Updated May 1, 2025

The Cultural Property Advisory Committee will meet May 20-23, 2025 (90 FR 17114) to review a new request for cultural property import restrictions from Vietnam and to review the proposed extensions of the cultural property agreements with Chile, Costa Rica, Italy, and Morocco. The Committee invites public comment on these agenda items.

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The State Department follows the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) when considering cultural property agreements and import restrictions. Requested categories of material will be considered if they meet the criteria for archaeological and ethnological materials in the CPIA.

Vietnam

Vietnam seeks protection for archaeological and ethnological materials from ca. 75,000 BCE to 1945 CE, from the following time periods and cultures: Paleolithic (c. 75,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE), Neolithic period (c. 10,000 BCE – 2,000 BCE), Bronze Age (c. 2,000 BCE – 1,000 BCE), and Iron Age (c. 1,000 BCE – 200 CE), the Ancient period (2,879 BCE - 179 BCE), Northern domination period (179 BCE – 939 CE), and the Dynasty and Monarchy period (939 – 1945 CE) including objects made from gold, silver, ceramic, stone, metal, copper, bronze, iron, bone, horn, ivory, gems, silk and textiles; lacquerware and wood; bamboo and paper; glass; coins; and painting and calligraphy.

Chile

Extending the Chile MOU would continue import restrictions on categories of archaeological material ranging in date from approximately 31,000 B.C. to 1868 A.D.

Costa Rica

Extending the Costa Rica MOU would continue import restrictions on categories of archaeological material ranging in date from approximately 12,000 B.C. to the time of the establishment of Hispanic culture in Costa Rica (approximately 1550 A.D.).

Italy

Extending the Italy MOU would continue import restrictions on categories of archaeological material ranging in date from approximately 900 B.C. to 400 A.D.

Morocco

Extending the Morocco MOU would continue import restrictions on categories of archaeological material ranging in date from approximately one million B.C. to approximately 1750 A.D. and certain ethnological material from the Saadian and Alaouite dynasties, ranging in date from approximately 1549 to 1912 A.D.

Public Comments

The public may provide written comment in advance of the meeting and/or register to speak in the virtual open session scheduled for May 20, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Public comments on the cultural property agreements should focus on the four determinations in the CPIA.

How to submit written comments: Use regulations.gov, enter the docket DOS-2025-0003 and follow the prompts to submit written comments. Written comments must be submitted no later than May 13, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Written comments may also be submitted to the Committee through culprop@state.gov.  

How to make oral comments: Make oral comments during the virtual open session on May 20, 2025 (instructions below). Requests to speak must be submitted no later than May 13, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

Join the Virtual Open Session

The virtual open session of the Committee meeting will be held on May 20, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) using Zoom.

To speak: Registered participants can speak and may be asked questions by the Committee. If you wish to register to speak you must submit your name and organizational affiliation in an email request to culprop@state.gov by May 13, 2025. After you pre-register you will receive an email response with a unique link and instructions on how to participate. Due to time constraints, each participant will have no more than five minutes to speak.

To observe: Anyone may observe the open session through Zoom, but they will not be able to speak. It is not necessary to pre-register to observe. If needed, please request reasonable accommodation by email to culprop@state.gov no later than May 13, 2025. It may not be possible to fulfill requests made after that date.

Zoom Information: https://statedept.zoomgov.com/j/1612671370?pwd=sS06CCt3FasXiAMLlaVMeDz1Al8eAb.1

Article by Elina Salian, a VSFS intern with the U.S. Department of State, currently studying Economics at George Washington University.

Where others saw piles of discarded plastic, Nicole Mugoli Menemene saw potential. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where waste management systems tend to be underdeveloped, Nicole turned her personal commitment to sanitation into a business that combines innovation with social impact. With support from the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program in the DRC, Nicole has expanded her business, Plastycor, to work toward transforming the waste landscape in her country into a sustainable environment.

Nicole’s inspiration for Plastycor initially came from her mother who instilled in her the importance of proper sanitation and waste management often neglected in their community. After years of advocating for personal responsibility in waste disposal, Nicole met with two Ugandan innovators using recycled plastic for homebuilding, which inspired her business vision of repurposing waste. In 2019, Nicole founded Plastycor, a business that recycles plastic waste into furniture, home decor, and even structural material for walls and houses.

