Manila, July 30, 2025—The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines and SPARK! Philippines invite the public to the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Trade Fair from August 1 to 3 at the Activity Center of Gateway Mall 1 in Cubao, Quezon City.  

From artisanal goods to modern twists on local delicacies, the trade fair will feature over 30 homegrown businesses by graduates of AWE—a U.S.-led business learning program for women entrepreneurs.   

“Since it was launched in the Philippines in 2020, AWE has supported hundreds of women in building and scaling their businesses.  These entrepreneurs were able to transform their lives, create jobs, strengthen their communities, and contribute to the Philippines’ economic resilience,” U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said.  “Through AWE, we celebrate the contributions of women entrepreneurs to our strong bilateral economic relationship as partners in prosperity.” 

Among the entrepreneurs featured at the trade fair is Corrs Valenton, a graduate of the AWE Quezon City cohort.  In 2021, she turned a passion for creating her signature cheese pimiento for friends and family into Corrsy’s Kitchen, a food-in-jars business offering a wide selection of cheese spreads, jams, and gourmet sardines.  What started as a one-woman online venture is now a growing enterprise that will soon open its fourth physical store.  Valenton credits AWE for helping women grow their businesses through training in sales, marketing, innovation, leadership, and network building. 

 
“The fair is more than just a marketplace.  It is a celebration of women’s resilience, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit,” SPARK! Philippines Executive Director Maica Teves said.  “It allows our AWE graduates to reach new audiences, build networks, and open doors to future opportunities.” 
  

The AWE Trade Fair is made possible through the support of the Quezon City government, under the leadership of Mayor Joy Belmonte, and the J. Amado Araneta Foundation.  

The trade fair is a highlight of the AWE Philippines Summit 2025, a three-day event beginning July 29 in Manila that gathers 100 AWE alumnae from seven implementing sites: Bacolod City, Baguio City, Manila, Puerto Princesa City, Quezon City, Bohol, and Zamboanga del Sur.  At the summit, AWE graduates will have the opportunity to engage with seasoned business leaders, draw insights from established entrepreneurs, and participate in interactive workshops that will refine their entrepreneurial skills. 
 
“Whether you are just starting out or looking to grow your existing business, this summit offers a wealth of knowledge from experienced mentors, real-world insights from fellow entrepreneurs, and interactive learning opportunities to sharpen your skills.  Truly, it is a gateway to innovation, business growth, and impactful networking,” Department of Trade and Industry Assistant Secretary Grace Baluyan said in remarks delivered on behalf of Secretary Cristina Roque.
 
Launched by the U.S. Department of State in 2019, AWE is a hybrid learning program that offers courses on market research, laws and regulations, business plan creation, cash flow projection, and digital marketing for women entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds.  In the Philippines, AWE has trained more than 500 women beneficiaries since its launch in October 2020 in partnership with the U.S. Embassy’s American Spaces.

Over 300,000 businesses in the Philippines are owned by women, according to 2023 data from the Department of Trade and Industry. On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate their strength of character and share tales of three AWEsome and empowered women who lead life-changing enterprises.

After graduating with a degree in tourism, Senith Araez joined a travel agency in her native Palawan where she discovered a knack for hospitality service and a passion for curating travel experiences for visitors to her beloved island. That is why after a brief stint as a call center agent in Metro Manila, home called to her. Upon her return, she rejoined the tourism industry, this time with an internationally renowned resort, where working with a larger set of clients broadened her expertise. 

Despite her accomplishments in Palawan, Senith wanted to provide her family with a brighter future. So again, she packed her bags with her hopes, dreams, and unwavering passion for the hospitality sector and headed to South Africa. For more than 10 years, she worked on her craft while battling homesickness and isolation after being subjected to “double standards in the workplace.”  

“The struggle for recognition and acceptance was palpable, and I often found myself grappling with feelings of isolation. However, rather than succumbing to self-pity, I made a conscious decision to turn adversity into opportunity,” she said. She enrolled in classes and sought mentorship from more experienced colleagues. With her natural talent for service management, and the world-famous Filipino hospitality, Senith rose through the ranks. Resilience and tenacity became the keys to her success, and she was entrusted with managing the food safety system of the company.  While she climbed the corporate ladder, she drew up a greater goal: coming home and starting her own travel agency.  

