Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women
Dr. Terry Neese, Founder / CEO
2709 W. I-44 Service Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73112
405-943-4474

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: Aug. 20, 2009
Contact: Becca Colbaugh
Office: 405-943-4474
Mobile: 918-693-1570
E-mail: [email protected]

Laura Bush to participate in ceremony celebrating Afghan and Rwandan women entrepreneurs

DALLAS – AUGUST 20, 2009 – Mrs. Laura Bush will participate in a ceremony celebrating the accomplishments of 29 women entrepreneurs from Afghanistan and Rwanda who have completed the 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program. PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS is an in-depth business training and leadership development program coordinated by the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women in partnership with Northwood University. The ceremony will be hosted at The Women’s Museum on August 25^th.

PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS included eight weeks of in-country education in March and April followed by three weeks of training in the United States in August, which included an International Women’s Economic Summit and a weeklong mentorship with American women business owners.

Afghan student Asma Ataie, 23, who owns a literacy training and business development center in Afghanistan says that the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program has not only taught how to improve her business, but it has also encouraged her to be a leader in her country. She says that she has been inspired to help bring change and peace to Afghanistan – as a leader and as a woman.

“I learned so many things from this program – how to be a good leader, how to start your business in a good way, how your business should use new methods,” Ataie explained. “We should always try to bring changes to our country. If we just sit at home and take care of the children, and we are not allowed to go outside of the house, this is, I think, a big challenge for us, and we should face the challenge and solve the problems.”

Terry Neese, founder of the Institute, says that this year’s program has reached new heights.

“The dedication and courage behind our 2009 students is so inspirational,” Neese said. “We have trained over 60 women this year, and our students are eager to pay forward their education back home and carry on the lessons they learned here in the United States. Our ultimate goal is to spread the light of entrepreneurship and democracy to women around the world. We are accomplishing that goal through the students of our PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program.”

Rwandan student Lydie Hakizimana’s enthusiasm to help train other women in her country is undeniable.

“We want to really share what we have learned here, because most of the businesswomen in my country are very scared of numbers – the financial parts.” Hakizimana said. “As long as they have money in the bank, it’s fine. They don’t want to know what the balance sheet or what the income statement means. So, we need to tell them it’s OK – you don’t have to be a specialist, you just need to know where you are going. We really, really need to make sure they understand that.”

The farewell reception and graduation ceremony is sponsored by AT&T, and Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, Charlene Lake explains why the company believes in programs like PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS.

“We’re proud to support the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women and the work it is doing for women around the world,” said Lake, who also sits on the Institute’s advisory board. “As a global company, we truly believe in contributing to a strong world economy, and helping to empower women business owners from Afghanistan and Rwanda is such a special and meaningful way of achieving that very goal.”

The featured speaker at the ceremony is Mrs. Laura Bush, who is a leading advocate for literacy, and has championed the power of education to advance opportunity for women around the world. As First Lady, she traveled to more than 75 countries, including Rwanda and Afghanistan.

One-on-one interview opportunities will be available with Neese and students after the ceremony concludes.

All media must RSVP to the event with full name and affiliation information by 3 p.m. on Aug. 21 to Becca Colbaugh at 918.694.1570 or [email protected]. Media interested in attending must provide credentials at the door and have equipment checked in by 8 a.m. A detailed agenda of the event can be found here.

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About The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women:
The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women is a 501(c)3 non-profit empowering women to grow their businesses, pursue greater entrepreneurial ventures and become more active public policy advocates. The Institute accomplishes this mission by focusing on education, mentorship and coaching women in the United States and abroad who are seeking to acquire entrepreneurial skills to help start and grow a business.

Program gives Afghan woman business mentoring

By JENNIFER LATSON Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Aug. 14, 2009, 11:38PM

These may be tough times for American entrepreneurs, but some local business leaders are still finding ways to help their less fortunate counterparts in countries where the obstacles are perennial. June Ressler is the CEO of Cenergy, a Houston staffing and logistics consulting company that serves the oil and gas industry. Starting this week, Ressler will host a young Afghan businesswoman, Asma Ataie, as part of a business training program called Peace Through Business, which aims to educate and support female entrepreneurs in Afghanistan and Rwanda. Ataie, 23, is the youngest of the program’s 30 participants this year, and the owner of a small Afghan business development firm. Ressler spoke about the program, what she hopes to teach Ataie, and what she hopes to gain from mentoring. Excerpts follow.

Q: Tell me about the Peace Through Business program, and what appeals to you about it.

A: I think that it is very important to help people whenever you can. The Peace Through Business program allows women to help each other but goes beyond that — it allows women who don’t have much opportunity at all receive help from those of us who have a lot of opportunity.

