The Dubai-based online shop, Thrift for Good, which sells second-hand clothes and items for supporting children’s charities worldwide, has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the She’s Next grant program.

The program is supported and managed by the world’s leader in digital payments, Visa, together with First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Jennifer Sault, the founder of Thrift for Good small business, was selected from a pool of over 880 applicants from across the GCC, and she will receive one year of business coaching from the International Trade Centre (ITC), a United Nations and World Trade Organisation, and US$3.000 of Amazon Web Services credits. 

The business mentorship will be provided by the ITC SheTrades Initiative, ITC’s flagship women and trade program. 

The main criteria for selecting the winners are based on the progress in the entrepreneur’s journey, the business metrics, and online presence.

Most of the She’s Next applicants overviewed sustainable business practices. 

Based on the SMB Digitisation Index commissioned by Visa to support the She’s Next program, all the women entrepreneurs surveyed in the GCC (100%) knew the importance of sustainability in the current business landscape,  the commitment to reduce waste, recycle products (45%), and minimize plastic usage (51%).

“In a world where women-owned small businesses consistently demonstrate their resilience and future-forward optimism, Visa is proud to acknowledge and support these trailblazing female entrepreneurs in UAE,” said Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Visa’s SVP and Group Country Manager for GCC. 

We extend our heartfelt congratulations once again to the winners of She’s Next in UAE and look forward to supporting them in their business journey,” Jaffar added. Sara Al Binali, Group Head of Corporate, Commercial, and International Banking at FAB, said:

“The She’s Next winners exemplify the strength and depth of women-owned businesses in the UAE. FAB is proud to be part of a program that is proving to be effective at empowering and elevating women entrepreneurs in their journey to success. As we celebrate these exceptional winners, we eagerly anticipate their businesses reaching new heights and making a lasting impact on the UAE’s entrepreneurial landscape.”