Who Is Zhanna Kan and What Is the BeWoman Forum?

Zhanna Kan is a Kazakhstani entrepreneur and public figure, best known as the founder of the Zhanna Kan Group. She develops several luxury and lifestyle projects and is also associated with a number of controversies. Orda.kz examined her business background, public activity, and growing influence.

Alongside her business ventures, Kan has built a strong public persona — appearing in interviews, giving motivational talks, and promoting her women’s empowerment forum, BeWoman (BeWoman Asia).

According to the forum’s official website, Zhanna Kan is listed as the founder. Its mission is “to unite women across the region and provide access to experience, contacts, and opportunities.” Guests typically include entrepreneurs, coaches, celebrities, and occasionally government officials, among them Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva, who appears among the forum’s partners and board of trustees.

What Is BeWoman?

BeWoman describes itself as a Central Asian platform focused on leadership, career, health, and education for women.

The first international event took place on October 2, 2024, in Tashkent, which Kan’s team called “the first step toward an ecosystem for women in Central Asia.” 

A major forum in Almaty followed a few weeks later, drawing thousands of participants and notable guests.
In 2025, the event returned to Almaty, with ambitions to become a regional brand.

Forum Timeline:

• February 2024 – Tashkent: Launch of BeWoman’s “women’s ecosystem.”
• October 2024 – Almaty: Large-scale BeWoman event with thousands of participants and celebrity guests.
• September–October 2025 – Almaty: The forum returned, but several speakers sparked public criticism.

Speakers and Guests

The speaker lineup varies by city, but previous editions featured Maye Musk (mother of billionaire Elon Musk), regional officials, entrepreneurs, and media personalities.

Zhanna Kan consistently serves as the face and main spokesperson of the event.

Ticket Prices and Support

Ticket prices attracted public attention, ranging from 30,000 to 250,000 tenge. Media reports also highlighted institutional support from the National Commission on Women’s Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Information, both of which mentioned the forum on their official websites.

Controversy

The October 2025 forum in Almaty made headlines for reasons unrelated to business networking. Russian coach Alexey Sitnikov, invited as a speaker, drew outrage after publicly praising Vladimir Putin during his speech.

Look how Putin takes a beating. Fifty-five countries are at war with him, and he’s winning. Look how Trump greeted Putin at the plane’s steps — he doesn’t greet anyone like that… Sitnikov said from the stage.

The clip went viral on social media, prompting calls to add both the speaker and the organizer to the Ukrainian “Myrotvorets” database. Kan and BeWoman faced a wave of backlash over what critics called “political tactlessness” and questioned the choice of speakers at a Kazakhstani event.

Kan herself has also been criticized for comments about taxes and citizen discipline, made before the Sitnikov scandal:

It’s better to pay taxes than to live in an unstable country, where unrest like Qantar could flare up at any moment, or someone could seize your business. Tomorrow could be unstable — a war could break out.

We’re not used to paying — we think the state is some foreign body. But if we don’t give, we get nothing.

We must work harder: the more we earn, the more we give; the more we give, the more we receive. 

Biography, Connections, and Influence

Kan promotes herself as a philanthropist, fashion and art ambassador, and advocate for women’s success. She actively promotes premium brands and maintains a media presence through interviews, podcasts, and her YouTube channel.

Open sources indicate family ties to businessman Sergey Kan, co-owner of CAEPCO, an energy holding with assets in Pavlodar and the North Kazakhstan Region. 

Zhanna Kan founded ZK Group LLP in 2022, a company engaged in jewelry, designer clothing, lingerie, and home décor sales. Although she often speaks about the importance of paying taxes, records show she only began making significant tax payments in 2025.

• 2022: 483,000 tenge
• 2023: 2.7 million tenge
• 2024: 15 million tenge
• 2025 (year still ongoing): 42 million tenge

However, the company has also missed several payment deadlines and accrued around 4 million tenge in penalties. It does not participate in government procurement, is not involved in lawsuits, and has no outstanding fines.

Dubai

Social media rumors have claimed that Kan is a Dubai resident, but there is no official confirmation of this in open sources or local business registries. Nevertheless, Kan maintains public visibility in Dubai, regularly giving talks, hosting events, and appearing at networking gatherings.

Original Author: Ilya Astakhov