The main objectives of the event were:

1. To present women entrepreneurs and businesswomen with tools and strategies necessary to establish a new business or develop an existing business. The key tools unveiled at the event were the Jasmine Web Portal and the bilingual Jasmine Guide for Businesswomen in Israel.

2. To infuse participants with a sense of empowerment and ability to grow and succeed in the world of business.

3. To act as a networking platform for Jewish and Arab businesswomen and entrepreneurs from all communities across Israel.

After Yael Kain, musician and member of Jasmine opened the event with songs from her new album, Katja Tsafrir, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, spoke of the history of KAS and of Germany’s political foundations as a whole in the context of ensuring greater democratization of society, and discussed the foundation's goals in Israel. On a personal note, she expressed her admiration for the women present in overcoming the challenge of balancing family and the 24/7 stresses of running a business.

Ghada Zoabi, Managing Director of leading Israeli-Arab news website Borka.net referred to the event as “another special event in the chain of successful events hosted by Jasmine in partnership with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung”.

Ofra Strauss, President of Jasmine and Director of the Strauss Group, spoke of the tremendous change that the world is witnessing in the status of women and their growing contribution both to the business world and the economy as a whole. “A woman starting a business or starting a career is not something to take for granted. It is not an opportunity available to all women around the world. What we are doing here is something very special – not only are we supporting one another – woman to woman – but we are also progressing the international cause of women across the world through the common language of business” commented Ofra Strauss. Ofra also spoke of Jasmine as proof that co-existence can work.

Eytan Bidderman, General Manager of the Center for Jewish-Arab Economic Development (CJAED) expressed gratitude to partner Konrad Adenauer Stiftung for making the event possible. He explained the mission and role of CJAED and how it became so committed to furthering the status of women in Israel. “It is important for Israel as a country that women are further integrated and involved in the world of business. Israel is dependent on this and without this the economy will not develop” commented Eytan.

Kiram Baloum, Director of CJAED’s Women’s Unit expressed her gratitude to all of Jasmine’s partners and donors including MEPI, Ofra Strauss, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and others for helping to open new doors and lead Jasmine forward to becoming a self-sufficient organization in 2011. Kiram spoke of the ways in which Jasmine and the Women’s Unit help to advance businesswomen in Israel through consultancy, loans and forums. “After two and a half years of successful events and activities, 70 different organizations and 700 women are involved in Jasmine. We have 10 forums, the Ahat-la-Ahat fair which showcases over 200 businesses and our own Women’s Lobby”, commented Kiram. Kiram also spoke of the two new tools for businesswomen – the Guide and the Portal. She explained that these unique tools are greared towards helping women overcome the very challenging barriers on the journey to entrepreneurship and have been designed especially for women – in such a way that they are both personal and professional.

Yefet Sternberg, Writer of the Jasmine Guide for Businesswomen, first explained the results of the Jasmine survey into the needs of businesswomen in Israel including reducing risk, increasing access to information and finance and increasing access to relevant bodies that can support small businesses. She explained how the Guide is the perfect resource to resolve these issues as it is something that can be passed from person to person and that can hold together all the required information. “The Guide takes you through the whole process of starting a business. It is includes real life stories of those who have done it and is culturally sensitive so that women from all spectrums of society can relate to it. This is also why it is in both Hebrew and Arabic.” Yefet commented.

Fadi Younis, Creator of the Jasmine Web Portal, explained how the portal is the first of its kind both in Israel and the world. Fadi explained the benefits of the portal as a tool for business development and how its diversity meets the needs of all businesswomen in Israel. “The portal adds a whole new dimension to your business. It immediately takes you to an national and international level – to a virtual mall that is open to the entire world” Fadi commented.

According to the participants, the event was a success both in terms of numbers and the diversity of women that attended from both Jewish and Arab communities across the country. It was perceived as an important step towards strengthening women businesses and closer cooperation between Jews and Arabs in Israel.