[Cuba, February 2023] Filmmaker Diana Moreno is using her production company, Wajiros Films, to redefine what it means to be Cuban – and train the next generation of filmmakers.  She and her company got a boost in business after she participated in an U.S. government exchange program, the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), which is helping her to expand the company.
Cuban filmmaker and AWE alum Diana Moreno uses her film company to promote women’s perspectives in Cuba’s film industry.

It also helped her bring a unique feminist perspective to Cuban cinema. One of Moreno’s personal goals is to use her company to promote more inclusive and diverse voices in Cuba’s small but growing independent film industry.

“The majority of people working in film are men,” Moreno said.  “I had to mark my territory and it was such a challenge. But I have more women working with me now.”

Moreno started making movies in Camaguey, a small town in central Cuba about 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the capital.  But without many opportunities to pursue film at a professional level, she moved to Havana where she founded Wajiros Films with her husband in 2017.  She sold her car to scrape together the money to buy a professional film camera.  With that, her business was born.

“We wanted to make films that portray the whole country,” Moreno said, emphasizing how the company is trying to overcome geographic barriers to portray a more balanced view of Cuba through storytelling in disadvantaged and rural parts of the island. 
Moreno’s first professional movie camera, which she bought by selling her car. 

She added that this ambition was the inspiration for the company’s name “Wajiros,” a riff on a Cuban word “guajiros” which roughly translates to “country bumpkin.”  According to Moreno, changing the spelling of the word gives it new meaning, turning a pejorative connotation of rural life into a source of national pride — a theme in many of her company’s films.  

Participating in the AWE program helped Moreno take her company up a notch, she said, through three months of entrepreneurship development and mentoring.  She was part of a class of 30 women entrepreneurs who learned core business skills in strategic planning, marketing, and finance using the DreamBuilder learning platform, developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Moreno filming on the set of her short feature film, “Los Coleccionistas,” which takes place in a small fishing village.

“AWE was amazing,” said Moreno.  “It helped me to take a step back from my business and really analyze it.”  

Moreno described walking out of AWE sessions with her head full of questions, which helped her later to make key strategic decisions in marketing and finance. She worked closely with an AWE mentor — a woman entrepreneur who graduated from the AWE program in 2021, and who helped her improve her business plan. 

“Through AWE, I realized we needed specialized social media people who could monitor the web for us, and come up with a targeted strategy,” Moreno said.  

As a result, she hired a marketing agency, which meant she spent less time looking for new clients, and more time doing what she loved — writing and directing films.   

She had a similar epiphany about the company’s finances and hired a Finance Director to help the company strategically leverage its resources in line with its long-term goals. 

“We are artists. But this is a business and we need to run it to make money to pay our employees,” Moreno said.  
By training other women to be producers, directors and screenwriters, Moreno is helping to bring women’s perspectives into the film industry. 

After hiring two additional staff members, the company’s monthly revenue jumped from $4000 to nearly $12,000 — a considerable amount for a business in the Cuban economy, which Moreno says has suffered under inflation and frequent shortages of basic necessities like food and water.  She said the increase in revenue has allowed them to keep 15 people on staff and is helping Wajiros expand its production capacity. So far, the company has released 50 short features and documentaries, ten full length films and a variety of corporate video projects. 

Beyond running a successful production company, Moreno has a larger objective.  

“Promoting women in film is part of why we founded the company,” Moreno said, adding that more than half her employees are women.   
Part of Diana Moreno’s objective is to foment more inclusive storytelling by training the next generation of female Cuban filmmakers.

Wajiros Films sponsors a community project called “Varentierra” that teaches women and disadvantaged youth outside the capital the power of storytelling through film. Every year Varentierra hosts a 2-day festival to mentor the island’s next generation of filmmakers through short film projects that cover tough social issues, from poverty to climate change, using the cameras and microphones they already have in their pockets.

 “We want them to produce responsible video projects, even just using their own phones,” Moreno said. 