Q: What kind of work will Asma Ataie do with your company, and what kind of skills will she learn?

A: Asma and I have been communicating back and forth. She has asked to receive help from our financial team on business planning and budgeting, from our IT group on certain software information and lessons, and from our sales team on marketing.

Q: How will those skills bolster her work in Afghanistan, and what long-term goals do you think they will help her achieve?

A: Our hope is that she returns with a lot more knowledge than she arrived with, and as we forge our relationship, the learning will not stop. She will have the ability to communicate with any one of us at Cenergy for help anytime.

Q: What do you hope to gain from working with Asma?

A: My gain is to help her, first and foremost. I will also gain by enriching the lives of my staff and family with an understanding of her life, which is so amazingly different than what we experience here in the U.S.

Q: Have you ever been to Afghanistan? What do you think is the toughest obstacle women in business face there?

A: I have never traveled to Afghanistan. The most amazing obstacle that women there must face is that they were not allowed to attend any school until just recently. This would be a barrier to do anything, not just starting a company. I am truly amazed that Asma has the ability to use a computer with tremendous knowledge already of many software programs. I can’t wait to better understand how she was able to learn so much in such a small period of time.

Q: What other steps do you think are necessary to promote women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan?

A: I need to better understand the current climate there by understanding Asma’s life before I can make any assessment on how to better support women entrepreneurs. I am sure that the Peace Through Business program is willing to do what it takes to really promote these women as much as possible. This is a very exciting and wonderful opportunity for everyone involved.

[email protected]

Program Timeline:

7:30 – 8:00 am
Media checks in equipment for full sweep

9:00 am
Doors open to media

9:30 am
Doors open to public

10:05 – 10:07 am
Welcoming Remarks by Terry Neese

10:07 – 10:10 am
Opening Film

10:11 am
Terry Neese introduces President of Northwood University

10:12 am – 10:16 am
President of Northwood University delivers brief remarks and intros Ambassador from Rwanda

10:16 am – 10:20 am
Ambassador from Rwanda delivers brief remarks

10:20 am—10:23
AT&T remarks & intros Ambassador from Afghanistan

10:23 am – 10:27 am
Ambassador from Afghanistan delivers brief remarks

10:27 am—10:28
Terry Neese introduces Mrs. Bush

10:28 am – 10:35 am
Mrs. Bush delivers remarks

10:35 am – 10:45 am
Afghan and Rwandan students deliver remarks

10:45 am – 11:05 am
Diploma hand out

11:10 am
Program Concludes

11:10 - 11:30 am
Interview opportunities with students and Neese

Leadership Development week is already half way complete. The 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS students made

it through the first weekend — jet lag and all — and were primed and ready for classes to start. Every day, our Afghan and Rwandan students gain more energy, more excitement and more empowerment!

The opening ceremony on Monday morning by Northwood University was as tender as it was beautiful. As Dr. Kevin Fegan, Provost of Northwood, welcomed the students, he emphasized the importance of education.

“As teachers, your opportunity is to always help students know what they don’t know that they need to know,” he said.

After Dr. Fegan welcomed the women as Northwood Knights, each of the Afghan and Rwandan students were “knighted by roses,” as each student received a single rose from the Northwood team.

As Dr. Fegan put it: one giving to another is one of the most important symbols we have.

After the students’ knighthood, day one soon kicked off a full morning full of financials — business plans — profits — you name it — with Oklahoma City business woman Nancy Hyde leading the way. Lunch blew in another Oklahoman down to the great state of Texas: Brian Bush from Oklahoma Christian University. His speech focused on what this week is really about: leadership.

“The networking opportunity you make this week will be invaluable to you and the success of your business,” he declared. “My challenge to you is ‘women rock the boat!’”

Monday afternoon focused on marketing and the real life stories of American women business owners — from Dallas specifically, including Nina Vaca, Terri Quinton, Gail Warrior and Patricia Christian Rodriguez. It was by far one of the students’ most favorite panels thus far. Why? Because these American women were real in sharing their life stories; they exposed the challenges they have faced as women and as business owners. They found the common threads between the American woman business owner and the Afghan and Rwandan woman business owner.

“I loved Nina,” 2009 Rwandan student Francoise Uwamwezi boasted. “I think she is similar to me — she has four kids; I have six. I think we are the same. She was talking about her life like it was mine.”

Lunch brought on more leadership — servant leadership to be exact, presented by Nan Ellen Nelson, a true leader in women’s issues.

“As servant leaders, you must humble yourself,” she explained as she challenged the women to their own leadership launch.

Her presentation was interactive and engaging. When asking the students the meaning behind self discovery, Deborah Kagwisagye answered:

“Finding your inner self, what you’re made of, what you are able of accomplishing, and the potentials within.”

