PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS®
What We Do
The Enterprising Women Foundation educates and empowers women around the world economically, socially, and politically. We do this through our signature PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program, which uses a four-pronged approach focused on in-country education in Afghanistan, Rwanda, Uganda, Canada, and the United Kingdom, US-based leadership development, mentorship with American women and men, and paying it forward. For the past 17 years, Peace Through Business® has educated and empowered more than 800 businesswomen in Afghanistan and 760 women in Rwanda, contributing to nearly 1,600 women-owned businesses and their more than 15,000 employees. This work is changing communities and improving the standard of life for those associated with this program.
The PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Students
For more than 17 years, the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program has educated and empowered 1,600 women in Afghanistan and Rwanda, including the PTB/NU Pathways mini-courses.
The curriculum for PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS®, which has grown and evolved with the program over the years, is provided and accredited by our educational partner and sponsor, Northwood University. Upon graduation, students become a member of the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® alumnae association in their home country.
Our four-pronged program starts with the in-country training comprised of 8-10 weeks (4-hour sessions) curriculum. Our sessions include lectures on basic business principles, discussions of current business trends including e-commerce and digital marketing, and writing business plans under the direction of in-country program coordinators, Manizha Wafeq (PTB Class of 2007) and Chantal Munanayire (PTB Class of 2014). Class start dates will be announced to applicants in the future. After COVID, we have adopted virtual convening which has allowed us to remain active in Afghanistan (after the Taliban’s takeover) and expand to more countries such as Uganda, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
What is PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® in-country education?
By the end of class, these entrepreneurs will have compiled a completed business plan, acquired countless ideas to expand their business, and started a network of real-world connections.
What is required to qualify for the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program?
- Have an established business for at least one year
- Own at least 51% of their business
- Provide an official business/trade license registered with their government or Ministry
What is required to qualify for two weeks of Leadership Development in the United States?
- After presenting their final business plans to an independent nomination committee comprised of alumnae, government and civic representatives in March, the top 15 of each class are chosen to come to the U.S. for two weeks of Leadership Development.
- Selection criteria for Leadership Development delegates is based on:
- Grades (33%),
- Attendance (33%)
- Business plan (22% written and 12% oral presentation)
What is required to qualify for two weeks of Leadership Development in the United States?
Join the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® global sisterhood
PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Alumnae



Afghanistan: PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network
Afghan women are determined and eager to embrace their new-found position in a free market economy by paying forward their expertise. Recent accomplishments include:
- PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network is the first Afghan organization to officially celebrate International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, on November 19th, since 2015.
- PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network is the first Afghan organization to launch an annual award recognizing successful businesswomen around the country. The award, named after the Prophet Mohamamd (PBUH) Khadija, the wife of Mohamed, was a prominent leader in the ancient global trade routes, as well as a generous philanthropist. The award includes a grant for the winners and is celebrated at a well-publicized gala.
- PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network was an instrumental founding organization of Leading Entrepreneurs for Afghanistan’s Development (LEAD) and has played a role advocating for women’s economic empowerment, as well as business women’s concerns and interests over the past two years. Recent LEAD accomplishments include a voice at the international table regarding the future of Afghanistan. PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® took a prominent panel seat alongside First Lady Rula Ghani at the Fall 2016 International Conference on Afghanistan held in Brussels, Belgium.
- Forming LEAD was instrumental in the next step for business women in Afghanistan. In March 2017, history-making government approval was received to launch the first Afghan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Again, PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Network leadership was at the helm.
Rwanda: PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Alumnae Association
- Graduates of the Peace Through Business® Program have formed a strong alumni association in Rwanda to provide additional networking opportunities and support for the current class of Peace Through Business® students.
- The annual graduation ceremony for Peace Through Business® includes alumni of the program who come together to celebrate the achievements of the new graduation class.
- This powerful sisterhood is a community of women who share their best practices and pay it forward to help each other build on the skills they have learned through the Peace Through Business® Program.


Mentorship & Partnership
What is PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Mentorship?
Each year, we offer PTB students the opportunity to be paired with a mentor who provides coaching, support, and expertise to them throughout the program. Mentors help with business plans, share advice, and offer real-life experience to our students.
Do you have business experience that you want to share with others? Do you want to benefit from developing a cross-cultural relationship? If so, we’d love for you to join our cohort or mentors for 2024-2025! All mentorship will be done virtually, giving flexibility to what the mentorship process looks like.
Our previous students have benefited greatly from their mentors, and our mentors have shared how meaningful this experience was for them too. We look forward to being able to make more connections!
Who are the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Mentors?
PTB mentors work in a variety of industries, from Accounting, to Agriculture, to Information Technology, to Fashion, to Business Consulting, and much more.
“The opportunity to collaborate with a female entrepreneur in Rwanda has broadened my daily business awareness and expanded my knowledge.”
-Cathy Cruzan, President, Funds For Learning, LLC, Oklahoma City
How do I become a PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Mentor?
To commit to this life-enhancing opportunity, please contact Monica Smiley at msmiley@enterprisingwomenfoundation.org
Who are PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® VOLUNTEERS?
We have all heard the adage, “it takes a village.” This is especially true for the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Leadership Development program. It takes a village of enthusiastic and dedicated individuals of various expertise to empower the business women dedicated to bringing peace and a vital economy to their war-torn and emerging communities such as Kabul, Afghanistan and Kigali, Rwanda. The PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® village is a fun community to be working in – full of smiles, laughter and a burning desire for knowledge and experience – where friendships are forged and a new global community is formed.
PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Leadership Program Volunteers often say they learn more than the Afghan and Rwandan business women they are working with. Whether you’re a mentor, a volunteer at the registration desk during Leadership Development, or a social fundraiser, each role is as important as the next.
Are there any VOLUNTEERING/ Internship Opportunities available?
Yes! Please apply to msmiley@enterprisingwomenfoundation.org
Make a difference. Empower a woman.
Economically stable societies have a much greater capacity for peace, and small business has always been the backbone of economic stability. We believe that women business owners provide the crucial diversity needed for the development and strength of emerging economies around the globe.
Your donations will help to ensure that the Peace Through Business® Program can continue its critical efforts to educate and empower women worldwide.