Karel Ford wants to see women worldwide have the freedom and skills to start their own businesses. This is why she heads the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, where she and her team mentor women in Rwanda and Afghanistan giving them valuable entrepreneurship skills to help them find success in their home country.

Women in the program learn critical skills to launch their business, nurture its growth, and work within their political systems to achieve lasting change. Ford describes the lifelong bonds formed through mentorship training and seeing the women build up their careers and communities, driving a female-powered future.