ASU’s Thunderbird School, State Department expand support of women entrepreneurs

PHOENIX — Arizona State University and the U.S. Department of State are launching a partnership to expand participation in a program that supports entrepreneurial women.

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs is a collaborative initiative between ASU’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, operating in about 100 countries. 

“We must be intentional to make progress in three key areas: the empowerment of women, digital inclusion, good governance and democracy,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in a recent press release. 

The partnership also helps Thunderbird move closer to its goal of reaching 100 million learners — 70% of whom will be women and young women, according to the 100millionlearners.com program. 

“When you provide women entrepreneurs with the tools to start and grow small businesses and social enterprises, you invest not only in the woman, but also in her family, employees, community and country,” said Sanjeev Khagram, director general and dean at Thunderbird. 

The program is currently implemented by 20 U.S. missions in sub-Saharan Africa, and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs expects the academy to expand to Cameroon, Eswatini, Lesotho and Somalia. 

The academy was started as an exchange program in 2019 to help women launch or scale businesses and has served 25,000 female entrepreneurs around the world. 

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