Through Varentierra, Moreno has trained about 2 dozen women, which is helping introduce more nuanced, intimate, and inclusive perspectives into Cuban filmmaking.  Moreno’s own short feature film “Los Coleccionistas” (The Collectors), which follows the life of two young siblings in a fishing village who struggle in the shadows of sexual abuse, has been praised by critics as an example of provocative feminist storytelling that is part of a systematic increase of women’s voices in independent film.
Moreno’s short feature film “Los Coleccionistas” offers a provocative look at social issues in a small Cuban fishing village. (Courtesy of Diana Moreno)

Moreno was recently chosen to be a mentor for the next AWE class.  She said she hopes she can pass on the optimism and support she received during her time with AWE to future Cuban women entrepreneurs.  

“Running a business as a woman in Cuba is complicated,” Moreno said.  “Sharing our experiences with other women is an inspiring and gratifying experience. [AWE] made me realize that I can do anything, and that I am not alone.”  

The U.S. Embassy recently reopened its consular operations in Havana in January 2023, but has operated the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs as a virtual program in Cuba since 2020, benefitting more than 120 women entrepreneurs like Diana Moreno and building the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba.  AWE has provided 25,000 women entrepreneurs in 100 countries around the world with the knowledge, network and access they need to launch or scale a business.   

To learn more about AWE visit: https://eca.state.gov/awe

Following the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative MOU signing in December 2020, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the third high-level dialogue on February 22, 2023, including participation by a U.S. delegation led by State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) Camille Dawson. The annual dialogue followed the December 2020 signing of the AIT-TECRO Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on international education cooperation.  The initiative is aimed at expanding access to Mandarin and English language instruction, while safeguarding academic freedom, and specifically highlights and enhances Taiwan’s role in providing Mandarin-language instruction to Americans and people around the world. 

This year’s dialogue was conducted both in-person and virtually and led by Daniel Kritenbrink, the State Department’s Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and by Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan’s National Security Council Szu-chien Hsu.  U.S. attendees include Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) Camille Dawson, Managing Director of AIT Washington Ingrid Larson, as well as AIT Taipei Acting Director Jeremy Cornforth and Chief of Public Diplomacy Section Diane Sovereign.  Virtual U.S. attendees included U.S. Department of Education Chief of Staff Shelia Nix and Senior Advisor and Director of International Affairs Maureen McLaughlin as well as U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Ethan Rosenzweig and ECA Senior Policy Advisor David Plack. 

Taiwan’s participation included Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Roy Lee and Vice Minister Alexander Tah-ray Yui, Deputy Minister of Education Mon-Chi Lio, Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) Vice Minister Roy Leu, National Development Council (NDC) Deputy Minister Keh-her Shih and Director General Connie Chang, MOFA Deputy Director General Jason Ma, Ministry of Education Director General Nicole Lee, and OCAC Director General Hong-Ying Lin. 

During the dialogue, both sides took stock of achievements to date, explored ways to enhance and expand existing programs for two-way educational exchanges between the United States and Taiwan, and reaffirmed their joint commitment to deepening cooperation on international education.  ECA also announced its letter of support to the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to expand Taiwan’s education cooperation within U.S. states to include K-12 education. 

Since the MOU was signed in 2020, AIT and TECRO have enhanced and expanded international education cooperation, including through existing Mandarin and English language learning opportunities.  The MOU also encourages the exploration of opportunities for Mandarin and English language teachers and resources to be deployed to language programs at U.S. universities and Taiwan educational institutions, respectively, as well as facilitates increased exchanges on best practices between U.S. and Taiwan institutions.    

The U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative MOU is set against the backdrop of two distinct but related trends. First, interest in Mandarin language learning remains strong among American and international students in U.S. secondary and higher education institutions.  Taiwan can play a key role in addressing that interest.  

Second, Taiwan has been increasing its investment in English language instruction in the hopes of internationalizing both its student body and its workforce.  President Tsai has announced a goal of making Taiwan completely bilingual by 2030.  Doing so would mean that Taiwan’s students and young talent who wish to gain experience outside of Taiwan would have expanded options.    

