Article by Roni Kane, former intern with the U.S. Department of State, currently studying International Studies and Film, TV and Media at the University of Michigan.

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Vietnamese AWE alumna Mai Nguyen Thi Tuyet launched her company to produce products from banana fibers, one of the world’s strongest natural fibers. (Photo courtesy of Mai Nguyen Thi Tuyet)

[Vietnam, May 2023] Banana trees cover 370,000 acres of land in Vietnam, and with its warm tropical climate that allows the sweet, yellow fruits to flourish year-round, Vietnam has become a major exporter of bananas — both in Asia and across the world.  But one woman entrepreneur in Hanoi, the capital city, is less interested in selling bananas than she is in using banana trees as a means for sustainable material for textile production.

Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Exchange Alumni Mai Nguyen Thi Tuyet launched her business, Hanin Inc., in 2019 alongside three other co-founders.  Mai and her partners purchase banana fibers — water-resistant fibers that come from the stem of the banana tree and are one of the strongest natural fibers in the world — from local Vietnamese banana growers.  They then leave the fibers out to dry before processing them into yarn, which can be used to craft anything from purses and baskets to bracelets and lampshades.

Banana fiber has garnered attention as an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fibers — like polyester, rayon and nylon — for creating textile products in recent years.  Banana trees only produce fruit once before they are cut down or left to decay, meaning the leaves and stem of the plants typically become waste on banana farms.  Because the fibers Mai uses to craft her products come from the stems, her business model helps reduce this waste.

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Thousands of individual banana fibers hang on metal poles to dry before Hanin Inc. can transform them into yarn and other textile products. (Photo courtesy of Mai Nguyen Thi Tuyet)

Mai said the idea for the business came from her 12-year-old daughter.  A couple of years ago, Mai said her daughter told her about her dream of becoming a fashion designer.  At the time, Mai was 38-years-old and was looking for a passion project that would help her find “Ikigai” — a Japanese concept that means one’s life-purpose, or their “reason for being alive.”  Mai said the phrase Ikigai is also used to describe a symbiotic relationship between the human race and the natural world.

“We can also understand ‘Iki’ means ‘people’ and ‘gai’ means nature, motherland,” Mai said.

So when her daughter’s dream inspired her to consider a future career in fashion design, Mai said she was able to turn to the U.S. Department of State’s AWE program to develop a company that would embrace both beauty and sustainability.  As a part of the 2023 AWE cohort, Mai said the program encouraged her to think critically about entrepreneurship strategies and business tactics for the first time.

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A variety of the custom products that Mai can create with banana fibers — from decorative pieces to purses — were displayed at the AWE regional summit. (Photo courtesy of Mai Nguyen Thi Tuyet)

The AWE program uses the DreamBuilder online learning platform — which was designed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation using a cutting-edge U.S. business curriculum — to help program participants complete a set of modules on everything from product innovation to marketing.  Mai said working through the modules alongside the rest of her cohort instilled a sense of community in her.

“DreamBuilder opened the door for me with my start-up,” Mai said.  “I accessed and learned from many useful modules and developed my network with other women who are creating an impact in Vietnam.”

Mai said she felt especially connected with the AWE community on an international level when she attended the first regional AWE Summit, which took place in Malaysia in March.  She said getting to meet so many women who are passionate about entrepreneurship was inspiring.  There was a shared sense of accomplishment — since all of the attendees had completed the AWE program — but each woman had her own experiences and perspectives on entrepreneurship, which Mai explained made the summit so enriching.

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AWE Exchange Alumni Mai Nguyen Thi Tuyet (second from left) connected with other AWE alumni from the Pacific Islands at the AWE Summit in Malaysia in March for International Women’s Day. (Photo courtesy of Mai Nguyen Thi Tuyet)

“It is fascinating, the strong connection between us when we all grew up in [different] countries,” Mai said.  “And then we all graduated from AWE and ended up in the same place.  I felt very inspired and motivated to keep moving forward with my business.”

After returning to Vietnam, Mai said she and the other three co-founders of her company are working to set up meetings with companies in China and the Philippines that use banana fiber for textile products.  She said the summit highlighted the value of international cooperation for her and she plans to strengthen the ties between her company and others with similar missions around the world going forward.