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Nicole sitting on a Plastycor bench made from recycled plastic waste.

To further expand Plastycor, Nicole joined the AWE program in 2023 to develop her skills as a business owner. As part of the DRC AWE cohort, Nicole gained tools to grow Plastycor, learning essential business and marketing skills such as financial planning, strategy development, effective organizing, and communication skills. Nicole credits the AWE program as a turning point in her entrepreneurial journey. “AWE gave me a new and better way to think about my business,” she shares. Before joining AWE, Nicole says she lacked structured planning and financial management skills. Through AWE’s masterclasses on the DreamBuilder platform and individualized mentorship sessions, she learned how to set clear objectives, manage her resources efficiently, and create a roadmap to grow and sustain Plastycor.

Nicole now oversees three permanent full-time staff members and over 30 volunteers. Beyond production, Plastycor also offers sanitation and green entrepreneurship training, empowering young people and women to take action on waste problems while building community.

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Nicole (second from left) with fellow Plastycor workers cleaning up waste at Lake Kivu in Bukavu, DRC

In October 2024, through a partnership between the AWE program and Harvard Business School, Nicole participated in a fully-funded, two-week training program at Harvard University. Selected as one of 20 women entrepreneurs from the DRC to attend the training, Nicole gained insights from world-class professors and connected with fellow women entrepreneurs in discussions. “The Harvard experience broke barriers for me. It showed me the endless possibilities for my business,” Nicole reflects. Upon returning to the DRC, Nicole changed how she approaches young people about becoming involved in waste management. She decided to show her community the positive impact of waste management on unemployment and well-being rather than advocate for assistance in managing waste in the neighborhood. Since implementing this new strategy, Nicole has cultivated new partnerships with local youth and is increasingly called to provide community training.

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Nicole (right) holding one of her products made from plastic waste at Harvard University

Nicole’s experience at Harvard also opened doors for her to collaborate with fellow social impact entrepreneurs in Africa. Nicole connected with a waste management expert in Côte d’Ivoire, and she plans to build partnerships that foster knowledge-sharing across borders.

Plastycor is driving sustainable development in the DRC and Nicole envisions a future where her business plays a leading role in cleaning up cities, creating jobs, and inspiring a new generation of social entrepreneurs. Her dream is for Plastycor to become a globally recognized business that contributes significantly to waste management solutions across Africa. “As you make an impact in many lives, you gain true richness,” Nicole says.

Nicole credits AWE with giving her the skills and networks needed to actively grow Plastycor and change the environmental and economic landscape of the DRC. Her advice to aspiring business women? “AWE is for those who are committed to taking action. It’s the best program to help you transform your ideas into impact.”

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs is an initiative under the U.S. government’s Department of State that equips women with the professional skills, networks, and resources needed to launch and scale their businesses. The program supports women like Nicole in developing their businesses using the DreamBuilder platform designed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management in collaboration with Freeport McMoRan Foundation and the help of program implementers. AWE offers programs in nearly 100 countries and has empowered nearly 25,000 women worldwide. Nicole participated in the first AWE DRC cohort, which supported 100 women throughout the DRC.

For more information about the AWE program in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, visit https://awedrc.com/about-awe-drc/.

Updated January 7, 2025

Updated February 3, 2025 

The Cultural Property Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for February 4-6, 2025, has been postponed and will be rescheduled. A Federal Register Notice regarding postponement will be published soon. 

Members of the public who registered to speak during the February 4 open session with the Committee will be contacted directly and will have the opportunity to speak during the rescheduled open session. There will also be an opportunity for other individuals to sign up to speak at the rescheduled open session. 

Written public comments already submitted to regulations.gov have been saved and the Committee will review them as part of their preparations for the rescheduled meeting.  There will be another opportunity to provide written comments to the Committee via regulations.gov in the lead-up to the rescheduled meeting. 

Please check this webpage as well as the Federal Register Notice regularly for further details regarding the rescheduled Cultural Property Advisory Committee meeting.   

