• Grace Hopper Tech Awards: Celebrating Women in Tech
TBC presents the Grace Hopper Awards to foster women’s engagement in technology.
Registration on the website მთავარი | Grace hopper award is open until May 20.
The award aims to acknowledge accomplished women in tech and spotlight programs and organizations championing women’s empowerment in the tech sector.
In 2024, awards will be given in 5 categories:
1. **Technology Leadership:** Recognizing women in decision-making roles in the tech industry who demonstrate exceptional achievements and societal impact through their work.
2. **Discovery in a New Generation:** Tech Leader | Grace hopper award Honoring a 16- to 26-year-old girl with remarkable academic prowess and STEM career aspirations, showcasing potential leadership nationally or globally.
3. **Distinguished Scientist:** Unique Scientist | Grace hopper award Acknowledging a female scientist’s significant contributions in STEM fields such as engineering, mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, or biology.
4. **Innovative Tech Product:** Innovation – Tech Product | Grace hopper award Awarding an inventive product developed by a woman, addressing business or societal needs with a specific technological solution, whether from a tech startup or an individual/team within a company.
5. **Leading Company for Empowering Women:** Lead company for womans | Grace hopper award Recognizing an exemplary tech company dedicated to promoting equality, diversity, and women’s advancement in leadership roles within the industry.
The Grace Hopper Award, named after one of America’s pioneering female programmers, celebrates and supports women in tech.
The winning company will receive a grant of 10,000 GEL to support pre-approved activities and programs fostering diversity and inclusion internally and externally.
Registration for the Grace Hopper Award is underway; visit the website: Lead company for womans | Grace hopper award for eligibility criteria and participation rules.
• TBC Concept’s Exclusive Offer at City Mall: April 16
On April 16, TBC Concept patrons can reclaim 35% of their purchase amount at designated City Mall outlets using the TBC Concept Mastercard. This offer applies solely to in-store transactions at City Mall’s physical locations, utilizing the TBC POS terminal.
The offer extends to various City Mall establishments, including Ici Paris, The North Face, Paul & Shark, Swarovski, Villeroy & Boch, Karl Lagerfeld, Dressarium Kids, Calzedonia, Intimissimi, Tezenis, Triumph, Carter’s, The Body Shop, Lutecia, YVES ROCHER, Old Supra, Jo Malone, MAC Cosmetics, Sense Concept Store, Seletti, Replay, Jacadi, Okaidi, Voulez-Vous, Franco Fontana, Ambiente, Timberland, Diesel, Afflelou Paris, Atelier Rebul, and Yamamay.
• International Agile Summit in Tbilisi Supported by TBC
On April 26, Tbilisi will host the year’s premier Agile event, the “International Agile Summit Vol. 3,” with the backing of TBC.
Agile Mentor, the event’s organizer, is bringing the Agile Summit to Georgia for the third time, with steadfast support from TBC, a leading technological and Agile company.
The summit aims to bolster Georgia’s Agile community and elevate its presence on the global Agile stage. Agile, a contemporary methodology, enhances organizational efficiency amidst the ever-changing and intricate business landscape.
Held at the Biltmore Hotel, the summit offers attendees the chance to hear captivating speeches on Agile, engage in panel discussions on local trends with representatives from top Georgian Agile organizations, pose questions to global Agile industry leaders, and network with Agile professionals from diverse sectors.
For details on speakers and activities, visit the International Agile Summit website.
Tickets for the event are available for purchase at tkt.ge.
The International Agile Summit is supported by GP Holding – Vienna Insurance Group and Apeople, with event partners including GeoSoft, IT Academy Step, Space International, HR Association, GITA, EduTech, and Develor.
• TBC Insurance & Entebi: Tailored Partnership
TBC Insurance and Entebi have inked a cooperation pact. Entebi’s partner firms now enjoy exclusive terms on the full suite of TBC insurance products, spanning health and beyond.
Entebi, a premier outsourcing firm specializing in accounting, finance, and tax services, prioritizes top-notch client offerings. With over 8 years in the market and 500+ satisfied clients, they focus on long-term business success. Leveraging skilled professionals and cutting-edge tech like AI, they ensure seamless integration of document data into accounting systems, minimizing errors promptly addressed with full accountability. Their excellence earned them the 2023 Business Award for exceptional customer experience.
