HomeProviding Opportunities for Women’s Economic Rise...POWER Project Pipeline

# 									POWER Project Pipeline							

Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs

## 2023 POWER Projects

### Helping Thai Women Artisans and Entrepreneurs Expand Digital Trade

#### Chiang Mai, Thailand

U.S. Embassy Bangkok and Consulate General Chiang Mai hosted a two-day workshop to empower women entrepreneurs. The program brought together women leaders working in the industry to educate them on key ecommerce skills necessary to succeed in the digital marketplace. In partnership with Amazon, the Kenan foundation, and the Thai Digital Economy and Promotion Agency (DEPA), participants developed financial literacy and digital marketing skills, learned how to use various e-commerce platforms, and discussed legal and regulatory requirements for selling their products in the United States.

### Empowering Women in the Green Tech Sector

#### Port Louis, Mauritius

U.S. Embassy Port Louis hosted a one-day forum to bring together Mauritian women from the private sector and American experts to support efforts to adjust to climate change. This forum served to better prepare women leaders to advocate for government implementation of regulatory reforms to support women entrepreneurs in the fields of green technology, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. This forum also advanced international market opportunities for green tech products and services, particularly in partnership with women-led American businesses, and strengthened the network of women entrepreneurs throughout the Indian Ocean region.

### National Symposium on U.S. – `a Women’s Sports Tourism

#### Ottawa, Canada

U.S. Embassy Ottawa will host a hybrid networking event that will match women in sports business and sports tourism to each other, to potential investors, and to government supporters.  The event seeks to partner in part with women entrepreneurs from under-represented backgrounds and target in particular Indigenous entrepreneurs involved in the 2023 Indigenous World Games, hosted at the Invest Ottawa’s Bayview Yards incubation and meeting space over the course of a half-day event with speakers, a panel of participants, and breakout sessions.

### Black Stars Rising / Estrelas Negras em Ascensão

#### Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

U.S. Consulate General Rio de Janeiro will host a ten-week mentorship program to support 50 Black women entrepreneurs with skills necessary to overcome various systemic obstacles prevalent in Brazil’s marketplace. In partnership with Rio de Janeiro-based American Chamber of Commerce and Columbia University’s Global Center, this program will work to strengthen Black Brazilian women-led businesses and social enterprises through targeted networking, mentorship, and sponsorship, which will expand market awareness and opportunities between the U.S. and Brazil.

### Empowering Professional Women to Drive Innovation in STEM Fields in Ecuador

#### Quito, Ecuador

U.S. Embassy Quito hosted a seven-week hybrid seminar series to support 50 female university Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) students in developing key soft skills to better market their research for career development and drive innovation in the Ecuadorian economy. The program will pair participants with graduates from the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), who run STEM and tech related businesses and will mentor them in marketing and networking. This will build on the success of past programs, as it will be the third iteration of Embassy Quito’s POWER-funded programming focused on female university students in STEM fields.

### Garifuna Women Empowerment through Hair Products and Entrepreneurship Mentoring

#### Guatemala City, Guatemala

In celebration of Black History Month, U.S. Embassy Guatemala hosted a symposium to support women entrepreneurs with best practices and mentorship on overcoming business obstacles in the hair and beauty industry.  POWER funds facilitated conversations with local supermarkets to explore bringing viable U.S. products for the Black community to Guatemala. U.S. brand representatives specialized in Black diasporic hair and beauty products had the opportunity to market their products, and work towards creating a steady market of availability of such products to address rising consumer demand of the Garifuna population.

### Pitch Fest Addis – Linking Women Entrepreneurs with U.S. Coaching and Finance

#### Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa opened a call for women entrepreneurs to present as part of a pitch showcase in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce and Marriott Executive Apartments Addis Ababa.  Through a competitive interagency review, six established businesses were selected.  These six women then presented to an audience of roughly 140 U.S. private sector and angel investors at an event hosted at the Marriott Addis Ababa.  Two of the companies attracted in-kind and monetary investment, and the event successfully promoted the U.S. as the private sector leader of choice.

### U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council Accelerator for Women Entrepreneurs – Speaker Series

#### Islamabad, Pakistan

In partnership with the U.S. Pakistan Women’s Council (USPWC), U.S. Embassy Islamabad hosted a series of speaker programs to supplement the work of USPWC-private sector-led accelerator for women entrepreneurs. This series supported 250 women entrepreneurs to gain access to speed mentorship and virtual office hours with leading entrepreneurs, investors, and incubators in the U.S. and Pakistan. This series also connected U.S. investors with government officials, market information, private sector networks, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Pakistan.