In a way, her journey in entrepreneurship reminds her of the banana trees she has come to cherish, Mai said.  Like a banana tree, Mai said she worked to seize the moment when she saw an opportunity to “bloom,” which has led her to establish Hanin Inc. — the fruits of her labors and her lifelong legacy.

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Mai hopes to learn more about how banana fibers are processed and used in other countries in order to refine the Hanin Inc.’s process. (Photo courtesy of Mai Nguyen Thi Tuyet)

“Nature is like a human — there is a cycle of life from seeding to maturation and then the cycle repeats again,”  Mai said.  “But a banana tree is different, it will flower and bear fruit only once in its lifetime.”

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs operates under the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, and helps women like Mai build their business acumen and have the knowledge, networks and access to launch and grow their own businesses.  Thanks to a partnership with Arizona State University and the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, AWE currently offers programs in nearly 100 countries and has empowered roughly 25,000 women worldwide.  Since its launch in Vietnam in 2022, the program has helped more than 80 Vietnamese women entrepreneurs redefine their life’s purpose and turn their business dreams into reality.

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The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce 170 higher education institutions in 37 states and the District of Columbia have received the designation of Fulbright Top Producing Institution for having the highest number of candidates selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student and Fulbright U.S. Scholar Programs.

Fulbright Top Producing Institutions are grouped by Carnegie Classification, and represent the range of institutions engaging with the Fulbright Program and ensuring its broad impact on American communities across the country. 

Lee Satterfield, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, commended the honorees: “Fulbright’s 2023-24 Top Producing Institutions represent the diversity of America’s higher education community. Dedicated administrators, faculty, and advisors support students and scholars to fulfill their potential and rise to address tomorrow’s global challenges through the Fulbright Program. We congratulate them, and all the Fulbrighters who are making a positive impact across the world.”

The institutions with the highest number of U.S. Scholars within their classification were California State Polytechnic University, Kirkwood Community College (Iowa), Middlebury College (Vermont), the Pennsylvania State University, Salem State University (Massachusetts), and Western Washington University. Oregon Health & Science University, and Chief Dull Knife College (Montana) were also recognized as top producers among special focus institutions and tribal colleges, respectively. Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals who teach or conduct research in affiliation with institutes abroad.

The institutions with the highest number of U.S. Students within their classification were Bowdoin College (Maine), Georgetown University (District of Columbia), the University of North Georgia, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Illinois).  Fulbright U.S. Students are recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals who participate in study/research exchanges or serve as English teaching assistants in local schools abroad.

Twelve institutions had the distinction of being a top producer of both Fulbright U.S. Students and U.S. Scholars: Arizona State University, Bowdoin College (Maine), the George Washington University (District of Columbia), Middlebury College (Vermont), North Carolina State University at Raleigh, Reed College (Oregon), Rollins College (Florida), School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Illinois), the University of Alabama, University of Maryland - College Park, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, and University of Southern California.

For more information and stories about the Fulbright Top Producing Institutions, and to view the full list of institutions, visit the Fulbright Top Producing Institutions website.

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges.

Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support.

Interested media should contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at eca-press@state.gov.

fulbright_tpi_-_three_badges.jpg

The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce 170 higher education institutions in 37 states and the District of Columbia have received the designation of Fulbright Top Producing Institution for having the highest number of candidates selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student and Fulbright U.S. Scholar Programs.

Fulbright Top Producing Institutions are grouped by Carnegie Classification, and represent the range of institutions engaging with the Fulbright Program and ensuring its broad impact on American communities across the country. 

Lee Satterfield, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, commended the honorees: “Fulbright’s 2023-24 Top Producing Institutions represent the diversity of America’s higher education community. Dedicated administrators, faculty, and advisors support students and scholars to fulfill their potential and rise to address tomorrow’s global challenges through the Fulbright Program. We congratulate them, and all the Fulbrighters who are making a positive impact across the world.”

The institutions with the highest number of U.S. Scholars within their classification were California State Polytechnic University, Kirkwood Community College (Iowa), Middlebury College (Vermont), the Pennsylvania State University, Salem State University (Massachusetts), and Western Washington University. Oregon Health & Science University, and Chief Dull Knife College (Montana) were also recognized as top producers among special focus institutions and tribal colleges, respectively. Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals who teach or conduct research in affiliation with institutes abroad.