TBC Insurance, an 8-year market veteran, simplifies lives with high-quality services for both retail and corporate sectors. Employing digital and modern approaches from inception, they streamline insurance processes. All TBC retail products are remotely accessible, and their payouts have exceeded 300 million GEL.
Entebi prioritize crafting unique customer experiences, hence their selective partnerships. TBC Insurance’s longstanding commitment to service excellence aligns with Entebi’s ethos, marking this collaboration as a significant stride.
Sergo Sakvarelidze, Director of TBC Insurance’s Medical Insurance Department, notes, “As a customer-centric entity, partnering with Entebi is pivotal. Our shared dedication to customer satisfaction and ease of life makes this collaboration invaluable.”
• TBC Business Workshops: Empowering Entrepreneurs
TBC Business recently hosted two dynamic workshops in Tbilisi and Gori as part of their ongoing educational initiatives.
In Tbilisi, attendees delved into the world of online sales with Ekaterine Ramishvili, the e-commerce expert and founder of “QisaBags”. The session, attended by 30 participants, covered a range of topics including various e-commerce models, online marketplaces, and strategies for optimizing presence on platforms like Amazon and Pinterest. Additionally, insights were shared on website development using Shopify, search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, and the practical utilization of tools like SEMRUSH and Google Search Console.
Meanwhile, in Gori, Davit Papiashvili, managing partner of “Creston Georgia”, led a discussion on crucial tax matters. Attendees gained insights into tax payment obligations in Georgia, with practical examples illustrating calculation methods.
Both workshops provided invaluable knowledge and tools for entrepreneurs to enhance their businesses.
• The first Georgian cafe of Japanese fancakes “Pumpula” is a partner of TBC
A special interest in Japanese culture and cuisine began in Georgia with the twenty-first century. First of all, the new generation shows this interest. Young people’s love of anime usually leads to an interest in Japanese reality shows in general, including cuisine. There is no lack of lovers of Japanese cuisine in Georgia, so every news – opening of a new restaurant or adding a previously unknown dish to the traditional menu – always arouses the interest of the customer.
In this regard, the “Pumpula” cafe, opened a few months ago, was not an exception – the first place in Tbilisi where Japanese pancakes (and not only) are prepared. Japanese pancake is a dessert that quickly gained popularity all over the world thanks to its distinctive taste and appearance. Japanese pancakes are distinguished from classic ones by their volume, airiness and souffle-like structure. This effect is achieved thanks to extraordinary technology. The ingredients are traditional – eggs, sugar, milk and flour, but unlike the classic pancake, the Japanese version is much healthier – the minimum amount of flour and sugar is used here. This, along with the taste and structural features, is another characteristic that accounts for the universal popularity of Japanese pancakes.
The founders of the “Pumpula” brand – Davit Janelidze, Temur Gegelia and Arseni Yudin – decided to open a similar cafe eight months ago. According to Davit Janelidze, the decision was made after they noticed how popular Japanese fancakes are in Italy and Turkey:
“We wanted to introduce something really new to the Georgian food market, and that’s why we stopped at Japanese pancakes. As soon as we opened the first facility, we became very active on social media and people immediately grabbed our desserts – mostly they posted them in short videos, because these pancakes, apart from being delicious, are also very visually beautiful. After we realized that the idea was justified, we started thinking about expanding the business. TBC Bank helped us a lot in this. We took part in the TBC Startup program and got a loan for opening a new branch easily.”
A new branch of “Pumpula” was opened in Vake, at 81 Abashidze street. Unlike the object located on Orbelian, which is 15 sq. m., the Vake branch occupied 90 sq. m. Here the concept is also different.
“At the Abashidze branch, we added Japanese cheesecake – a delicious, airy dessert. We also added Japanese dishes – gyoza, tempura, etc. Here we also have breakfast type pancakes – benedict type, with eggs, as well as – with ham and eggs. We are often visited by Japanese people, and it probably won’t be a brag if I say that they really like our cafe. The reason is that the classic Japanese pancake does not have such a variety of sauces.”
