KUALA LUMPUR: The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has announced the launch of its first-ever regional summit for the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in the Indo-Pacific region and welcomed more than 200 businesswomen from Brunei, Fiji, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Part of broader U.S. efforts to engage in people-to-people diplomacy, AWE provides women with the knowledge, networks, and access they need to launch or scale successful businesses in communities and countries worldwide. It boasts a global network of 25,000 women.
The Summit, which runs from March 6-9 and is hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, leverages interactive workshops led by American businesswomen, key engagements from Malaysian and U.S. Government officials, networking opportunities for Summit participants, and a visit to a local business accelerator to strengthen and advance women-led businesses across the Indo-Pacific region.
Nancy Wang, General Manager, Amazon Web Services and Venture Partner at Felicis, will deliver the Summit’s keynote address on International Women’s Day, Wednesday, March 8. In addition, Rekha Pai, an angel investor and partner at Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund, will spearhead interactive workshops focused on financing, addressing different avenues for funding a business, and designing winning business pitches for investors throughout the Summit.
The Biden Administration has outlined that the Indo-Pacific is a strategic geographic region for U.S. foreign policy engagement as part of its National Security Strategy, and this AWE Summit supports broader U.S. engagement in the region.
