U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick and Farkhod Makhmudov, Founder and Shareholder of OSON Holding (Brio Group), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in January 2025 to launch a new public-private partnership to expand support for the U.S. State Department’s entrepreneurship activities.
Through this partnership, OSON will contribute $50,000 to sponsor a new cohort of Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) which will enable 25 entrepreneurs to participate in a four-month training course developed by the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.
By supporting small and medium sized enterprises across the regions of Uzbekistan, the United States aims to further establish itself as the partner of choice for local business leaders, particularly those in energy, science, and technology-related fields. The AWE is a proven training module that will provide foundational knowledge to aspiring entrepreneurs throughout the country thanks to the generous contribution of OSON, a leading financial technology company in Uzbekistan.
“The Embassy’s partnership with OSON aims to foster a professional network of entrepreneurs, empowering small business owners to support one another across the country,” said U.S. Ambassador Jonathan Henick. “This collaboration exemplifies the transformative potential of public-private partnerships with the United States in driving mutually beneficial economic growth and expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs in Uzbekistan.”
This MOU marks the U.S. Embassy’s second public-private partnership initiative in Uzbekistan. In November 2024, the U.S. Embassy partnered with Air Products Company to establish an American Makerspace in Qarshi.
Farkhod Makhmudov, Founder and Shareholder of OSON, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, saying, “Our team is proud to contribute to the business environment in Uzbekistan. By supporting the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, we hope to inspire innovation, drive economic growth, and help entrepreneurs across the country realize their potential. Our company’s employees are successful, ambitious leaders, and we regularly implement various social initiatives aimed at encouraging girls to pursue education and careers in IT and supporting entrepreneurship because we see tremendous potential in creative projects and business leaders.”