Pancakes with chocolate and banana are the most popular in the cafe, but you can also taste pancakes with raspberry, strawberry, tangerine, caramel, tiramisu and other sauces – the choice is really diverse.
“Pumpula” is not just a food facility, it is a unified, well-thought-out concept. Creating an image of it begins with the brand logo, which depicts a colorful Japanese cat, obviously very pleased with something.
“The positioning of the brand is unequivocally friendly – we make sure that “fluffy” and our pancakes cause only positive emotions, both for adult and small guests, as well as for employees. We have a rather liberal attitude towards the staff. Discipline is important, but strictness and a toxic environment are completely unacceptable. We have both experienced employees – for example, our chef Dimitri Kitriashvili – as well as staff who have no experience at the time of hiring, and we train them. We often employ students. By the way, in cooperation with TBC Youth, we have a 20% discount for student card holders. As for the price policy in general, we try to have prices as low as possible, and the salary of the employees, I can safely say, considering the Georgian market, is quite good. This is very important to us and is part of the overall satisfaction and positivity generated by the brand.”
• TBC and EBRD Financing Boosts Lopota Spa Resort Expansion
TBC and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have provided 9.4 million euros to fund the expansion of Lopota Spa Resort, scheduled for completion in June. The project includes the construction of new facilities such as the Green Aqua aqua park, an 80-room premium-class building, a jazz club, and additional conference spaces.
The Green Aqua aqua park, spanning 2000 square meters, will accommodate over 300 guests simultaneously and features nine different attractions, bungalows, and relaxation areas set amidst a forest of local trees and plants. Weekly jazz evenings will be held at the resort, with plans for large-scale jazz concerts throughout the year.
Construction is underway for a new four-story premium-class residential building, comprising 80 rooms, three conference halls, and a rooftop bar, expanding the resort’s room capacity from 232 to 312. A 35-meter swimming pool and a bungalow have also been added near the new hotel building. Furthermore, three new conference spaces for up to 250 guests each will be incorporated, increasing the resort’s total conference rooms from six to nine.
Additionally, Lopota Spa Resort will receive a grant and technical support through the EBRD’s Skills In Business (SiB) program, marking the second time the EBRD has supported a local Georgian company through this initiative. The SiB program aims to enhance Lopota’s workforce skills, thereby bolstering its competitiveness in the market.
“Lopota Spa Resort has been on a journey of continuous development since its inception in 2008, pioneering local tourism in Kakheti. This year, as we unveil our new facilities, we not only enrich our resort’s offerings but also contribute to the tourism landscape of Kakheti. We are grateful for the steadfast support of our partners, particularly TBC, who have been with us since the beginning,” remarked Giorgi Kevanishvili, executive director of Lopota Spa Resort.
Giorgi Tkhelidze, Deputy General Director of TBC, expressed pride in TBC’s longstanding partnership with Lopota Spa Resort, noting the significant growth from its humble beginnings to a thriving complex. He emphasized TBC’s commitment to the hospitality sector and highlighted the importance of the financial support provided to Lopota, particularly in the context of the country’s recovering tourism industry.
TBC’s investment in the hospitality sector, which includes tourism, has played a pivotal role in driving Georgia’s tourism potential, contributing to the sector’s recovery post-pandemic. With international tourism nearly reaching pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023 and continuing to show strong recovery trends in 2024, the collaboration between TBC and Lopota Spa Resort is poised to further elevate Georgia’s tourism landscape.
“We are happy to support another expansion plan of Lopota Spa Resort together with TBC Bank.” Tourism is an important part of the local economy and Lopota has the necessary potential to be in a leading position in the Georgian tourism sector. With a variety of guest rooms, infrastructure and high-quality full service, Lopota successfully attracts both local and international guests. The EBRD is confident that this project will contribute to the development of regional and local tourism in the country. Along with the financing, Lopota will benefit from a grant and technical support under the EBRD’s Skills in Business (“SiB”) program, which aims to promote employment, retention of skilled employees and work-based learning. These aspects are crucial not only for the development of a qualified workforce, but also for companies to be able to retain qualified employees in order to remain competitive in the market”, – Alkis Vryenios Drakinos, Regional Director of the EBRD in the Caucasus.
