When it comes to peacebuilding, business might not be the first answer that springs to mind.
But for almost two decades, the Peace Through Business program has proved empowering women entrepreneurs is one of the most effective ways to repair broken societies. This was the first webinar in a series of three aimed at introducing people to the program’s roots in Afghanistan, the women whose lives were changed and how urgently this work needs continued support – and growth.
From Vision to Reality
The Peace Through Business program was started by Dr. Terry Neese nearly 20 years ago at the suggestion of First Lady Laura Bush. The aim was humble but audacious: to empower Afghan women to enter their country’s economic life, become business leaders and play a role in rebuilding a nation emerging from the darkness of Taliban rule.
The public-private aspect of this from the very beginning made it different. This autonomy enabled the program to be flexible, creative and genuinely responsive to women. It also espoused a philosophy of paying it forward — the graduates were urged to not only expand their own businesses, but also to be advocates for others and create policies that would lift up other women across Afghanistan.
Peace Through Business Program with Lasting Impact
More than 900 Afghan women have been trained and mentored through Peace Through Business since 2007. These women are one of a kind trailblazers in every way. They have started Afghanistan’s first printing press owned by women, established women’s gyms to encourage health, ventured into logistics companies and forged a path into fields once thought inappropriate.
One alum alone, for instance, sold her jewelry to fund a dried fruit-exporter dream. With the support of the program, she developed a business plan, figured out how to negotiate with international buyers and eventually, became one of the country’s top exporters — until Taliban control prompted her to shut down operations. Today, she is building again, with resilience and strength.
Other graduates teamed up to form the country’s first Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This advocacy group turned into the Afghan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which helped influence national trade policy, procurement laws and industrial land allocation processes — to ensure that women business owners were included in plans for the future.
These are not small wins. They embody seismic cultural changes in a country where women were once banished from public life.
Persevering Amid Crisis
This whole success story was upended on August 15, 2021, when the Taliban reconquered Afghanistan. Decades of advances for women were rolled back in a single day.
Gender Apartheid
Since then, more than 130 decrees have curtailed women’s rights, whatever those might be to a Muslim cleric in this type of Islamic state.
But the women of Peace Through Business aren’t ready to quit. Many are now operating home-based businesses, needing little more than a smart phone to connect with trainers and mentors. Former college professors, nonprofit workers and government employees — now unable to practice their professions — are remaking themselves as entrepreneurs. Their steadfastness to create livelihoods for themselves and others is an act of resistance and hope.
Training That Changes Lives
At its essence, Peace Through Business is more than a workshop or a certificate program. It’s a meticulously planned learning trajectory. The participants acquire practical business skills — from writing business plans, to marketing and export. They are matched with mentors, often through virtual “e-mentoring,” enabling supporters from across the world to walk alongside them in their growth.
Above all graduates take with them more than knowledge. They come away with a sisterhood —women committed to lifting one another. It’s this network that supports them through hard times and drives the ripple effect of change in their community.
Why Now Matters–Why You Matter More Than Ever
This year, more than 120 Afghan women applied for just 35 slots in the program. Demand is exponentially greater than supply at present. In a world where Afghanistan is fading from the headlines, never has the help been needed more.
“There is no other program that rivals it,” Monica Smiley, publisher of Enterprising Women and president of the Enterprising Women Foundation said in a webinar, “No matter where you are or what your career is … if you really want to make a difference in this world — significant difference — I can’t think of a better example than the Peace Through Business program.”
How You Can Help
Afghan women are not seeking charity, they are asking for opportunity. And we can help provide it. With a contribution, you are providing support for training programs, mentoring and small grants that enable women to begin or rebuild businesses. When you volunteer as a mentor, you’re sharing your experience, reinforcing courage and sounding a voice for the cause.
Every donation or hour of volunteers time offers a lifeline to women who refuse to be silenced, women who are making jobs happen and changing policy plus in spite of impossible odds keeping hope alive.
