The US Department of State and 10,000 Women Announce New Partnership

Inaugural Program to Focus on Entrepreneurship, Leadership Training, Mentoring and Networking to Help Women Leaders Grow their Business and Create Jobs

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 9, 2015 – Secretary of State John Kerry and Lloyd C. Blankfein, chairman and CEO of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS), in partnership with Harvard Kennedy School, today announced the first-ever cross-border exchange and leadership program to support emerging women leaders across the private and non-profit sectors in the Middle East and Northern Africa. This public-private partnership between government, academia and the private sector aims to cultivate the leadership potential of women in the region, promote women’s economic empowerment, and strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem. 

The inaugural Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women-US State Department Entrepreneurship Program brings 29 entrepreneurs from the business, media, technology, social entrepreneurship and non-profit sectors to the US for a two-week program focused on entrepreneurship, leadership training, mentoring and networking to help them grow their business and create jobs. The program participants are from 15 countries, including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.

“This program directly supports the US goals of advancing women’s efforts to become financially independent through entrepreneurship and utilize their economic strength to improve their communities,” according to Evan Ryan, assistant secretary of state for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the State Department. “We are pleased Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women and Harvard Kennedy School are strong partners in promoting these goals and ensuring the success of these international entrepreneurs.”

“Goldman Sachs believes that economically empowering women globally is one of the best investments to grow economies, create jobs and build more prosperous societies,” said John F. W. Rogers, executive vice president and chairman of the Goldman Sachs Foundation. “Through the experiences of 10,000 Women graduates we have measured the meaningful impact of female entrepreneurs around the world and are proud to partner with the State Department and Harvard Kennedy School to invest in these emerging leaders to help them continue to thrive and grow.”

The program participants have spent several days in New York City participating in professional networking and mentoring opportunities with many Goldman Sachs leaders. In Washington, D.C. the program includes visits with local business incubators, along with discussions with leading policy makers, and in Boston they will spend nearly a week at Harvard Kennedy School for an extensive curriculum of customized leadership and entrepreneurship sessions.

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