Nature of Business: This is not a business I began, but a research project I launched on women entrepreneurs in post-war economies. Thus far the work has led me to Rwanda, Afghanistan, and Bosnia to interview a number of remarkable entrepreneurs working amid endless challenge. Full project name: Starting Over, Starting Up: Women Entrepreneurs in Post-Conflict Economies. About Gayle: Freelance Researcher, Harvard Business School MBA Class of 2006
To me, entrepreneurship means seeing and seizing opportunities regardless of circumstance. In the summer of 2005 I traveled to Rwanda to begin a study of women entrepreneurs in post-conflict countries. Beforehand, nearly everyone I spoke with told me there were no women running small or medium-sized business in the country. Yet after a round of phone calls, my interviews turned up a small but growing network of formidable women entrepreneurs focused on creating thriving businesses. Their work not only helps support themselves and their employees, but also contributes to their country's economic growth. In Afghanistan in December and later in Bosnia in the summer of 2006, the story remained the same. With little fanfare and even less support, a small but serious network of women could be found growing their businesses and boosting their nation's development. The obstacles they confront are too many to mention here and enough to send entrepreneurs in many developed nations running. Yet these women are focused on using business to better themselves and their nations, and they are determined to succeed amid daunting challenge. |