Join Us
Learn more, donate or volunteer as a mentor at Enterprising Women Foundation. Together we can make sure that the voices and visions of Afghan women entrepreneurs are not just heard, but magnified.
For when women succeed, communities succeed. And when peace is constructed through business it happens to be lasting.
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From Observation to Innovation,
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Andi Simon 00:00:01 Welcome to On the Brink with Andi Simon. Thank you for joining us today. As you know, our job is to get you off the brink. And it’s really an honor and a privilege for me to bring to you people who are going to help you do what you could do as an anthropologist see, feel, and think in new ways that you might not be able to do on your own. And so the stories they’re going to tell you today are very impactful, and they’re very transformative. And it really reflects on the work they’re doing to help women across the globe, particularly in Afghanistan and Rwanda. So let me tell you about why today we’re going to talk about peace through business. We have an amazing three-part webinar series that we’ve compiled because we’ve been so impressed and really touched, inspired by what peace Through Business is trying to do. Peace Through Business is a program that has empowered thousands of women Entrepreneurs. Remember, we’re entrepreneurs and we love working with entrepreneurs, but they’re working in post-conflict regions through education, mentorship, and power of business.
Andi Simon 00:01:10 Now, when you listen, it’s more than about running a business. It’s about transforming the communities in which they are doing business and really building a place for the women and their families and their friends and their colleagues so that the whole community rises together. Through these three episodes, we’re going to explore how peace through business began in Afghanistan. And Nisha is going to tell you about it and expanded to Rwanda, and Chantelle is going to help you there. And then we’re going to continue to thrive as a global movement for women’s leadership and economic freedom. And that Monica Smiley is going to help you with Denise, tell you about why this is such an important program. Ladies, thank you for joining me so much today. It’s truly a privilege and a pleasure. You’re smiling at Nisha. This is taking some real clever and figuring out how to bring all these great women together to begin to talk about something that’s really extraordinary. I’d like to start by introducing Monica Smiley. Let me just tell you a little bit about Monica.
Andi Simon 00:02:11 She’s the editor and publisher of Enterprising Women, a national and now global magazine. She and her team launched in 2000. That seems like yesterday, but it’s a long time ago, and now it provides a strong voice for women entrepreneurs. And she’s also president and founder of Enterprising Women Foundation that’s managing the Peace Through Business program. I’m going to let her introduce Doctor Terry Niece, and they have a great intimacy. And I think that would be a great way for both of you to begin to introduce both what we’re doing and why this is so important to listen to. Monica, thank you for joining us today.
Monica Smiley 00:02:46 Thank you so much, Andi. We so appreciate the opportunity to be a part of your podcast, and really excited to share the piece of your business story with you. And yes, I’m honored to be here with Doctor Terry Neese, who is the founder of the Peace or Business program. And I think, as you mentioned, Andi, in the third segment of your podcast, Terry and I will have a chance to really talk more about the history of this program, going back 20 years, when she first met Laura Bush and had an opportunity to get things started.
Monica Smiley 00:03:17 But for today, we’re pleased to just give a little bit of introduction as Manizha takes over most of the podcast today, focusing on our work in Afghanistan. as you mentioned, it’ll be 20 years since Terri started the Peace Through Business program as part of her nonprofit, the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, or IAW. And last year, we’re so proud that the Peace Through Business program did become a part of the Enterprising Women Foundation, which, as you said, is a sister nonprofit to Enterprising Women Magazine. Terry and I have been friends for more than 25 years, right? Terry, it’s been a long time, and I’ve had an opportunity to be a mentor in the peace Through business program starting that very first year when I met Manizha, and Terry and I went back a few years prior to that, she helped with the startup of Enterprising Women. So we have known each other a long time. I had the opportunity to serve on Terry’s board of directors for 11 years, so it was really a natural fit for peace through business to become a part of the Enterprise Young Women Foundation and to really join the program with our global community of women entrepreneurs.
