Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women

The University of Leeds is proud to work with the Goldman Sachs Foundation to deliver 10,000 Women, a renowned online business education programme for women entrepreneurs.

The University has worked in collaboration with Goldman Sachs since 2018, in a partnership designed to empower a global community of women to develop the core skills they need to scale and grow their businesses.

The free online courses have reached over 287,000 women across 212 countries, including learners in South Asia, East Africa, West Africa, and Central America.

 

Groundbreaking open education

10,000 Women launched in 2008 and was originally delivered as an in-person programme across 15 countries. In 2018 the University of Leeds started working with Goldman Sachs in a unique collaboration designed to enhance and widen access to the courses. The partnership harnesses the university’s expertise in creating high-quality, online learning resources and educational engagement programmes.

The initiative was established to provide entrepreneurs with the skills and support to grow their businesses, and also crucially, to connect and learn from other businesswomen.

Goldman Sachs is committed to ensuring that small businesses globally have the support they need to thrive. Our 10,000 Women course helps small businesses manage their day-to-day and plan for what’s ahead, while sharing best practices with other women entrepreneurs.

Charlotte Keenan, Global Head of 10,000 Women at Goldman Sachs

Practical online learning

The online programme is based around a collection of ten short courses and additional elective courses, hosted on the e-learning platform Coursera. The courses are free to access and cover the core aspects of establishing and growing a business, including business finance, leadership, marketing, social impact and innovation.

The courses have been designed to be practical and engaging, with interactive activities and input from experts in business and entrepreneurship.

The program was really mind opening - it was particularly great to see the courses had videos from women from all different places, and it was focused only on women. 10,000 Women has given me the framework I needed for my business.

Melissa Alva Espinoza, Peru

Reaching women across the world

Through the partnership with Goldman Sachs, the University is committed to widening access and ensuring more women have access to the courses and their content. Since 2022 the programme has been translated into Brazilian Portuguese, Latin American Spanish, Hindi and French, as part of an ongoing drive to reach more small business owners located in emerging economies.

10,000 Women opened a plethora of opportunities and ignited a creativity in my mind.  I started taking myself more seriously and taking my business more seriously. I started being more confident about talking or even walking into a room and selling my pitch.

Mrunmayi Avachat, India

An engaged community

The 10,000 Women learning experience goes beyond the courses themselves. It is enhanced by further opportunities for participants to grow their skills and connect with other women in business across the globe.

All learners have access to a series of interactive webinars, supported by the University’s Digital Education Service and delivered by Leeds University Business School academics and other expert speakers. Complementing the core syllabus, these popular events enable learners to network and extend their skills in areas such as digital marketing, networking, understanding investment and market research.

Online graduates of the programme are also invited to join a dedicated online networking platform, which enables learners to share tips and experiences, as well as connect with graduates from the legacy in-person 10,000 Women programme.

Supporting exceptional leaders

Alumni also receive continued support from the programme, including access to exclusive opportunities for further networking and training.

The University of Leeds supports the 10,000 Women Growth Fellowship, an exclusive business coaching opportunity which has supported star graduates of the programme to reach their full potential.

In 2023 the University supported 15 women from India, Africa, China and Latin America to attend a series of exclusive coaching events with Goldman Sachs in New York. An opportunity to network with colleagues from across the world, the 10,000 Women Growth Fellows also had the chance to take part in focused training sessions to gain valuable skills to enhance their business growth potential.

This experience is one like no other. From learning on the course to attending the Growth Fellowship in person, it is the opportunity my business has been waiting for. Thank you so much to Goldman Sachs, the University of Leeds and each partner that made this trip a success for entrepreneurs like myself across the globe.

Caroll Maseve, South Africa

Further information

• Visit Coursera to view the full list of 10,000 Women courses
• Find out more about the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women programme

For more information about the programme, please email contact@10000womencourse.org