### Strengthening the Growth and Promotion of U.S. Market Access to Agricultural Women-led Businesses in Madagascar

#### Antananarivo, Madagascar

In partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce in Madagascar, U.S. Embassy Antananarivo implemented a project targeting women-led business operating in food and agricultural sectors that seek to export to the U.S. marketplace. This project highlighted the requirements and best entry practices of the U.S. food market and network and engaged various local stakeholders and alumni of U.S.-funded programs with an expert level of expertise in the food sector, international trade, and women empowerment.  Women built their capacity to access the market, with a focus on timely adaptation of their business models and strategies.

### Women in Energy Conference

#### Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur hosted a one-day conference to support the career development of Malaysian women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) looking to enter the energy sector. In partnership with several U.S. traditional and renewable energy companies, this conference highlighted necessary skills for industry networking and recruitment and provided the companies with further exposure to a diverse and qualified candidate pool.

### Women in Clean Energy

#### Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

U.S. Embassy Ulaanbaatar will host a one-day workshop for Mongolian women interested in renewable energy, followed by a speaker event to support female high school and university students with mentorship from U.S. women experts in climate change and energy. This program will strengthen networks of U.S. and Mongolian women in renewable energy and expand cross-regional business activity.

### Supporting Female Entrepreneurs in the Startup and Venture Capital Ecosystem

#### São Paulo, Brazil

Through an eleven-week mentorship program, U.S. Consulate General São Paulo will provide an opportunity for 30 female-led and co-founded startups to share and learn best practices to attract investment from venture capital firms and will foster a dialogue between Brazilian and U.S. startups founded by women entrepreneurs of color. Participants will receive both individual and group mentorship three times a week, and the Consulate will follow up with participants and U.S. private sector partners to evaluate new business opportunities as a result of the program.

### Juntos Vamos Por Mas de Cinco — Together, Let’s Go for More Than Five: Strategic Skills for Women Entrepreneurs in Honduras

#### Tegucigalpa, Honduras

U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa will host a one-day conference to promote women entrepreneurship, foster dialogues about strategic skills often unaddressed, and provide women entrepreneurs with best practices for building sustainable businesses that will last beyond five years. In partnership with U.S. firms that are members of the White House’s Call to Action, the Honduran Ministry of Economic Development, the Honduran Council on Private Enterprise, and the Honduran small business development centers (SBDC) network, this conference will also showcase the beneficial prospects of Honduran engagement with the U.S. private sector.

### Women Green the Way for Asia’s Financial Markets

#### Hong Kong, China

Consulate General Hong Kong & Macau along with the University of Chicago Hong Kong and Women in Finance Asia organized a regional forum for women leaders in sustainable finance. This forum brought together leaders at stock exchanges, policymakers, financial institutions, regulators, industry associations, development banks, and civil society from across the Indo-Pacific for a full-day forum at the University of Chicago in Hong Kong and networking events. The forum featured 76 participants from Hong Kong, Cambodia, mainland China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, and the United Kingdom. This conference prepared women to drive change in Asia’s financial marketplace and decarbonize the region. This program also targeted key emerging areas of sustainable finance of most interest to the United States, including the creation of taxonomies, financing needs of developing countries, and incorporating scope three emissions.

### Bishkek Women’s Executive Leadership Forum

#### Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

In partnership with UN Women, the Bishkek Women’s Executive Leadership Forum, and local offices of Coca-Cola and KFC, U.S. Embassy Bishkek hosted 80 businesswomen at a one-day professional development and networking event to advance women’s economic empowerment in the Kyrgyz Republic. With a focus on the corporate sphere, this forum featured both American and Kyrgyz women that hold upper management positions at U.S. companies and strengthened leadership capacity of Kyrgyz companies that can serve as local partners for U.S. firms.

### Empowering ASEAN Women in Artificial Intelligence

#### U.S. ASEAN

U.S. Mission ASEAN and U.S. ASEAN Business Council co-hosted a two-hour hybrid program of women experts in artificial intelligence (AI), leaders serving in governmental and regulatory functions across the region, and those working in various sectors in the U.S. to discuss shared experiences and best practices to overcome biases in AI. This discussion was featured as a side event during the second ASEAN-U.S. Women and Gender Ministerial.