Background 

The Cultural Property Advisory Committee was scheduled to meet February 4-6, 2025 (89 FR 106722) to review a new request for cultural property import restrictions from Vietnam and to review the proposed extensions of the cultural property agreements with Chile, Italy, and Morocco.  

The State Department follows the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) when considering cultural property agreements and import restrictions. Requested categories of material will be considered if they meet the criteria for archaeological and ethnological materials in the CPIA. 

Vietnam

Vietnam seeks protection for archaeological and ethnological materials from the Paleolithic ca. 75,000 BCE to 1945 CE, from following time periods and cultures: Paleolithic (c. 75,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE), Neolithic period (c. 10,000 BCE – 2000 BCE), Bronze Age (c. 2000 BCE – 1000 BCE), and Iron Age (c. 1000 BCE – 200 CE), the Ancient period (2879 BCE - 179 BCE), Northern domination period (179 BCE – 939 CE), and the Dynasty and Monarchy period (939 – 1945 CE) including objects made from gold, silver, ceramic, stone, metal, copper, bronze, iron, bone, horn, ivory, gems, silk and textiles; lacquerware and wood; bamboo and paper; glass; coins; and painting and calligraphy.

Chile

Extending the Chile MOU would continue import restrictions on categories of archaeological material ranging in date from approximately 31,000 B.C. to 1868 A.D.

Italy

Extending the Italy MOU would continue import restrictions on categories of archaeological material ranging in date from approximately 900 B.C. to 400 A.D.

Morocco

Extending the Morocco MOU would continue import restrictions on categories of archaeological material ranging in date from approximately 1 million B.C. to approximately 1750 A.D. and certain ethnological material from the Saadian and Alaouite dynasties, ranging in date from approximately 1549 to 1912 A.D.

Public Comments  

The public may provide written comment in advance of the meeting and/or register to speak in the virtual open session scheduled for February 4, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. EST.  

Public comments on the cultural property agreements should focus on the four determinations in the CPIA.  

How to submit written comments: Use regulations.gov and follow the prompts to submit written comments. Written comments must be submitted no later than January 27, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST.  

How to make oral comments: Make oral comments during the Virtual Open Session on February 4, 2025 (instructions below). Requests to speak must be submitted no later than January 27, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. 

Join the Virtual Open Session 

The virtual open session of the Committee meeting will be held on February 4, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. (EST) using  Zoom. 

To Speak: Registered participants can speak and may be asked questions by the Committee. If you wish to register to speak you must submit your name and organizational affiliation in an email request to culprop@state.gov  by January 27, 2025. After you pre-register you will receive an email response with a unique link and instructions on how to participate. Due to time constraints, each participant will have no more than five minutes to speak.  

To Observe: Anyone may observe the open session through Zoom, but they will not be able to speak. It is not necessary to pre-register to observe. If needed, please request reasonable accommodation by email to culprop@state.gov no later than January 27, 2025. It may not be possible to fulfill requests made after that date.  

Article by Elina Salian, a VSFS intern with the U.S. Department of State, currently studying Economics at George Washington University.

Sawe, or “warrior,” is not just a business name for Catherine Sawe – it’s a family title that embodies her determination to provide care and comfort to cancer patients in Uganda. With support from the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program, Catherine channeled her experience in art and design into a successful fashion business that has transformed her community.

Catherine, a former painter and art gallery manager, first ventured into fashion when she could not find African kids wear for a friend’s child. This led to the conception of Sawe Creations, where she designs custom clothing for children. Then, when one of her friends fell sick with cancer, she was inspired to use her fashion business to address the needs of patients in Kampala. She visited the Uganda Cancer Institute, where she found outpatients living in a makeshift camp without adequate food or beds. Initially visiting on weekends to provide fruits and chapatis funded from her clothing sales, her outreach quickly grew into a full-scale operation. Since January 2024, she has provided over 70,000 meals, feeding around 200 patients daily.

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Patients and their families lining up for a meal at the Uganda Cancer Institute camp

Catherine’s business is not just about a one-time exchange; she emphasizes the importance of interacting with the community to respond to their struggles. When she heard one woman suffering from cervical cancer voice her worries about traveling home on a bus after receiving treatment in Kampala, Catherine designed and created reusable, waterproof underwear to make the journey more comfortable. When another patient expressed his inability to eat meat due to losing his teeth, Catherine gave him dentures so he could experience chewing meals again. Catherine also leads the Pink Stripe Campaign, which donates wigs to breast cancer survivors. These products go beyond practicality; they are symbols of care, empathy, and understanding.