These two trends are both rooted in the same principle: young people should be able to pursue academic and professional opportunities in an environment free from coercion and censorship.  This Initiative will provide a platform for expanded cooperation in pursuing both our shared interests and our shared values. 

To learn more about the progress on the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative, please refer to the U.S.-Taiwan Education Factsheet.

Article by Naomi Hampton, intern with the U.S. Department of State, currently studying History and Politics of the Americas at University College London. 
Betema Harvesting. Photo Credit: Theodore Tossim

[Togo, January, 2023] Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) alumni Anapidédé Kibandou Betema in Togo is helping empower women in her community to earn their own income with her farm business SCOOPS-BC. 

SCOOPS-BC, which stands for Société Coopérative Simplifée Best Choice, is a farming cooperative that allows women to grow their own vegetables to sustain themselves and their families.  Growing up on her father’s farm, Betema started with a small number of chickens and a vegetable plot.  

Though she had attended college and had degrees in Communication and Marketing as well as Transportation and Logistic Transport, the 2008 global recession made it impossible to find a job, Betema said.  Finding farm work easier to balance when raising children than the typical nine to five, Betema turned her plot into a cooperative in 2020, officially creating SCOOPS-BC to help other women in her community.

Later that same year, Betema moved to her current farm with the help of a local young Togolese entrepreneurs program she had joined.  Her new cooperative is only 60km from Lomé, the capital city of Togo, which she said made it the perfect location to sell fresh produce to people living in the city.  She and three other women began by growing five kinds of “bio-vegetables,” which are organically grown without the use of chemicals.  
Indoor chicken coop. Photo credit:Theodore Tossim

Her farm business sells eggs, peppers, and spinach in the city, and people can also come directly to the farm to purchase their products. The farm is three hectares large and produces 70 trays of eggs a week from 350 laying chickens.

Betema joined AWE in February 2022 after learning about it through an English programshe was doing with the U.S. Embassy in Togo.  Admitting that she was shy, Betema says AWE helped her to grow as a businesswoman. “I became self-sufficient,” she said. “[I realized] I have self-confidence and that I too can manage and run a business.” 

She said AWE taught her how to handle problems that are specific to women living in her community, like how to balance running a company while being a mother in Togo.  But the most important thing she learned was how to create her own business plan.

“When I started I wasn’t the one who wrote the business plan, I called a consultant who wrote the business plan for me,” Betema said. “But I now recognize that nobody can write your business plan but you because only you know what you want your business to look like.”
Feeding the 350 chickens that supply eggs for people in the capital. Photo credit: Theodore Tossim

Using the DreamBuilder learning platform, AWE gave Betema the tools she needed to rewrite her business plan herself, tailoring the business to her own design.  Developed by Arizona State University, DreamBuilder provides women with U.S. business expertise through 12 business learning modules - at no cost.  The platform teaches core entrepreneurial skills, from finance to marketing to business administration.

After graduating from AWE, Betema was invited to be a part of the Heroikka Women’s Impact Summit, a five day global conference bringing together business women from around the world.  Honored to be chosen as a panelist and to have the opportunity to share her business with the international community, Betema said hearing about other women around the world was inspiring.  She said she particularly admired women panelists from Latin America who she felt were impacting their communities the same way she is trying to impact her own.
One of the young girls under Betema’s training has started to learn the ropes of running a farm business. Photo credit: Theodore Tossim

“[The Latin American panelists] came in and talked about how we can do things not just for ourselves but for others and also the way we can hold our own money and handle our businesses despite the fact that we are mothers and facing the challenges of women in the entrepreneurship domain,” Betema said.

