Women’s business as a driver of sustainable development: results of the Business Success Award round table
The annual large—scale event for entrepreneurs, the business Forum and the final of the National Business Success Award, have come to an end in Moscow. This year, the forum brought together more than 50 experts and hundreds of participants from all over Russia and became a platform for discussing key trends, including the role of women in the economy. The business program culminated in the round table “Women’s Business in Russia and the world: Joining forces for sustainable development” on the site of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation.
The round table was attended by representatives of the International Women’s Union.
Alfiya Amirova, President of the International Women’s Union, acted as moderator, and Rima Safiullova, Vice President of the International Women’s Union, was invited as an expert and spoke.
Alfiya Amirova, President of the International Women’s Union and a member of the jury of the federal stage of the Business Success Award, opened the discussion:
“Women’s entrepreneurship is not just a business. This is a mission that combines social responsibility, tradition preservation and innovation. Today we will discuss how to strengthen the role of women in achieving national goals and global SDGs.”
Она отметила, что в России доля женщин-предпринимателей выросла до 37%, а их проекты всё чаще фокусируются на ESG-принципах и экспорте.
Альфия Амирова поделилась впечатлениями от участия в жюри премии:
«Очень много интересных проектов… Очень сложно выбрать лучших среди лучших. Но мы это сделаем! А уже сегодня в Москве состоялся суперфинал 14-го сезона премии, который провела Корпорация «Синергия». Участников ждали лекции, мастер-классы и круглые столы от ключевых фигур российского бизнеса. Это уникальный шанс для предпринимателей заявить о себе на федеральном уровне!».
Speakers’ reports: key ideas
1. Rima Safiullova, Vice-President of the International Women’s Union, General Director of the Kolos Agricultural Company (Tatarstan), made a presentation on the topic: “Being a woman. Be an agrarian. Be a leader”
“Agriculture is a strategic industry where women’s leadership changes the rules of the game. Thanks to the introduction of smart technologies, our agricultural company has become a leader in crop yields in the region. But the main thing is that we create jobs and preserve the traditions of the village.”
Theses:
First steps in business: Starting from the position of accountant, Rima Safiullova became the head of the Kolos agricultural company, introduced modern technology and modernized production.
Agricultural company “Kolos”: The leader in grain yield in Tatarstan. In 2024, 29.5 thousand tons of grain were harvested, 6.5 thousand tons of milk were produced.
Safiullova R.G. farm: Gross sugar beet harvest — 687 kg/ha, average salary of employees.
National projects: Participation in the Labor Productivity and digitalization of production programs.
Charity: Support for ITS participants.
International cooperation: Participation in negotiations with Qatar on the development of joint projects.
Preserving traditions: Organization of holidays and festivals in the Tetyushsky district.
2. Anastasia Maklayeva, CEO of VIPRO, Deputy Chairman of the OPORA RUSSIA Committee, highlighted the topic:”Projects and initiatives — drivers of development”
“Digitalization is the key to success. Our platform “Women’s Business 2.0″ has already united 15,000 businesswomen. In 2024, we will launch an accelerator for small-town startups.”
3. Marina Demina, founder of the Mega-Pak plant, presented the topic:”Export development tools”
«Russian women exporters are a brand. Our factory supplies bio-packaging to 12 countries, and demand is growing by 20% annually. But it’s important to learn: 90% of success is knowledge of local markets.».
4. Maria Okulova, founder of the Business Prestige Award, chose the topic: “Business prestige: an ecosystem for entrepreneurs”
«Give a woman a foothold and she will turn the whole world around. ».
The national Strategy and its main provisions:
- Strengthening the position of women in the socio-political life of the country.
- Increasing women’s participation in priority areas of the country’s socio-economic development, including the formation of new economic growth points.
- Increasing the role of women in the development of society, improving their quality of life.
- Creating conditions for enhancing the role of women in shaping a healthy society.
5. Victoria Zagornova, founder of the ISS Group of Companies, presented the topic:”Women’s entrepreneurship: the engine of national development”
«We are not building companies, but communities. Our IT skills training project for 50+ women has helped 300 people change their profession. This is a contribution to the economy and overcoming age stereotypes.».
Moderator’s final speech
Alfiya Amirova summed up the results:
“Today we have seen that women’s business is the engine of sustainable development. From the agricultural sector to digital startups, you are changing the world. Our task is to create conditions for scaling your ideas. The International Women’s Union will continue to support women entrepreneurs!”
Alfiya Amirova invited the participants of the event to the 4th International Forum “Woman of the Third Millennium”, which will be held on November 18-19, 2025. in the historical Cultural Center of the Main Directorate for Diplomatic Corps Services (GlavUP DC) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the heart of Russian diplomacy.
She also stressed the importance of the superfinal of the Business Success Award, organized by the Synergy Corporation:
“This forum is not just a platform for awarding, but a starting point for new opportunities. Lectures, workshops and round tables with industry leaders will help entrepreneurs reach a new level.”
The discussion of the topics raised provoked an active reaction from the audience, which confirmed the relevance of the issues raised.
Leading entrepreneurs and managers of socially significant projects, representatives of government authorities and relevant communities of Federal significance (State Duma of the Russian Federation, Federation Council of the Russian Federation, CCI of the Russian Federation), experts in the field of digitalization, export, ESG, agriculture, etc., representatives of business associations, including OPORA RUSSIA and the Eurasian Women’s forum, SKOLKOVO, DELOVAYA ROSSIYA, etc., leaders of regional initiatives.
The Synegeria Corporation was the organizer of the business event
The full list of speakers is available here: https://bsaward.ru/2025/final/.