Forces for Good: Cartier celebrates 2024 impact entrepreneurship awardees
Cartier has honoured the 2024 recipients of its prestigious impact entrepreneurship program, the Cartier Women’s Initiative, while also revealing exciting plans for the 2025 edition.
The 2024 edition celebrated the achievements of 33 global women entrepreneurs, recognised for their innovative and socially impactful businesses. The announcements were made on Wednesday, May 22, during the annual awards ceremony held in Shenzhen, China.
Empowering women entrepreneurs
The Cartier Women’s Initiative recognised outstanding women entrepreneurs from various regions for their significant contributions to society.
Salma Bougarrani from Morocco won first place for Green Watech, a company offering soil-based filter systems to treat domestic wastewater for agricultural irrigation in rural areas.
Rania Gaafar, founder of ADVA in Egypt, secured second place for connecting self-employed and unbanked individuals with low-interest loan opportunities.
Shahira Yahia, founder of Chitosan in Egypt, earned third place for empowering smallholder farmers to participate in the organic market and increase their incomes through new agricultural practices.
Among Indians, Ira Guha, founder of Asan, was honored for addressing “period poverty” with a reusable menstrual cup.
Mansi Jain, founder of DigitalPaani, was awarded for creating digital management tools to protect water resources and support clean city initiatives.
Akshita Sachdeva, founder of Trestle Labs, was recognized for providing visually impaired individuals with access to education and employment through the Kibo device and app.
Sophie Doireau, CEO of Cartier Middle East, India, Africa, and T¼rkiye, said, “Our region is home to an incredible wealth of diverse entrepreneurial talent, and the applications we receive from dynamic women-founded small businesses are always impressive. I am delighted to welcome this new cohort of regional fellows to the close-knit Cartier Women’s Initiative community.”
“Each of the fellows selected is unique in her own way, and all are passionate about leveraging businesses as a force for good. They are collectively transforming the sectors they operate in and creating lasting impact in their communities; I can’t wait to see what they will achieve as part of the Initiative,” Doireau added.
Celebrating “Forces for Good”
This year’s theme, “Forces for Good,” reflects the Cartier Women’s Initiative’s mission to foster a more just and equitable world.
The awards ceremony, hosted by gender equality champion Sandi Toksvig, featured a performance by the dance department of the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, emphasising the power of unity.
Cyrille Vigneron, CEO and President of Cartier, highlighted the importance of supporting this vibrant community of changemakers to multiply their collective impact and reaffirmed Cartier’s deep conviction that when women thrive, humanity thrives.
2025 Edition dedicated to impact
The 2025 edition of the Cartier Women’s Initiative will take place on May 22 at the Women’s Pavilion during the World Expo in Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
This edition will honour former fellows whose ventures have demonstrated significant impacts.
Nine impact awardees will be recognised in categories aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on Improving Lives, Preserving the Planet, and Creating Opportunities.
Each awardee will receive $100,000 in financial support and additional backing from the network of fellows.
Since its inception in 2006, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has expanded to include 11 categories, with nine regional and two thematic awards: the “Science & Technology Pioneer Award” launched in 2021 and the “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award” introduced in 2023.
Awardees receive substantial grant funding and join the “Fellows” community, gaining access to tailored mentoring, media visibility, networking opportunities, and education courses from INSEAD to further their entrepreneurial journey.
Full list of awardees below:
1) The eleven first-place awardees
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Marlene Molero Suárez, Peru, ELSA
- North America: Julia Taylor, United States, GeekPack
- Europe: Mira Nameth, United Kingdom, Biophilica
- Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa: Isabelle Kamariza, Rwanda, Solid’Africa
- Anglophone and Lusophone Africa: Titi Adewusi, Nigeria, 9ijakids
- Middle East and North Africa: Salma Bougarrani, Morocco, GREEN WATECH
- East Asia: Jiwon Park, South Korea, SAIB
- South Asia and Central Asia: Mansi Jain, India, DigitalPaani
- Oceania: Simran Kaur, New Zealand, Girls That Invest
- Science & Technology Pioneer Award: Lynne Lim, Singapore, NousQ
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award: Sadriye G¶rece, United States, BlindLook
2) The eleven second-place awardees
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Isabela Chusid, Brazil, Linus
- North America: Jessica Menon, United States, Equilo
- Europe: Amaia Rodrguez, Spain, Gravity Wave
- Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa: Jessica Long, Senegal, Maad
- Anglophone and Lusophone Africa: Claire Van Enk, Kenya, Farm to Feed
- Middle East and North Africa: Rania Gaafar, Egypt, ADVA
- East Asia: Emily Yu, China, Ginger Ah
- South Asia and Central Asia: Ira Guha, India, Asan
- Oceania: Alison Harrington, Australia, Resparke
- Science & Technology Pioneer Award: Ninna Granucci, France, Green Spot Technologies
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award: Akshita Sachdeva, India, Trestle Labs
3) The eleven third-place awardees
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Mercedes Bidart, Colombia, Quipu
- North America: Kyla Bolden, Canada, Wiz Kid Learning
- Europe: Laura Harnett, United Kingdom, Seep
- Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa: Victoria Munguti, Rwanda, HeptaPay
- Anglophone and Lusophone Africa: June Muchuku, Kenya, Plumbee
- Middle East and North Africa: Shahira Youssef, Egypt, Chitosan Egypt
- East Asia: Xintong Du, China, VoiceChanger
- South Asia and Central Asia: Marina Tran-Vu, Vietnam, EQUO
- Oceania: Frances Bilbao, Australia, Mums Matter Psychology
- Science & Technology Pioneer Award: Monika Tomecka, Scotland and Poland, uFraction8
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award: Erica Cole, United States, No Limbits