### Linking Women Entrepreneurs with U.S. Supply Chains

#### Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

U.S. Consulate General Jeddah will host a one-day program that will connect Saudi women-led small and medium enterprises (WSMEs) with U.S. firms and other female entrepreneurs. The program will provide 10 established Saudi WSMEs with more information about U.S. firms, enabling them to sell their goods and services to these firms and ultimately become part of these firms’ supply chains.

### Changing the Trajectory of Chadian Entrepreneurs

#### N’Djamena, Chad

U.S. Embassy N’Djamena’s program worked towards creating a self-sustaining network of women entrepreneurs across Chad, facilitating knowledge sharing on best practices to export their goods to the United States. This network will help facilitate increased business activities, commercial promotion, and investment among women-led businesses across the region, particularly in support of American businesses that operate in the U.S. and abroad.

## 2022 and prior POWER Projects

### Elevating Artisan and Market Access Workshop

#### Vientiane, Laos

Embassy Vientiane’s POWER project connected the U.S. private sector with the Lao textile sector.  Their program brought together MM LaFleur designer with Houey Hong Vocational Center to help facilitate a business relationship.  Post also held a Young Designers Workshop on client profile development and market segmentation.  All young designers said the workshop was a once in a lifetime experience, several said they would change how they orient their design process vis-a-vis their target market.  Lao textile sector leaders received a consultation on developing production of ready-made goods in Lao versus exporting raw handwoven fabrics.  They also discussed priorities for attracting premium brands to engage on handwoven textile purchase and production.  The project garnered interest from other American designers looking to use Lao textiles for commissioned couture garments.

### Women’s Economic Empowerment to Address Climate Impacts on Agriculture and Livelihoods in Central America

#### Guatemala City, Guatemala

This POWER project strengthened provided tools and a new knowledge base to indigenous and non-indigenous rural women in the agricultural sector belonging to different agricultural associations and cooperatives in Guatemala through workshops that dealt with producers’ organizations, the power of women to transform society and the rural economy, regulatory frameworks, regenerative and climate-smart agricultural practices in production systems, access to information through digital media, basic accounting, and territorial value chains.  All this with the intention that these knowledge and tools will have a ripple effect in their communities.

### U.S.-ROK-Japan Power Accelerator: Propelling Women Entrepreneurs

#### Tokyo, Japan and Seoul, South Korea

The POWER Accelerator Program was designed to empower female startup entrepreneurs and give them the tools they need to scale up their businesses. It was also intended to increase informal ties between women entrepreneurs in the ROK, Japan, and the United States.  Embassy Seoul and Embassy Tokyo recruited a cohort of 20 women entrepreneurs to participate in the POWER Accelerator Program. POWER participants joined four trainings provided through the U.S. Speakers Program on how to develop a business strategy, market their business, attract financing, and pitch their startup to U.S. audience.   Participants were matched with mentors from U.S. companies who helped them develop their business pitches. The POWER Program culminated in our POWER Pitch Competition, where the entrepreneurs pitched their startup ideas on stage as part of a startup festival.

### Empowering Women in Tech

#### Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Embassy Ulaanbaatar’s Empowering Women in STEM program connected U.S. and Mongolian women science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) entrepreneurs.  POWER funded the program, while the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) U.S. Speakers Program arranged the visit of the headline speaker, NASA rocket scientist and entrepreneur Aisha Bowe.  The program aims to help Mongolian women become more successful and competitive players in Mongolia’s rapidly growing, but male-dominated, STEM fields while simultaneously promoting U.S. entrepreneurship best practices in the tech industry.  Mongolian participants expressed their desire for stronger mentorship and professional exchange opportunities with U.S. women leaders, both to grow their skillsets and overcome systemic challenges for women in the sector.

### Empowering Women in E-Commerce

#### Dhaka, Bangladesh

USAID Bangladesh, with support from the POWER initiative, designed the ‘Empowering Women in E-Commerce’ program, which supported 40 women entrepreneurs engaged in e-commerce activities to enhance their leadership, business, and financial management skills through an eight-day interactive virtual program titled ‘Expanding Online Business through E-commerce and Digital Marketing.’  The virtual program covered key aspects, including developing electronic commerce (e-commerce) business ideas, mechanisms of acquiring formal trade licenses – a requirement to operate a business in Bangladesh legally – and how to acquire bank loans for their businesses.  After completion of the virtual program, selected women entrepreneurs pitched their proposed e-commerce business ideas/ expansions to a panel of judges at the Closing Ceremony hosted by USAID Bangladesh and its program partners.

