The U.S. Embassy launched the fourth Pakistan cohort of its “Academy for Women Entrepreneurs” (AWE) program at the Lincoln Reading Lounge at the National Library of Pakistan. Bettina Malone, Minister Counselor for Public Affairs, launched this year’s cohort, which is set to empower 150 participants from Lahore, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, and Karachi.
The AWE entrepreneurship program includes peer-to-peer learning and local mentorship to help participants build their businesses and seek innovative scaling opportunities. This worldwide U.S. Department of State training program supports women across the globe in building their businesses, harnessing the power of public-private sponsors, local partnerships, and U.S. Exchange Alumni networks to help their businesses grow. AWE is driving prosperity in communities in more than 100 countries. In Pakistan, this program empowers women to realize their economic potential and increase prosperity for all.
During her remarks, Malone discussed the need to support women entrepreneurs, noting, “When women are successful, communities prosper, and countries thrive.”
With mentoring and guidance from established Pakistani entrepreneurs, the 150 participants in AWE 2024 will undertake a rigorous three-month online training program developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and American natural resource company Freeport McMoran. Through AWE, participants learn core business skills and meet weekly to discuss their learning with experienced local mentors and U.S. experts. AWE is designed to cultivate entrepreneurial know-how, help women entrepreneurs connect with funding opportunities, enhance opportunities for business expansion, and increase the likelihood of entrepreneurial success.
Five of the U.S. Mission to Pakistan’s Lincoln Corners in Lahore, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi will lead AWE Pakistan 2024 with support from the Pakistan American Cultural Center. Toward the end of their AWE journey, participants can compete for seed funding from the U.S. Mission to Pakistan to further grow or establish their enterprises. Upon completion, participants will join the global AWE network, which offers further growth opportunities and the community of U.S. exchange program alumni.
To learn more about AWE, please visit https://eca.state.gov/awe or see the attached factsheet.