One major challenge Togolese women have been running into is a lack of access to water, she said - an issue made worse by climate change.  Betema had to give up taking care of chickens for a period because they require a lot of water, which is in short supply in Togo after several years of drought.  She was able to start raising chickens again, and is hoping to install a water network to pipe in water for the farm, which will ensure water security for all of the cooperative’s plants and animals.
Planting eggplants. Photo credit: Theodore Tossim

Beyond farming, Betema’s goal is to empower other women.  She’s working to create programs that will teach more women how to farm, how to preserve vegetables without chemicals, and how to balance the challenges of being a full-time mother and wife with a job.  In short, Betema is striving to give Togolese women the financial stability they need.  She is also focusing on expanding her programs to teenage girls to teach them marketable skills like hairdressing or dressmaking so that they can start earning their own income at a young age.

“We know that together you can go far, so we are working to keep the women together in order for everyone to succeed,” Betema said.

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, a U.S. Department of State program, gives thousands of women like Betema the knowledge, networks and access they need to launch and expand successful businesses.  Since 2019, AWE has used DreamBuilder to empower more than 25,000 women entrepreneurs in 100 countries to follow their dream of owning a business. Beyond Togo, AWE operates in 20 other countries in Africa, helping roughly 5,500 women entrepreneurs across the African continent to grow their businesses and reach their full economic potential.

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

The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce the 2022-23 lists of Fulbright Top Producing Institutions.  More than 170 higher education institutions from across the United States are being recognized for having the highest number of accepted applicants to the Fulbright U.S. Student and Fulbright U.S. Scholar Programs.  The lists of Fulbright Top Producing Institutions highlight the Fulbright Program’s strong institutional diversity and impact on American communities across the country.  

The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the Institute of International Education, compiles the lists, which group institutions by Carnegie Classification. The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes the lists in its online edition. 

Topping this year’s lists of Doctoral, Master’s, and Baccalaureate institutions with the most accepted Fulbright U.S. Students are Georgetown University (DC), Salisbury University (MD), andBowdoin College (ME).  The University of Arizona (AZ) and the Pennsylvania State University (PA), the University of Houston-Downtown (TX), Kenyon College (OH), and the University of California-San Francisco (CA) had the most applicants selected for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in the Doctoral, Master’s, Baccalaureate, and Special-focus institutions degree categories, respectively.  Fulbright Students are recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals while Fulbright Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals. 

Eighteen institutions are recognized as Fulbright Dual Top Producing Institutions, appearing on the lists of schools sending both the most Fulbright U.S. Students and the most U.S. Scholars overseas in 2022-2023. Harvard University (MA), SUNY College at Geneseo (NY), and Bates College (ME) and Oberlin College (OH) lead the Doctoral, Master’s, and Baccalaureate categories. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (IL) is the one 4-year Special-focus institution to make both lists.  

Twelve U.S. community colleges are recognized on the list for sending Fulbright U.S. Scholars abroad, with the Lone Star College System (TX) receiving the most acceptances in 2022-23.  

For a full list of all Fulbright Top Producing Institutions by category, please visit the Fulbright Top Producing Institutions website. 

“On behalf of President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken, congratulations to the colleges and universities recognized as 2022-2023 Fulbright Top Producing Institutions, and to all the applicants who were selected for the Fulbright Program this year,” said Lee Satterfield, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs. “Thanks to the visionary leadership of these institutions, administrators, and advisors, a new generation of Fulbrighters – changemakers, as I like to say – will catalyze lasting impact on their campus, in their communities, and around the world.” 

For over 75 years, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants - chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential - with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world.   

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

Written by: Trinitee Stokes, Intern with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

In honor of Black History month, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs continues to highlight and pay homage to the Black Americans who have contributed to the world of public diplomacy. Featured individuals include, but are not limited to, diplomats, teachers, artists, and scientists. This week we are highlighting diplomats who have impacted the world of public diplomacy.

Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche

Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche was a Nobel Peace Prize-winning academic and former Undersecretary General of the United Nations. Bunche was a key contributor to peacekeeping efforts through involvement in both the United Nations and other civil rights organizations. Bunche’s other work includes assisting in the establishment of the National Negro Congress, which brought together African American leaders to push for labor and civil rights. Most notably, Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche was the first awarded African American to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his successful mediation of the Armistice Agreements between Arab nations and Israel. The historic nature of this Nobel Peace Prize continues, as this is the first and only time in the long history of the Middle East conflict that peace agreements were signed by all of the nations involved. President John F. Kennedy awarded Bunche the Medal of Freedom, the U.S. government’s highest civilian award, to further cement Bunche’s value to the United States. Bunche’s service continued, as he became the United Nations Undersecretary General for Special Political Affairs which positioned him as the highest-ranking American at the United Nations at the time. The legacy of Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche continues to be well respected and celebrated, which is why we honor his brilliant and diligent work today.

Carl T. Rowan

Carl T. Rowan, a regarded American journalist, rose to fame as a reporter for “The Minneapolis Tribune.” His series “How Far From Slavery?” was popular, spreading across the country. Rowan also successfully wrote many articles about international affairs, with caught the attention of President John F. Kennedy, propelling him into multiple political appointments. Rowan became the highest-ranking Black American in the State Department in 1961. His daily duties consisted of communicating President Kennedy’s policies on foreign affairs and explaining why those policies were in the interests of the American people. Rowan’s expert storytelling made him an exceptional candidate for the State Department’s Leader-Grantee program. Through the program, he lectured crowds all over India about issues of the day. Cark T Rowan’s successful career continued, as he served as Ambassador to Finland and Director of the U.S. Information Agency. An expert communicator, Rowan set the precedent on how communicating well can pave the way for public diplomacy efforts and an influential diplomatic career. In the field of diplomacy, he will always be known for his pioneering advancements, his powerful words, and his commitment to service. To learn more about his legacy, please visit https://diplomacy.state.gov/stories/carl-t-rowan-from-journalist-to-diplomat/

Dr. Condoleezza Rice

Dr. Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State, paved the way for American diplomacy abroad, and she was the second woman and first Black woman to serve as the Secretary of State. As Secretary of State, Rice supported the expansion of democratic governments, and championed the idea of "Transformational Diplomacy," which sought to redistribute U.S. diplomats to areas of severe social and political trouble, address such issues as disease, drug smuggling and human trafficking, and reemphasize aid through the creation of the position of Director of Foreign Assistance. As a leader, Dr. Rice works tirelessly to educate the public on international relations. Today, you can find Rice at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, as a Denning Professor in Global Business and Economy. Thank you, Dr. Rice, for your decades of service and excellent leadership.

Ambassador John Reinhardt

Ambassador John Reinhardt was a U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and former Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. We continue to honor Ambassador Reinhardt his contributions to public diplomacy as part of our celebration of Black History Month. Ambassador Reinhardt joined the U.S. Information Agency and became a Foreign Service Officer in 1956. As a cultural officer, Reinhardt was stationed in Japan, Iran, and the Philippines. Fueled by great excitement and vigor, he quickly rose through the ranks and was nominated to serve as the first Black Ambassador to Nigeria in 1971. He was selected by President Jimmy Carter to lead the U.S. Information Agency in 1977, marking the first time a career diplomat had ever achieved such a position. We remember the great life of Ambassador Reinhardt and cherish his legacy.

Ambassador Sylvia Stansfield

Ambassador Sylvia Stansfield was a career member of the U.S. Foreign Service. Ambassador Stansfield also became the first African-American woman to be the ambassador to Brunei, while serving from 1999-2002. Ambassador Stansfield, as a political track Chinese language officer, held various positions centered around easing relations between the U.S. and China, including postings with the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, and the American Institute in Taiwan and Taipei. By volunteering and mentoring others before her retirement, Ambassador Stansfield has continued to pave the way for other African American leaders in foreign service. We thank Ambassador Sylvia Stansfield for leaving a great legacy of commitment, dedication, and strong leadership.

All over the United States and around the world, human trafficking exists. Whether it is in the form of sex trafficking or forced labor, human trafficking is a stain on our global society that often stays in the shadows. 

