AWE MEXICO

What AWE MEXICO does

AWE Mexico (Academia para Emprendedoras) is a non-commercial educational program created by the U.S. Department of State's Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) bureau and implemented in Mexico since 2017. It provides women entrepreneurs in Mexico with business training, peer networks, and access to resources intended to grow their enterprises and increase their participation in the economy. The program operates nationally through Mexico, with its headquarters in Mexico City.

The program's core product is the Academia para Emprendedoras curriculum, comprising over 100 hours of annual business training covering personal development, creativity and innovation, sales techniques, financial inclusion, e-commerce, and internationalization. Training is delivered through two channels: in-person sessions run by implementing partners (Co Creando la Innovación y Sustentabilidad Social and ULead International) and the DreamBuilder online learning platform — an interactive, 24/7-available course environment certified by Thunderbird School of Global Management and featuring entrepreneur testimonials plus telenovela-style educational content. Self-reported impact metrics include 80% of participants increasing sales, over 50% adding employees, 90% participating in social and economic life, and 65% becoming community leaders, across a 1,500+ graduate base accumulated since 2017.

AWE Mexico is funded directly by the U.S. Department of State and charges no fee to participants; it does not operate a commercial revenue model. The program is positioned on the institutional credibility of its U.S. government backing, the Thunderbird certification, and access to a global AWE alumni network plus a U.S. Government graduate network for ongoing professional and business connections.

Name

AWE MEXICO

Legal name

AWE Mexico

Website

https://awemexico.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AWE Mexico (Academia para Emprendedoras) is a U.S. Department of State-funded educational program, implemented in Mexico since 2017, that delivers in-person and online business training to women entrepreneurs through the DreamBuilder platform certified by Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Education and Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI)

Keywords

• Women entrepreneurship training
• Business education program
• Small business training
• Government funded education
• Entrepreneurial skills development

Headquarters

HQ city

Mexico City

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Program: AWE Mexico is funded by the U.S. Department of State's Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) bureau. It is a non-commercial program designed to promote economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs rather than generate revenue.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

AWE Mexico (Academia para Emprendedoras) is a government-funded educational program that provides women entrepreneurs in Mexico with business training, networks, and access to resources. It delivers more than 100 hours of annual training through the DreamBuilder interactive online platform (certified by Thunderbird School of Global Management) and in-person sessions facilitated by implementing partners, covering personal skills, creativity and innovation, sales, financial inclusion, e-commerce, and internationalization.

Product overview

AWE Mexico operates as a unified educational program that combines the Academia para Emprendedoras (AWE) curriculum with the DreamBuilder online learning platform. The Academy provides comprehensive business training covering personal skills, creativity, innovation, sales, financial inclusion, e-commerce, and internationalization. The DreamBuilder platform delivers interactive courses with real testimonials and telenovela content, culminating in certification from Thunderbird School of Global Management. Together, these components form an integrated entrepreneurship development ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DreamBuilder: An interactive educational platform used by AWE for business plan development, available 24/7, featuring testimonials from successful entrepreneurs, a telenovela, and certification from Thunderbird School of Global Management

Products and services

• Academia para Emprendedoras (AWE) A government-funded educational program that provides female entrepreneurs in Mexico with more than 100 hours per year of business training covering personal skills, creativity and innovation, sales, financial inclusion, e-commerce, and internationalization. Delivered free of charge to participants through the DreamBuilder online platform and in-person sessions.
• DreamBuilder Interactive online learning platform used by AWE Mexico participants to develop a business plan. Available 24/7 seven days a week, it includes real testimonials from successful entrepreneurs, telenovela-style educational content, and is certified by Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of participants have increased their sales
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• U.S. Department of State - Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)flagshipOthersThe U.S. Department of State's ECA bureau created the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program. ECA provides funding, programmatic direction, and institutional backing for AWE operations in Mexico and globally.
• DreamBuilder (Thunderbird School of Global Management)coreTechnology or IntegrationDreamBuilder is the interactive educational platform used for AWE's business plan development curriculum. The platform is certified by Thunderbird School of Global Management and features 24/7 accessible courses with testimonials and telenovela content.
• Co Creando la Innovación y Sustentabilidad SocialcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing partner that contributes to the empowerment and self-realization of change agents through human and business skills development. Operates under the 'Co-Creating Innovation and Social Sustainability' framework in Mexico.
• ULead InternationalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing partner that creates leading companies driven by change agents who dream of having a positive impact on the world. Supports AWE Mexico's training and entrepreneur development activities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Manos Accelerator: U.S.- and Mexico-based accelerator for impact-driven early-stage startups with a focus on Latin American founders, including a women-focused track. Comparable in target market and geography, though emphasizing venture-track startup acceleration rather than AWE's SMB and pre-startup women entrepreneur focus.
• Pro Mujer: Latin American social enterprise providing financial inclusion, health, and business training to low-income women, with a strong presence in Mexico. Comparable in target audience (underserved women in LAC) and combined focus on financial inclusion and business skills, but offers a broader suite of services including microfinance.

Emerging players

• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: UK-based foundation supporting women entrepreneurs in low- and middle-income countries through skills training, mentoring, and digital tools. Comparable overlap in audience and capability-building mission, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean, though smaller and more focused on digital interventions than AWE's in-person training cohorts.
• INCAE Business School: Leading Latin American business school with entrepreneurship and leadership programs across the region. Comparable in providing business education and entrepreneurship training to Latin American professionals, though targeting a more senior/degree-oriented audience than AWE Mexico's grassroots women entrepreneurs.

Broad incumbents

• Vital Voices Global Partnership: An international nonprofit investing in women leaders and entrepreneurs through mentorship, training, and networks. Overlaps with AWE Mexico in serving women entrepreneurs seeking business growth and leadership development, though Vital Voices operates more broadly across issues and geographies.
• ITC SheTrades (International Trade Centre): UN-affiliated initiative connecting women entrepreneurs to markets, knowledge, and networks globally, with active LAC operations. Comparable as a multilateral women's entrepreneurship capacity-building program, with overlap in internationalization and e-commerce topics that AWE Mexico explicitly covers.
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women: A large-scale, multi-country initiative funded by Goldman Sachs that provides business and management education to women entrepreneurs. Comparable in audience (women SMB owners) and curriculum (business fundamentals, leadership, accessing capital), but global in scope and supported by a private foundation rather than a foreign government.

Direct peers

• Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Global Program: The global U.S. Department of State AWE program operating in multiple countries. AWE Mexico is one country implementation; the global program offers the same DreamBuilder-based curriculum, target audience (women entrepreneurs), and funding structure, making it the closest direct peer.
• WeXchange (Inter-American Development Bank): IDB-led platform supporting women entrepreneurs across Latin America and the Caribbean through networking, mentoring, and access to capital. Operates in the same region and addresses the same base of women entrepreneurs that AWE Mexico targets, with overlapping curriculums on business skills and growth.

Others

• Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE): Global network of organizations supporting small and growing businesses in developing countries, with active Mexico and Latin America chapters. ANDE is an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct training provider, but its member portfolio includes many of the same implementing partners and capacity-building programs that AWE Mexico aligns with.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/awe-mexico

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AWE MEXICO