The Asia Foundation Partners With AT&T And Visa To Launch “Accelerate” In Malaysia And Indonesia

The Asia Foundation is collaborating with AT&T and Visa to launch the Accelerate program, an initiative that will help 6,000 women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in rural and remote communities gain practical skills to sustain and grow their business. In Malaysia, this initiative is fully endorsed and supported by the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC).

The Accelerate initiative is specifically designed to meet the urgent needs of women-led MSMEs in remote regions in a relevant, dynamic, and accessible way, by utilizing the Foundation’s network of expert trainers and local partners to provide digital and financial literacy skills training and mentoring to women to support their businesses. According to Robin Bush, The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Malaysia, “women-led SMEs are a key driver of the economy in Malaysia, as in many of the countries in the region, and providing them with the skills to access the digital economy is like providing a life-line – both to the women themselves but also as a crucial part of economic recovery for the nation.”

Drawing on expertise from the private and NGO sectors, the program centers on making sure the women business owners have access to the vital, practical skills and tools to reach their customers, grow their small businesses, and sustain the development and implementation of their business plans. 

“With AT&T colleagues around the world who share a commitment to making a positive contribution where we live and work, I’m excited by this collaboration with The Asia Foundation and Visa to empower women entrepreneurs with the training, access to technology and skills they need to grow their businesses, create jobs and lead their communities,” Andrew Reinsdorf – Senior VP, International External and Regulatory Affairs, AT&T.

According to Ng Kong Boon, Country Manager for Visa Malaysia, “Visa is committed to digitally enable 50 million small and micro businesses by the end of 2023 to help them through this challenging time and support economic recovery. We are privileged to be a partner in the Accelerate program and believe that it will help women-led SMBs – especially in remote areas – gain access to the skills and knowledge they need to participate in the digital economy and improve their livelihoods.” 

The Accelerate program is a customized, online-training program delivered by experts, using the Foundation’s existing tools and platforms. It also incorporates a guest-speaker series and a mentorship program. Through this collaboration, the Foundation will incorporate Visa’s robust financial education curriculum – “Practical Business Skills” into the training program and engage both AT&T and Visa experts as mentors for the participants. These components add vital practical skills for the women business owners and provide in-depth support for the development and implementation of their business plans. Further, the access to networks, mentorship, and soft skills, which are made possible through these partnerships, are invaluable for these women entrepreneurs to achieve long-term business success.

To ensure the program meets the precise requirements of these MSMEs, the Foundation conducted a needs assessment and worked with local partners – StartupMalaysia in Malaysia and The Center for Women’s Resource Development (PPSW) in Indonesia – to curate program content, recruit participants, and support the delivery of the training workshops.

According to Esther Peh – Lead, International External and Regulatory Affairs, Asia-Pacific, AT&T, “We are excited to expand our efforts to drive digital inclusion and enhance digital skills training in Southeast Asia through the Accelerate program. We are confident that the Accelerate program will help equip women entrepreneurs in Malaysia and Indonesia with the skills needed to better participate and engage in the digital economy of today and the future.” 

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