About Economic Empowerment
Current & Past Projects
Empowering Women to Build Sustainable Businesses Globally
The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) gives enterprising women the knowledge, networks and access they need to launch and scale successful businesses. By promoting women’s economic opportunities and ensuring that women have the capabilities and resources needed to participate in the economy
About Us
The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is a U.S. government initiative that aims to support women in entrepreneurial ventures globally. It was launched by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) in 2019. AWE provides women with the tools, resources, and networks to start and grow their businesses.
The program uses DreamBuilder, an online platform developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management, which offers free business training. AWE is designed to create economic opportunities for women, enabling them to strengthen their communities. It combines an inclusive online curriculum with localized mentorship, helping women access networks and business skills in various countries.
Our Partners









Program Impact
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We partnered with Engage Jamii Initiatives, a grassroots organization in Kajiado, to offer entrepreneurship training to survivors of gender-based violence in Nairobi and Kajiado County. Participants were trained on how to save and how to start a business.
We partnered with Film Fupi, an initiative of the US Embassy, and the Youth Film Platform, where we offered three days of training on entrepreneurship and life skills to young film makers in Nairobi County.




About AWE Kenya
In Kenya, the AWE program is equipping women with the practical skills needed to create sustainable businesses. It seeks to promote economic prosperity by creating opportunities for women with brilliant ideas to become successful entrepreneurs. The main sponsors of AWE Kenya are the State Department, ECA at State, and US Embassy Kenya, which will be implemented by Ushindi Empowerment in 2022. The project is currently ongoing, and thus far Kenya has trained over 600 women by 2024, with the Ushindi Empowerment Group implementing three of these cohorts in 2022. The counties covered include Nairobi, Machakos, Malindi, Kisumu, Nakuru, Lamu, and Mombasa.