Paris, October 2026 — A significant milestone for ModestBeauty.com and its founder, Nikiara Purmambietova.
Our Founder and CEO was recognized among the 30 winners of the Visa Everywhere Pioneers 2026 program, celebrating her entrepreneurial leadership and commitment to creating opportunities through business and innovation.
On October 15, 2026, Nikiara joined the Refugee Entrepreneurship Network (REN) Summit in Paris as an opening speaker, sharing her journey from displacement to founding an international modest fashion marketplace.
Later that evening, she celebrated her recognition in the Leadership category at the Visa Everywhere Pioneers ceremony, alongside inspiring women entrepreneurs from across Europe.
For ModestBeauty, this recognition represents more than an award. It reflects our belief that entrepreneurship can empower women, connect communities, and transform challenges into new opportunities.
Visa Everywhere Pioneers 2026: Recognizing Refugee Women Entrepreneurs
The Visa Everywhere Pioneers program celebrates women entrepreneurs with refugee backgrounds who are building businesses, driving innovation, and contributing to their communities.
The 2026 edition recognized 30 remarkable founders working across technology, fashion, education, retail, food, and social impact.
Among them was Nikiara Purmambietova, Founder and CEO of ModestBeauty.com, an international marketplace connecting independent designers with women seeking elegant, contemporary modest fashion.
As part of the program, the winners receive financial support, mentorship opportunities, and access to an international entrepreneurial community.
For Nikiara, a solo founder building a bootstrapped business while raising three children, this recognition is particularly meaningful.
It acknowledges not only the progress of ModestBeauty but also the determination required to create a business while rebuilding life in a new country.
Opening the REN Summit 2026: Sharing the Story Behind ModestBeauty
Held on October 15–16 at La Maison des Réfugiés in Paris, the Refugee Entrepreneurship Network Summit 2026 brought together more than 100 participants representing approximately 90 organizations dedicated to advancing refugee entrepreneurship.
The summit was co-organized by SINGA and Changemakers Lab, with support from TERN and Forward·Inc.
Nikiara was invited to deliver an opening testimonial on October 15, introducing ModestBeauty.com and sharing her journey as a refugee woman entrepreneur.
Her presentation explored the realities of building a business after displacement, identifying opportunities in underserved markets, and transforming professional experience into a new entrepreneurial venture.
Born into a Crimean Tatar family that returned to Crimea after decades of displacement, Nikiara experienced another profound disruption following Russia's occupation of Crimea in 2014.
She rebuilt her career in Kyiv before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 forced her to relocate to Türkiye with her three children.
Drawing on her experience in technology, product management, and international entrepreneurship, she went on to establish ModestBeauty.com.
The marketplace was created to address a real consumer need: helping women find beautiful, high-quality modest clothing from independent international designers in one place.
Through ModestBeauty, she is building connections between emerging fashion brands and consumers in markets including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Inspiring Conversations with Leaders in Refugee Entrepreneurship
Beyond the award ceremony, REN Summit created opportunities to exchange ideas with entrepreneurs, investors, advocates, and organizations working to make entrepreneurship more inclusive.
Among the meaningful connections Nikiara made in Paris was John Kluge, co-founder of the Refugee Investment Network, impact investor, and co-author of Banking on Belonging: Why Investing in Refugee Entrepreneurs Benefits Everyone.
Their conversation explored impact investing, financial inclusion, and the importance of creating access to capital for entrepreneurs with refugee backgrounds.
John subsequently reflected on the summit in his article, When You Start Over, Doors Open, highlighting Nikiara's opening presentation and her work developing ModestBeauty.com.
Nikiara also connected with Dr. Özgür Can Kahale, Pro Bono Director for Europe at DLA Piper, whose work supports access to legal expertise and professional resources.
Their exchange reflected one of the summit's most important themes: refugee entrepreneurs need not only recognition, but access to networks, specialist knowledge, and practical support to grow sustainable businesses.
The summit also brought together influential voices working to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems, including Charlie Fraser of TERN, Valentina Primo, founder of Startups Without Borders, and representatives of international organizations and investment initiatives.
A discussion on access to capital featured Rebecca Wilkey of the International Rescue Committee, Michael Wang of Fertile Soil Ventures, Isobelle Ford of Skylight Ventures, and Matiullah Rahmaty, founder of Tamveel Ventures.
