SHE Powered by iDE
SHE powered by iDE is building a gender-transformative entrepreneurship ecosystem across eight countries, designed to create an inclusive and thriving economy. As the first gender-focused business incubator in Cambodia, SHE has supported 2,622 graduates across its programs for over a decade.
About The Program
SHE provides gender-focused and culturally-tailored business support programs for entrepreneurs with micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, enabling them to create long-term social, economic and environmental impact for themselves, their families and their communities.
We support women micro-small entrepreneurs to scale up and create long-term social, environmental and economic impact for people and communities. We strive to be a leader and strong voice for the promotion of women’s empowerment; to build structures of support to enable women to lead as role models and change agents in business.
How SHE Supports Entrepreneurs
Business training programs like our Incubators and accelerators to help improve operations or formalize and scale.
Shorter training programs on financial literacy and readiness that supports entrepreneurs that help unlock appropriate capital.
Programs that teach digital literacy, alongside access to digital tools and resources.
Networking, mentoring and coaching opportunities for SHE entrepreneurs.
SHE by iDE also supports other entrepreneurship organizations to strengthen their programs and was certified as a Gender Smart Organization under the Gender Lens Incubation and Acceleration (GLIA) Standards by Ygap and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in 2022.
As a sector-agnostic initiative, SHE by iDE works with entrepreneurs and partners across agriculture and fisheries, WASH, nutrition, clean cooking, and conservation**, driving gender-smart innovation and inclusive growth.
How We Do It
SHE, established in 2015 as Cambodia’s first gender-focused and culturally tailored business incubator, has worked to bridge the gender gap in the MSME sector by equipping women entrepreneurs with skills in business planning, financial management, marketing, and more. On January 1, 2024, SHE officially integrated with iDE, expanding its reach and impact beyond Cambodia.
Today, the same talented team continues to deliver proven curricula and methodologies as part of iDE’s global mission to promote economic empowerment for women. Since 2022, SHE has also provided Training of Trainers to partners and iDE country offices in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Nepal, and Zambia—scaling its model and powering women entrepreneurs worldwide.
Since being launched in 2015, SHE women-focused business incubator founded in Cambodia has created more than 1,000 jobs. SHE membership program launch event in 2020. Credit: iDE Cambodia
We know that when we invest in women, they reinvest back into their families and communities. They support their elderly parents, terminally ill and their children. They lead and participate in savings groups and community activities. They make decisions concerning the health, nutrition and education of their families. It also poses a massive opportunity for economic growth, and widespread social, environmental and economic impact, led by women entrepreneurs. Women are often sidelined and lack confidence to participate in the diverse markets and to take up leadership roles, yet, with the right support and mentorship, women have the potential to thrive
SHE's Impact Over a Decade
Over the past decade, SHE by iDE has empowered 2,622 entrepreneurs through its business and skills development programs, with 93% women and 7% men driving inclusive economic growth and transforming communities across Cambodia.
Today, SHE is also supporting the formalization of 116 businesses and reached entrepreneurs across 15 provinces in Cambodia, strengthening women’s economic empowerment nationwide.
SHE-powered entrepreneurs are equipped with essential business and leadership skills, including:
- 13 from the Investment Readiness Program
- 11 from the Financial Readiness Program
- 878 from the Digital Literacy Program
- 268 from the Training of Trainers Incubator
- 127 from the Accelerator
- 455 from the Financial Literacy Program
- 881 from the SHE Incubator
Together, these entrepreneurs have created 1,004 new jobs and achieved remarkable business growth. On average, each graduate increased their revenue by $2,306.57 within six months. Collectively, participant businesses grew from a baseline of $301,624 to $2,797,149 — an overall increase of $2.3 million.
SHE Learning Management System
While there is no single path to success, we’ve found that the best entrepreneurs share two key traits: they are creative thinkers and relentless problem solvers. Our mission is to provide the resources women need to scale their businesses into thriving SMEs. Whether you are a solo founder or running a small operation, our Learning Management System offers the essential skills to help you grow.
