Twenty women entrepreneurs from the eastern and northeastern parts of the country were part of an idea-pitching boot camp held by the US consulate general Kolkata, in partnership with the Aroh Foundation and Nexus Start-up Hub, at American Center, New Delhi.
The final leg of the event, which included two days of workshop, took place at the American Center, Kolkata, on Friday. Entrepreneurs from West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and other states joined the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs’ (AWE) Finale, a part of the US Department of State’s Global Development Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative.
Harkesh Kumar Mittal, chairman of Startup India Seed Cell Committee, was the guest of honour at the event.
The US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (BECA) established the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) as an exchange programme in 2019. Implemented in nearly 100 countries since 2019, AWE has empowered an estimated 25,000 women entrepreneurs around the world with the skills they need to reach their full economic potential.
The idea pitching session
The entrepreneurs were selected from the previous three cohorts of AWE. They were provided with skill-building training on evidence-based entrepreneurship (market research), business model innovation, technology adoption, entrepreneurial finance, essentials of business plan and pitching techniques during the acceleration programme.
“We all were in a year-long programme and it was enriching in many ways. The participants were from diverse groups and varied businesses. It was great,” said Mohana Chattopadhyay, who runs a Kolkata-based secure digital infrastructure-providing company.
Drishti Medhi, an entrepreneur from Assam, was also among the participants. “We had an incredible time and a great learning experience. US consulate Kolkata spent a considerable amount of time for all of us and in many ways, the process was rewarding,” said Medhi, who runs a company that provides maintenance services such as plumbing and electrical work.
U.S. Consul General Melinda Pavek addressing the entrepreneurs
Addressing the entrepreneurs in the valedictory session, US consul-general Melinda Pavek said: “The US consulate in Kolkata has continued to adapt programmes to support entrepreneurs in our region. We aim to promote the US-India spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship with a focus on women’s economic empowerment. The United States believes strongly in women’s empowerment through entrepreneurship and stands firmly for women’s equality and inclusion.”
“During the last 18 months, women entrepreneurs trained under AWE 1.0 and 2.0 have raised cumulative funding of 50 million rupees and counting,” Pavek said.
At least five women entrepreneurs selected by the jury will receive incubation support in one of the leading incubators and a stipend award worth $5,000.