# BISNIS WELCOMES RUSSIAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

 

BISNIStrade specialists and a SABIT representative hosted seven Russian womenbusiness leaders at the USA Trade Center in the Ronald Reagan Building onOctober 20. The visitors were in Washington for the Business Women’s Network(BWN) Global Business Summit, which       provided an opportunity tonetwork, share information, and increase knowledge of how business is conductedaround the world. SABIT and BISNIS briefed the women on their activitiesand discussed issues of interest to the visitors as well as possibilities forcooperation.

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The visitors work for private companies and nonprofitorganizations in Russia that help promote small business development, greaterprofessionalism, and the position of women in the workplace. 

The group included:

¨     NataliaPetrova, vice-president of the **WomenEntrepreneurs Association of Russia**, which holds conferences and conductssome 20 programs that help women start businesses, get jobs, and succeed in theworkplace; 

¨     NataliaAbramova, a journalist for the **SaratovBroadcasting Co.**, who has organized numerous journalistic projects onwomen’s issues and economic development; 

¨     TatianaMikheeva, co-director of the Moscow office of **TechCare Systems Inc**., a Redwood, City, California-based companythat makes pharmaceuticals, diagnostic kits, and lab equipment, and an alumnusof the SABIT program; 

¨     IrinaRazumnova, chairwoman of **Guildia SmallBusiness Development Center**, which operates a business school, conductstraining workshops on small business development in Russian regions, andorganizes courses by foreign specialists on management, and is currentlyworking to promote the creation of home-based businesses in Russia; 

¨     ElenaFedyashina, director in Russia of the **Allianceof American and Russian Women**, which conducts a business incubator programin the Novgorod region to assist emerging entrepreneurs, a customer servicetraining program in Moscow, and a mentoring program; and

¨     AikaJaxybayeva, managing partner and cofounder of **Prime Standard**, a Russian accounting and tax firm in Moscow, who iscreating a small business forum in Russia to promote networking and informationexchanges between small companies operating in Moscow. 

The group was accompanied by Anna Mironova of **Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP** inWashington, DC. 

 

BISNIS & Ukrainian Women

On October 21, BISNIS’ Juliana Kinal joined a panel ofspeakers addressing 12 Ukrainian businesswomen who attended the BWN summit.Together with representatives of **ACDI-VOCA**and **Winrock International**(Morrilton, AK), Juliana spoke about BISNIS programs that assist Ukrainianbusinesses. The women—the directors of a publishing house, a hotel, a school ofdesign, a clothing manufacturing firm, two food processing plants, anadvertising agency, and a travel agency—came from five Ukrainian cities (Lviv,Kherson, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Cherkasy) and were sponsored by the U.S.-UkraineFoundation. The foundation runs the Community Partnerships Program, which pairs18 Ukrainian and U.S. cities, establishing relationships through internships,homestays, training, and joint projects. 

 

*To contact the **U.S.-Ukraine Foundation**, call (202)347-4264, fax (202) 347-4267, or email: [email protected].*

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# OrganizationContacts

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Alliance of American and RussianWomen****

**New York office: 212-730-5082 (tel)**

**Email: [email protected]**

**Moscow office: +7 (095) 349-0554 (tel/fax)**

**Email: [email protected]**

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Women Entrepreneurs Association ofRussia****

**Tel: +7 (095) 143-5755**

**Email: [email protected]**

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Guildia Small Business DevelopmentCenter****

**Tel: +7 (095) 290-1110**

**Fax: +7 (095) 291-9077**

**Email:[email protected]**