IWEC Foundation 2022 Press Release

New York-Based Global Women’s Business Organization Celebrated Its 15th Annual Conference and Gala

The International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge Foundation (IWEC) celebrated some of the world’s most successful women business owners during the IWEC Foundation 2022 Annual Conference.

New York, NY, November 21, 2022 – The 2022 iteration of the IWEC Foundation Conference and Awards Gala, the organization’s 15th annual event, took place Sunday November 13th through Tuesday November 15th.  The event celebrated the significant achievements of 41 remarkable women entrepreneurs from all corners of the globe as well as offering educational and networking sessions to attendees. The conference was held on the campus of IESE Business School with additional venues provided by CaixaBank and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce.

The conference theme was “Connecting Women Businesses Globally: The Transformational Power of Women in Business.”’ Our sponsors included a variety of international organizations including CaixaBank, Coca-Cola, SDI International, Mass Mutual, IESE, Spanish Chamber of Commerce and others.

This year’s conference welcomed several keynote speakers and panelists who provided insights into pivotal aspects of global business development, such as Challenges of Globalization after the Pandemic,” “The ESG Agenda Enlightened by Womenand “Global Economy Outlook: Can a Recession Be Avoided?” In addition, a special interview was held with Ms.Teresa Perales, Paralympic Champion, and winner of the Princess of Asturias Award 2021. She was also presented with an Honorary IWEC Business Award.

Ruth A. Davis, former US Ambassador and Chairwoman of IWEC, said of this year’s event: “The 15th annual conference was a wonderful milestone for us. It has been an honor for the organization to hold our conferences all over the world and to have acknowledged and awarded over 500 successful women business owners over all these years. At the conference we also held curated networking sessions for attendees who are interested in expanding their companies to other countries. We encouraged them to make connections to develop opportunities and form strategic partnerships throughout the globe. Fostering connections and global business development are two of IWEC’s most important pillars.”

This year’s 41 awardees come from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, representing multiple industries and generating a combined annual revenue in excess of US$3.3 billion. They are all CEO’s and have very successful businesses.  Over 200 women from around the globe attended.

To learn more about IWEC’s work visit www.iwecfoundation.org and for further information about the conference visit https://www.iese.edu/women-in-leadership/international-women-entrepreneurial-challenge-iwec/

About IWEC Foundation

IWEC Foundation is a New York-based international economic empowerment organization exclusively for women business owners, formed in 2007 with the assistance of the U.S. Department of State.  In addition to the State Department, its founders include the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce (MCC), FICCI/FLO Chamber in New Delhi.  IWEC’s mission is to develop a global business network for successful women entrepreneurs, helping them gain and expand access to international markets by presenting a platform to exchange knowledge, experience and connections, and to promote dialogue among women entrepreneurs and business leaders throughout the world.

Contact IWEC Foundation if you wish to cover the event

Nancy Ploeger, Executive Vice President,  nancyp@iwecfoundation.org