Whistler Travel and Tours has since become the fruit of her labor and her dream come true—one that she shares generously with her community, especially single mothers and female breadwinners. She offers mentorship and guides her staff to become mentors themselves.  

“Having walked in their shoes, I intimately understand the challenges they face and the strength it takes to overcome them. Recognizing the resilience and untapped potential within these women, I made it a mission to provide them with greater opportunities … I am immensely proud to see these women stepping into their power with courage and confidence. They’re not just bringing food to their families’ tables; they’re doing so with pride, knowing that their contributions are valued and respected,” she said. 

Last year, she received the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Outstanding Achievement Award from the United States government for her exemplary leadership in business and contributions to the empowerment of women in her community. 

Much like Senith, family was the cornerstone of Anna Zofia Leal’s goals. She first tried her hand at entrepreneurship in 2013 when she and her husband could not find woven wraps for their firstborn. They decided to create and sell their own wraps using local weaves called abel iloco. Even after Anna left the business when it became difficult to manage along with her fulltime job, she remained committed to providing her family with the best goods and sharing these with the wider community. She later observed a lack of vegan food in her area and took the initiative to “serve vegan food to everyone, whether you are vegan or not.” 

Unfortunately, just a month after opening Gulay Lang, the pandemic hit, and establishments were ordered shut. Never one to be broken by circumstances, Anna and her team initiated an Adopt-A-Community campaign to provide food for stranded students and workers at the University of the Philippines Diliman. This eventually led to providing food for healthcare workers and others in need during the lockdowns. 

As restrictions eased, Anna was able to reopen her vegan restaurant. She also partnered with micro-businesses Gulay ‘Yan and Bukas na Hapag to create Gulay Na!, an online community that advocates for Philippine food heritage, food security, and veganism. 

“The biggest challenge for me is to look at my accomplishment and consciously promote it as something I have done. Growing up, girls were always told to be modest and meek. While I do believe that I am not meek, I still have imposter syndrome sometimes. I address this by talking with other women entrepreneurs,” she said. 

Like Anna who looked to solve problems at home with her enterprise, Chona VinceCruz-Abeledo drew from her childhood experiences. She grew up in the province of Bataan, surrounded by fishers and farmers. As an adult, she was heartbroken to realize that these sectors she held dear were some of the poorest in the country. The opportunity to respond to this situation came to Chona when she was studying the population genetics of mangrove crabs, known locally as alimango, for her doctorate. While collecting samples for her research, fisherfolk told her about some common challenges they face, including choosing which species to raise on their farms. These conversations inspired Chona to create Crabifier, a species identification app that can determine crablet species with 92.4% accuracy. The app helps fish farmers pick which species are preferred by the market. 

From there, she and her team developed several other innovations, including a transport packing system for juvenile crabs called Crab2Go.  

“I believe that STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) can contribute a lot to bringing dignity back to the people who are producing the food we eat every day, but in a way that maximizes their outputs without resulting in further damage to the environment. We create the technologies we have today to help these fishers and farmers achieve sustainability, improve their incomes significantly, and protect nature for future generations,” she said.

To inspire young people, especially girls, to join STEM fields, Chona shares her journey on the online channel, “SHE-ensya.” As she admits, it is not easy for women to find their footing in research undertakings such as hers. 

“Aquaculture involves a lot of messy, dirty work, and heavy lifting. From our travels across the country, we also saw that less than a third of the people working in the mangrove crab industry are women. I had to experience a lot of incredulity and doubt from others as to whether or not I knew what I was doing,” she said. “But I believe in the positive side of human nature. It’s hard to reject people who are tenacious, who won’t stop trying to help, and with whom you’ve shared several good meals. To overcome the natural prejudices of people, we just continued to show up, showed them we were sincere in our efforts to help, and opened the floor to discussions where everyone’s opinions and contributions were given time to be heard.” 

These three outstanding women are all alumni of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) under the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Launched in 2019, AWE combines the use of DreamBuilder—an online business training curriculum developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management—with mentoring and facilitation programs. Globally, the program has trained more than 25,000 women entrepreneurs in 100 countries. In the Philippines, AWE has trained more than 350 women beneficiaries since its launch in October 2020. 

