US Consulate Kolkata hosts Bootcamp for women entrepreneurs of Tripura

AGARTALA: The US Consulate General Kolkata, in partnership with a Kolkata-based NGO, organized a two-day state-level Bootcamp of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program here on Tuesday, as part of its global mission to engage more than 25,000 women entrepreneurs from 50 countries.

In a statement, U S Consulate said that the program identified early-stage women entrepreneurs from Tripura and Mizoram in the Northeast, and provides rigorous training in the basics of business, marketing strategies, and personalized mentoring from industry professionals.

It aimed to support women entrepreneurs from the two geographical regions through US-style knowledge sharing, training, and network-building. In 2020, Consulate General Kolkata launched the AWE pilot program in India, and since then, the program has continued to reap dividends for women across the country, it stated.

AWE participants have continued to develop partnerships, built specific skills, and explored funding opportunities with the help of public-private partnerships to scale their businesses. This includes giving participants access to the online “Dream Builder” training program, created by Arizona State University.

More than 40 women entrepreneurs from Tripura and 5 business mentors and experts from Assam, West Bengal, and Tripura took part in the training on textiles, handicrafts, handlooms, food production, sustainability, and jewellery to have years of professional experience in guiding start-ups and supporting their growth.

Addressing the gathering virtually, the Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Consulate, Kolkata, and the director of the American Center in Kolkata, Elizabeth Lee, said, “The United States believes in gender equality, equity, and access to resources for shared goals of prosperity, stability, and peace.”