Corporate Ambassadors Program

"Egypt Corporate Ambassadors Program- June 2009"

Thank you for allowing me to participate in such an extraordinary experience. I loved every minute of it! The women were so open, enthusiastic about their businesses, ready to try new things, eager to give of themselves and wonderfully warm to me. I had several very intimate moments with some of them as they revealed their hopes and dreams, challenges and triumphs, and listened to mine. I was privy to seeing them bridge their own cultural divides – city versus village, those veiled and not. I am so moved by them.

–Isisara Bey, Egypt 2009 Corporate Ambassador

The Association for Women’s Total Advancement and Development (AWTAD) successfully hosted its second Corporate Ambassadors Program from June 9 to 10th in Cairo, as part of its activities under the Middle East and North Africa Businesswomen’s Network (MENA BWN) with the support of the U.S. State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and Vital Voices Global Partnership. The purpose of this program is to bring executives and business professionals from the U.S. and the MENA region together for high level exchanges aimed at business growth and global networking.

“I think we can all agree that economic growth without women’s participation is not sustainable. As we face shared challenges and the threat to prosperity posed by the recent economic crisis, we must now redouble our efforts to develop women’s skills, and maximize their contributions to our economies which are critical to ensuring their sustainable success and growth,” said U.S. Ambassador Margaret Scobey as she opened the program on June 9th. She echoed U.S. President Obama’s words, during his recent visit, in support of women. “Successful entrepreneurs in any economy thrive through networks built on trust. Networks in which they are supported by groups of stakeholders who help them build their businesses. Networks like this one,” she added. She also touched on the significance of the session topics in the Egyptian context and commended AWTAD’s great work.

This year’s program in Cairo featured three dynamic Corporate Ambassadors: Isisara Bey, vice-president of programs and education of Count Me In and “journey agent” for Make Mine a Million $ Business; Catherine Mott, founder and CEO of BlueTree Allied Angels; Saskia Strick, CEO and founder of International Checkout. Julie Fasone Holder, senior vice president, chief marketing, sales and reputation officer of Dow Chemical Company, virtually attended as guest speaker for the event’s videoconference luncheon.

Attracting more than 120 businesswomen and men, entitled Surviving and Thriving under Turbulent Times aimed to set a road map particularly for small and growing businesses on coping with the global economic crisis. It highlighted coping mechanisms, professionally and personally, and introduced innovative business ideas, namely angel investments and e-commerce, that otherwise do not exist in Egypt, as avenues for entrepreneurs to take a more active role in developing the Egyptian economy. "It is true that the effects of the crises differs from one country to the other and from one industry to the other but we all have to have a tool kit to survive and a contingency plan to face the unexpected," says Shereen Allam, president and founder of AWTAD.

During each session on the first day, the U.S. Corporate Ambassadors were paired with Egyptian counterparts to help apply each topic to the local context, including a videoconference talk about how Ms. Holder dealt with turbulent economic times. The second day of the program included a series of specialized workshops, focused on the mental and personal development of businesswomen. Isisara Bey’s Make Mine a Million $ Business intensive workshop created bonds, shared experiences among the attendees and nurtured confidence and knowledge. This was followed by Mirqah Learning & Development, focusing on the development of individual learning processes; and L’Eve Institute, focusing on reaching a mind, body and soul balance.

The response to the conference has been extremely positive and participants left enthused with innovative ideas and a renewed sense of confidence as businesswomen. Interaction between AWTAD members, participants, and Corporate Ambassadors cultivated new business strategies, coping mechanisms during economic crises, and a strong bond between businesswomen across regions. AWTAD will continue to spearhead events and initiatives in Egypt and collaborate with BWN Hubs in the region in order further empower businesswomen.

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