The institutions with the highest number of U.S. Students within their classification were Bowdoin College (Maine), Georgetown University (District of Columbia), the University of North Georgia, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Illinois).  Fulbright U.S. Students are recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals who participate in study/research exchanges or serve as English teaching assistants in local schools abroad.

Twelve institutions had the distinction of being a top producer of both Fulbright U.S. Students and U.S. Scholars: Arizona State University, Bowdoin College (Maine), the George Washington University (District of Columbia), Middlebury College (Vermont), North Carolina State University at Raleigh, Reed College (Oregon), Rollins College (Florida), School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Illinois), the University of Alabama, University of Maryland - College Park, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, and University of Southern California.

For more information and stories about the Fulbright Top Producing Institutions, and to view the full list of institutions, visit the Fulbright Top Producing Institutions website.

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges.

Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support.

Interested media should contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at eca-press@state.gov.

Article by Amelia Shaw, intern with the U.S. Department of State.

[Albania, August 2023] When Academy for Women Entrepreneurs alumna Ana Shima started making nut butter at home, she hit on a discovery that not only creates a new market for Albanian almonds, but helps protect the environment at the same time.  

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As a vegan, Shima was having trouble finding high-quality plant-based products in her native country Albania. So about five years ago she started experimenting in her kitchen, making paste with local almonds. She was amazed with the result. 

“With Albanian nuts, it was out of this world,” said Shima, adding that Albanian almonds are much different than the California almonds that make up 90% of the international market. “Albanian almonds have different flavors, they are more aromatic, and taste like marzipan.” 

Her almond butter was so good that her friends encouraged her to open a business. She won a local grant from her municipality to open a kitchen lab, where she continued testing prototypes with Albanian tree nuts like almonds and walnuts.  

In 2018, she launched Pemla, a startup company that produces nut butter using locally produced tree nuts. “Pemla” is a word that derives from an old Albanian word for tree, and it means ‘fruit of the forest’. After just one year of product development, jars of Pemla nut butter started appearing in local supermarkets in 2019. 

Beyond just a great-tasting product, Shima says her business is serving a higher purpose - to support rural farmers and help protect Albania’s rugged hillsides from deforestation.    

“I am an environmentalist first,” said Shima, recalling the early days when she started visiting farmers in rural areas. “When I saw how nut trees are cultivated in the mountains and hills, I realized that this business is environmentally sustainable.”  

Right: Pemla nut butters are made with local Albanian tree nuts like almonds and walnuts. Photo credit: Amina Basha

To source ingredients, Pemla works with more than 130 local small farmers across the country, some of whom have only 10-20 nut trees. Their business gives them a stable market for their produce, which the company processes into butter. 

“It’s important that it is easy for our customers to make the change to eco-friendly products, so we look for durable goods at an affordable price,” Budhraja said.

Since it launched in 2020, Shift Eco has grown a lot. It currently operates with 15 employees divided into 4 operational divisions, with a warehouse in Dubai. The company ships products throughout the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with plans to expand to more of the Middle East.  

To boost production and expand operations, Shima launched the Farmer Group initiative which seeks to register the small farmers they work with as a legal entity and help them to acquire an official organic farming certificate. Attaining the organic certificate will help the company grow into larger markets in Europe.  

But as with many small businesses, life got difficult in 2020 as COVID broke out and consumers vastly changed their spending habits. Shima struggled to keep Pemla afloat. Then she heard about an opportunity to be part of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in 2022, and applied.  

“Before I applied for AWE, I debated closing the business,” admitted Shima.  “The market was shrinking due to the economic crisis from the pandemic. And since the war started in the Ukraine, prices have gone up. It has been a difficult moment.” 

Left: Shima said that the AWE program helped her to stick with her business during tough times, and survive the economic downturn caused by COVID. Photo credit Amina Basha 

Shima was one of 45 women to be accepted into AWE. She said AWE gave her the inspiration she needed to stick with her business goals and not give up.

“Being part of a group of women who are trying to do the same thing - to start up a business - was inspiring,” said Shima. “Most women were in the idea phase, and it was amazing to be part of this group of women who are encouraging each other.” 

Shima said the AWE facilitators used interactive group games to teach problem-solving, leadership, and empowerment skills. For example, in one group game, teams had to hold up as many pieces of paper as possible using any part of the body except their hands.  

“The first time we lost,” said Shima. So she said her team regrouped, strategized, and found a way to work together differently to win the next round - a lesson which she took to heart.  