Catherine saw a need in her community and wanted to enact change but initially hesitated to formally expand her business. The AWE program helped her overcome concerns over taxation documents, registration, and permits by teaching her how to take on these tasks and instilling her with confidence. “AWE was the best decision I ever made. They taught me everything, from bookkeeping to pricing and registration.”

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Catherine at the graduation ceremony of the AWE program, wearing one of her dress designs

Equipped with knowledge from AWE on setting up a business bank account, publishing a website, and conducting proposal writing, Catherine was able to approach other companies for wholesale purchases as her operation grew. For clothing, she contacted a nearby factory with 30 tons of Ugandan cotton byproduct that would otherwise go to waste and used it for her clothing. For food, she contacted a large local market and formed a relationship to receive a considerable discount for vegetables and fruits.

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Catherine providing meals and food at the outpatient camp of the Uganda Cancer Institute

Looking forward, Catherine is excited about future opportunities to expand her impact, including registering as an NGO, tapping into international markets like the U.S., and holding charity fashion shows where patients will walk the runway. Although starting her business was at first challenging, she found her footing and confidence with the AWE program. She remains focused on her mission to bridge the gap in healthcare for patients in Uganda: “There’s so much women can do to transform healthcare here,” she says, acknowledging that women entrepreneurs are essential to addressing social issues faced by communities like hers.

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Catherine at the storefront of Sawe Creations

Her advice to fellow women entrepreneurs wanting to enter the AWE program and start a business with a social focus? “Go for it. Take time to study the need around you. You can make an impact, and it starts with the people around you.”

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs operates under the U.S. Department of State to equip enterprising women with the professional skills, networks, and access they need to launch and scale successful businesses. The program helps women like Catherine launch their businesses using a cutting-edge U.S. business platform developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management. AWE offers programs in nearly 100 countries and has empowered over 25,000 women worldwide - including more than 600 women entrepreneurs in Uganda.

For more information about AWE, visit: https://eca.state.gov/awe.

Article by Elina Salian, a VSFS intern with the U.S. Department of State, currently studying Economics at George Washington University

From June 10-13, 2024, the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) hosted the AWE4Ukraine Summit, organized by the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Coordinated by the U.S. Government and its partner, CEED Slovenia, the Summit allowed Ukrainian women business owners currently living around Europe to further their professional expertise, extensive networks, and a sense of community.
 

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AWE alumni attending the Welcome Reception of the AWE4Ukraine Summit in the City Hotel, Ljubljana

Attendees engaged in keynote presentations, networking and community-building discussions, and peer-to-peer sharing sessions. The Summit supported business development tactics with an overarching goal of supporting Ukrainian refugees around Europe and revitalizing Ukraine’s economy through empowering women’s entrepreneurship. 

The Summit sought to strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit by having the attendees learn, inspire, share, and connect with each other. The AWE4Ukraine Summit signified that these women business owners are not only capable entrepreneurs equipped with knowledge from the AWE program, but they are also changemakers in the economic reconstruction of Ukraine. The Summit also demonstrated the U.S. commitment to global economic security and prosperity. By promoting economic empowerment among these alumni, the Summit aligns with broader policy goals of stabilizing and revitalizing Ukraine’s economy through inclusive growth and support for women-led businesses. 

Some of the women participated in the AWE program in Ukraine but were forced to relocate to neighboring countries due to Russia’s invasion. Esma Abdurakhmanova, a Ukrainian chemist currently living as a refugee in Poland, founded an eco-friendly skincare brand called Holy Tree. Named with the life, stability, and connection that trees symbolize in mind, the product was inspired by her desire to create a natural beard balm for her partner. Drawing from her family’s beekeeping business and her advanced studies and background in chemistry, she developed a product that combines her natural, high-quality ingredients with her expertise. 