### Women Entrepreneurs Marketplace

#### Beijing, China

In partnership with the Women Empowerment Council (WEC), U.S. Embassy Beijing co-hosted the POWER Initiative’s 2022 Women Entrepreneurs Marketplace, connecting U.S. businesses operating in the PRC with local women entrepreneurs.  The morning marketplace included an open forum for U.S. businesses to engage with local entrepreneurs and one-on-one procurement meetings.  The event took place on September 22 with thirteen woman-owned business enterprises (WBEs), and twelve procurement officers representing U.S. businesses.  Prominent participating U.S. companies included ConocoPhillips, Cummins, Merck, Albemarle, Hewlett Packard, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and DOW Chemicals.  The POWER Initiative event was followed by a broader forum on diversity and inclusion attended by over 300 in-person guests and over 1,000 virtual participants.  The afternoon forum, hosted by the WEC, allowed marketplace participants to gain insight and context for the value of female business ownership and leadership, supporting the goals of the POWER Initiative 2022 Women Entrepreneurs Marketplace.

### Leveraging the Diaspora to Empower Liberian Businesswomen

#### Monrovia, Liberia

Embassy Monrovia’s POWER project brought together businesswomen in Liberia and in the Liberian diaspora in partnership with the Federation of Business Women and Entrepreneurs for a series of five roundtables to discuss the challenges they face and to develop recommendations for improving the business climate for women.  Participants had robust discussion on their experiences, strategies, ideas, and contacts.

### Engaging Women in the Investment Market

#### São Paulo, Brazil

U.S. Consulate General São Paulo’s POWER project addressed underrepresentation and funding gaps for women-led businesses in Brazil’s startup ecosystem and partnered with several local and U.S. partners to help Brazilian women entrepreneurs succeed in a male dominated innovation market. The program’s 10 participating startups received over 300 hours of knowledge sharing and mentoring, grew revenues and clients by 25 and 33 percent respectively, concluded 18 negotiations, and attracted nearly $4 million worth of investment through a “demo-day” pitch competition.

### Accelerating Women-Led Startups in Brazil

#### São Paulo, Brazil

U.S. Consulate General São Paulo’s POWER project featured panels on finance, sales, digital marketing, and communications, and engaged roughly 1300 participants in a four-day webinar series, exposing them to several cross-regional initiatives aimed to advance women’s entrepreneurial empowerment. The project highlighted the need of government professionals to create and reform existing policies to advance entrepreneurial opportunities and incentives for women, and provided an open channel for women entrepreneurs to network, share best practices, and discuss the vital role of women in economic development.

### Women Tech Founders Program

#### Middle East and North Africa Region

POWER partnered with Google to launch the Women Tech Founders program to provide training, networking, and mentoring from Google’s start-up experts to women tech founders across the Middle East and North Africa. The program launched with a pilot program in 2021 that competitively selected 50 women tech entrepreneurs in the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain to participate, with a launch event that featured Minister level participation from the three countries. The second cohort in 2022 was open to the broader Middle East and North Africa region and again competitively selected 50 women tech entrepreneurs to participate in the training program offered in kind by Google.

### Empowering U.S.-Cabo Verde Women Entrepreneur Partnerships to Lead Pandemic Recovery

#### Praia, Cabo Verde

U.S. Embassy Praia engaged more than 80 participants in a program that provided women entrepreneurs in Cabo Verde with critical information regarding alternative sources and methods of funding, effective networking strategies to connect with the U.S. private sector and helped introduce women-led Cabo Verdean firms to potential U.S. associates. The virtual conference provided attendees with necessary resources and tools to better access credit and network within the U.S. private sector and engaged a diverse range of women professionals in a series of panel discussions.

### Banking and Finance Speaker Series in Egypt

#### Cairo, Egypt

U.S. Embassy Cairo hosted a six-month speaking series that engaged 25 mid and high-level women professionals working in Egypt’s banking and finance sector with women business leaders in the United States. Participants positively reported that they established strong relationships among each other and with their American counterparts and that the program helped break cultural barriers, advanced current women empowerment initiatives, and opened up new business opportunities in Egypt with U.S. financial institutions.

