On October 4th, Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global posted a blog which spoke briefly about a new public-private partnership that plans to aid women in four Latin American countries with starting or building upon their small or medium sized businesses. The partnership will comprise of Ernst & Young, (EY) and the Bureau of Information Resource Management’s Office of Diplomacy as part of the Women Entrepreneurs in the Americas Initiative (WeAmericas). Women can participate in four workshops called “TechCamps” where they will be taught how to utilize new technology in order to better their business.

The new program will be great for initial start-up knowledge and to provide the women with good ideas for brainstorming and creating their own action plan. However I do not see it being continuously beneficial long-term. There is no indication that the women will be provided with follow-up support or connections long-term to the organization, and as a result economic stability may not be maintained for the women of these conferences. The women are expected to be on their own with a strategy plan, and are assumed to be able to carry out that plan for their business following the conferences or mentorship of six months. It is difficult to predict how much the women will be able to take away from the conferences in order to build their business to the stage where it can exist permanently and add to the economic growth of the Western Hemisphere in the long-run. Therefore I believe that this is not a sustainable endeavor.

WeAmericas is a unique and splendid idea with great intentions. However, I feel that it could be expanded further, similar to a membership program, to have available mentorship and advice opportunities for the women for many years to come. This way, they are supported long-term when they need it, and can develop their business, and others in the community more efficiently, and therefore adding to the local economy.

Sources:

Delaney, Laurel. “Enabling Women Entrepreneurs to Make Better Use of Technology to Grow Their Business Globally.” Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global. The Global Small Business Blog, 4 Oct. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2014. <http://womenentrepreneursgrowglobal.org/>.

Office Of The Spokesperson. “U.S. Department of State and Ernst & Young (EY) Announce Partnership in Support of Women Entrepreneurs in the Americas.” U.S. Department Of State. N.p., 3 Oct. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2014. <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/10/232548.htm>.