Select Global Women in Tech

WHAT IS THE SELECT GLOBAL WOMEN IN TECH MENTORSHIP NETWORK?

The Select Global Women in Tech (SGWIT) Program aims to promote American competitiveness and technology leadership by attracting talented female leaders in emerging technology sectors to spur economic growth and innovation, as well as to support women’s economic empowerment globally. The program is geared toward international female founders, entrepreneurs, and executives in the tech sector.

The SGWIT Mentorship Network introduces international female tech entrepreneurs to the U.S. market with the support of SelectUSA’s traditional data and counseling services as well as community, learning, and networking opportunities. The SelectUSA team is proud to bring together resources from across the United States to support international female entrepreneurs in their U.S. investment journey.

SGWIT Mentorship Network participants have access to:

A 1:1 mentorship relationship to support international female tech entrepreneurs and executives in overcoming the challenges they face in scaling, promoting, fundraising, and generally establishing their business in the United States.
An exclusive networking platform
SelectUSA data and counseling services
Educational content
Events and networking opportunities, including but not limited to the annual SelectUSA Investment Summit

Mentors will be selected from across the U.S. startup ecosystem based on their interest in supporting female-run businesses and their expertise in supporting tech companies on their U.S. investment and expansion journeys. Mentees, foreign female entrepreneurs, will be matched with mentors based on their goals, respective industries, and expertise.

INFORMATION FOR MENTORS & MENTEES

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HOW MUCH TIME WILL I HAVE TO COMMIT TO SGWIT?

Participants are asked to commit to at least three one-on-one meetings over the course of the six-month program, including:

an introductory meeting,
at least one progress update check-in, and
a final meeting to follow up and decide on next steps.

Both mentors and mentees will benefit from the one-on-one relationship as they build new skills, make new contacts, ignite new ideas, achieve their goals, and reinvigorate their own work.

Interested mentees should indicate their interest in Select Global Women in Tech in their SelectUSA Tech application to attend the 2023 Investment Summit.

The mentor application is now closed. If you have already applied, you will be notified by mid-April. We will open recruitment for the next cohort of Select Global Women in Tech in Fall 2023. We appreciate your interest. For any questions, email SUSAEvents@trade.gov.

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SHOULD I APPLY TO BE A SGWIT MENTEE?

Female founders interested in applying for the SGWIT Mentorship Network must fit the following criteria:

Company headquarters must be based outside of the United States and the company must be
Less than 10 years old (founded on or after January 1, 2013)
Up to $10 million in revenue
Up to 40 total employees
Developing a new technology product or service, or delivering an existing technology to a market in new ways

Planning to expand to the U.S. within the next 2-3 years
Mentee applicants must identify as female

Interested mentees should indicate their interest in Select Global Women in Tech in their SelectUSA Tech application to attend the 2023 Investment Summit.

Applications for mentees will be considered until Friday, April 21, 2023. After that time, we cannot guarantee a spot in the third cohort of the SGWIT Mentorship Network.

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SHOULD I APPLY TO BE A MENTOR?

SGWIT mentors are U.S.-based successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives, venture capitalists, angel investors, and attorneys interested in supporting international female founders in their efforts to achieve their U.S. expansion goals.

U.S. and Foreign Government employees and Economic Development Organization officials may not serve as mentors but may support the network via educational content contributions or events.

Why Become a Mentor?

Make a meaningful impact on women looking to bring their business to the United States.

Join a supportive community of passionate, devoted mentors and ambitious female entrepreneurs working on expanding their business into the United States.
Strengthen your organization’s reach in key markets or extend your reach to new global markets by connecting with the Foreign Commercial Service and contributing to worldwide in-market events.
Raise your organization’s profile among a global network of tech startups, economic development organizations, public sector officials, and others in the tech and startup ecosystem.

In addition to Mentoring, How Else Will I Engage?

Access numerous networking opportunities to make connections with:

Tech Partners, such as VC firms, accelerators, incubators, and more
Ambitious and fast-growing startups
U.S. economic development organizations
Other potential partners
Plug into SelectUSA’s diverse programming and receive consideration for speaking opportunities with SelectUSA, such as at the flagship annual SelectUSA Investment Summit.

Receive opportunities to present a workshop or an educational webinar that highlights your organization’s services or strengths for an audience of tech startup founders.

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