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Thunderbird to host 100 global women entrepreneursThunderbird to host 100 global women entrepreneurs

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks March 8, 2011, at the International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. (U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT)

Thunderbird School of Global Management has been chosen by the US Department of State and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative to train 100 global women entrepreneurs in an innovative business skills program. The announcement came on the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day at the State Department International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony.

This new public-private partnership, unveiled by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, will establish a program to provide business and management training to 100 emerging women entrepreneurs.  The State Department will identify and select the participants to the program, and Thunderbird will train them at its campus in Glendale, Arizona. The first group of women will come from Indonesia and Haiti.

The new partnership is part of the Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women initiative, a $100 million five-year worldwide campaign to drive economic growth by providing 10,000 women a business and management education as well as access to capital, networks and mentors. Launched on March 8, 2008, the program has reached more than 3,500 women in more than 20 countries through a network of more than 70 academic and non-profit partners.  Thunderbird already partners with the 10,000 Women initiative for programs in Afghanistan, Peru and Pakistan.

“Initiatives like 10,000 Women invest in the economic empowerment of women to promote security, stability and prosperity around the globe,” said Secretary of State Clinton.  “This new partnership with the Department of State will extend the reach of the program and provide individual women the means to build safer, stronger, families, communities and nations.”

The program will be run through Thunderbird for Good, the school’s philanthropic arm. The initiative leverages Thunderbird’s expertise in international business to provide learning experiences for non-traditional students who utilize business and management skills to fight poverty, secure peace and improve living conditions in their communities. Many Thunderbird for Good programs focus on educating business women in developing countries.