“AWE has been an invaluable resource in helping me navigate the complexities of running a travel agency in the digital age. By equipping me with necessary skills, knowledge, and support, AWE has enabled me to stay digitally relevant and effectively address the needs of my clients, ultimately driving the success and growth of my business,” said Senith. 

Apart from programs and training modules, AWE also offers participants a community of fellow women business owners. “It’s awe-inspiring to see such initiatives help women bloom in different parts of the world,” said Chona. 

Manila, November 15, 2023—Since 2020, 350 Filipino women from all over the Philippines have received training and mentorship from the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a U.S.-supported business learning program organized by the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines and implementing partner SPARK! Philippines.

“All of us know how much women business owners—both in the informal and formal sectors—contribute to and drive economic prosperity in the Philippines,” U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said in her remarks at the first-ever AWE Philippines Summit on November 9 to mark the business training program’s third anniversary. “With AWE, we have prioritized reaching women entrepreneurs who face the highest hurdles when it comes to accessing the essential tools of entrepreneurship: finance, support networks, mentors.”

The inaugural summit in Manila gathered more than 80 AWE alumni from Bacolod, Bohol, Cebu, Manila, Marawi, Puerto Princesa, Quezon City, and Zamboanga del Sur to participate in panel sessions, networking activities, and workshops by American business experts.  Another 40 AWE graduates gathered in Bacolod City on November 11 for a one-day networking and workshop session with summit organizers.

Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona also attended the summit in Manila.

“Even before the pandemic, we, at the Department of Trade and Industry, follow closely the Magna Carta of Women or Republic Act 9710 passed in 2009, which provides specific interventions of DTI to promote women’s economic empowerment.  With these and other initiatives, I am confident that our women entrepreneurs can rebuild better and contribute greatly to the country’s economic recovery,” DTI Undersecretary Lantayona said.

“Whether they are aspiring entrepreneurs with innovative concepts or micro and small business owners seeking fresh perspectives, this summit serves as a gateway to innovation, business growth, and unparalleled networking opportunities.  It is a dynamic learning experience where our women entrepreneurs unite to embark on a path to entrepreneurial excellence,” SPARK! Philippines Executive Director Maica Teves said.

AWE is a hybrid learning program that offers courses on market research, laws and regulations, business plan creation, cash flow projection, and digital marketing for Filipino women entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, including survivors of violence, illegal trafficking, and natural disasters, as well as innovators in sustainable development, technology, and agriculture.  Graduates also benefit from a network of more than 25,000 women entrepreneurs across 100 countries.

In March, Filipino entrepreneur Senith Araez received the AWE Outstanding Achievement Award for her exemplary leadership and contributions to women’s empowerment in her community at the first regional AWE Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Araez founded Whistler Travel and Tours in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, which mostly employs single mothers or women who are family breadwinners.  She is representing the Philippines at the 2023 AWE Indo-Pacific Women in Tech Summit at Taipei, Taiwan, on November 14-16.

For women entrepreneurs interested in joining AWE, follow American Spaces Philippines on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/amspacesph/ and Instagram @amspacesph for updates and additional information on the admission process.

Manila, March 9, 2023—On International Women’s Day March 8, Filipino entrepreneur Senith Araez received the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Outstanding Achievement Award from the United States government for her exemplary leadership in business and contributions to the empowerment of women in her community.

The award was presented during the first regional AWE Summit organized by the U.S. government from March 6 to 9 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  More than 200 businesswomen and AWE graduates from Brunei, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam attended the event.

Araez founded Whistler Travel and Tours in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan in 2019.  Through the business mentorship and training provided by AWE, she was able to expand her business and cater to clients based in the United States.  In Araez’s company, 75 percent of employees are single mothers or women who are family breadwinners.

“I am humbled to receive this Outstanding Achievement Award.  AWE made it possible for me to develop a sound business plan that resulted in engagements with local, national, and now, international corporate accounts,” Araez said.