For Esma, the AWE4Ukraine Summit changed her mindset on how she approaches leadership. She noted that being surrounded by like-minded Ukrainian women with similar experiences “reaffirmed the strength of community and reinforced the importance of mutual support and shared goals.” She also cited the overwhelming support that the women offered each other as a stand out of the Summit.

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Esma Abdurakhmanova (9th from the left) holding her award for Breakthrough Women Entrepreneur for her product, Holy Tree

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Esma Abdurakhmanova (left) holding her award for Breakthrough Women Entrepreneur for her product, Holy Tree

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Esma Abdurakhmanova (left) holding her award for Breakthrough Women Entrepreneur for her product, Holy Tree

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Olena Vales posing at the Welcome Reception of the AWE4Ukraine Summit

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Olena Vales (right) connecting and networking with Summit attendees

As the women continue to build and scale their companies, the Summit underscored the importance of supporting women-led businesses to drive economic recovery in Ukraine. Esma sees Holy Tree contributing to the future of Ukraine by employing Ukrainians living in Poland and at home. Lena similarly plans to expand her business and work with Ukrainian kids and adults in the future. She also encourages any women considering the program to join: “It will change your life, your mindset, you will have a very supportive community of women around you.”

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On September 5, 2024, the Interagency Cultural Heritage Coordinating Committee conducted its third quarterly meeting. The meeting was chaired by Scott Weinhold, Senior Bureau Official of the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which chairs the committee and serves as its secretariate.   

The session opened with an update from the FBI’s Art Crime Team, reporting on the August 29, 2024, repatriation of various cultural artifacts to Vanuatu in a public ceremony at the opening of the new U.S. Embassy Port Vila in Vanuatu, attended by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Campbell. This repatriation included five culturally significant relics containing human remains which were illicitly trafficked into the United States from Vanuatu and several other countries. The FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Rapid arranged for transportation of Vanuatu’s heritage by partnering with FedEx and the U.S. Coast Guard to reach the remote, Pacific-island nation. During the ceremony, Deputy Secretary Campbell emphasized the United States' deep respect for cultural heritage and the importance of the repatriation, marking a significant moment in the ongoing efforts to return cultural treasures to their rightful homes. 

The Smithsonian Institution began their portion of the meeting by delivering a brief update to the ongoing and active monitoring of damage to Ukrainian cultural heritage. The Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (SCRI) research team has conducted a series of rapid site reports, focusing on institutions such as the Museum of History and Archaeology and the Museum of Hryhorii Skovoroda. They also support HEMO (Ukrainian Heritage Monitoring Lab) and have undertaken numerous expeditions, including 20 in Kharkiv, one in Lviv, one in Dnipro, and one in Zaporyzhzhya. Additionally, they are delivering direct aid to cultural heritage institutions in Ukraine, including shipping portable power stations to museums in need.  

The Committee then discussed reports of extensive damage to regional cultural heritage impacted by ongoing conflicts, including religious sites, buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, depositories of movable cultural property, monuments, museums, and archaeological sites.  

Additional updates from CHCC member agencies included Colonel Scott Dejesse from the Army Monuments Officers, who spoke about the capabilities of 38G Civil Affairs Specialists. Representatives from the Smithsonian Institution and the Department of State's Cultural Heritage Center recently met with the group at Fort Liberty, North Carolina to discuss interagency cooperation on implementing the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. 

During an open discussion, Jake Archer from the FBI, chair of the TWG, announced an upcoming quarterly meeting and discussed the success and need for upgrades to the CPEOC (Cultural Property Experts on Call) program. Mentioning also the progress on the Cultural Property Artificial Intelligence image recognition tool and a remote sensing network.  

The Committee then discussed reports of looting from the National Museum in Khartoum and other threats to Sudan’s cultural heritage as part of the ongoing conflict. In closing, SBO Weinhold noted the excellent participation and input from the interagency team in organizing the meeting and to expect that the Cultural Heritage Coordinating Committee will reconvene in December.  

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Hosting an international exchange student benefits everyone involved. Your entire family will learn about a new country and culture without leaving home. Host families and exchange students share daily life, meals, and holidays. They discuss current events in their respective communities and explore cross-cultural perceptions and values. This intimacy creates lasting relationships that ultimately shape the United States' reputation abroad.

