Gircilene Gilca de Castro

Since childhood, Gircilene Gilca de Castro dreamed of owning her own business, but struggled to get it off the ground. Her fledgling food service company in Brazil had only two employees and one client when she realized she needed deeper knowledge about what it takes to grow a business. To take her business to that next level, she found the right education and mentoring opportunities and accessed new business and management tools.
 
In 2009, armed for the first time with a business strategy and newfound confidence, she successfully applied for two loans to purchase new equipment, upgrade her facility and hire staff. Gircilene's business revenue has now increased by 900% and her team has expanded to 45 employees, most of whom are women.
Gircilene from Brazil was able to grow her business after graduating from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women program, and is just one example of what is possible when ambitious women entrepreneurs have the resources and capital they need to grow their businesses. We are encouraged by these stories and the many organizations, institutions and innovative public private partnerships that are working around the world to empower women entrepreneurs and address the challenges they face in growing their businesses.