Inside IVP: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs

In September, the World Affairs Council was honored to welcome twelve Cambodian women entrepreneurs to Seattle on an international exchange program in partnership with the State Department’s Office of International Visitors. This group attended meetings and workshops with local organizations and women business owners that introduced the visitors to various strategies, programs, and opportunities to empower women to succeed in their entrepreneurial pursuits.

During their local Seattle program, the Cambodian women entrepreneurs attended a workshop led by Whitney Keyes, Founder and CEO of WK Productions. Ms. Keyes covered topics such as leadership, strategic vision, joining social enterprise with market-driven business approaches, and crafting one’s personal brand. These topics initiated profound dialogue about the differences between men’s and women’s leadership, workplace power dynamics, bargaining and negotiating capacities, and work/life balance. As female leaders in largely male-dominated industries, the women benefited tremendously from the insight Ms. Keyes shared in her interactive workshop.

The visitors later met with Business Impact Northwest (BIN), a non-profit economic development organization that serves under-banked and underserved communities. The visitors were eager for more information detailing how BIN successfully promotes and sustains new start-ups in the Pacific Northwest through its Women’s Business Center (WBC) and Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). Kerrie Carbary, a BIN project manager and business coach, identified women-owned business challenges and shared viable opportunities for new entrepreneurs to receive help with business planning, marketing, financial planning, and expansion. This was valuable information for many of the participants who were looking to export new ideas and knowledge that would benefit other women entrepreneurs in Cambodia.

On a tour of Pike Place Market, the visiting entrepreneurs learned about its history and management structure. The women spoke with vendors about their experience operating in the market and were moved by their passion and enthusiasm. To cap off the tour, the group rang in the opening bell to a crowd of cheering vendors. The visitors made additional local connections during their program through conversations with the Women Business Owners, City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development, and at a networking event hosted by the Seattle-Sihanoukville Sister City Association and the Cambodian American Community Council of Washington.

Thank you to all of the individuals and organizations who created such a welcoming and impactful experience for these Cambodian women! They left Seattle inspired by the city’s support structures for small businesses, mentoring opportunities for women entrepreneurs, and energetic spirit of economic innovation.