Since 2010, the United States has worked to shine an even brighter light on this crime, with January presidentially designated as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. President Biden recently reaffirmed this Administration’s commitment to protect and empower survivors of all forms of human trafficking, to prosecute traffickers, and to bring an end to human trafficking around the world.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) recognizes Human Trafficking Prevention month by highlighting the positive power of people-to-people exchanges to not only raise awareness, but to contribute to ending human trafficking. The connections built during an exchange program can provide a starting point for community-driven action, country policies that align with international agreements and best practices, and a stronger, more diverse global network against human trafficking. In 2022 alone, more than 100 individuals representing 50 countries with experience in combating human trafficking completed International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) projects in cities across the United States. Through these two-week professional exchange programs, they cultivated lasting relationships with American counterparts, from law enforcement officials to businesses to survivor advocates.

Five of these IVLP alumni were honored by Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report) Launch Ceremony for devoting their lives to supporting survivors of human trafficking. The 2022 TIP Report Heroes participated in an IVLP that took them to Washington, D.C.; Reno, Nevada; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They met with a wide range of federal and local officials and advocates for survivors of human trafficking, including the Congressional author of the original Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey.

Throughout January, we will highlight the 2022 TIP Report Heroes and the positive power of exchanges to combat human trafficking on Twitter at @ECAatState and @StateIVLP. Follow #HumanTraffickingPreventionMonth, #EndHumanTrafficking, and #TIPReportHeroes on all social media platforms to learn more about this important month. 

Article by Allie Dalola, intern with the U.S. Department of State, currently studying Business Administration and Economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel-Hill.

AWE Alumna Grace Achieng founded her sustainable fashion brand, Gracelandic, in 2020.

[Reykjavik, January 2023] Academy for Women Entrepreneurs alum Grace Achieng is helping to transform the fashion industry’s impact on the environment through her company, Gracelandic.

“When fashion is done right,” Achieng says, “it can be transformative for the people wearing the clothes and the environment.”

As a “slow fashion” brand, Gracelandic drastically contrasts with large-scale “fast fashion” producers whose main objective is mass, high-speed production. The slow fashion movement promotes greater sustainability by producing higher-quality, eco-friendly clothing that will last longer.  As such, Gracelandic employs a more holistic, socially conscious production model that prioritizes a triple bottom line: people, profit, and planet.
Achieng’s business prioritizes a triple bottom line: people, profit, and planet.

For example, Achieng has established a partnership with an ethical producer to supply all of Gracelandic’s fabric. By intentionally manufacturing ethically-produced garments, her company limits overstock and recycles all of its fabric scraps to be remade into accessories. 

Achieng also uses her business to promote the slow fashion philosophy to the public, regularly posting on the company's blog and Instagram account to educate customers about the impacts of the fast-fashion industry. Even the garments she sells are designed to reduce waste among consumers. 

“Our clothing is high quality and is going to last a long time,” Achieng says.  “The styles are timeless, versatile, and easy to style.”

Achieng says that many people do not realize how fast fashion has a devastating impact on climate change and water waste - something she is passionate about because she saw it firsthand as a child. She explains how the fast-fashion industry disproportionately affects developing countries like Kenya, where she grew up.
Achieng is passionate about empowering women through her designs.

“The products and materials we dispose of in the West are sent to Africa,” she explains. “This kills independent businesses, and ninety percent of these clothes end up in African landfills."

Her childhood in Kenya started from what she herself describes as “humble beginnings” and drove Achieng to design clothing that promotes sustainability and empowers its wearers.

In fact, Achieng experienced the power of fashion from an early age and it marked her path as an entrepreneur. She recalls as a child in Kenya how she felt when she put on a new dress she received as a gift from her aunt. 

“When I wore this dress, I felt so empowered,” Achieng describes. “This is the kind of feeling that I want to sell.”

In 2010, Achieng moved to Iceland, where she pursued her dream of a career in the fashion world. After much difficulty finding a fashion job, Achieng decided to take matters into her own hands. In 2020, she purchased a sewing machine and went into business for herself with the hopes of designing beautiful garments that give a voice to the women who wear them. 
AWE’s extensive network helped set Gracelandic up for success.