Monica Smiley 00:04:29 We’re so thrilled about that. and again, we’ll share more of the history on that last podcast. But today we’re going to focus, I believe, on Afghanistan. And, Terry, I just wanted to ask you to share if you would, you know, you and I have both watched and especially you, you know, Manizha really grows into her role over the last almost 20 years. And I know you two have a very strong bond. We are so proud that Manizha really is an internationally respected leader on Afghanistan, on the rights of women in Afghanistan, particularly as it relates to women in business in her country. Teri, would you share a couple words about, what Manizha means to this program? I think, to, to lead into her part of this program. I think it might be valuable for Andi’s listeners to have a better understanding. Sure.
Terry Neese 00:05:24 Yes, absolutely. You know, I met Manizha in Afghanistan and spoke to her and asked her to tell me what she was doing and was she going to the United States.
Terry Neese 00:05:39 And she said she thought she wanted to, to do that. In fact, I met many women that she met It and talk to me about who they are and what they were doing at that particular time. Manizha was already getting information on how she will take care of many Afghan women business owners, and soon Manizha went to USA. I knew that Manizha wanted to go to the USA and she did it and I’m proud of her for doing that. She now has many, many women in the USA and I hope she continues to work with Afghanistan women and USA women as well. God bless you, Manizha. I am proud of you. You are wonderful. I must say that Laura Bush spoke up and wanted to talk to Tunisia Up because of this. And it was at the white House and it was on us. It was just so great. Chantal in Rwanda. And she’s incredible, wonderful woman. Knows everybody. Everybody seems to be in everything. And I just want you to know, Chantal, that you are awesome.
Terry Neese 00:07:13 God bless both of you.
Monica Smiley 00:07:15 Thanks, Terri. Well, we’re so proud of Manizha. Does run our program in Afghanistan. hosting the program virtually now for many years, she, ran the program in person, traveling to the various provinces. she has an incredible network in the country. And I think, Andi, what you’ll learn as Manizha talks a little bit more today about the program, as it’s transitioned during the period under the, the takeover of the Taliban. The tremendous challenges that women there are facing and just the important role that your business is providing to give these women education, hope for their future. And we couldn’t be prouder of her work. So, Andi, let me pass it back to you and we’ll hear more from Manizha.
Andi Simon 00:08:11 doctor. Nice. Thank you for that nice introduction. And, Monica, this is really a transformative program. Just for the listeners sake, Chantal. We’ll have a whole section for herself to talk about Rwanda. And now let me talk.
Andi Simon 00:08:26 And it’s really quite profound in what’s going on there and what she’s experienced. So you’re going to have to come from this first webinar to the second to get the whole picture of what peace through business is trying to achieve. Manizha, just, so to set the stage for what you’re going to talk about, she’s the director of the program Afghanistan. She’s an Afghan American woman, and she’s actively advocating for the economic rights of Afghan women. She graduated from this program in 2007, and since then has been training, mentoring Afghan women entrepreneurs. And I do think that if you know more about both what she’s done and the women she’s taken at the hands and helped lift and the program itself, you’ll see this isn’t inconsequential. This is a major transformative program, and you’re shaking your head. I’ve said enough. Your turn. Well, Manizha, tell us about both yourself and the program, please.
Manizha Wafeq 00:09:24 Sure. Thank you. Andi. Thank you, Monica and Doctor Terry Neese. it’s really an honor and a pleasure.
Manizha Wafeq 00:09:32 Have been part of this, program for the last, 19, almost 20 years. So how would all this started? It was, it’s important for the listeners, to know as well more than 20 years ago. Mrs. Bush, Laura Bush, reached out to Doctor Terry. Nice, to go to Afghanistan. As Terry said, she visited Afghanistan in 2006. So that was based on the request from Mrs. Bush. And, of course, Doctor Terry was the best, choice as, she has been a very active advocate of women owned businesses in the US and was a founder and co-founder of various advocacy organizations and organizations providing services and training to women, businesses in this country. So that’s why she was the best to also create a program for women owned businesses. And this was, right at that time when, the US, United States had defeated Taliban in 2002 and had established its presence, together with the international community, to fight terrorism and help the country, recover economically and as well as rebuild and develop overall, the country and its people.
