A Kurdish Woman won at the USAID-supported Demo Day Competition

Shafaq News/ the business owner Shatoo Kamaran ranked first at the USAID-supported Demo Day Competition in Erbil.

The U.S. Consulate in Erbil said, "While working for an advertising agency, Shatoo noticed that no one in Iraq was producing special effects prosthetics and limited the creativity of film producers. So she left her advertising career to establish her new business, Jargy, the first special effects makeup studio in Erbil."

"Without the real-world leadership or management experience to successfully launch a business, Shatoo turned to USAID's incubator program for business training and mentorship. In the program, Shatoo gained skills in marketing and sales, human resources, financial management, and investment readiness." The Consul added.

As the top winner of Demo Day, Shatoo received $15,000 of seed funding to launch "Jargy officially."

Once launched, Shatoo hopes to expand beyond Erbil and other influence special effects makeup services in Iraq's film industry.

The USAID, alongside other U.S. government agencies, works closely with Iraqi national, governmental, and local governments, international institutions, and a network of local partners.

USAID has implemented many activities in various fields, including infrastructure and economic and agricultural growth.