“It was cool psychologically, to see how to learn from your mistakes,” said Shima, adding this is a powerful lesson she said for anyone trying to start a business.  

“We often think we have to do it all alone, particularly in small countries like Albania. The training gave us the idea that when we collaborate with others, people can help you. You can always ask for help.”

While still a small operation with just three female staff, Pemla produces about 4,000 jars of nut butter per year, and is designing a marketing campaign to introduce the product to consumers who may be unfamiliar with almond butter.  

Shima hopes to hire additional staff and grow the business - and by doing so, encourage more tree nut farming in Albania as a regenerative form of agriculture for the country’s hilly terrain.  

Shima also hopes to penetrate wider European markets, particularly once she has succeeded in attaining the organic certification. In fact, Pemla is currently preparing its first order for export to the Czech Republic, and is negotiating terms with another client in Switzerland.  

Shima is grateful for her AWE experience, which she said taught her a lot about leadership and her own strengths.  

I don’t like to ‘toot my own horn’ as they say - I’ve always found it hard to sell my ideas,” said Shima. “But this training helped me to recognize the benefits of my project. Now I can speak about it and feel proud, and inspire other people by my example.”  

So while Shima is working to create sustainable and healthy food sources, her eco-social enterprise is helping improve the local ecology and economy for Albania’s small farmers - one tree at a time. She said that, as a feminist, she hopes more women will follow her lead.  

Shima hopes that her company Pemla can help support local small farmers to produce more tree nuts like almonds, and promote sustainable agriculture on Albania’s hilly terrain. Photo credit Bledar Kumaraku 

“Women in business are important, we put our heart and soul into our work,” said Shima. “The more women there are in business, the better the world will be.” 

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs was launched by the U.S. Department of State in 2019 to equip enterprising women with the knowledge, networks and access they need to launch and scale successful businesses.  Using cutting-edge U.S. business learning platforms designed by the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, AWE has helped nearly 25,000 women around the world follow their professional dreams - including more than 100 women entrepreneurs in Albania.  

Article by Naomi Hampton, intern with the U.S. Department of State, currently studying History and Politics of the Americas at University College London. 

[United Arab Emirates, January 2023] Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) alumni Namrata Budhraja and Sukriti Verma are shaking up the sustainability game and helping people transition to eco-friendly products through their company Shift Eco. 

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Verma and Budhraja with some of the Shift Eco products. Photo Credit: Shift Eco

Shift Eco is all about helping consumers make eco-friendly choices. The company, which is headquartered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), identifies businesses that are aligned with their “Green Code,” or those that are using sustainable production methods to make everything from toys to toiletries. Shift Eco features all of those companies’ products on their website, allowing customers to put their product choices together in a virtual shopping basket. Then, Shift Eco can package and deliver everything right to the customer’s doorstep.

Budhraja said she wanted to do something for the environment after using her first bamboo toothbrush.  When she saw it in a local grocery store for the same price as a plastic one, she thought, “Why not make the switch?” Budhraja was shocked at how easy it was to make a small environmentally-conscious choice like switching to a sustainable toothbrush. So she started looking for other ways to shift her lifestyle to be more eco-friendly. During the pandemic,she made the choice to go into business with Verma and to create a business that would help other people to make  more environmentally-friendly choices, too.

“We saw that people want to be mindful of their consumption, so we asked ourselves why are they not following through?” Budhraja said.

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A selection of Shift Eco products. Photo Credit: Shift Eco

Sisters-in-law by chance, business partners by choice, Budhraja and Verma started Shift Eco in late 2020. After having a group of their friends and family come up with the name, they launched the online website and began personally testing products from various sustainable brands to promote to their consumers.

“It’s important that it is easy for our customers to make the change to eco-friendly products, so we look for durable goods at an affordable price,” Budhraja said.

Since it launched in 2020, Shift Eco has grown a lot. It currently operates with 15 employees divided into 4 operational divisions, with a warehouse in Dubai. The company ships products throughout the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with plans to expand to more of the Middle East.  

Benefitting from the pre-existing high level of online shopping in the UAE, Shift Eco partners with InstaShop, the biggest quick commerce platform in the country, to get products to customers efficiently and make it even more convenient for people to make sustainable lifestyle choices. The company also partners with the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank as a rewards partner, meaning that customers will get air mile points for making eco-friendly choices by making purchases through Shift Eco.

