December 17, 2025
Guam Community College to Host Young Pacific Leaders Academy for Women Entrepreneurs
US Embassy Program Supports Young Pacific Women to Realize Entrepreneurial Dreams through Training and Mentoring
Applications for the Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) are now available to interested women entrepreneurs throughout the South Pacific. The APL’s AWE aims to empower and elevate the next generation of Pacific business leaders throughout the region.
Facilitated by Guam Community College, the AWE will consist of a 12-month business development and leadership virtual training program, catering to women of the Pacific from the 24 island nations within the YPL network.
As part of the program, participants will convene at the Guam Community College campus in Mangilao, Guam from April 21-25, 2025, for the Where Dreams Become Reality Conference, featuring presentations from expert speakers, workshops, networking sessions, and multicultural excursions to build participants’ entrepreneurial and leadership capacity.
“Guam Community College is excited to host the Where Dreams Become Reality Conference, for women entrepreneurs throughout the Pacific. Opportunities to connect with successful women in business give the advantage of wisdom and experience in building a sustainable and thriving organization,” according to Dr. Mary Okada, President & CEO of Guam Community College. “We are eager to take our decades of knowledge and success in helping to train leaders in all corners of our society and impart that knowledge to these amazing and ambitious women in business.”
United States Pacific Regional Engagement Specialist, Mara Hosoda Su’a says the conference and year-long initiative aims to foster the next generation of Pacific women business leaders from around the region.
“Following the conference, the participants – some who will have established businesses already while others will just be getting started - will continue to meet weekly online to complete the Dream Builder Course business plans,” Mara Hosoda Su’a explains. “This will provide the participants with the skills and capacity necessary to create innovative and sustainable entrepreneurial solutions that address social and economic challenges in their home and island communities in the Pacific region.
“YPL sees the AWE initiative as a unique opportunity for young women in the region, to truly thrive in business and in return, contribute to the economy and provide for their communities,” Su'a added.
Launched in 2013, the YPL initiative is the US Government’s signature program to strengthen leadership development and networking in the Pacific. Through educational, cultural and regional exchanges and seed funding, YPL seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region and strengthen ties between the US and the Pacific.
The YPL initiative focuses on critical topics identified by youth in the region: education, environment and resource management, civic leadership, and economic and social development.
Applications for the AWE are now being accepted, until January 15, 2025.
Click here for the application:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sV14LbHQ6uubJVsrXJ2astwo-9YTKRJH/view?usp=drive_link
Interested applicants should email: learning4life@guamcc.edu or phone: +671-735-5640 Ext. 5410.
Visit the Young Pacific Leaders website