As Nelson asked the women to think about the ways to improve self discovery, the ideas chimed in from around the room:

“Accountability and transparency.”

“Honesty.”

“Walk the talk.”

“Doing the right thing when no one’s watching.”

“Selfless.”

“Flexibility.”

As you can already tell, our 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS class is well on its way to bringing change and leadership back to its countries. Their eagerness to learn grows by the day — by the session — by the speaker!

On Tuesday afternoon, the students were given a new empowerment tool — a highlighter from Northwood Professor Sabine Adams, department chair of banking and finance.

After much research into both countries, Professor Adams went into an in-depth discussion about the economic situations in Afghanistan and Rwanda. The students couldn’t get enough of her!

“Dr. Sabine’s teaching was full of energy — and when she was teaching, all of the students were not tired,” said 2009 Afghan student, Farzana Ebrahimi.

Fellow Afghan student, Khalida Dunya, shared that same respect.

“The lecture of Sabine was a highlight of my week, because when she lectured, we could get everything,” she said. “She gave us very brief information about the comparative advantage for all three countries - Afghanistan, Rwanda and America.”

The importance of community was truly the spotlight of Tuesday night. Community officials and leaders from Cedar Hill all gathered together at Northwood to mingle and honor the 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS students.

The turnout was incredible! And the two proclamations issued by both Dallas County Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield and Cedar Hill Mayor Rob Franke took the students by surprise.

In Dallas County, August has now been officially declared PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS month and in the city of Cedar

Hill, Aug. 11 is now PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS day. Our program just keeps expanding; our outreach ever-growing.

The 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS Afghan students arrive in the U.S. after their long journey.

Well, the eagles have landed. The Afghan and Rwandan women of the 2009 PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program have arrived to their final destination: Dallas, Texas … America! It only took six groups of flights, five airport shuttle runs, 12 (temporarily) missing pieces of luggage and three trips to Wal-Mart … but the women are safe and sound and so happy and grateful to be in the United States and for this opportunity of a lifetime.

The Afghan women were the first to arrive, and after flying from Kabul to Dubai (16 hours straight in the air) to Atlanta and then to Dallas, needless to say, they were tired. But, that didn’t stop them from giving their “Rwandan friends” (as they called them) a warm welcome when they arrived on campus several hours later. In the midst of eating dinner, as the Rwanda women entered the dining hall, every single one of the Afghan women immediately stopped eating, stood up from their seats and extended hands and hugs.

The global adventure for these women has begun. Farghana Alimy, a boutique owner from Afghanistan said it best in her introduction during the day’s cultural exchange.

“I’ve come here to connect Afghan women with a global world.”

The Institute couldn’t have put it better. In bringing these two cultures together on the same campus this year, the

Immy Kamarade as she introduced herself to the full PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS group.

door to international partnership opportunities has truly been opened. Immy Kamarade, who owns and operates a coffee plantation from Rwanda, expressed her eagerness to pay forward the knowledge she will gain from her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program … even before her Leadership Development has begun.

“I just sat down and thought about it, and the effort that this has taken,” she said. “I want to thank the Institute for this seed of love. Where there is love, all will be well. And I promise to plant that seed when I return to my country.”

Despite their distinct differences, the women from each country are finding the similarities between them. One of the Rwandan women helped break the ice with laughter.

“I’m not married, and I’m still searching,” she began. “So, if you know anybody – American, Afghan – I don’t mind.”

Laughter filled the room.

Their goals are big and their spirits are high. Annette Karenzi, owner of a Curves-type gym, is no exception.

“My dream is to own a five-star hotel,” she said proudly during her introduction.

We are only two days into the program, and there are so many more to come. This year’s group of women are phenomenal – we know that they have the ability to bring change to their countries – and bring peace through business.

Shahrbanoo Rezai, who owns an almond packaging company in Afghanistan spoke of the woman’s role in rebuilding Afghanistan and creating peace.

“I come from a province that is very deprived and very poor, because it was just established six years ago,” she explained. “But, I am so happy to be an Afghan and to belong to one country. We see the impact of the past and now the present – and now, we the Afghan people really want just peace. At least we can try for our future.”

To watch a great segment on the Peace through Business program, visit Small Business TV’s Web site to watch!

Terry Neese interviews with Angi Bruss at The Oklahoman. To see more, please visit The Oklahoman’s Web site.

Saudah runs a hair and beauty salon called Salon Essentials.

The business provideshaircuts, perms, coloring, pedicures, manicures,
facial treatments and body massages.

Saudah is hoping to learn better business managerial skills and would
like to learn more about how the U.S. beauty industry operates.