“We are honored to have such an incredible person as an exchange student. She delights us with her wit, grace, and kindness every day. Inviting Aqsha into our home has been one of the best things we have ever done.” - Host Mom

"My host family […] welcomed me to their home and treated me like their own daughter. They gave me not only a place to stay and live my exchange, but they also gave me the sense of belonging here. They made everything more beautiful, opened my eyes to things in life I never noticed before, and took me to places I used to dream about. They are not only my family, but also the people to whom I should be thankful for inspiring me and for making my experience ten times more special and beautiful." - YES Student

Each year, the U.S. Department of State sponsors about 1,700 high school students from around the world to spend the academic year in America, living with volunteer host families and attending a local high school.  Visit hosting.state.gov to learn more about hosting one of our amazing inbound FLEX, YES, and CBYX students and to request a local placement representative to contact you.

On July 11, 2024, the U.S. Cultural Antiquities Task Force (CATF), coordinated by the U.S. Department of State, held a virtual training workshop for law enforcement officials from the United States to enhance their knowledge of paleontological resources and build their capacity to protect those materials by disrupting trafficking in them.  Paleontological resources, especially dinosaur fossils, are highly prized among collectors.  Unfortunately, aspects of the market are supported by illicit trade that relies on looting from dig sites and theft. 

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This training was the ninth in an online series of anti-trafficking workshops supported by the CATF and organized by the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum Conservation Institute and Office of Global Affairs, in collaboration with CBP, FBI, HSI, and NPS.  These workshops support a whole-of-government approach and provide law enforcement with knowledge and capabilities to help identify, investigate, and prosecute some of the most-trafficked and vulnerable categories of cultural property.   

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New Delhi – On July 26, 2024, the U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti and Govind Mohan, Secretary, Indian Ministry of Culture, signed a Cultural Property Agreement in the presence of Indian Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and staff from the U.S. Department of State’s Cultural Heritage Center.   

The U.S.-India Cultural Property Agreement is the culmination of nearly two years of collaboration between officials from both nations, including substantial progress made during India’s 2023 presidency of the G20, and supports commitments by President Biden and Prime Minister Modi to protect cultural heritage. The agreement was concluded under the 1970 UNESCO Convention on Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, as implemented by the U.S. Cultural Property Implementation Act.  The new agreement will prevent illegal cultural property trafficking, facilitate the return of illegally exported items, and promote the lawful exchange of India’s rich cultural heritage for cultural, educational, and scientific purposes.   
 
Ambassador Garcetti stated at the signing ceremony: “With this agreement, India joins the ranks of 29 existing U.S. bilateral cultural property agreement partners.  We are proud to reach the milestone of 30 bilateral cultural property agreements worldwide with our trusted partner India.”  He also congratulated the Government of India for hosting UNESCO’s 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, noting that by hosting this important meeting, India demonstrates its commitment to not just protect its own cultural property but to also assist other countries in doing the same. 
 
Cultural property agreements are implemented by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and play a crucial role in deterring the illegal trade of cultural artifacts and streamlining the process for returning looted antiquities to their countries of origin. The United States remains steadfast in its commitment to protect and preserve global cultural heritage and to combat trafficking in cultural property.  
 

Written by Alena Anderson, an intern with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. 

In 2023 and 2024, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and U.S. Embassy Mexico City collaborated with AT&T Mexico on ECA’s Academy for Women Entrepreneurs’ (AWE) local and national pitch competitions.  Now operating in more than 100 countries, the Department established AWE in 2019 to provide women entrepreneurs the knowledge, networks, and access they need to launch or scale successful businesses. 

Each year in March, graduates of the AWE program in Mexico come together to pitch their business ideas and compete for grants to further advance their businesses.  Through U.S. Embassy collaboration with AT&T Mexico, AWE participants had the exciting opportunity to pitch their business ideas to U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar and AT&T Mexico representatives, including CEO Monica Aspe, Daniel Rios, Assistant Vice President, External Affairs & Sustainability, and Fabiana Porta Lopez, Vice President, Marketing.   The top three winners of the 2023 and 2024 national pitch competitions shared their experiences with AWE, the competition, and thoughts about the future of their businesses. 

