ABOUT The Enterprising Women Foundation
Our Objective
The Enterprising Women Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is a sister entity to Enterprising Women magazine. Both entities share a common mission of advancing the growth of women’s entrepreneurship. Together, they are committed to empowering women in business and leadership roles in the United States and globally through our key programs: YOUNG ENTERPRISING WOMEN and PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS®.
YOUNG ENTERPRISING WOMEN commits to empowering high school girls, particularly in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), where female participation is crucial yet underrepresented. With a network of successful women entrepreneurs, the Foundation connects these leaders with girls who may be first-generation college students or from at-risk communities lacking access to mentors.
Furthermore, the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program, established more than 17 years in Afghanistan and Rwanda, focuses on three pillars: In-Country Education, Leadership Development, and Pay It Forward. This program supports women from diverse ethnic backgrounds across various industries, enhancing their business and leadership skills, fostering a strong public policy agenda within the women’s business community, and contributing to the development of stable democracies through targeted mentorship and training.
Our Founder
MONICA S. SMILEY
Editor and Publisher
Enterprising Women Magazine
President and Founder
Enterprising Women Foundation
MONICA SMILEY is the editor and publisher of Enterprising Women, a global magazine launched in 2000 to advocate for women entrepreneurs. She also founded the Enterprising Women Foundation, in 2010 to support women’s entrepreneurship.
The foundation oversees the Young Enterprising Women Program and the Peace Through Business Program, which has expanded to Uganda, Canada, and the UK.
An award-winning journalist with over 45 years of experience, Smiley has received numerous accolades, including the 2023 Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement. She serves on several advisory boards and is a founding partner of the Women Business Collaborative. Smiley holds a Journalism degree from Bradley University and resides in Apex, North Carolina, with her family.
The Enterprising Women Foundation aims to educate and empower women entrepreneurs worldwide by leveraging its extensive network, fostering educational opportunities, and creating transformative experiences that pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable future in business and leadership.
MENTORING, Inspiring, AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF YOUNG ENTERPRISING WOMEN
EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND POLITICALLY
News & Media
The Economic Impact of “Gender Apartheid” in Afghanistan
This white paper analyzes how extreme gender inequality in Afghanistan—what many women’s rights leaders around the world are referring to as “gender apartheid”—affects the broader society economically. It considers factors such as Afghan women’s severe exclusion from...
IEEW Merges With EWF to Grow the Peace Through Business Program
After nearly 18 years as a leading nonprofit educating and empowering women around the world, the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW) has merged with the Enterprising Women Foundation (EWF) to continue the growth and expansion of the Peace Through...
Statement by Manizha Wafeq UN Security Council Briefing on Afghanistan 21 June 2024
Mr. President, Thank you!Excellencies,Thank you for this opportunity to address you on the women’s economic situation in Afghanistan. I am Manizha Wafeq, Co-founder of the Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Executive Director of Global/Afghanistan...