Launched by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2019, AWE is a hybrid program that combines the use of DreamBuilder—an online business training curriculum developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management—with in-class mentoring and facilitation.  Globally, the program has trained more than 25,000 women entrepreneurs in 100 countries.

In the Philippines, AWE has trained more than 180 women beneficiaries since its launch in October 2020.  Araez is actively involved in establishing a new AWE cohort in Puerto Princesa City that is expected to provide professional training for 30 women working in the local fishing industry.

“When we opened AWE Philippines in 2020, our vision was to provide Filipinas with the confidence and technical skills needed to start sustainable businesses.  Now three years later, we are excited to see these entrepreneurs expand their business ideas and their networks of entrepreneur partners,” said U.S. Embassy Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer Pauline Anderson.

AWE Philippines is implemented by non-profit organization Samahan ng mga Pilipina para sa Reporma at Kaunlaran (SPARK!) and the U.S. Embassy’s American Spaces network in Bacolod City, Cebu City, Manila, Marawi City, and Puerto Princesa City.  In December 2022, two new AWE cohorts led by SPARK! were established in Bohol and Zambaonga del Sur.

Manila, October 25, 2022—On October 22, the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines and SPARK! Philippines launched the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in Bohol to promote the economic empowerment of women through education and mentorship.

“We are confident that AWE will help rebuild livelihood opportunities for local communities, empower more women in Visayas especially in light of recent disasters, and contribute to creating more resilient societies,” said U.S. Embassy Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer Pauline Anderson. 

AWE Bohol will provide entrepreneurial training to women from difficult backgrounds, including survivors of violence, illegal recruitment, human trafficking, and armed conflict.  Members of indigenous groups will also be prioritized.

Throughout the three-month long program, beneficiaries will take courses that will equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to establish and expand their own businesses.  This includes courses on market research, laws and regulations, business plan creation, cash flow projection, and digital marketing.

A second AWE cohort also led by SPARK! Philippines will be launched in Zamboanga del Sur in December. 

“We are honored to have the opportunity to run two cohorts of AWE in the Philippines.  Launching AWE in Bohol and Zamboanga Del Sur will give women from the marginalized sector more access to economic opportunities,” SPARK! Philippines Executive Director Maica Teves explained.  “We are honored that SPARK! continues to be a strong partner of the U.S. Embassy in empowering women and enabling them to provide for their families.”

Launched by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2019, AWE is a hybrid program that combines the use of DreamBuilder—an online business training curriculum developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management—with in-class mentoring and facilitation.  Globally, the program has trained more than 16,000 women entrepreneurs in nearly 90 countries.  In the Philippines, AWE has trained more than 180 women beneficiaries since its launch in October 2020 in partnership with the U.S. Embassy’s American Spaces in Bacolod City, Cebu City, Manila, and Marawi City.  

For more information on AWE Bohol and Zamboanga del Sur, please e-mail info@sparkphilippines.org. 

Manila, November 20, 2020 — Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Policy in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Aleisha Woodward joined a virtual panel discussion on Thursday, November 19, with the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and the Department of Trade and Industry to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) and Women’s Entrepreneurship Day.

The United States celebrates GEW every year as part of its initiatives to support, connect, and educate entrepreneurs across the world.  Earlier this year, the U.S. Embassy launched the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in the Philippines, enhancing U.S.-Philippine economic cooperation and empowering women entrepreneurs to start and scale their businesses.

During the webinar, Deputy Assistant Secretary Woodward discussed the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative and how W-GDP aims to empower women worldwide to fulfill their economic potential.  “We want women to prosper more in the workforce, succeed as entrepreneurs, and be enabled in the economy,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Woodward.

Norkhalila Mae Mambuay-Campong, an AWE Marawi participant, said there’s no better time to have the program than now.

“The world is in crisis and the real backbone of our economy is the micro and small enterprises.  AWE empowers women to lead sustainable enterprises that is not only focused on being financially sustainable but also morally upright when doing business. AWE levels the playing field by giving women access to trainings on leadership, entrepreneurship and confidence building,” she said.

The theme for this year’s GEW celebration is “Women Entrepreneurship During a Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities.”  The webinar is accessible at https://americanspacesph.org/u-s-embassy-talks/.