Manizha Wafeq 00:10:57 And it made sense that women were supported to become entrepreneurs and foreground economic actors because women were Afghan, women were economic actors, but very much in the background and not seen in the foreground, and especially the dark years of the Taliban from 1995 until 2001. They were fully erased from the society. Like it has. It’s happening now. so. So, yeah. So Terry traveled, came back, established this, great program piece to business, one of its kind, unique program, from various aspects. First of all, that, when she started. She started this program, through the funding of the private sector. She didn’t reach out to the government entities, and she did it. She did that purposefully. She wanted to have a very, independence and freedom of creating the program, on its pace and not worrying about reporting and, and having that tight hand when you have to deal with, government funding. So that was a very unique aspect of the program that she initiated it with the private sector funding.
Manizha Wafeq 00:12:17 Second, that this program, the way she designed it, designed it, like for a learning, purpose and a learning process, not a one-shot training program to bring, women in a class and train them for, let’s say, a week and give them certificates and say, okay, great. Now you’re trained.
Andi Simon 00:12:40 And they go back and don’t know what to do.
Manizha Wafeq 00:12:43 No.
Andi Simon 00:12:43 But more. Brilliant idea, please.
Manizha Wafeq 00:12:46 Yes. And that’s that has been one of the reasons that I have also remained part of the program, because from day one when I came and I saw that, wow, the program is designed so well for learning purpose and for applying your skills and knowledge that you learn in your business. and so then I was like, okay, I am committed to stay with the program as long as I can to transfer and use this process, for other training and mentoring other women. And the third, aspect of the program being unique is its paying forward component. since day one, when we bring women to the program or when I was brought to the program in the first year, 2007, we are told that as women business owners, you have to be actively participating in your community.
Manizha Wafeq 00:13:44 You have to do policy advocacy otherwise. Terry’s famous quote that I always use is otherwise, if you as a business owner, if you don’t participate in, policy making policies, will run your business. So that was, you know, that part of it that they encouraged us to become advocates and, and active community members and paid forward. and that’s why in both of our countries, Afghanistan and as well as Rwanda, I’m glad Chantal is here as well. we established our alumni association, and we were very active through our alumni associations. so, yes, with that, we trained more than 900 women in Afghanistan. Andi.
Andi Simon 00:14:32 Manizha, tell us some stories if you can. I love the way the story makes us come alive. You are a story unto yourself. But I know there are other women you have shared with us who am. And they’re trying to recreate themselves with the Taliban there now. But share with our listeners or our viewers some of the real-life stories that you have experienced that can help them understand how powerful this is.
Andi Simon 00:14:56 Please.
Monica Smiley 00:14:57 Okay.
Manizha Wafeq 00:14:59 Stories. I mean, 900, more than 900 women. throughout these years, there are all 900 stories that are amazing, heartwarming, inspiring, and has been my energy, at least for all these years, to keep on working with them. So, for example, I remember we trained the first women owned a printing press, which is which was a non-traditional sector for Afghan women to get into. It was fully male dominant, and overall it was a new sector as well after 2000. 2002, when we started reconstructing the country, the first women gym owner, Cobra. I still remember her. Unfortunately, she is no more in the country because of the Taliban’s presence. Now, she had established this, gem where she, had bigger goal not only for her to earn as a as a fitness center for women to come and, and, exercise, but more to, to create that culture, that culture of women, looking after themselves, looking after their health and body and making sure that it becomes a culture of Afghan women going to gym because, as I said, this was not something, very traditional, in Afghanistan and especially that we all had started after an era of a dark era of the Taliban, 1995 to 2001, when women were erased from the society.
