CAWEE - Key Persons

Nigest is an activist in the promotion of women entrepreneurs, with particular focus to women exporters. She has 23 years experience working in the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Industry, at different capacities. In 2004, she founded CAWEE, a pioneer trade promotion organization working in Ethiopia and beyond, providing promotional and capacity building support service targeting women exporters. CAWEE was the implementing organization of the economic empowerment project of the Office of the First Lady of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE): "Connecting 1,500 Women and Young Girls to the Export Market". Nigest was the Lead Coordinator, where in this project grassroots women were provided marketable skills and were connected to high end domestic as well as export markets. In facilitating export market, in bring buyers to Ethiopia as well as taking trade missions of women entrepreneurs to different counties, Nigest has played crucial role, where in the past few years, she was able to organize such trade missions to 21 countries - Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Kenya, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Niger, Norway, Rwanda, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania (Zanzibar), Turkey, UAE, UK and USA. Nigest received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology (major) and Sociology (minor) from the Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia and her Post Graduate training in Globalization and Development, from the Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, Netherlands. She also was able to get trained in women's entrepreneurship development and other relevant areas of enterprise development and export promotion in different countries and has different diplomas and certificates. Nigest secured her other post graduate training, Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business & Technology in February 2022, USA. Nigest also received her Doctorate from Rai Technology University, December 2022, India. Nigest is member of other different boards, jury (Ex: jury member at the Sub-Saharan Africa Jury of the Cartier Women's Initiate Awards: 2010 - 2017), platforms and networks, both locally, regionally and internationally (ex: member of the African Women Leaders Network, Executive Council member of the African Community of Practice, member of Sisters in Charge International - SiCi, based in Helsinki, Finland), Focal Person for Ethiopia, 2005-2013, for the ACCESS! Program (Access for African Business Women in International Trade), International Trade Center executed program. She is also the Advisory Board Member of the Global Economic Forum for Women in Africa. Nigest also serves as Board member at the Healing Hands of Joy, international NGO that works on Fistula, USA, Trustee at Hailemariam & Roman Foundation, Ethiopia and Trustee at Opportunity International, UK.