Six years ago, Tamar was getting ready for her wedding when she decided to make her own tiara by hand. A trained doctor, Tamar has turned her hobby into a small business, “AtaBata,” creating tiaras for hundreds of brides and making a name for herself in the wedding accessory business. This year, she started making Christmas ornaments and other holiday gifts.

Tamar’s business truly began to grow after she participated in the USAID YES-Georgia Program, a USAID and W-GDP-supported activity that provides young entrepreneurs with startup financing and training. 

“Before joining the program, I lacked knowledge in both entrepreneurship personal development. I had little self-confidence and courage. The Young Entrepreneurs’ School [part of the USAID YES-Georgia Program] helped me to fill these gaps, for which I’m very grateful,” says Tamar.

With support from the program, Tamar won a competition organized by Enterprise Georgia and travelled to Paris in 2018. Along with seven other Georgian designers, she exhibited her designs at the Bijorhca International Jewelry Show, one of the global jewelry and accessories industry’s leading exhibitions. 

This opportunity was a dream come true –Tamar met and signed a contract with the PR manager of the Luxembourg-based beauty contest “Miss Grande Région / Mister Grande Région” to provide accessories for the contestants. Now, Tamar is currently in negotiations with a private wedding organizer in the Netherlands. 

In Georgia, AtaBata accessories are on sale in various boutiques around Tbilisi and online, with a delivery service covering all of Georgia.

About W-GDP and the USAID YES-Georgia Program

In 2019, USAID announced that the USAID YES-Georgia Program would receive additional support from the U.S. government’s W-GDP initiative.  The only program in Europe and Eurasia to be selected, USAID and W-GDP are investing $1 million in new funding to support entrepreneurship.  

The program is renewing its focus on supporting women, launching new activities designed to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs.  Through the beginning of 2024, YES-Georgia will provide more than 2,500 women with business management training, access to legal and accounting services, and mentoring and networking opportunities.