A two-day boot camp for 25 selected women entrepreneurs from Northeast India was orgainised at the American Centre in Kolkata on November 12-13 as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) by the the US Consulate Kolkata in partnership with Shillong-based non-profit Asian Confluence, it stated.

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) programme, funded by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA), is implementing AWE in over 50 countries globally and has engaged with more than 5,000 women entrepreneurs despite pandemic challenges.  

The US Consulate General Kolkata-led AWE programme marks the first AWE in India, which has supported 150 early-stage entrepreneurs and business owners from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Nagaland through a structured online education from the University of Arizona’s Dream builder course. This included guided facilitation from alumni and business leaders, as well as technical sessions with the Nexus Incubation Hub at the American Center in New Delhi, it stated.

Addressing the gathering, Consul General Melinda Pavek said, “The United States believes strongly in women’s empowerment through entrepreneurship, and stands firmly for women’s equality, and inclusion in all public endeavors. These are challenging times indeed, but an opportunity for us to show the strength and depth of our bilateral relationship. I am proud of the way we at Consulate Kolkata have continued to adapt our programmes to support entrepreneurs in our region. Keeping in mind that women in particular face increased challenges during these times, we have stepped up our efforts to support and mentor women entrepreneurs.”

It further stated that the programme, which kicked off in November 2020, has so far provided Dream builder certification to 80 women entrepreneurs. The Dream builder online course was developed by Freeport-McMoRan in partnership with Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University, a world leader in international management education. 

"While the programme had to shift to a virtual platform, we were able to organise three in-person workshops in Dimapur, Shillong, and Imphal with strict adherence to Covid protocol and safety measures. The grand finale brings together, for the first time, 25 top entrepreneurs from the Northeast who will participate in a shark-tank styled business pitch session which will be evaluated by a jury panel. Top performers will be awarded seed funding and/or entry slots as part of the January 2022 cohort of the Nexus incubation programme at the American Center in New Delhi," it added.

Nexus is one of the top business incubators in India, offering unparalleled networking, mentoring, and funding opportunities to Indian start-ups. In four years of operation, the Nexus start-ups have gone on to raise over $19.5 million USD and concluded deals with over 70 US companies.

The US Consulate General Kolkata will also launch the second edition of AWE for 75 early-stage entrepreneurs in Bihar and Jharkhand on November 19.  The US Consulate Kolkata, Asian Confluence, and other partners of the AWE platform will continue to support women from the East and Northeast India, in their entrepreneurial journeys through alumni engagement opportunities, grant opportunities, and several other programmes supported by the US Mission and other development partners across the region, it added.