“I feel like it is my life’s mission to help women feel seen and invincible through fashion,” Achieng says. 

Two years after opening Gracelandic, Achieng participated in the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) through U.S. Embassy Reykjavik in which she was equipped with the tools needed to achieve success. For example, Achieng learned the financial skills necessary to run her business and procure funding.

“When I started my business, I just blindly walked into my dream,”  Achieng says. “AWE helped me to understand my business in a much deeper way.” 

Beyond practical business skills, Achieng was able to utilize AWE’s extensive network to connect with other women entrepreneurs, learn from talented mentors, and share her story on a larger platform. 

“I’ve felt so much support,” Achieng says. “I never knew that women could be this supportive of one another.”

Since its launch, Gracelandic has grown enormously, which Achieng spoke about recently at the 2022 Woman Impact Summit, a global conference for up-and-coming women entrepreneurs. And her designs have been featured in British Vogue three times in 2022.
Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Thordis Kolbrun (pictured center), wears Gracelandic couture while meeting President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at UNGA in 2022.

Achieng’s personal mission to empower women through what they wear also appears to be gaining traction on the global political stage.  When Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir met with U.S. President Joe Biden during the U.N. General Assembly in New York in September 2022, she wore none other than a Gracelandic design. 

Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Thordis Kolbrun (pictured center), wears Gracelandic couture while meeting President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at UNGA in 2022.

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs is a women’s empowerment initiative launched by the U.S. Department of State in 2019.  Using the DreamBuilder learning platform developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management AWE has empowered more than 25,000 women in 100 countries with the knowledge, networks, and access they need to launch and scale successful businesses, including 60 women entrepreneurs in Iceland.

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

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Group photo of the 2022 State Department Anti-Corruption Champions in Washington, D.C. during their IVLP exchange.
On International Anti-Corruption Day, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken honored eight Anti-Corruption Champions at the 2022 Anti-Corruption Champions Award Ceremony hosted by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. The honorees include Antonio Cervantes García of Mexico, Jean de Dieu Rakotondramihamina of Madagascar, Stevan Dojcinovic of Serbia, Cynthia Gabriel of Malaysia, Rozina Islam of Bangladesh, Marco Antonio Rueda Soto of Colombia, Qismah Salih Ali Mendeli of Iraq, and Janet Zhou of Zimbabwe. They have demonstrated leadership, courage, and impact in preventing, exposing, and combating corruption around the world.

Prior to the award ceremony, these eight honorees visited St. Petersburg, Florida and Washington, D.C. through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program.

Group photo of the 2022 State Department Anti-Corruption Champions with St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth Welch and the St. Petersburg Police Department during their IVLP exchange.

This IVLP exchange enabled the awardees to engage with American counterparts with backgrounds in criminal justice, civil society, and investigative journalism and share best practices in defending transparency, combating corruption, and ensuring accountability. The program included professional meetings, local cultural activities, and an engaging workshop on interagency cooperation to combat corruption hosted by the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Through strategic exchange programs like this, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) contributes to the Department’s efforts to increase accountability and transparency, counter corrupt acts, and reinforce engagement and partnerships between anti-corruption leaders in the U.S. and abroad.

The IVLP relies on partnership with local organizations to help design exchange programs and host international visitors in communities across the United States. The partner organizations for this IVLP exchange were Meridian International Center and World Partnerships, Inc.

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Photo Credit: Eleanor Alberg, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles (IVCLA) The 2022 Hidden No More cohort after their meetings at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Photo Credit: Eleanor Alberg, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles (IVCLA) The 2022 Hidden No More cohort after their meetings at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

From October 24 to November 11, 2022, the U.S. Department of State hosted 41 international women leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for the 2022 “Hidden No More: Empowering Women Leaders in STEM” International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) special initiative. Inspired by the award-winning film Hidden Figures, this exchange initiative addresses the barriers to advancement that women face in the STEM fields, while highlighting the importance of storytelling and creating a network of women leaders.  