These discussions highlighted different approaches to financing businesses, from investment and lending to alternative financial structures designed to serve entrepreneurs whose needs may not be met by traditional banking.
For ModestBeauty, the conversations reinforced the importance of connecting promising businesses with people and institutions capable of supporting their growth.
Celebrating the Visa Everywhere Pioneers in Paris
The summit's first day concluded with the Visa Everywhere Pioneers Celebration on October 15, recognizing women whose entrepreneurial journeys demonstrate resilience, creativity, innovation, and leadership.
The celebration was presented by Camila Ríos Armas, President of SINGA Global, bringing together award recipients, partners, supporters, and members of the refugee entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Nikiara was honored to be part of a remarkable group of women founders whose ventures address meaningful challenges across industries and communities.
Among the 2026 award recipients celebrated in Paris were Marianna Medynska, founder of Web Market Academy; Tetiana Polhul, an AI and technology entrepreneur; Nawar Abazid, founder of Nafas; Marghuba Safi, founder of Marghoob; and Jahida Sahar Elham, founder of Elham, a business celebrating traditional craftsmanship.
Their businesses represent different industries and approaches, but share an important quality: the determination to create something valuable through entrepreneurship.
The Visa Everywhere Pioneers program also benefited from the involvement of leaders such as Jessie Macneil-Brown, Head of Social Mission and Activism at Ben & Jerry's, who served on the program's judging panel.
The ceremony was an opportunity to recognize the business achievements of women who have experienced displacement and are now creating economic opportunities in their new communities.
The People Behind REN Summit 2026
An event bringing together entrepreneurs from different countries and sectors requires people who believe in the importance of creating meaningful connections.
We would like to extend special appreciation to Elody de Brito, Director at SINGA Switzerland, who coordinated Nikiara's participation and opening presentation, and Faustine Caron of SINGA, who contributed to organizing the Visa celebration.
We also recognize the work of Laura Di Santolo of Forward·Inc, Vasili Sofiadellis of Changemakers Lab, and the wider REN organizing community.
Our thanks go to Karolina Ba and the TERN team, as well as Visa, SINGA, Changemakers Lab, Forward·Inc, and the many individuals and organizations supporting the development of refugee entrepreneurship across Europe.
Their commitment helps ensure that talented founders are recognized for their contributions, business potential, and ambitions.
From ModestBeauty to ModestFashion.ai: Building the Future of Modest Fashion
While the Visa Everywhere Pioneers Award marks an important milestone, Nikiara's entrepreneurial ambitions continue to grow.
Alongside expanding ModestBeauty.com, she is developing ModestFashion.ai, an AI-powered fashion discovery platform designed to help women find clothing that matches their individual style, modesty preferences, size, coverage requirements, and budget.
The platform connects fashion discovery with personalized technology, helping customers explore products from different brands while providing designers with additional opportunities for international visibility.
Together, ModestBeauty and ModestFashion.ai share a vision of making modest fashion more accessible, personalized, and inclusive.
The recognition in Paris strengthens our commitment to building platforms that create value for both women consumers and independent fashion businesses.
A Milestone That Represents a Bigger Vision
The journey from displacement to entrepreneurship is rarely straightforward.
It can involve rebuilding professional networks, learning new business environments, overcoming financial barriers, and establishing credibility while navigating uncertainty.
Yet entrepreneurship also offers an opportunity to create independence, build meaningful products, and contribute to the communities in which people establish new lives.
For Nikiara, the Visa Everywhere Pioneers Award and REN Summit participation reflect the progress of that journey.
For ModestBeauty, they represent encouragement to continue building an international business that serves women and supports designers.
We believe that the future of entrepreneurship should be defined by talent, creativity, and opportunity — not by the circumstances from which someone started.
We are grateful to everyone who has supported our journey, from our customers and brand partners to the remarkable people and organizations we connected with in Paris.
And we look forward to everything that comes next.
Discover ModestBeauty
Explore our curated collections from independent international modest fashion designers.
Discover a new approach to personalized fashion discovery.
Read more about Nikiara's recognition in our original Visa Everywhere Pioneers 2026 announcement.