Author: Karina Rudolph Masse, VSFS He is an intern with the US Department of State and is currently studying European Studies and Political Science in the Dual BA program at Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University.
Nazgul Nasieva, from Zhambyl region in southern Kazakhstan, is a member of the 2023 AWE cohort and is one of many success stories of the U.S. State Department’s efforts to increase women’s economic empowerment and engagement in the pursuit of social stability and gender equality overseas.
Nasieva is the founder and owner of a successful company that produces high-quality, affordable diapers that cater to the needs of children with disabilities. As a busy mother of two children under the age of eight, one of whom has special needs, she has a keen understanding of the specific, critical and nuanced needs of her target market. The company she founded just two years ago has Tiger gale. The company’s name is inspired by a traditional Kazakh fairy tale about a brave, healthy and heroic child, and also helps to dispel prejudices against people with disabilities, who are often misunderstood in Kazakhstan.
Not only has Nasieva designed and launched a full-scale business that produces valuable, original physical products, but she also recently developed a mobile app dedicated to providing both social support and business education to mothers of children with special needs. Her app: Bakitti Anna This translates to Happy womanNasieva was heavily influenced by her business education received through the U.S. Department of State’s AWE program. Nasieva recognizes the value of the opportunities that have come her way as a result of her participation, including attending the 2024 AWE program. International Visitor Leadership Program Speaking at the lecture, titled “Women’s Entrepreneurship: Supporting the Next Generation of Female Business Leaders,” she cited AWE workshops that focused on financial literacy and learning business English as particularly valuable aspects of her entrepreneurial education. Programs like the workshops gave her the skills and knowledge to communicate effectively with investors and even expand her business beyond Kazakhstan into international markets, a project and business goal she is currently working on. Bakitti Annawhich only recently launched, aims to give back to the community and is focused on building a strong support network very similar to what you experience as part of the AWE community.
Juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship is undoubtedly a very challenging task. However, Nazgul Nasieva manages to do both with flying colors. She sees her business as an effective response to the financial burden of comfortably raising a child with a disability. Well aware of the valuable role that women play in the family, Nasieva strives every day to make her children proud. When asked how she manages to succeed in both her personal and public endeavors, she spoke of the incredible, and often underestimated, power and strength that is unique to women, especially mothers. Her main goal is to support marginalized communities of women and children. Through her business, she achieves her goal of selflessly helping others, providing inspiration and support to many women, especially mothers who may be facing similar challenges.
