As well as developing her own business as an entrepreneur, Reem was motivated by her passion to create a safe and harassment-free environment for women commuting in Egypt by themselves or with their children.

Having studied Biochemistry and having previously worked in laboratories, Kayan felt her potential wasn’t being fully utilized in her corporate job and wanted to have a bigger impact on society and the world.

Emelda’s passion for entrepreneurship stems from her childhood, growing up with a father that owned his own factory while also developing a passion for writing short stories as a child.

Ayodeji is the founder and CEO of No Left-Overs, a full-service catering company that began by selling regional bean cakes called “moin-moin,” but has now expanded to having a six-figure annual turnover.

Sharmila was inspired to start her entrepreneurial journey by an ambition to provide her family with a better way of life.

Helen established Pannex Ltd in 2012, a bespoke tech gift manufacturing network, in her hometown Zhanjiang City in southern China.

Victorine started her business when she became frustrated at not being able to find skincare products that were right for her skin tone.

Payal has big ambitions to grow her business from four to 400 centers over the next decade while also becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Simone created Web for All Movement in 2017 with the aim of promoting digital accessibility in Brazil. Web for All offers technical workshops, reports, meetups and consultancy, to the millions of people with disabilities in Brazil that want to enter the job market.

During the Covid lockdown Veda noticed irritation on her skin when using various cleaning products. After undertaking research, she realized the scale of chemicals present in the many cleaning products on the market. It was this experience which triggered her entrepreneurial journey - inspired to launch her own brand of eco-friendly home cleaning products.

Uchenna founded Ivy League Collections, an indigenous and contemporary textile inspired interior design company poised to transform spaces, generate revenue and create an environment where women can collaborate, nurture and grow in a circular economy.

Before starting her entrepreneurial journey, Camila held a variety of roles in factories and engineering companies having graduated as a mechanical engineer in 2006, but even before this she had a strong desire to run her own business.

Zaiba’s story began from growing up in a financially challenged home to becoming one of the Times 40 under 40 North 2022 leaders.

Vanessa founded her wedding planning business in 2010 and just over a decade later is now recognized as one of China’s pioneering wedding and events planning businesses, offering a ‘white glove service’ to all her clients.

“It was a life-changing experience! I really enjoyed networking and the set-up was impeccable. The organizing team, champions, coaches, and fellows were very professional and lifted each other up!”

“I believe people are born entrepreneurs. I had the leadership skills and the drive but not the management or finance skill. I learned how to write a business plan and I gained a lot from Goldman Sachs, and I have transferred what I gained to my colleagues and my community."

"I anticipated an awesome experience during the Growth Fellowship and that was exactly what it turned out to be, meeting incredible people from Goldman Sachs as well as women from around the world who are doing amazing things. - this was so inspiring.”

“At the time, I was writing my business plan, but I didn’t have a lot of business knowledge, so taking the course provided an excellent foundation. Thereafter, the Growth Fellowship was a great opportunity to learn about how to manage media engagements which was a great learning curve for me.”

“The Growth Fellowship media training was amazing! I wish it could have been longer - the content was incredible.”

“My mindset changed, as I gained confidence and credibility. After I graduated I became more self-assured about myself and my business. The Growth Fellowship was a life-changing opportunity.

"The business education we received from the many experienced individuals who were also part the Fellowship was invaluable."

“It was so good to do a course in accounting and finance. We experienced a lot of changes after I came back from the 10,000 Women program. It helped me look at my business from a third person's point of view. I was able to build a strong brand and my confidence increased."

"At the beginning, I didn’t know if I really wanted to be an entrepreneur, but taking the courses gave me an awareness of how it could work. The program helped me focus on the different areas that I needed to launch my brand."

“After the program, I had a clear understanding of management, finances and human resources, and I was able to start thinking like a leader. It gave me a clear roadmap for the future of my company.”

"What drew me to the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women program was the personal leadership learning combined with finances, forecasting, goal-setting, and how to manage your team."

"Having been open for six years, I realized that we’re not doing anything new. There’s a lot of competitors in the market. I thought "Okay, I finally need to do this." So I did the ten week online course."

"When 10,000 Women asked me about my business plan, I was shocked to say that I didn’t have one. After this program I feel more in control and more secure. You get to really see each part of your business – and that’s crucial."

"Entrepreneurship is all about perseverance, about believing enough to withstand anything and everything that comes your way. If you enjoy what you do, the journey will be fun. There is no shortcut to success."

"I have grown my business by entering a niche market and starting a new brand, "Jus Blouses". I have also streamlined my business and developed a new strategy."

"I am very passionate about the 10,000 Women program and I am forever grateful for the chance I got to learn and grow."

"I feel privileged, transformed, enabled, optimistic, and I have big, but achievable, plans of growth."

"Successful business is all about integrity and aiming to make a positive social impact. If we believe in something, we need to strive to achieve it without compromising on our ethical values. If we do that, growth will follow."

"I’m most proud of the fact that I dared to do this. I dared to dream. And I didn’t just dream, I woke up and I said I can do this against all the odds."