AWE’s Story
To augment the existing slate of projects focused on women and economic empowerment, the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) launched the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a new program supporting the growth of women entrepreneurs around the world. AWE was developed to support the White House-led Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative, which is designed to empower women worldwide to fulfill their economic potential, creating conditions for increased stability, security, and prosperity for all. The target is to reach 50 million women by 2025 by promoting an enabling environment that reduces barriers and facilitates women’s participation in the economy.
AWE’s sustainability is built on ECA’s wide-ranging and diverse exchange programs. Localized partnerships around the world will amplify the course experience and provide opportunities for women to continue advancing as leading entrepreneurs.
AWE’s reach extends across Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and other regions where promoting women’s economic empowerment is a principal U.S policy priority. AWE is committed to providing women the knowledge, networks, and access they need to turn their ideas into reality.
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Knowledge
AWE is centered around DreamBuilder, an online training program on women’s entrepreneurship developed through a partnership between Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Management and global copper mining company Freeport-McMoRan, for women with brilliant ideas to engage in U.S-style education with guided facilitation and from local alumni, women business leaders, and key interlocutors to ensure business development. As of 2018, it is available in over 65 countries, with over 100,000 learners worldwide. The DreamBuilder Network, established by alumnae, continues to build a national network of business advisors that have become key partners in U.S. entrepreneurship promotion activities.
Within movie-like participatory modules, learners complete basic components of business planning including:
- Outlining business objectives
- Refining a prototype
- Sales & marketing
- Developing partnerships
- Securing funding
- Managing resources
Currently available in English and Spanish, multiple U.S. Missions around the world have successfully used DreamBuilder to reach women entrepreneurs from underserved communities. This step-by-step framework is an engaging and interactive tool for women entrepreneurs ready to start their own business, or those who already own a business and want to develop their skills in a variety of areas.
AWE Eastern Caribbean
The U.S. Embassy Bridgetown has expanded the AWE program to the Eastern Caribbean:-
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Barbados
- Saint Lucia