Manizha Wafeq 00:16:48 I remember all various like, women in logistics, construction, it many of those first ones, are media, exporters and importers. one of them being zero. I remember, she was the first one who sold her jewelry, that year when she came and joined our, class. peace through business class. she said she sold her jewelry. She wanted to get into, exporting dried fruits. she had no idea of how to do it, but she had that aspiration, and it was so Inspiring and for me to look at them that they have that that that daring courage. Right. That without knowing she wanted to dive into this field, which was also, by the way, a very, non-traditional and a sector that women were not part of. in those years. So she did she put together her business plan while being in the class. I personally had an opportunity to travel with her to an expo in India and train her on how to deal with the customers, how to talk about the product and how to negotiate the prices, shipment and everything.
Manizha Wafeq 00:18:10 And there she was. She became one of the biggest, exporters before the Taliban. And she was off the business for four years now, but now she has resumed it. I’m in touch with her. what else? I mean, all kinds of The stories I have. We are together and a number of us. Peace through business alumni together with some of the women other women business owners got together established an advocacy organization that led to become the first Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. I mean, as big as that, Women’s Chamber of Commerce, majority of our board members were peace through business graduates. And we were able to bring a number of policy changes. we changed the government’s, procurement law and the benefit of Afghan women. We took the example of the US, because here there were some reservations for, women owned and minority owned businesses. That’s how we convinced our government. we changed the industrial parks, land allocation procedure. we changed and sensitized a number of policies export promotion, national trade policy and several others where we incorporated women business owners into those documents and procedures of the government.
Andi Simon 00:19:43 Manizha, as a listener is making sense out of this and whether they’d like to donate or a mentor. maybe it would be helpful if you can explain exactly the training program itself as a systematic program for developing their skills. Because to your point, I want to do something is a long way from being successful at it. And it isn’t an event that you go to and come out a better entrepreneur. You have a really well thought through program that has been able to take smart people, women, and turn them into exceptional entrepreneurs, turning an idea into an innovation. Give us some idea of how it works.
Manizha Wafeq 00:20:29 It’s very easy. we have a website. Our website is, WW dot Enterprising Women Foundation. Org. where they can see a specific page on peace through business program. they can read all the detailed stories, reports as well as, there’s a donation button and as well as, there is a button for them to join as, as volunteers and as mentors to our women. And it’s very important.
Manizha Wafeq 00:20:58 Andi, for our supporters to come forward and help us because more than any other time, we need to continue this program in Afghanistan. look at it. after wonderful 20 years of, as Afghan women and our international allies working on women’s rights and girls rights and the many accomplishments that we achieved, for women and girls in that country. All of them were paused overnight by Taliban’s retake over on August 15th, 2021. And for the last four years, again, women and girls have been erased from the from the public eyes and from the society. with over 130 edicts, instructions and decrees that Taliban have issued, banning and restricting women and girls from their basic rights. is a difficult situation to live in, right. And it’s a, it’s a situation, very obvious situation of gender apartheid because, ruling authority Taliban or institutionally oppressing and restricting, women and girls from their basic rights. So clearly, it’s a gender apartheid situation. And we all as global citizens, citizens now we all are global citizens.
Manizha Wafeq 00:22:27 We have responsibility towards each other, to really make sure that, no, human rights violation happens in no corner of this world. and so, really, I would encourage our listeners, our supporters, to share this further, and make sure to log in to WW dot Enterprising Women Foundation org and read on through this program, donate and become part of it as funders, donors, volunteers and mentors.
Andi Simon 00:23:03 Let me ask you a follow up question to that. And that is if we do, donate, how does this get through to the women in a culture that has put them back into the home and lock the door, you know, what are some of the channels that can help them run their business from their home. Still remain part of this? It is, as you think about it. I want the audience to begin to understand that this is both not unique there, but also there’s still ways of being very productive and hopeful. And so can you give us some ideas about how the women are reinventing themselves?
Manizha Wafeq 00:23:44 Yes, definitely.