This year, the Hidden No More participants began their exchange program in Washington, D.C. with an inspiring welcome video from 2019 alumnae. They also met with professional counterparts committed to empowering women and girls in the STEM fields from National Geographic, the National Academies of Science and Medicine (NASEM), and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL), among others.

Following the Washington, D.C. program, the participants divided into smaller groups and traveled to Huntsville, Alabama; Orlando, Florida; Pensacola, Florida; St. Petersburg, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; Durham, North Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina to connect with their American counterparts and share their experiences and stories with the local communities.

During these city visits, the participants learned more about American culture and customs. Amid their busy schedules, many of the women were invited to participate in Halloween “trick-or-treating” for the first time. This was a great opportunity to experience the excitement and the American traditions associated with this spooky celebration. The participants also attended home hospitality dinners where they were able to meet and speak candidly with local families and meet other local community members.

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Photo Credit: Leesa Fields, International Visitor Liaison 2022 Hidden No More IVLP participants go trick or treating in Orlando, Florida on Halloween. Photo Credit: Leesa Fields, International Visitor Liaison 2022 Hidden No More IVLP participants go trick or treating in Orlando, Florida on Halloween.

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Photo Credit: Nassiba Baimatova, International Visitor The 2022 Hidden No More participants after their meetings at Walt Disney Studios in Los Angeles, California Photo Credit: Nassiba Baimatova, International Visitor The 2022 Hidden No More participants after their meetings at Walt Disney Studios in Los Angeles, California

The IVLP participants reunited in Los Angeles, California to conclude their intensive, three-week exchange with professional programming and a visit to the Walt Disney Studios. As a collaborator and supporter of the Hidden No More IVLP, the Walt Disney Company provided a behind-the-scenes look into the various ways storytelling, technology and innovation come together in Disney’s content creation. The participants then returned to their home countries with new meaningful connections, new ideas for STEM advancement and collaboration, and an enthusiasm to continue to tell their stories and celebrate the stories of other women in STEM! 

The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. The program partners for the 2022 Hidden No More IVLP special initiative are FHI 360, Charleston Council for International Visitors, International Focus, Inc., Global Ties Alabama, WorldOrlando, Gulf Coast Diplomacy, World Partnerships, Inc., WorldBoston, WorldChicago, and the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles (IVCLA). You can follow the Hidden No More IVLP special initiative on social media using the hashtag, #HiddenNoMore.

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Photo Credit: Nassiba Baimatova, International Visitor The 2022 Hidden No More IVLP participants celebrate their global sisterhood! Photo Credit: Nassiba Baimatova, International Visitor The 2022 Hidden No More IVLP participants celebrate their global sisterhood!

In early December, President Biden and Vice President Harris joined renowned figures from the art and political worlds to celebrate the 45th annual Kennedy Center Honors. The ceremony honored U2, George Clooney, Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, and Tania Leon and will be broadcast on CBS on December 28 at 8 p.m.

The Kennedy Center Honors annually celebrate an artist’s cumulative body of work and influence in American culture. The rainbow medallions that signify the achievement were presented to the awardees at a dinner at the State Department hosted by Secretary of State Antony Blinken the night before the Honors ceremony.

"[T]he bonds between nations are not just forged by governments but by people, and sometimes those connections take root a little deeper when they come in the form of a song or a symphony, a painting or a performance,” Blinken said at the dinner. “That’s why cultural diplomacy is such a key pillar of our work here at the State Department....In a world where there are few big problems that the United States can solve alone, we can’t lose sight of this universal connection. The arts give us language to talk about the aspirations that we all hold, the emotions that we share, the challenges that we face.“

Those ideas were highlighted by a performance featuring Ukrainian artist Jamala that both honored U2 and called attention to the ongoing war Ukraine is fighting to defend its land, identity and culture.

Celebrate the importance of the arts as a force to uplift and unite on Dec. 28 at 8 p.m. on CBS.

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