Nigora(khon) Sadikova is a highly accomplished professional with a background in international trade and data analysis. She received her Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, where she focused on using technical tools to answer policy questions through data science and digitization. While at UChicago, Nigora and her fellow classmates created a social enterprise project which aimed to connect underdeveloped communities to entrepreneurship and e-commerce through digital trade. This project was selected by the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) for its potential to alleviate poverty and was presented at the CGI U 2020 meeting, which was attended by President Bill Clinton and other global leaders.
In addition to being selected by CGI U, Nigora’s project was also chosen by the Social New Venture Challenge (SNVC) at the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation at the Chicago Booth School of Business. With the help of the faculty at the business school, Nigora developed her project into a comprehensive plan to address the barriers facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and minority-owned businesses in their efforts to sell goods and services overseas.
After graduating from the University of Chicago, Nigora joined the World Bank Group and worked on regulatory analysis of digital trade globally. She has gained overall over 12 years of experience in the field. With this extensive experience, Nigora has a unique perspective on the challenges facing companies looking to engage in cross-border digital trade and is committed to making the process simpler, more affordable, and more efficient through the use of automated tools.
To this end, Nigora has created “Bridge To Trade,” an online platform that provides digital trade solutions to US companies, including SMEs and minority-owned businesses, looking to access international markets. The platform offers a range of services to help these companies boost their exporting and digital trade activities, including assistance with navigating international markets, guidelines for conducting safe export/import contracts with trading partners, and more.
By targeting SMEs, minority-owned businesses, and other artisanal enterprises, Nigora is addressing a significant need in the market. According to the OECD, one of the main barriers to small businesses exporting is a lack of trained staff, difficulties in compliance with various regulations, and challenges with payments. By offering a range of services to help these businesses overcome these obstacles, “Bridge To Trade” aims to make international trade more accessible and profitable for a wide range of companies.
Through her work on “Bridge To Trade,” Nigora Sadikova is striving to make international trade more accessible and profitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and minority-owned businesses, ultimately helping to boost economic growth and development on a global scale.