Luz Castillo won first place in the 2024 national pitch competition with her business, Kaiseki, which sells organic products such as home gardening kits and recycled paper notebooks sewn by hand.  Kaiseki’s mission is to have its customers feel more connected to nature and to appreciate the beauty and simplicity of life while simultaneously motivating them to take care of nature. 

Castillo noted, “When I decided to enroll in AWE, I never imagined everything it would bring to my life” (translated from Spanish). 

Castillo’s participation in AWE and the pitch competition allowed her to connect with other women entrepreneurs, gain confidence, and strengthen her public speaking skills.  On winning first place in the pitch competition, she said, “When they said that I had won first place, I confess that I could not believe it, it will be a moment that I will not forget because the fact that the qualifying jury has seen the potential of my venture, is something too big...I am very grateful because this is a great stimulus to continue believing and working to make my business grow” (translated from Spanish).  With the AT&T Mexico funds awarded through the competition, Castillo began selling her products in more than seven states, is currently processing her products to be sold on Amazon, and will soon customize Kaiseki’s online store to offer an easier shopping experience.  

The 2024 second-place winner, Karen Rostro, won with her business, Omankal, which produces honey wine and promotes local sustainable beekeeping.  Winning the competition and funding gave Rostro’s business greater security and helped her business gain national and international reach.  Although Rostro won the funds, she acknowledged that, “We had all already succeeded just by meeting each other and having the honor of being evaluated by people with a lot of experience in business” (translated from Spanish). 

Rostro used AT&T Mexico’s seed funds to purchase professional winemaking equipment, which has already helped her increase production volume, decrease production time, simplify cleaning processes, and enable easier packaging.  After the competition, Rostro also collaborated with one of the judges who invited her to sell Omankal products in his restaurant.  

Elizabeth “Liz” Escalante came in third place with her business, Happyfeed, an online service that provides information and courses on pets’ nutrition and diet.  Happyfeed was inspired by Escalante’s own love of pets and her desire for more pet owners to be aware of the importance of a pet’s nutrition.  She expressed that being an entrepreneur can be lonely at times, especially when starting a business alone, so sharing her business experience through AWE and the AT&T Mexico-sponsored pitch competition with other women experiencing the same situation was very inspirational.  Thanks to the AT&T Mexico pitch funds, Escalante invested in trademarking her brand and hiring a business mentor, which allowed her to make great progress in a short time period.  She is proud and thankful for AWE opening her eyes to the possibilities of expanding her business to new levels, including seeking international reach for her products in Canada, North America, and Latin America.  

The winners from the 2023 pitch competition, Julia Asunción Virgilio Hernández (1st place, Recicladora Camelitas), Ixzi Juliza Flores Hernández (2nd place, CAD Centro Educativo Psicologico), and Luz Angelica Castro Jiménez  (3rd place, Apotheke Custom Made Organics) shared similar experiences to this year’s winners on gaining valuable knowledge of business strategies, strengthening their confidence, and practicing other useful skills that will improve their businesses’ futures.  Their businesses span several industries, including recycling and conservation, pediatric neurodevelopmental disorder services, and personal care products.  

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Image above shows United States Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, surrounded by the 2023 winners and other participants of the U.S. Embassy Mexico City’s AWE and AT&T Mexico national pitch competition.

These three women noticed a measurable difference in their businesses’ capacity to expand and increase production thanks to winning the AT&T Mexico pitch competition funds.  Julia Asunción Virgilio Hernández described her experience as eye-opening; she gained more knowledge on how to manage her business successfully.  Luz Angelica Castro Jiménez expressed: “Since my participation, a sense of self-control took over the way I am developing my business and the pathway I want pursue.  There is nothing but positive in this experience!” (translated from Spanish) 

The pitch competition winners’ experiences in AT&T Mexico and AWE Mexico’s collaboration allowed them to not only win the grant funds, but also gain confidence, meet other women entrepreneurs, and expand their networking opportunities to have a wider audience for their businesses.  By participating in AWE, these women are also Exchange Alumni, which allows them to join a community of others who have participated in U.S. government-sponsored programs and have access to an abundance of resources to support their businesses.  AT&T Mexico’s collaboration with AWE helped these start-up businesses achieve successes early on in their careers.