On International Women’s Day, March 8, Filipino entrepreneur Senith Araez received a Women Entrepreneurship Award from the U.S. government in recognition of her exemplary leadership in business and her contributions to the empowerment of women in her community. Received Outstanding Achievement Award from House Academy (AWE).
The award was presented at the 1st AWE Regional Summit, held by the US Government in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 6-9 March. Over 200 of her businesswomen and her AWE alumni from Brunei, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, 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.
Launched in 2019 by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Education and Cultural Affairs, AWE combines lessons with the use of DreamBuilder, an online business training curriculum developed by the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.
Launched in 2019 by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Education and Cultural Affairs, AWE combines lessons with the use of DreamBuilder, an online business training curriculum developed by the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.
The program has trained more than 25,000 of her female entrepreneurs in 100 countries around the world.n the Philippines, AWE has trained over 180 beneficiaries since her October 2020 launch. Araez is actively involved in establishing her new AWE cohort in the city of Puerto Princesa, which will provide vocational training to her 30 women who work in the local fisheries.
“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 Zamboanga del Sur.