### Expanding Women’s Customer Base for Economic Empowerment

#### Kolonia, Micronesia

U.S. Embassy Kolonia showcased products made by women entrepreneurs and hosted a trade fair to promote women’s empowerment in the agribusiness sector. With roughly 100 participants, the project not only provided women business owners with opportunities to market their products and generate revenue, it awarded hydroponic garden training and resources to five women community groups.

### Mozambique women in tech SELECT USA Mentorship program

#### Maputo, Mozambique

U.S. Embassy Maputo selected three young women entrepreneurs in e-commerce from the Mozambican private sector and funded their entrance fees to participate in Mozambique’s first delegation to the SelectUSA summit, followed by their enrollment in a six-month business mentorship program. At the summit, the three beneficiaries gained an enhanced understanding of U.S. business practices and a heightened level of preparedness to increase internet access and computer literacy in Mozambique.

### Boosting Women’s Entrepreneurship in Mozambique in the Post Pandemic Era

#### Maputo, Mozambique

U.S. Embassy Maputo engaged 100 invitees from the Mozambican private sector, and publicly demonstrated its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, by hosting a Mozambican Women’s Day event. The event featured roughly 30 organizers and United States government officials, effectively championed the inclusivity of women in the Mozambican economy and created a platform for the new American Chamber of Commerce in Mozambique to engage with women-owned businesses across key focus areas within education, agriculture, and health.

### Empowering Women in ICT

#### Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

U.S. Embassy Port Moresby hosted its first ever four-day virtual Empowering Women in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) workshop, engaging Papua New Guinean, Solomon Islanders, Ni-Vans and American women entrepreneurs in activities to network, explore best practices for growth, market opportunities and establish partnerships. The program highlighted cross-regional shared challenges in supporting women’s economic and professional advancement, and successfully demonstrated the need for routine widespread best practice sharing to help overcome gender barriers within the ICT industry.

### IGNITE

#### Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

U.S. Embassy Riyadh’s POWER program brought together established Saudi women entrepreneurs, startup founders, and leaders in the Kingdom’s investment community in a program that engaged roughly 200 participants in five workshops and provided critical insight into best practices and established networks with Saudi and American mentors, investors and peers. The program targeted 40 mid-career Saudi women entrepreneurs with an online “Mini-MBA” program. The second phase of the initiative will provide foundational skills in business management, training in capital sourcing and pitching, and will select participants to travel to the United States to meet with sector specific investment counterparts.

### Promoting Access to the Digital Economy for Women Entrepreneurs in Brazil

#### Brasilia, Brazil

U.S. Embassy Brasilia’s POWER program provided over 100 women entrepreneurs from the beauty, nutrition, fashion, artisan, health, education, consulting, and services industries with an eight-week mentorship program. The program focused on digital solutions and soft skills development. At the end of the initiative, 96 percent of participants reported that the program significantly improved their business management, and three top performers were awarded cash prizes to invest in their enterprises.

### Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium on Tourism (WEST)

#### Vancouver, Canada

U.S. Consulate General Vancouver hosted nearly 70 participants in a half-day virtual symposium, which underscored the United State government’s commitment to an inclusive economic recovery and bolstered regional cross-border partnerships in the culturally and economically interconnected Pacific Northwest region. The program featured two panels – one that highlighted indigenous voices in entrepreneurship and stressed the significance of resilience, community and mentorship, and another that discussed broader themes of the Building Back Better framework and citing financing as a common challenge.

### Woman-Powered Coffee Summit

#### San Jose, Costa Rica

U.S. Embassy San Jose hosted a two-day summit, which exposed nearly 90 Costa Rican women coffee farmers to best post-harvest practices in an effort to advance their market readiness and earning potential. Several women buyers and roasters from the United States also benefited from the program as they diversified their supply chains, improved marketing opportunities via personalized stories, and reached a customer base willing to pay a premium for a product that produces positive social outcomes in Costa Rica.