Budhraja and Verma both attended the AWE program as part of the 2021 UAE cohort after hearing about it through startAD, an Abu Dhabi-based business accelerator which has implemented the program in the UAE since 2020. Budhraja and Verma participated in the AWE  program that gave them knowledge and tools to improve their finances and structure their business plan. But according to these entrepreneurs, the biggest benefit from being in the AWE program was networking with so many other women in business.

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For Budhraja and Verma, the biggest benefit of the AWE experience was networking with so many other women entrepreneurs in the United Arab Emirates. Photo credit: U.S. Consulate Dubai.

“We still regularly contact each other, asking questions or giving pieces of advice,” Verma said.

The AWE and startAD teams have also opened new opportunities for Budhraja and Verma to speak at public events, further spreading awareness about their products to new customers. Speaking in public is something they want to continue doing in the future, along with expanding into new regions, to promote their EcoShop and to educate more people about the ease and importance of sustainability.

“We want to keep a balance of education and products to ensure that everything is easy to implement so that it is easy to make the change,” Budhraja said.

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During her AWE experience, Namrata Budhraja had many public speaking opportunities to talk about her company Shift Eco. Photo Credit: U.S. Consulate Dubai

Shift Eco targets not only consumers, but also helps other companies make sustainable changes to their business models. Budhraja and Verma have created Shift Eco For Business, an extension of their main company focused on helping businesses make greener production choices and go plastic free. Partnering with companies such as United Bank in the United States, Shift Eco not only helps businesses incorporate eco-friendly products in their buildings, but also reaches individual employees through sponsoring corporate giveaways — with the proceeds from these giveaways benefiting clean water programs around the UAE.

Not stopping there, Budhraja and Verma are also using the Shift Eco website to educate their consumers on the value of sustainability. Shift Eco has a “Learn with Shift Eco” section on their website to provide customers with a variety of podcasts, product promotions, and DIY tutorials to help them develop environmentally sustainable habits even if they cannot afford the products Shift Eco offers. 

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The Eco Shift team pitched their business as part of their AWE program, which has helped more than 60 Emirati women launch their businesses. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Consulate Dubai.

Every month, the page highlights other eco-friendly brands and environmental advocates.  Budhraja and Verma said their educational resources demonstrate that the environment is more important than profit. The women have also collaborated with professionals to host in-person educational community events attended by up to 100 people, about environmental sustainability and how small shifts in product choice can make a big impact.

“To us, it is important to build a conscious community of consumers,” Verma said.

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Shift Eco helps consumers choose more environmentally sustainable products. Photo Credit: Shift Eco

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, a U.S. Department of State program, gives thousands of women like Budhraja and Verma the knowledge, networks and access they need to launch and expand successful businesses.  Since 2019, AWE has advanced women’s business skills through the online learning platform DreamBuilder, which was developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and Freeport-McMoRon Foundation.  AWE is helping to empower more than 25,000 women entrepreneurs in 100 countries to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Implemented in the United Arab Emirates since 2020, AWE has helped 29 businesses and 64 Emirati women grow their businesses and reach their full economic potential.  The results speak for themselves. To date, AWE graduate’s businesses in the UAE have raised $7 million in funding, generated $41 million in revenues, and created 481 jobs.  

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

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On August 30, 2023, the United States and the Kingdom of Cambodia reaffirmed their long-standing commitment to protect Cambodian cultural property by amending and extending their bilateral cultural property agreement.  First entered into in 2003 and amended and extended several times, this agreement commits both parties to work together to counter looting and trafficking of cultural objects, guarantee a clean market for Cambodian art and antiquities in the United States, and increase opportunities for American museums and the American public to learn about and experience Cambodia’s history and culture.

The agreement continues the existing U.S. import restrictions on certain categories of archaeological material originating in Cambodia.  The agreement includes new categories of archaeological objects ranging in date from 2500 B.C. through 1750 A.D., and certain categories of ethnological material, dating from 1400 through 1891 A.D.

The United States has been unwavering in its commitment to protect and preserve cultural heritage around the world and to restrict trafficking in cultural property, which is often used to fund terrorist and criminal networks. The State Department negotiated the cultural property agreement under the U.S. law implementing the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. The United States has cultural property agreements with several countries around the world, as well as emergency import restrictions on looted cultural property from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.