On March 7, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) launched the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a new initiative supporting women entrepreneurs around the world.
The Academy, in support of the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, will equip women with the practical skills needed to create sustainable businesses and enterprises. Through an inclusive learning community, women from around the world will be given opportunities to explore the fundamentals of business, including creating business plans and raising capital, with the goal of building a better future for families and communities around the world. Women participating in AWE will have access to DreamBuilder, an online course on women’s entrepreneurship developed through a partnership between Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Management and U.S. global mining company Freeport-McMoRan.Participants will engage in facilitated lessons on business management and network with like-minded entrepreneurs and mentors in their regions and the United States.
Participants will gather weekly in person to discuss the topic after each participant views the Dreambuilder session online. Meeting together allows participants to network and learn from one another and significantly increases overall completion rates. A facilitator will serve as the grantee and lead the in-person discussions.
Embassy personnel and alumni from U.S. government programs, or contacts at relevant NGOs and partner organizations, can augment the DreamBuilder modules as guest speakers. These individuals may also be able to mentor and further impact AWE participants.
