About the Event:

Astana: Inclusion, Values-Based Leadership, and Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship

The third cohort of the program in Astana brought together 77 entrepreneurs, including 30 entrepreneurs with disabilities. A distinctive feature of this cohort was that almost half of the participants were featured in the book “Tolyk Adam” — a unique project dedicated to the stories of 45 entrepreneurs, their personal and entrepreneurial journeys, the challenges they overcame, and the development of their businesses through the lens of Abai’s 45 Words of Edification.
The idea for the book was initiated by Professor Shumaila Yousafzai, Head of the Nazarbayev University Research Centre for Entrepreneurship (NURCE). The book became a continuation of the Centre’s research and an important part of its work exploring the entrepreneurial experiences of people with disabilities, their resilience, leadership, and contribution to society.

The participation of the book’s featured entrepreneurs in the Master Training created a unique atmosphere and brought together the research, educational, and human dimensions of the project. Many participants were not simply studying Abai’s ideas — they themselves became part of the stories demonstrating how these ideas are reflected in the lives of modern entrepreneurs.

The opportunity for entrepreneurs with diverse life and professional experiences to share their stories, challenges, and practices was particularly valuable. The participation of a large number of entrepreneurs with disabilities provided an opportunity to explore inclusive entrepreneurship more deeply and demonstrate that entrepreneurial resilience is often shaped by the ability to overcome limitations, adapt to change, and identify new opportunities.

Key Results:

• High interest in values-based and inclusive entrepreneurship;
• Participation of 77 entrepreneurs, including 30 entrepreneurs with disabilities;
• Greater understanding of the entrepreneur’s role as a leader who creates not only economic, but also social value;
• Reinterpretation of the “Tolyk Adam” concept as a practical foundation for modern leadership and entrepreneurship;
• Increased attention to social responsibility, ethical leadership, and sustainable development;
• Creation of a space for knowledge and experience sharing among entrepreneurs with diverse life and professional backgrounds;
• Participation of almost all featured entrepreneurs in the book presentation and presentation of gift sets in Kazakh and English;
• Creation of a strong sense of unity and celebration among the featured entrepreneurs and program participants;
• Strengthening of the program’s inclusive dimension and promotion of the stories of entrepreneurs with disabilities as examples of resilience, leadership, and human strength;
• Strong potential for further development and scaling of the program and NURCE’s research initiatives.

Feedback of Participants:

Vladimir Lvov: “This training helped me look at many aspects of business from a new perspective and gave me a clear understanding that the outcome largely depends on my own attitude toward reality. I realized that I should not wait for the perfect moment or the right conditions - they will probably never come. You have to act with what you have, look for opportunities, and find solutions. Perhaps that is the beauty of life — learning to accept circumstances and move forward.
During the training, I realized how close Abai’s philosophy is to me. At one point, I even thought: perhaps I am Kazakh at heart. I am a beekeeper, I travel a lot and constantly move from place to place, so Abai’s thoughts and ideas are very close and understandable to me. I believe that much in our lives depends on our thoughts, inner state, and purity of heart.
I am very glad that I found the time to attend this training. For me, it was not simply business training, but an opportunity to look at myself, my work, and life as a whole from a new perspective.”

Karlygash Akhmetova: “A friend invited me to this training. To be honest, I did not know what to expect, but I certainly did not expect it to be so deep and powerful. Over these few days, my mind received a real reset. I realized that I need to completely reconsider my approach to business. I no longer want to work and develop my business the way I used to.
But the most important and valuable thing for me was the people I spent these days with. We went through the training side by side with entrepreneurs with disabilities. I was genuinely inspired by their attitude toward life, others, and themselves. They are full of determination, energy, and positivity. They do not complain — they simply move forward and take action.
And I caught myself thinking: how often do we, people who are healthy and able to see, hear, walk, and do what we want, create problems for ourselves and consider them huge and impossible to overcome. Against the background of these people, many of our everyday difficulties suddenly seemed so small and insignificant.

Photos of the Event: