Empowered Women International

Congratulations to Evelyn Brooks, Nina Tisara, and Sharmila Karamchandani for their recent accomplishments and awards! All three women are long-standing EWI members, as well as graduates of our flagship program, Entrepreneur Training for Success.

Evelyn Brooks, the owner of Evelyn Brooks Designs and a graduate of our entrepreneurship training program, was recently honored by the Dialogue on Diversity with the Champion Young Entrepreneur Award 2010. More

Nina Tisara, a graduate of EWI’s entrepreneurship training program and Director of Living Legends of Alexandria, launched her 2010 “The Gathering of the Legends” photography exhibition at the Del Ray Artisans Gallery, 2704 Mt. Vernon Avenue, in Alexandria, from August 6 – 22, 2010. The opening reception took place on Friday, August 13, 7-10 pm at Del Ray Artisans Gallery. The exhibition, which features photographs of 30 of Alexandria’s recent history makers, was conceived while Tisara was an EWI student. More

Sharmila Karamchandani, a graduate EWI’s entrepreneur training program and talented artist and educator, was recently recognized as one of the best instructors at the ITT Technical Institute.

Registration Deadline: September 15

EWI is currently selecting 15-20 immigrant and refugee women for its intensive eight-week Entrepreneur Training for Success (ETS), Class 2010.

Classes will meet from 6:30-8:30pm on Thursdays, October 7, 14, 21, 28, November 4, 11, 18 and Monday, November 29, as well as from 10:30am-1:00pm on Saturday, November 20. All classes are held in our Alexandria office, located inside Convergence at 1801 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria, VA 22302.

The training tuition is $250/participant, plus a $35/yearly membership fee. Please let us know if you cannot afford to pay the training tuition, as some women may qualify for a partial scholarship. The training tuition can also be paid in two installments: $125 when you register for the training and the remaining $125 within 30 days of the first class. To apply for a scholarship or work out a payment plan, email Marga Fripp at cfripp@aol.com.

Please click here to read the full details about our successful Entrepreneur Training for Success program.

Strong Candidates for This Program …

Kata Witorsch and Sharmila Karamchandani, both successful graduates of the ETS program.

Are those who have:

• – CLEAR business or social venture idea(s)
• – CONCRETE product(s) or DETERMINED service(s)
• – ENERGY, PASSION and COMMITMENT to lead and succeed

And are in need of:

• – Business knowledge
• – Marketing strategies and coaching
• – Resources and business tools
• – New markets and partnerships to test their products
• – A network of support to build a market and a following for their work

How to Apply

Registration Deadline: September 15, 2010

In order to be considered a candidate for our Entrepreneur Training for Success, please do the following:

STEP 1. Read about our member benefits and services, fill out our 2010 member intake survey (if you have not done so already), and then email Marga to let her know you completed the form.

STEP 2. Read about the full training program and then complete our online training application.

Please email Marga with any questions or to schedule an interview.

NOTE: All applicants must go through a phone or face-to-face interview with an EWI staff member before the course’s start date.

Zufan Tilahun Abebe joined the EWI staff this summer in an internship position, through the organization Liberty’s Promise. She is 16 years old and a rising senior at T.C. Williams High School.

Zufan was born in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and lived there with her family until coming to the United States in 2007. Zufan has been assisting our organization with outreach in the Ethiopian community, events and sales, jewelry design and production, and various office work.

In school, Zufan has been on the honor roll for all disciplines. She most enjoys math and physics, which will serve her well when she achieves her dream of attending the University of Pennsylvania as a pre-med student. Zufan plans to become a surgeon and practice in the United States, while going back to Ethiopia frequently to volunteer her knowledge and medical skills.

She has received award letters from the Virginia House of Delegates and the City of Alexandria, as well as a Certificate of Appreciation from the Ethiopian and Eritrean Club.

We are excited that Zufan will continue her involvement with us during the school year after her internship has ended. She has become a talented jewelry maker and will be able to sell her work through EWI.

At the beginning of July, EWI had a wonderful felt workshop with Evelyn Carr, owner of ThreeBagsWool Farm in Purcellville, Virginia. Evelyn breeds Icelandic Sheep and is a talented felter – all of which is done in her spare time!

Felted items are made from wool roving and are a result of a combination of moisture, friction, and heat. Felt can be waterproof and is so strong that it used to be worn under armor in the Middle Ages and the US Army has started to employ it once more.

We have formed a partnership with Evelyn and her farm to make the most out of the wonderful opportunities this amazing fiber provides, and we are greatly looking forward to organizing more felt workshops in the future.

Our brand-new felt product is felt soap and it was a great success at the Whole Foods Market Annapolis’ Vendors’ Day on August 2.

Our most sincere thanks to Evelyn Carr for sharing her talent and passion with EWI, and to Sue Chaisson of Whole Foods Market Annapolis for inviting EWI-made products into the store.

Ana Soria came to the US from Bolivia in 2001 to pursue a dream: to devote her life to art. She has been illustrating children’s art for over 30 years, since the age of 5. Her illustrations are colorful, detailed, and evoke great joy (see below!).

Despite the challenges of a short-lived marriage that left her alone as a single mom, she remains hopeful about the future. She is very grateful to have recently connected with EWI. Her goals in this collaboration include guidance in promoting her work, networking, and enhancing her artistic skills through classes. She would also like to expand her illustrating talents into other markets, including calendars, greeting cards, and children’s clothing (t-shirts).

There are many facets of Ana to admire. She has a strong sense of self, determination, resiliency, patience,and faith. Her focus is not only on her future, but on improving the lives of others. She is currently looking for work and plans to remain in the US to pursue her art. She was granted permanent residency three years ago.

Ana’s path has not been deterred by the adversity she has had to face, as evidenced by her contagious optimism. She believes the realization of her dreams are within close reach.

To sponsor Ana and other women like her, please visit our Donate page!

Written by EWI volunteer Paula Margus. Paula has spent the past 15 years working in the field of quality assurance, over 7 of them spent supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). She is passionate about travel, writing, photography, and pets and enjoys learning about other cultures, traditions, religions, cuisine, music, and art. She currently resides in Falls Church, Virginia with one feline who takes great pleasure in outsmarting her with his exceptional ingenuity.