Moscow, Russia – With the support of MTS-Bank PJSC (MOEX: MBNK), in 2024, the educational program "A Woman Can" was successfully scaled up in ten regions of Russia in support of women entrepreneurs, initiated by the Committee for the Development of Women's Entrepreneurship OPORA RUSSIA.
The project aims to teach entrepreneurship to women regardless of age and experience. Women who have decided to retrain and realize their potential in starting their own business, as well as experienced businesswomen who have a task to scale their business, can take part.
"MTS Bank's participation in the implementation and scaling of the Woman Can program is aimed at supporting ambitious and talented women, creating a comfortable environment for gaining new experience and knowledge and their further application in practice," said Nadezhda Panchurina, Vice President and Head of MTS Bank's small business cluster.
The initiator of the program "A woman Can" was the Committee for the Development of Women's Entrepreneurship "SUPPORT of RUSSIA". In the fall of 2023, a pilot was conducted in Moscow, and scaling began in 2024, as a result of which educational events were held in Omsk, Voronezh, Ulyanovsk, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Volgograd, Stavropol, Rostov-on-Don, Ufa and Krasnodar.
"The Committee for the Development of Women's Entrepreneurship has been implementing a pool of educational programs aimed at involving women in economic activity for 10 years. Together with MTS Bank, we provide an opportunity for women in the regions to start their own businesses and realize their dreams," said Nadiya Cherkasova, Vice President of OPORA RUSSIA.
In the first quarter of 2025, the program will cover five more regions: Tyumen, Vologda, Chita, Tomsk and Krasnoyarsk.
Classes are held according to a single standard: pre-selection of participants, entrepreneurship training, defense of business projects in the finals and a 100,000 certificate for the best idea for further business development.
The participants of the program receive expert support, as well as get acquainted with the activities of small and medium-sized businesses in their region. For example, in Vladivostok, women learned how the businesses of a guest house, a clothing atelier, and a laboratory of eco-friendly cosmetics made from wild plants of the Primorsky taiga are organized.
Among the winning projects are initiatives from the social sphere. So, Yulia Belousova won in Vladivostok with the kindergarten project "Rejoice, children!". Irina Borisova is in the Rostov region with the project of the children's and youth film studio "Constellation".
There were a lot of creative projects. Inna Shchigoleva became the winner of the Voronezh program with her project "KULTURA market Festival of Local Brands". And in Omsk, an expert jury chose Svetlana Kurilina with the project "Matryoshka T-shirt". The main feature of her products is the use of the identity of the city of Omsk. The Kultura Market project by Inna Shchigoleva, the winner from Voronezh, unites local brands of clothing, furniture and accessories. And Maria Endyushkina from Ulyanovsk implements workshops on painting clothes. Several winners have connected their business with sewing: Olga Kolesnichenko with the Kolis wear clothing brand from Khabarovsk, Aliya Valeeva from Ufa with her own Vysh machine embroidery studio.You" and Daria Pronina from Stavropol with a sewing production project.
Yulia Generalova's project, the InGrin gardening and maintenance care studio, won in Volgograd. Julia also produces original soil for indoor plants.
Krasnodar became the final city in 2024, where the "A Woman can" program was held. The winner was Evgenia Zhalova with the project "SPA cafe. Dessert candles."
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MTS Bank (MTS-Bank PJSC) is a digital commercial bank with more than 30 years of history, providing a wide range of services to individuals and companies. It is one of the 30 largest banks in Russia in terms of assets. In its strategy, MTS Bank relies on the rapid growth of retail business and services for small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as on combining the convenience and functionality of digital channels with the physical accessibility of its offices throughout Russia. MTS Bank's website is the winner of the Runet Rating 2023 contest.