Cartier Women’s Initiative: 33 Fellows Selected Across Different Regions To Empower Women Entrepreneurs
5 min read
Since 2006, the Cartier Women's Initiative has been empowering women entrepreneurs by highlighting their successes and providing them with the financial, social, and human capital support they need to expand their businesses and develop as leaders.
Businesses run by women and owned by women from any country or industry that work towards the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals are welcome to apply.
The Cartier Women's Initiative has been around for 16 years, and during that time it has provided grants totaling USD $7,440,000 to 298 women impact entrepreneurs from 63 different countries. These women are all dedicated to solving some of the world's most pressing problems through their businesses.
For the 2023 iteration, Cartier is stepping up its already impressive commitment by increasing grant funding, increasing the number of fellows to 33, and introducing new regional and thematic awards. This year's program features a total of 11 awards: 9 regional awards, 2 thematic awards, and 2 new awards for Oceania and Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa. A second thematic award, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, has been introduced for the 2023 edition of the program, following the success of the Science and Technology Pioneer Award in 2021. This award aims to promote entrepreneurial solutions to close gaps of access, outcome, or opportunities for communities that have been underrepresented or underserved. This pilot project is inclusive of both sexes, unlike some other awards.
“Women have always had a pivotal role at Cartier, which has actively supported women entrepreneurs for more than 16 years. We are thrilled, this year, to further expand our recognition of changemakers across the world with our two new regional awards and our new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award,” said Cyrille Vigneron, President and CEO of Cartier International.
There are a total of 33 fellows, one for each of the 9 regional awards and 2 for thematic awards. Armenian, Bulgarian, Dominican, and Singaporean women business owners have made history by being honored as part of Cartier's Women's Initiative.
The twelve fellows selected from the Middle East, Africa, and India region are:
- Renad Aljefri from Saudi Arabia, founder of Ad Astra Therapy, an electronic platform that links specialists with families of special-needs children to provide high-quality education and rehabilitation services.
- Farah Emara from Egypt, founder of FreshSource, the MENA region’s first technology-driven agricultural supply platform that is transforming the lives of producers, businesses, and consumers.
- Khadija Elbedweihy from Egypt, founder of PraxiLabs, an e-learning platform that makes immersive virtual science labs accessible, usable, and affordable for educational institutions and schools.
- Yvette Ishimwe from Rwanda, founder of Iriba Water Group, a social enterprise providing safe water access for low-income communities across Africa through climate-smart water solutions.
- Siny Samba from Senegal, founder of Le Lionceau, an agricultural business that specializes in infant nutrition made with local ingredients sourced from sustainable agriculture.
- Bola Bardet from France, founder of Susu, a MedTech platform that connects the resources of the African diaspora (Ivory Coast, Cameroon & Senegal) with relatives in need of healthcare services.
- Angella Kyomugisha from Uganda, founder of Kaaro Health, a social enterprise that provides healthcare across rural areas in Africa.
- Dupe Killa-Kafidipe from Nigeria, founder of Platinum Fisheries, an agricultural business that aims to alleviate food scarcity through sustainable production practices.
- Charlot Magayi from Kenya, founder of Mukuru Clean Stoves, a social enterprise that produces clean, affordable, and reliable cook stoves for families in underserved markets.
- Dimple Parmar from India, founder of Zenheal Wellness Private Limited, an integrative oncology health-tech platform that provides treatment protocols combining a variety of medical therapies.
- Poulami Chaudhuri from India, founder of Helex, a biotech enterprise focusing on making gene editing safe as a solution for high-burden diseases.
- Ishani Roy from India, founder of Serein, a human resources enterprise using science and technology to make the workplace safer and more equitable.
On May 10, 2023, in Paris, the Cartier Women's Initiative will hold an awards ceremony to honor the winners of 11 different categories. This year's theme, Forces for Good, will inform the ceremony's goal of advancing the Cartier Women's.
A system-wide shift and collaboration-driving initiative. This is in line with "Partnerships for the Goals" (Sustainable Development Goal 17) of the United Nations, which aims to promote partnerships and highlight the value of teamwork.
Commenting on the announcement, Sophie Doireau, CEO of Cartier for the Middle East, India, Africa, and Türkiye, said “We are pleased to welcome three remarkable fellows from the Middle East and North Africa to this year’s edition of the Cartier Women’s Initiative. Each of the selected businesses are transforming the sectors they operate in and creating lasting impact in their communities. We look forward to welcoming them to the program and providing them with the tools to grow their ventures and unlock new opportunities.”
Winners of the first-place grant will receive US$100,000, those of the second-and third-place grants will receive US$60,000 and those of the third-place grants will receive US$30,000. This is made possible by the record-breaking USD $2 million in grant funding allocated for each edition.
All thirty-three fellows will receive not only financial support but also individualized mentoring and coaching, exposure in the media, access to influential contacts, and training from INSEAD, a world-renowned institution for business education.