### Hai Sai & Aloha: Bolstering Okinawa’s Post COVID Eco-Tourism Industry

#### Okinawa, Japan

U.S. Consulate General Naha facilitated a formal mentorship program between Okinawa-based women eco-focused entrepreneurs and Hawaii-based women executives in similar industries and created a forum that highlighted best practices for overcoming cross-regional gender barriers and post-COVID economic resilience within Hawaii’s ecotourism industry. The program hosted five Okinawan mentees, and Hawaii-based women executives and provided them with critical insight on community leadership and maximizing potential opportunities, and simultaneously expanded their networks into the Okinawan market.

### Exposing Coastal Ecuadorian Women Entrepreneurs to U.S. Corporate Values and Opportunities

#### Guayaquil, Ecuador

U.S. Consulate General Guayaquil hosted a one-day women’s entrepreneurship seminar that connected women entrepreneurs of Ecuador’s coast with women business leaders of the United States. The program featured a range of panel discussions and showcased core U.S. corporate values, best practices to navigate U.S.-Ecuador trade laws, customs, and tax codes, inclusion and diversity, brand trust and transparency, and corporate social responsibility. It successfully provided a space for its 100 participants to discuss frameworks that will help advance their businesses within the formal economy.

### Empowering Businesswomen and Female Entrepreneurs to Benefit from the AfCFTA and AGOA

#### Accra, Ghana

In partnership with the International Trade Centre, Howard University’s Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership, Howard University’s Center for African Studies, and members of the United States government, U.S. Embassy Accra hosted a virtual event that engaged women business owners and leaders in Ghana with several experts from a range of disciplines including gender, trade, and business. The program provided critical insight to 100 participants and raised awareness about the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) with ways to maximize such resources along their pathways to export success.

### Women in Fintech: Empowering the Next Generation

#### Jakarta, Indonesia

U.S. Embassy Jakarta hosted roughly 160 attendees and convened 10 senior women executives in finance, financial technology, entrepreneurship, and the digital economy to empower and support Indonesian women entrepreneurs. The program received positive feedback from beneficiaries as it provided them with best practices for funding and micro-lending, sector-specific opportunities and resources, and spaces to network and build solidarity.

### Tackling the Climate Challenge with Rural Women Entrepreneurs

#### Athens, Greece

U.S. Embassy Athens hosted a two-day virtual event that reached roughly 100 attendees, and featured 29 Greek, European, and American experts in a series of presentations and interactive workshops. The program supported Greek women startup founders and entrepreneurs with necessary skills to leverage cloud-based applications, explore cross-regional challenges, and strengthen their transatlantic networks and market opportunities. It also offered an eclectic mix of presentations and provided a space to advance gender within the tech entrepreneurial ecosystem, with subject areas ranging from best practices for pitching to venture capitalists to the importance of participating in ethical tech practices.

### Cameroon Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum

#### Yaounde, Cameroon

U.S. Embassy Yaoundé live-streamed a one-day forum that featured five workshops, garnered over 4,000 views, and hosted 40 in-person attendees from across Cameroon’s 10 regions. Designed to increase U.S.-Cameroonian commercial linkages, the program equipped participants with networking and investment opportunities among women-led businesses, as well as access to resources and training on business development. The program also engaged participants with key U.S. commercial contacts interested in exploring future trade missions to Cameroon, and successfully introduced a new trade center in Maryland targeted to partner with program beneficiaries.

### Pre-Incubation Program for Women In Fintech

#### Tunis, Tunisia

U.S. Embassy Tunis’ Women in Fintech Program (WIFP) advanced quality fintech startups led by Tunisian women entrepreneurs in primarily underserved regions and provided eight women with critical insight and resources necessary to better support their entry into the market. 20 participants benefited from roughly 20 hours of workshops, webinars and mentorship from a range of key stakeholders, investors and potential partners within what the program calls its ‘startup ecosystem.’

### International Women’s Day: Turning Towards the Future

#### Casablanca, Morocco

Attended by more than 400 in-person and 650 virtual participants and covered nationally on several different media outlets and printed press articles, U.S. Consulate General Casablanca successfully hosted its women entrepreneurship forum, which provided women business owners with opportunities to network and share best practices. The program featured a range of workshops, expert speakers, and networking events, and provided its beneficiaries with knowledge sharing and guidance on traditionally difficult aspects of running a business. The program significantly gave the Association of Businesswomen of Morocco (AFEM) more widespread recognition as the lead organization for women entrepreneurs in Morocco.