Manizha Wafeq 00:23:47 Their support will directly benefit women inside the country. there are thousands of women who are, who have been running their home-based businesses. But also there are other thousands of women, professional women, who are working for the government, no more able to work for the government who are working for a non-profit sector in the U.S not able anymore to work, who are working for other private sector, not as entrepreneurs, but as the employees of the private sector are not able anymore to work because of the economic crisis as well. And so many of them have now turned into becoming home based entrepreneurs. In this year’s class. We have a number of them, in our opening. Monica and Terry were there when we listened to a number of them. There was one who was a university teacher. Can you believe it? University teacher who has now become a home-based entrepreneur. And all she said is that she has this, a smartphone that she can log into to attend our classes and learn how to build this home-based business and not only create jobs for herself, but also for a number of other women in their homes.
Manizha Wafeq 00:25:10 so all we all that we can do to support the tenacity and resilience that those women have with providing them training, with providing them small grants if we can, and with spreading the word about their life and stories with the world.
Andi Simon 00:25:28 I do think that was exactly what I wanted you to say, because it is, you know, when people buy the story, they live the story. And the more we can make this come alive for them, the more they can see this as, okay, this is the world we’re in. How do we create hope for women who are talented and skilled and educated and lived in a different world, and now have to change and do it differently as well? And for the community who’s watching? this becomes a time for thinking about how I can participate with them, be part of it, and in fact, use my own entrepreneurial skills to find ways to spread the word that raise interest in skills and be helpful. And I do think that that is a time for us as well.
Andi Simon 00:26:19 I don’t think this is safe anywhere for women to think they have arrived. And I do think that it’s a time for us to lead the transformation so others can help us, help them, and in the process, get more munitions out there who can really see hope. And I don’t think hope is a good strategy by itself, but it does start the process of participating and giving. I’m going to go back to Monica and perhaps Terry a little bit, and we’re going to sort of wrap us up here and set the stage for Chantal to tell us the story of Rwanda in our next session. Manizha, is there any last thoughts you’d like to leave us with? And I know we’re going to come back to how you can participate, but it’s beautiful thoughts. You’re okay.
Manizha Wafeq 00:27:09 Thank you. I’m really glad that we were able to share this great program’s information story with your audience. Andi, thank you for the opportunity.
Andi Simon 00:27:29 It’s not an event. You go to how many more then it’s just a webinar you watch. This is a transformative program that people have to be engaged in and want to participate through. And it isn’t others, it’s us. Monica your thoughts?
Monica Smiley 00:27:44 Yeah, absolutely. And I know, Andi, you ask about, you know, the content of the program itself, which was developed over a number of years. And so in many cases in Afghanistan, you know, they’re working their way through the program. They’re writing business plans by the end of the course, they’re, you know, being engaged with mentors, sometimes through E mentors. So some of your listeners might be interested in becoming an E mentor, which just means you’re going to do it. You know, over zoom. but that’s great. And I’ve done it for a number of years, and it’s extremely rewarding. You get as much as you give. You probably get more than you give. Right. It’s so valuable to be a part of that.
Monica Smiley 00:28:27 so they’re really getting some, some basic business skills that are incredible, but they’re coming through the program with that business plan in hand with marketing ideas. Manizha is helping them with exporting with, you know, a range of issues. So very, very practical skills. But I think, so important is just building that sisterhood, that network. Teri and I were on that first welcome call with the last class from Afghanistan. And I looked at those faces and just. I was so incredibly moved because we all know what they’re, you know, we understand what they’re going through in terms of being, you know, shut into their homes and, the fact that they are so strong and resilient and still have hope, and that the piece de resistance program is helping give them that hope, through the opportunity and the education that we’re providing is just so incredibly moving. I’m not sure. I don’t think you mentioned the fact that we had triple the number of women applying this year for spots in the program.
