Alarko Holding Celebrates International Women's Day with Women Entrepreneurs Supported with Grants

On March 8, International Women's Day, Alarko Holding brought together the women entrepreneurs it has been supporting with grants as part of its "Pioneers of Entrepreneurship" program launched three years ago at an experience-sharing event: From Dreams to Success. Women entrepreneurs exchanged ideas on how to turn the challenges they face on their path from dreams to success into opportunities, grow their businesses, and build networks for collaboration at the event, which Leyla Alaton, Board Member of Alarko Holding, attended.

Believing that economic and social welfare will be more sustainable and inclusive when women have equal rights and opportunities in the business world, Alarko Holding organized an inspiring event to mark International Women's Day on March 8. Leyla Alaton, Board Member of Alarko Holding, met with women entrepreneurs at the “Women Entrepreneurship: From Dreams to Success” event at Alarko Holding Head Office. 

Leyla Alaton shared her experience of being a woman in the entrepreneurship ecosystem with the participants of the event, held with women entrepreneurs who were eligible to receive grants in the 2023-2024 cycle of the Pioneers of Entrepreneurship program, implemented by Alarko Holding and Habitat Association to support women in starting and growing their businesses. At the interactive meeting, women entrepreneurs had the opportunity to share their personal experiences and exchange views on how to grow their businesses and forge new collaborations. 

Leyla Alaton: “Obstacles in the business world are no greater than the mind, perseverance, and collective power of women.” 

Expressing her thoughts on the "From Dreams to Success" meeting, Leyla Alaton, Board Member of Alarko Holding, underlined that as a corporation, they are firmly committed to the idea that "success and merit have no gender." She continued her remarks, "I believe that the active presence of women in business life is one of the drivers of social welfare and sustainable economic development. While women still face many challenges and obstacles in the business world, we know that these obstacles are no greater than our minds, perseverance, and collective power. A successful woman not only builds a career for herself. She also empowers her family and children through her economic power. However, success also comes with great responsibility. That is why I believe that all women who are advancing in their careers should support and inspire other women. If we want a world with equal opportunities, we need to support each other more and strengthen our cooperation.” 

The Pioneers of Entrepreneurship program expands its reach in 2025 with experience-sharing platforms.

As of the third year of the Pioneers of Entrepreneurship Program, 1,700 women entrepreneurs have received 220 hours of training in financial literacy, digital marketing, branding, and design-oriented thinking. In addition, mentoring and grants were provided for entrepreneurs to develop their businesses.

In 2024, entrepreneurs who have achieved great success with their initiatives in Istanbul, Hatay, Diyarbakır, Denizli, Ankara and Rize in various fields ranging from health to the production of products with geographical indications, from technology to manufacturing, from tourism to sustainable furniture production, have taken another step on the path to turn their dreams into success by becoming eligible for grants. The Pioneers of Entrepreneurship Program, which was launched with a vision to support women's entrepreneurship and has achieved a high social impact score, aims to reach a wider audience in 2025 with new training topics such as Financial Management, e-Export, Brand Identity Creation, and AI-powered digital marketing, as well as experience-sharing platforms.