### Women in Sustainable Fashion

#### Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

U.S. Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City brought together experts from Vietnam, Bangladesh, the United States, Europe, Hong Kong, Canada and several other countries, and showcased the vital role of women leaders in improving water sustainability in the apparel industry. Through interactive panels and roundtable discussions, the program engaged roughly 200 participants with women experts in finance, manufacturing, and sustainability, and provided them with key resources necessary to navigate critical issues and networks within the sector.

### Empowering Women to Lead in ASEAN’s Financial Sector and Financial Institutions

#### ASEAN

U.S. Mission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) successfully explored the under-representation of women in financial institutions, strategies to increase women’s participation in the sector, advocated for business and regulatory environments that support women’s economic empowerment, and promoted women’s access to business development resources throughout the region. The virtual webinar hosted over 4300 virtual participants, and as a result of the program both the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council and the ASEAN Women’s Entrepreneurship Network have expressed interest in supporting further U.S. government initiatives advancing women’s economic empowerment in Southeast Asia.

## Indonesian Inter-Island Empowerment Accelerator

#### Surayaba, Indonesia

U.S. Consulate General Surabaya will host a three-month “Eastern Indonesia Inter-Island Empowerment Accelerator” to empower women in the fishery industry.  The program will bring together 12-15 women leaders working in the industry to identify means to increase business activity, drive exports, and develop fair and equal regulatory policies in high-potential fisheries, seafood, and aquaculture sectors.  As part of this work, Indonesian and American business women  will work together in identifying areas of collaboration to strengthen the aquaculture sectors.  As an outcome, participants will develop a business plan on collaborative ways to expand business opportunities and support U.S.-Indonesian economic activities.

## How to Pass the Silicon Valley Coding Interview: Women’s Edition – Regional Program

#### Jerusalem, Israel

U.S. Embassy Jerusalem will support the first ever last-meter talent development program to connect female software engineers in the NEA region with U.S. tech companies.  The program will work to better prepare female engineers to pursue business and job opportunities in tech and ICT sectors. Overall, females are underrepresented in the software industry.  This program enables female software engineers to better navigate job and entrepreneurial opportunities in the tech industry.  Outcomes include building stronger and inclusive workforces to support U.S. businesses in the region and building a global network of female software engineers.

## Enduring Success for Women in the Arizona/Sonora Mining Industry

#### Nogales, Mexico

U.S. Consulate General in Nogales, Mexico will work with the Mining Cluster of Sonora and Phoenix-based WorldWise Coaching LLC to organize an event focused on opportunities for women in the mining industry across the binational and bi-state “Mega Region” of Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.  The one day conference for up to 100 women in the mining industry will raise awareness of U.S.-Mexico cross-border business opportunities and serve as a catalyst for an ongoing mentorship program.   The program will also highlight the new labor reforms in the USCMA agreement and how they can best be used to promote women’s economic stability.

## POWER Showcase Bazaar- Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs #SPAIN

#### Madrid, Spain

U.S. Embassy Madrid will partner with  U.S. businesses to showcase products from women entrepreneurs in Spain.  The program will work closely with alumni of USG entrepreneurship programs such as the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE).  In addition, participants will explore ways to strengthen supply chains and procurement processes for local vendors and U.S. companies.  This program will strengthen the network of women entrepreneurs and facilitate engagement with American businesses and local resources, including but limited to the American Chambers of Commerce, investors, and others from the entrepreneurship community.

## Femme-preneurs in ICT – Roundtable

#### Pristina, Kosovo

Through a two-day roundtable event with women entrepreneurs from Kosovo and the United States, U.S. Embassy Pristina plans to connect women leaders from both countries to compare business models, explore financing challenges, and exchange best practices. As access to finance is vital to local women entrepreneurs, the roundtable will highlight success stories, explore financing resources, and tools that translate to the local context.  The roundtable would also serve as a networking event between local and U.S. businesses. Participants will explore new partnerships and methods of cooperation during the workshop. Targeted sub-industries include: FinTech, eHealth, Software and Web Development, and Big Data analysis.

## Maker to Market Forum

#### Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

U.S. Embassy Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan will host the virtual event “Maker-to-Market Forum” to bring together Kazakh artisans with U.S. businesses interested in sourcing handmade products. The forum will empower women across Kazakhstan in developing their entrepreneurial skills, while learning how to adapt to an international market.  This forum will be the first phase of a larger project to develop an online platform/forum to facilitate supplier-buyer connections.

