Global Sisters, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women in business and promoting financial independence, celebrates the achievements of seven exceptional women within their community.
These women have been honored with grants through Visa, a global leader in digital payments and a key partner of the FIFA Women’s Football event.
The Visa She’s Next Grant Program, held in Sydney on August 11th, spotlighted 10 shortlisted female founders who presented their plans for small business growth. The event provided an opportunity to secure a portion of the AUD$65,000 grant pool, aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs in running, funding, and expanding their businesses. This initiative marks the first collaboration between the global She’s Next initiative by Visa and businesses in Australia and New Zealand. Notably, Global Sisters played a crucial role in identifying these outstanding women-led businesses, further strengthening the impact of the program.
Out of the seven remarkable finalists, five are based in Australia and have received support from Global Sisters to establish and scale their enterprises. The remaining two finalists from New Zealand have recently joined the Global Sisters community as part of the organization’s expansion into the region.
The grant recipients, ranging from AUD$10,000 to AUD$5,000 each, include:
- Alies Bol, Founder of FRIKA activewear (Liverpool, NSW) – $10,000
- Tamarin Howse, Founder of The Better Tea Co (Auckland, New Zealand) – $10,000
- Celeste Iannotta, Founder of Miluny (Albury, NSW) – $5,000
- Catie Fry, Founder of Clovendoe Distilling Co. (Gold Coast, QLD) – $5,000
- Joanne Diver, Founder of The Backyard Garden Enthusiast (Albury, NSW) – $5,000
- Tasmyn Roach, Founder of Awhi Company (Tauranga, New Zealand) – $5,000
- Yoko Nakazawa, Founder of Cooking with Koji (Malmsbury, VIC) – $5,000
Mandy Richards, CEO of Global Sisters, emphasized the significance of these grants in fostering continued business growth and success among women entrepreneurs. She expressed her gratitude to Visa for their support in empowering these remarkable female founders.
Julian Potter, Visa’s Group Country Manager for Australia & New Zealand, congratulated the winners of the inaugural She’s Next Grant Program in the region. He noted the program’s alignment with the FIFA Women’s World CupTM, highlighting its role in celebrating inspiring women both on and off the field.
Global Sisters, founded by Mandy Richards in 2016, aims to provide women with a scalable and effective model for achieving financial independence through self-employment. The organization offers comprehensive business support, coaching, connections, microfinance, and a supportive community to enable women to create and grow their businesses.
The event showcased entrepreneurs whose businesses reflect their personal passions and expertise, which have thrived thanks to the support of Global Sisters. Notable among them is Yoko Nakazawa, whose traditional Japanese cooking products, made with Australian organic ingredients, have gained recognition on MasterChef Australia and in prominent sushi bars in Melbourne.
Nakazawa expressed her honor in being selected as a finalist in the Visa She’s Next Grant Program, highlighting the opportunity to expand her business and establish herself as a leader in the field of fermentation and Japanese heritage food.
The event celebrated not only the remarkable achievements of these women but also the broader mission of Global Sisters in enabling women to overcome barriers and achieve financial independence through entrepreneurship.
View finalist bios and businesses on Global Sisters website
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