Jordan’s businesswomen share insights at US Department of Commerce-hosted workshop

AMMAN — US Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) of Commerce for the Office of Middle East and Africa, Camille Richardson, on Tuesday convened a virtual meeting to help facilitate the development of partnerships between women-led tech businesses in the US and Jordan.

“Women entrepreneurship and innovation in tech fosters diversity and socio-economic inclusion,” Richardson said, noting that, “I’m happy to support efforts that promote greater opportunity for women in this critical field”. 

During the event, Jordanian businesswomen shared market insights with US companies interested in exploring business opportunities in the region, according to a US embassy statement.

Ruba Darwish, the Jordan country manager of BMB Group and Int@j Board Member, provided US firms with an overview of Jordan’s growing ICT market.  

AmCham Jordan CEO Rose Alissi chaired a panel discussion on best practices, featuring four Jordanian women businesswomen: Sahar Madanat, founder and creative director of Twelve Degrees, Reem Khouri, co-founder and CEO of Whyise, Hadeel Anabtawi, founder of The Alchemist Lab, and Maha Al Said, general manager of Gate to Pay. 

Janee Pierre-Louis, senior commercial officer at the US embassy in Amman, highlighted that, “…US companies that partner with Jordanian firms are better positioned to access business opportunities domestically, as well as collaborate to pursue business in regional markets.”

The “Women in Tech: Networking for Growth in Jordan” event was the fifth session in the “Women Empowered Leave Legacies Through Trade and Investment” (WELLTI) Coffee Chatseries. 

The Jordan Coffee Chats reflect the importance that the US Department of Commerce places on the commercial relationship between the US and Jordan and is a follow-up to Richardson’s virtual visit to Jordan from May 18 to 20, 2021. 

Launched in January 2021, the series is a platform to connect women entrepreneurs in the US and international markets. Over the past year, Commerce’s WELLTI initiative has grown rapidly across the Middle East region, the statement said.