Three Winners of She's Next, Empowered by Visa Pitch Contest Announced in Armenia

Yerevan, March 16, 2026 – Visa, a global leader in digital payments, in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and with the support of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), as an operational partner, has successfully concluded the third wave of She’s Next, Empowered by Visa Pitch Contest in Armenia, announcing three winners among the top 10 participants. 

This year, for the first time in Armenia, the program finalists presented their businesses in the Elevator Pitch format, delivering concise and compelling presentations to an independent jury of leading industry professionals. The jury determined the winners, with 1^st place winner receiving a monetary grant of 2,000,000 AMD, the 2^nd place winner 1,800,000 AMD, and the 3^rd place winner 1,600,000 AMD.

The prize-winning business owners are as follows:

1. 1st place winner — Sona Qanqanyan — Enkishadow
2. 2nd place winner — Armine Qamalyan — MarkPack
3. 3rd place winner — Mariam Yeghiazaryan — Paytarar Wooden  

Prior to the pitch contest day, the selected top 10 participants underwent a comprehensive training program guided by field experts in brand marketing, finance, and pitching techniques.

“Visa is proud to advance female entrepreneurship in Armenia through our global She's Next initiative.  Hosting the first She’s Next Pitch Contest in Armenia is a significant milestone as we continue our mission to provide women entrepreneurs with practical knowledge, mentorship, and access to a range of resources to scale their businesses. By working together with our partners, we remain committed to empowering female entrepreneurs and creating an inclusive business environment where women’s contributions are celebrated, valued, and fully supported,” said Diana Kiguradze, Visa Regional Manager for Caucasus and Moldova.

The EBRD remains a key partner of the She's Next initiative since its launch in Armenia in 2024. As part of the third wave of the project, the EBRD conducted a comprehensive training program in pitching, marketing, and finance for the selected TOP 10 finalists.

“Supporting women entrepreneurs is a key priority for the EBRD, as inclusive economies are stronger and more resilient. Through initiatives like She’s Next, we are pleased to provide women-led businesses in Armenia with practical skills and opportunities to grow. By equipping entrepreneurs with tools in finance, marketing, and pitching, we aim to help them strengthen their businesses, access new markets, and contribute to the development of a dynamic private sector in Armenia,” said Zara Ohanyan, National Program Manager, EBRD Armenia.

AGBU joined She’s Next within the third wave of the initiative as an operational partner, supporting the selection process and contributing to key organizational aspects of the program.

“For years in Armenia, the Armenian General Benevolent Union has implemented women’s empowerment programs, repeatedly showing through real examples that women have great and promising potential. This partnership became a driving force for discovering and developing the capabilities of women entrepreneurs, encouraging valuable ideas to come to life,” said Tatevik Manukyan, AGBU WE Program Manager.

She’s Next, Empowered by Visa initiative was introduced to Armenia in  2024, with the goal to empower and support local women entrepreneurs by providing access to diverse resources, including funding opportunities, to help them develop and scale their ventures.

About Visa 

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at cis.visa.com.

About EBRD

The EBRD is a multilateral bank that promotes the development of the private sector and entrepreneurial initiative in 36 economies across three continents. The Bank is owned by 75 countries as well as the EU and the EIB. EBRD investments are aimed at making the economies in its regions competitive, well governed, green, inclusive, resilient and integrated. Since launching its operations in Armenia in 1992, the EBRD has invested nearly €2.6 billion in 232 projects across the financial, corporate, infrastructure and energy sectors, with 83 per cent of funding supporting the development of the private sector. Follow us on the web, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X and YouTube.

About AGBU

The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to uplifting the Armenian lives through educational, cultural, socio-economic and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a difference in the lives of 500,000 people across Armenia and the Armenian diaspora. Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more about AGBU global programs visit www.agbu.org. To learn more about AGBU programs in Armenia visit www.agbu.am.

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