Grateful for Your Support in 2024—Here’s What’s Coming Next in 2025!

As the year comes to an end, I want to seize this moment to acknowledge our?significant accomplishments, the valuable lessons?we’ve learned, and?the dynamic future?we are actively creating together.?

Your unwavering support has been essential to our development, and together, we will continue to move forward.

WHAT WE ACHIEVED

2024 has been a remarkable year for Femigrants, filled with milestones that wouldn’t have been possible without your participation and encouragement:

• New Leadership:?We welcomed Ezgi Akcinar?to our board, adding fresh perspectives and energy to our mission.

• Celebrating Excellence:?This year, our members achieved remarkable milestones, including receiving prestigious awards from Women Changing the World. Many community members fostered meaningful collaborations—some have become business partners, while others have stepped into roles as coaches and mentors.?It is truly inspiring to witness how our events ignite connections, build lasting relationships, and cultivate partnerships that empower and uplift one another.

• Dynamic Events:?We hosted 11 events in Silicon Valley, New York, and London. We started the year with our famous Annual Forum, "ReSet. ReBuild.ReShape," welcoming 150 guests at Plug and Play HQ Sunnyvale in late January.?We had incredible speakers from Fortune 500 tech companies like Roblox , 谷歌 , YouTube , and Pinterest alongside a LinkedIn influencer with 500k followers. (Check the video here.)

• Summer Meetups:?Four Boba coffee meetups?in the South Bay?and?East Bay?turned into impromptu mastermind sessions where attendees exchanged support and resources while enjoying their boba tea and donuts. All the venues were carefully selected to create an elegant ambiance to enjoy the floral vibe.

• Appreciation Lunch:?To express my gratitude to our loyal members, I hosted a private?Thanksgiving lunch at my home?for loyal community members, a small way to thank those who make this community special.

• Global Expansion:?For the first time, Femigrants went beyond borders, hosting?coffee meetups in London and?New York,?connecting immigrant women in businesses, startups, and even the army! ????

• Founders & Investors:?We organized two events to connect immigrant founders with immigrant investors. One was an?exclusive pitch event?called "Femigrants Networking & Wine Reception." the other was "Lead The Change" an?elegant brunch?with?panel discussions?featuring immigrant women investors and founders who have collectively raised over $5M. We gathered at the?Hyatt Centric Hotel?in Santa Clara and?Homewood Suites by Hilton Hotel in Palo Alto.

• Exclusive Investor Dinner:?We ended the year with a?private dinner for immigrant investors?at a luxury restaurant in Mountain View, fostering meaningful connections in?an elegant setting. (Check the video here)

RECOGNITION: News Media

• ?Femigrants Foundation was featured in media outlets like?Business Insider,?Yahoo Finance (twice),?AP News, Economic Insider, etc.?

As for my personal achievements, I joined many global and local events as a speaker talking about "From Followers to Buyers: Building a Community That Grows Your Revenue." The events include but are not limited to ...

• Women Changing the World Awards in London
• Female Founders Trade Mission Paris
• Women Changing the World Awards in New York
• Business Growth & Expansion Series program - organized in partnership with the U.S. Embassy Tunis in Tunisia
• Namrita Yuhanna's podcast, “Off the Cuff", etc

I was also honored with the?2024 Community Builder Award by KSM and received personal recognition from?Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.

The Femigrants Foundation 's impact wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of our community. I want to take a moment to highlight and celebrate the outstanding volunteers, supporters, and sponsors who played a vital role in our success this year.

THE BEST VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

• Elizaveta Gandhi , Event Team
• Mingoiim N ,?Event Team
• Ruth Khan , Social Media Team
• ???♂? Garick Chan , Event Team
• Trang Valdez , Event Team

THE BEST PARTNERS/SPONSORS OF THE YEAR

• Matt Dolan,?Homewood Suites by Hilton Hotel
• Dean Birinyi , Photographer
• Suzan Helvaci , Lale SF restaurant

THE BEST COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS OF THE YEAR

• Katerina Abdrashitova -?Thank you for serving as an exceptional unofficial ambassador for Femigrants and representing our community with dedication and pride!
• Hanna Aliashkevich, MD ?-?Thank you for empowering immigrant women and supporting their recognition on a national level, helping them achieve well-deserved awards.
• Johnson Hor - thank you for being a voice of women - IMMIGRANT women and for your contributions to support our initiatives.

WHAT DIDN'T WORK

Not everything went as planned, and it’s important to acknowledge the challenges:

• High-Cost Programs:?Plans for a three-day retreat in Napa and the VIP Mastermind program were paused due to high costs ($2,500-$3,000 per person). We realized that our community wasn’t ready for such investments at this time.

Lessons Learned:

1. It’s crucial to understand the needs and priorities of your audience before launching a program.
2. Knowing when to stop or pivot can save valuable resources and energy.
3. Timing matters; just because an idea doesn’t work now doesn’t mean it won’t succeed in the future.

WHAT'S COMING NEXT

2025 is shaping up to be an extraordinary year with new opportunities and initiatives:

• Podcast Launch:?Finally, I am launching my long-waited podcast, "Verso Talk with Aytakin," which will feature immigrant investors and founders. To celebrate the launch of my podcast, I am hosting an event featuring a panel of immigrant investors. I will design an elegant food and snack for you to enjoy the experience.?Reserve your spot?by early access now!

• *Biggest Event Yet:?In February, we’ll host our largest gathering to date, with?300 guests?and a stellar lineup of speakers, including a?startup founder of a billion-dollar company,?VPs from Fortune 500 companies, and immigrant VC investors. Early bird tickets will start at just $25! Subscribe to Femigrants Connect to be informed first when we open registration!

• Fundraising Dinner:?A private dinner with immigrant investors is planned for March. If you are interested in joining us, please send me a?LinkedIn DM?with the message #FundraisingDinner.

• New Programs: The Integration Lab:?A free training program?for new immigrants launching in March, supported by generous donors like?Sophia Yen of Pandia Health . Applications open in mid-January.

• Brand Ambassador Program:?We’re expanding our reach to other states.?Coming soon!

More information on all upcoming events and programs will be shared in January 2025. Please check your inbox and move my emails from "other" to "priority inbox."

Expressing Gratitude

None of this would have been possible without you.?Your participation, encouragement, and belief in our mission have fueled our journey.?

As we step into 2025, I’m filled with excitement for what’s ahead and gratitude for what we’ve built together.?Thank you for being part of the Femigrants community.?

Let’s keep driving empowerment and lifting each other to new heights in the years ahead.

Happy 2025! May it be filled with growth, success, and empowering connections that inspire you to reach new heights!

With heartfelt thanks,

Aytakin (Ika) Aliyeva

Founder of the?Femigrants Foundation

Get Involved! Make an Impact!

1. Join Femigrants' growing team:?We accept volunteer applications for?Graphic Designer, Content Creator, Social Media Marketing, and Email Marketing roles. ???Apply?now
2. Donate to Support New Immigrants:?Be the champion who empowers new immigrants when they need it most. Help us launch"The Integration Lab: Cultural & Professional Integration for New Immigrants".????Donate now!
3. Small Business Owners & Startups: If you’d like to secure a booth at Femigrants' annual forum with 300+ attendees, let's connect ???Book Intro Call?(Add "Event Booth" when you register)
4. Become a Sponsor: Promote your business and services among 300+ immigrant leaders and executives at the annual forum. Amplify your brand among industry leaders ???Book a Call?(Choose "Sponsorship Call" on my calendar)?

More Resources: Check the comments please

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