Leveraging technology, 10,000 Women will reach female entrepreneurs in new corners of the world
World-class learning experience to provide participants with the tools needed to lead and grow their businesses
NEW YORK, May 21, 2018 – The Goldman Sachs Foundation today announced it has launched an online education program to further 10,000 Women, providing female entrepreneurs across the world with a digitized curriculum and interactive platform of women business owners. In partnership with Coursera, the world’s largest online platform for higher education, 10,000 Women will provide greater access to its proven curriculum, providing female entrepreneurs with a world-class business education and a global peer-to-peer network. The course is free, and has been built to meet the needs of women business owners in developing markets.
10,000 Women will provide focused and tailored exercises in an introductory module where participants will assess the strengths and weaknesses of their business and themselves as business leaders. The additional modules will review strategies to identify, optimize, and execute growth opportunities. Learners at the end of the course will have a Business Growth Plan to follow as they continue to grow and evolve their businesses.
Importantly, participants in the course will be supported by a network of fellow students and alumni that will provide real-time support, mentoring and group learning across a number of technologies and channels. This is specifically designed to support quality outcomes by driving personal growth and fostering an online community, allowing the participants to create meaningful connections that will last beyond the completion of the program itself.
“This is a question of opportunity, not capability, and this partnership with Coursera allows us to expand 10,000 Women to reach those entrepreneurs we haven’t been able to before,” said John F.W. Rogers, Chairman of the Goldman Sachs Foundation. “Helping businesses grow is at the core of what we do as a company, and increasing access to business education to support smart, driven, and talented women is good for their businesses, their communities, and the world.”
“Supporting women entrepreneurs is so crucial to creating an economic future that is fair and inclusive, and we’re so honored to partner with the Goldman Sachs Foundation in this endeavor,” said Leah Belsky, VP Enterprise Development at Coursera. “Exponentially scaling this program with our platform will allow many more women to develop the skills, credibility, and networks needed to execute on their ideas.”
In 2008, Goldman Sachs launched the 10,000 Women initiative to foster economic growth by providing women entrepreneurs around the world with business education and access to capital. The initiative was founded on research conducted by Goldman Sachs, the World Bank and others, which suggests that such an investment can have a significant impact on GDP growth. 10,000 Women has reached more than 10,000 women though the in-person program, where 70 percent of graduates report higher revenues and nearly 60 percent create new jobs.
This course has been built on the foundation of the proven 10,000 Women curriculum with the aim of democratizing access to business education worldwide. The announcement follows a recent milestone achieved through a partnership with the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, to enable women entrepreneurs to access capital, with the Women Entrepreneurs Opportunity Facility (“WEOF”) raising over $1 billion in capital commitments to banks for women entrepreneurs.
The course is free and open to all learners. Women business owners with at least three employees and $50,000 in annual revenue are eligible to receive a certificate upon completion. The course can be found at https://www.coursera.org/launch/10000women
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