The USAID YES-Georgia Program is hosting an exhibition for women entrepreneurs, bringing together 100 women from Tbilisi and the surrounding communities to display and sell their products on Jukly 17 in Deda Ena Park. The event will feature opening remarks from U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan and Crystal Microfinance CEO Archil Bakuradze. Members of the media are invited to interview Ambassador Degnan and Mr. Bakuradze and Ambassador Degnan may have time for a few questions following the official part of the event, which will conclude at 3:30pm.

The exhibition will begin at 3:00pm. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet entrepreneurs and purchase products ranging from handmade accessories, leather goods, wine, art, and non-perishable food products. Food will be for sale and music and children’s entertainment will be provided. The exhibition will end at 21:00.

USAID, through the USAID YES-Georgia Program, has supported youth and women’s economic empowerment since 2015. During this period, 395 young men and 646 young women have received entrepreneurship training through the program, with nearly 100 receiving startup financing. In 2020, the program was revised to increase its focus on supporting women entrepreneurs.

The key activities of the program are:

• Innovative entrepreneurship training in seven cities via the Young Entrepreneur’s School, and development of a mobile training service to support future entrepreneurs in remote areas;
• Capacity-building youth and women-led enterprises through access to finance, knowledge and expertise, and providing accounting, tax preparation, and legal services;
• Enhancing access to finance for youth and women entrepreneurs; and
• Awareness-raising activities to promote an enabling environment for women entrepreneurs and to erode social barriers to women starting a business. About USAID in Georgia - As the leading development agency of the U.S. government, USAID supports Georgia to build the capacity to finance, plan, and implement its own solutions to development challenges. USAID has worked in Georgia since 1992, supporting the country’s transformation into a developing democracy that is increasingly integrated into Western political, security, and economic institutions. More than 35 USAID programs strengthen Georgia's resilience to malign influence, consolidate democratic gains through enhanced citizen responsive governance, and enable high-value employment through increased economic growth.

Crystal Fund is a non-government and non-profit organization, which was founded in 2004 and implements projects and programs in various fields. Since 2015, Crystal Fund has been implementing the program to support youth and women entrepreneurship in Georgia.

Crystal - JSC MFO Crystal is the leading non-banking financial institution in Georgia. It manages a loan portfolio of GEL 350 million, employing more than 1,000 members of staff, operating through 50 branches and serving more than 115,000 unique customers across the country. Since the day of foundation, the company has served more than 1 million customers. Crystal acts as a platform for economic development, providing micro and small entrepreneurs and farmers with innovative financial products and services tailored to their needs.