Monica Smiley 00:29:36 We have about 35 spots in a class. And I think, Manizha, you told us you had over 120 women apply for those openings. She had to make some painful decisions. But seeing that a number of those women couldn’t get into that initial class, she looked at other ways that she could help the rest of those women connecting them, offering mentoring, you know, continuing to build out resources. So, we see that the need is greater than ever in Afghanistan. I worry that people have forgotten about the country that they, you know, they’re just not focused on it. But what we see is what we’re doing is more important than ever. And you know, Andi, thank you for letting us share that message, because I think we just really need to shout that from the rooftops that there are such compelling stories there. There are so many women who need the program, and we have just got to be there for them. It’s so, so important. leading into Shantel and I know we’ll in her second podcast, we’ll talk about that.
Monica Smiley 00:30:43 But equally moving stories as well that we’ve watched, post genocide in, in Rwanda. And then the fact that Chantal has really helped build the program beyond Rwanda to immigrant women, mainly African immigrant women, who are now living in the UK, in Canada. when we were on that welcome call for her program, I was amazed at how many women there were from all over the world, from Haiti, now from South Africa, who are finding the program so important to building their basic business skills. And again, being a company, becoming a part of the Peace of Business alumni program and network, which is just so powerful.
Andi Simon 00:31:26 And the sisterhood is powerful. That is really of women helping women. It’s not about me. It’s about we. It’s not about what I can achieve. It’s how we can rise together. And you know, Monica, when we wrote Women Mean Business, the book and we began to present several women said, you know, if I, if I climb the ladder, I have to bring people up with us.
Andi Simon 00:31:49 And this is so much about it’s not about mentioning what she’s achieved, it’s how we can lift everybody together to do better. Carrie, last thoughts for this first webinar on it. And then I’ll wrap us up and we can begin to think about what we want to do in the second one. That’ll help us understand what we’re doing in Rwanda with peace through business. And the last thoughts, Terry.
Terry Neese 00:32:14 I think that that what Manizha is doing is great, and she’s going to put a lot of people to work and help them. And she’s been doing that. So I, I really love her for that. Chantal just a great person that wants to sit down and get everybody done. I mean, she is devastated to get everything. She’s great. I mean, I couldn’t tell you how great she is. So she’s going to be talking about that. And I appreciate that because you need to be doing that. So onward. Yeah I.
Monica Smiley 00:32:57 Have.
Chantal Munanayire 00:32:57 An MD if.
Monica Smiley 00:32:58 And if I may just share very quickly.
Monica Smiley 00:33:01 We always say, you know, in the enterprising women community It’s not enough to great to run a great business. Yes. That’s important. Takes a ton of work, but you’ve got to give back in significant ways. So if you’re looking for a really significant way to make a difference in the world, you know, I can’t think of a better example than the piece of your business program.
Andi Simon 00:33:22 Yes, I can’t either. And I have a hunch until and many are going to think about Terry and Monica with the same deep affection that you have expressed for them. I mean, this really is it’s a time for us to come together to help others. Let me wrap this up, because it isn’t On the Brink with Andi Simon podcast, and I just wanted to thank the folks out who come to listen and bring us others to interview. our podcast was ranked number 18 on the top 100 podcasts globally for change, and I’ve been doing this for seven years, and I’m in awe of how things can keep going in for no reason.
Andi Simon 00:34:01 Why are we doing this? To share. And the sharing is really more important than anything else. And as I’m listening to you talk about Afghanistan and we’ll hear about Rwanda. The question is, how can this technology be of value to them as a way of sharing with each other what’s happening? What is podcasting? It’s become the new newspaper. It’s where people get their stories and how they learn to do things. And so it becomes an interesting opportunity to think about how to multiply. For all of you who do come. I can’t thank you enough for helping us help you. And our job is to help you see, feel, and think in new ways. I know you’re feeling differently now, and you’re seeing an opportunity to become part of something bigger than any of us. So our tagline is From observation to innovation. And today’s a day to begin to change. Thank you. Ladies, Terry and Monica. Chantal will come back to you in a moment. And Manizha, thank you both. Thank you all.
Andi Simon 00:34:55 And I’m going to turn off our recording and say this has been a great podcast by now.
Manizha Wafeq 00:35:01 Thank you.
