO advisor to ICANN and successful achievement of IDN work for ICANN and for the global internet community,  Bekele started the DotAfrica initiative. Bekele  made a clear case for a DotAfrica ([[.africa]]) gTLD for Africa within ICANN and also the global Internet Community on behalf of the global African and Pan-African constituency.<ref>[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:EWBJVYdjy14J:www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/bekele-to-dengate-thrush-18jan11-en.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiuCAe7lIoCYxEwAc5Yu41rx2HvANtGY1LRavobL5r9wHrUKdj1xkZvECp7eQG1GI953IIVHfL_OXu-TfiqGAJA5ZPmXpkHFIal7qWavTkCuEMcA4w2KPcEu5PvA6ILizMOJb8D&sig=AHIEtbSsbKdUSWMD9IZ8rBrUyxvNbW581w, Open Letter to US Department of Commerce National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) making a preliminary case for the .africa gTLD]</ref>,<ref>[http://www.prlog.org/11150099-dotconnectafrica-statement-to-icann-public-forum-cartegena-colombia.html, DotConnectAfrica  Statement to ICANN public forum Cartegena Columbia]</ref> ,<ref>[https://par.icann.org/files/paris/Paris-ICANNPublicForum-25JUN08.txt, The .Africa project announced at public forum in Paris, France]</ref>, <ref>[http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1104224678384.html, The .Africa project announced at public forum in Paris]</ref>,<ref>[http://forum.icann.org/lists/5gtld-guide/msg00108.html, DCA statement to ICANN public forum, Colombia]</ref>.  She soon led the [[.africa]] initiative<ref>[http://www.ssinformer.com/ssinformer-old/business_news/Africa/eastern/ethiopia/corporate/2009/december/11/eth_bus_corp_12_11_09_001.html, ‘ .Africa’ domain name  to position Africa’s Web Industry]</ref>. under a successful venture [[DotConnectAfrica]]  organization, a non-profit, non partisan  self start-up, and traveled throughout the various African countries and globally speaking and advocating the benefit of adapting to a .AFRICA Top Level Domain name (TLD) for the African Continent. Her most significant accomplishment so far for the [[.africa]] gTLD project is undertaking and sustaining a successful global campaign,under a “Yes2dotafrica” theme, energizing it and giving it global momentum and raising its Pan-African and International profile to a position of relevance, and introducing it to the Pan-African inter-governmental organizations – the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Commission (AUC) and getting them to endorse it.<ref>[http://www.scribd.com/doc/31565131/African-Union-AU-Endorsement-of-DotConnectAfrica, The dotafrica Project initiative, August 8, 2008]</ref> , <ref>[http://www.scribd.com/doc/31566444/Economic-Commission-for-Africa-ECA-Endorsment-of-DotConnectAfrica, Testimony of Sophia Bekel's IDN work at ICANN]</ref>.  Bekele's  presentations, speeches and publications used for this global campaign and promotional work to create awareness of the .africa TLD are are chronicled by the international and local media and the internet widely and captured on the Organization's website.<ref>[http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/dca-presentations, DCA Campaign Presentations and Speeches]</ref>

Bekele therefore was recognized and credited for her global campaign efforts by the global internet community as well as various leading African and International media. As such, was credited  by the Economist  as "leading the .africa initiative"<ref>[http://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab/2010/09/rebranding_africa,Can "Africa" get a make over?]</ref>.  The Diplomat East Africa named her "Brains Behind .africa" <ref>[http://www.diplomateastafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=388:connecting-africa-towards-a-digital-africa&catid=36:latest,Connecting Africa, Towards a Digital Africa]</ref>.  

Bekele therefore was recognized and credited for her global campaign efforts by the global internet community as well as various leading African and International media. As such, was credited  by the Economist  as "leading the .africa initiative"<ref>[http://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab/2010/09/rebranding_africa,Can "Africa" get a make over?]</ref>.  The Diplomat East Africa named her "Brains Behind .africa" <ref>[http://www.diplomateastafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=388:connecting-africa-towards-a-digital-africa&catid=36:latest,Connecting Africa, Towards a Digital Africa]</ref>.