About the Author: Talley Sergent serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The State Department’s third annual African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) kicked off its international exchange component in New York on June 4. The African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) is a State Department initiative launched in July 2010 to identify and build networks of women entrepreneurs across Sub-Saharan Africa who are poised to transform their communities by owning; running; and operating small and medium businesses, and to drive social and economic progress in their communities and countries.

Diane von Furstenberg, fashion designer, philanthropist and Chairman/Founder of DVF Studio LP, led the program by participating in a conversation with the women, who hail from the fashion and textile industry, agribusiness, and home decor. Following the program opening, the women split into sector specific groups to connect with their American counterparts,… more »