Funding Opportunities at Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE)

To augment the existing slate of projects focused on women and economic empowerment, the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) established the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in 2019. AWE provides women entrepreneurs with the skills, resources, and networks needed to start and scale successful businesses.

Through AWE, women entrepreneurs participate in a facilitated entrepreneurship program supplemented with localized content, as well as networking and mentorship opportunities. AWE is typically centered around the online training program, DreamBuilder, developed through a partnership between Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and global copper mining company Freeport-McMoRan. The program equips women with the tools needed to create and grow their own businesses, raise capital, and effectively network with other successful business owners.

AWE was developed to support the White House-led Women’s 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.