Ilgin’s story
Ilgin was a mentee on our Mentoring Women in Business programme, since achieving incredible things. She spoke alongside Cherie Blair at the launch of our 100,000 Women Campaign at Davos.

There is a stigma against new moms, it is difficult to pump at work, and there is no maternity wear for business environment.
My mentor helped me in providing clarity to things that felt complex. She was asking me pivotal questions that had huge impacts on my next steps.
When I was selected as a mentee, I was confident in myself, my cause and my goals. Yet, it was hard for me to set timely goals, track progress and evaluate performance to improve myself as well as my business. The Foundation’s program provided me with a structured approach. My mentor helped me in providing clarity to things that felt complex. She was asking me pivotal questions that had huge impacts on my next steps. She was an objective judge to me and to Accouchée. Yet besides all these, being Indian, she made me realize that there are even bigger potential markets in the world I have never thought of!
In addition to the mentoring, being a part of the Cherie Blair Foundation Women mentoring programme, served as a rubber stamp of approval, which helped me to start to selling in Harvey Nichols and Galeries Lafayette, as well as the biggest mom and baby website of the Middle East, mumzworld.com. We also signed an agreement with NY based agency, which I believe has been made possible due my involvement with the mentoring programme.
As a woman entrepreneur, you can be talented, capable, ambitious, disciplined, active… Yet to the rest of the world, you are one of many. It takes a very special woman, a devoted mother, a kind heart, Mrs Blair. Thank you to you and your Foundation for “recognizing us”. Thank you for making us “the one among many”. And finally thank you for believing in Accouchée. “Everything starts with a strong and happy mother and only a happy child she raises can change the world”.
Find out more about our Mentoring Women in Business programme
Mentoring Women in Business is one of the Foundation's three flagship programmes, which also include HerVenture and the Road to Growth. The programme matches women entrepreneurs from low and middle income countries with professionals of any gender anywhere in the world.

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