Women entrepreneurs gather for Monaco Spritz

On Tuesday, the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Monaco (Les Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises de Monaco, or ACFEM) were guests of Philip Cullazo at L’Orangerie for an introduction to the Monaco Spritz.

A dozen women in various fields, from Monte Carlo Beauty skincare to Cicolella olive oil, came to the atelier at 9 rue de la Turbie to learn about the only made in Monaco orange liqueur, which uses 600 bitter orange trees from avenue Grande-Bretagne, and boulevards Suisse, Italie and Moulins.

After a tour of the premises by Mr Cullazo, the group enthusiastically sampled the Monaco Spritz – a combination of L’Orangerie, Prosecco and orange zest.

Held on the third Tuesday of each month, ACFEM’s networking evenings from 6:30 pm to 8 pm bring together female business entrepreneurs in Monaco who are not only involved in the economic life of the Principality but who also actively help to promote its business development. Different themes, which can be in English or French, include seminars on inheritance (September 21) or cybersecurity (October 19).

“ACFEM has around 50 members of various nationalities,” Secretary General Caterina Reviglio Sonnino told Monaco Life, “and we welcome any woman that is an owner or manager of a Monaco business that is registered with the Expansion Économique.”

In addition to Thursday night gatherings, the non-profit organisation has a meeting over the lunch hour on the first Tuesday of the month at the Maison des Associations to discuss, amongst other subjects, how to defend the rights and interests of women in business and how to promote the network of women entrepreneurs in the Principality.

The Association of Women Entrepreneurs was first launched in France in 1945 by Yvonne Foinant to offer solidarity and friendship for women entrepreneurs, and the network has since expanded to 40 countries on five continents.

The Monaco branch of World Association of Women Entrepreneurs was created on July 15, 2004, under the impetus of the Chamber of Economic Development of Monaco (CDE), which two years ago became the Monaco Economic Board. Its first president was Elisabeth Ritter Moati. Today Hilde Heye Haneuse holds that title.

For more, visit Les Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises de Monaco website.

Article first published September 20, 2018.

RELATED ARTICLES

Philip Culazzo puts a little zest into Monaco