## Empowering Professional Women to Drive Innovation in STEM Fields in Ecuador

#### Quito, Ecuador

U.S. Embassy Quito will train 50 early stage women tech entrepreneurs and engineers through a six-week seminar series on how to transfer innovation to market as a means to drive innovation between Ecuador and the U.S.  The program will also pair participants with women entrepreneurship networks and women-run tech and STEM-related businesses to mentor them on marketing business ideas, while also creating a network of young women in tech and STEM fields.

## Women in EdTech Connect,  Developing U.S.-Jamaica Business Networks Post COVID-19

#### Kingston, Jamaica

Through a series of virtual engagements leveraging digital platforms, U.S. Embassy Kingston will host a program to mentor and create networks between female-led digital education startups in the U.S. and Jamaica by building on existing networks of female EdTech business leaders in the U.S.  Given the growing demand for digital learning solutions in the context of COVID-19, this program will target female edupreneurs and help them take their business endeavors to the next level. Ultimately, this project will contribute to bilateral economic relations by developing lasting female U.S.-Jamaica private sector connections and facilitating market access in an increasingly critical industry.

## 37 Degrees Latitude:  Empowering Women Entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley to Melbourne through COVID-Resilient Business Planning

#### Melbourne, Australia

U.S. Consulate Melbourne will host a conference focused on supporting U.S. and Australian economic recovery from COVID-19 by uplifting dozens of women-owned businesses.  By the end of the conference, these businesses will have actionable COVID-resilient business plans and new personal connections to inspire women entrepreneurs and opportunities to collaborate.  The conference will also be a bridge into the Australian and East Asian Pacific markets for U.S. businesses, providing the opportunity to showcase and market their business planning and technology services.

## Female Tech Entrepreneurs: Preparing for Greece’s Cloud-Based Tech Future

#### Athens, Greece

U.S. Embassy Athens and U.S. Consulate Thessaloniki will host the two-day forum “Women Tech Entrepreneurs: Raising Venture Capital to Prepare for Greece’s Cloud-Based Future”.   This forum will bring together Greek women working in various sectors of the technology industry with American counterparts to explore challenges faced in expanding their technology businesses and accessing capital. This forum will help women focus on the tools needed to leverage cloud-based applications. The forum will  strengthen the transatlantic network of women in technology while also supporting Greek-U.S. business opportunities in the cloud-computing market.

## Gabon Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum

#### Libreville, Gabon

African diaspora and specialty confection sectors in the United States repeatedly show more demand for genuine African foods, handicrafts, and business partnerships. U.S. Embassy Libreville will host a one-week “Gabonese Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum” to enable emerging Gabonese female entrepreneurs the resources and access to U.S. business networks that will  strengthen the bilateral commercial relationship.  This forum will include sharing examples of best practices, providing strategies to overcome challenges in the Gabonese business environment, and informing local businesses of U.S. import requirements and partnership opportunities. This project aims to build export capacity by creating sustainable linkages between Gabonese and American partners.

## Women in Finance Diwaniya

#### Kuwait City, Kuwait

Embassy Kuwait will host a women-in-finance virtual event that will bring together mid- and senior-level women in the business sector. Outcomes include: (1) support women’s participation in the local banking sector and advance women working in finance and the important sub-field of fintech, (2) help U.S. firms develop a strong network with local partners to be able to enter the Kuwait market, (3) foster an international network between emerging female leaders in Kuwait and established experts in fintech from the U.S. and, (4) expand the nascent women in finance professional network which the U.S. Embassy helped create.

## Women in Wine

#### Paris, France

Embassy Paris will host a one-day forum convening American and French women winemakers to explore challenges they both face in the traditionally dominated “man’s wine world.” Outcomes include: (1) highlight best practices, (2) help establish a strong transatlantic network, (3) create market opportunities in France for American wine, which produced by American women, and (4) identify policy issues to support women entrepreneurs within this sector.

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## Past Projects

Find projects prior to January 20, 2021.

Tags

ArmeniaAzerbaijanBahrainBrazilBureau of Economic and Business AffairsEconomic AffairsFranceIndonesiaIsraelKuwaitMarshall IslandsMexicoMontenegroNigeriaOffice of Commercial and Business AffairsSeychellesSouth SudanSri LankaWomen's IssuesWomen’s Economic Empowerment

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