Cartier - Women's Initiative

With the announcement of the 2021 Cartier Women’s Initiative fellows, Cartier is reaffirming its commitments to women impact entrepreneurs leveraging business as a force for good.

Since 2006, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has helped these women reach their full potential by shining a light on their achievements and providing them with the necessary financial, social and human capital support to grow their businesses and build their leadership skills. The program is open to women-run and women-owned businesses from any country and sector that aim to have a strong and sustainable positive impact on society as defined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Since its creation, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has accompanied over 260 promising women entrepreneurs hailing from 59 different countries and has awarded over US $4 million in prize money to support their businesses.

This year, to further increase its impact and relevance, the program has launched the Science & Technology Pioneer Award. In addition to the 7 existing Regional Awards, 3 more women impact entrepreneurs at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation will be recognized. Open to women entrepreneurs from any country and sector, this award will highlight disruptive solutions built around unique, protected or hard-to-reproduce technological or scientific advances.

24 fellows are selected amongst 876 applicants hailing from 142 countries. For the first time, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has recognized women impact entrepreneurs from Mali, Iraq and Myanmar. These fellows represent the top 3 businesses for each of the 7 Regional Awards and for the Science & Technology Pioneer Award.

In these unprecedented times, Cartier considers it its duty to protect its teams, partners and program participants, this is why the 8 laureates will be announced on May 26th 2021, during a virtual ceremony, which will close a digital awards week on the theme of the Ripple Effect.

Prior to the ceremony, the Cartier Women’s Initiative will also be organizing a virtual gathering under the same theme on May 24th and 25th 2021 that will assemble a wide range of speakers including Cartier President and CEO, Cyrille Vigneron, thought leaders and friends of the Maison in order to discuss how each of us can drive change and uplift women impact entrepreneurs, thus paving the way for a better world for future generations.

“Women have always had a pivotal role at Cartier, both as a driving force and an endless source of inspiration. In these challenging times, they are more admirable than ever, proving their resilience in the face of adversity and their ability to create concrete and durable solutions not only for themselves but for their communities, and the world at large. It is our honor and pride to support these women who keep pushing the boundaries in order to make the world a better and more equal place,” Cyrille Vigneron, President and CEO of Cartier International.

The 8 laureates for each Award category will take home US $100,000 in prize money, whereas the second and third runner-ups for each Award category will receive US $30,000. Finally, the 8 laureates and 16 finalists will all benefit from tailored 1:1 training, collective workshops, media visibility and international networking opportunities, as well as the opportunity to join an INSEAD executive education program.

2021 CWI FELLOWS - SHORT BUSINESS DESCRIPTIONS

LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN

• Rafa Cavalcanti, Brazil, CloQ
  

A company that offers access to nano-credit to low-income people, enabling them to build a credit history that leads to inclusion in the financial system, and bridges clients to other financial services that could improve their financial health.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/rafa-cavalcanti

• Barbara Granek, Brazil, Fishtag
  

B2B platform that offers integrated services to directly connect seafood buyers and sellers, optimizing the supply chain and promoting sustainability by eliminating intermediaries.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/barbara-granek

• Valentina Rogacheva, Mexico, Verqor
  

A company that gives data-based cashless credits to financially excluded smallholder farmers, which they can then use to buy agricultural supplies on Verqor’s platform.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/valentina-rogacheva

NORTH AMERICA

• Sabina Bharwani, United States, TX, Hello World
  

A SaaS company serving in-school K-12 computer science programs through its proprietary curriculum and learning management software.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/sabina-bharwani

• Rebecca Hui, United States, NY, Roots Studio
  

A social enterprise that works with indigenous communities globally to digitize their cultural heritage into intellectual property.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/rebecca-hui

• Ellington West, United States, MD, Sonavi Labs
  

A company that is bringing AI-powered diagnostic technology to clinicians, health workers, patients, and parents with its Feelix smart stethoscope.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/ellington-west

EUROPE

• Andrea Barber, Spain, RatedPower
  

A company that is on a mission to digitize the renewable energy industry and maximize clean energy’s potential with a software as a service (SaaS) product that discovers the smartest ways to design solar energy plants and automates their engineering.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/andrea-barber

• Jenifer Clausell-Tormos, Denmark, Develop Diverse
  

An AI-powered software that functions like a spell-checker to automatically detect social biases across an organization’s communication platforms and suggest inclusive alternatives.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/jenifer-clausell-tormos

• Olga Kitaina, Russia, Alter
  

A science-based service that matches people with credentialed psychotherapists, providing access to care for patients and a turnkey solution for professionals.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/olga-kitaina

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

• Tomilola Adejana, Nigeria, Bankly
  

A “bank for the unbanked” which meets the needs of the financially excluded by providing the personal and technological touchpoints they require to digitize their cash and grow their income in a safe and simple way.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/tomilola-adejana

• Yetunde Ayo-Oyalowo, Nigeria, Market Doctors
  

A company that provides affordable basic medical services to Nigeria’s underserved population.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/yetunde-ayo-oyalowo

• Seynabou Dieng, Mali, Maya
  

A food processing company specializing in grocery store products using an inclusive model through partnership with farmers in Mali.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/seynabou-dieng

MENA

• Basima Abdulrahman, Iraq, Kesk
  

A company that offers green building services and products that change the way buildings and communities are planned, constructed, maintained, and operated in Iraq.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/basima-abdulrahman

• Rana El Sakhawy, UAE, MonkiBox
  

An early learning platform that helps parents support their child’s cognitive and physical development through science-backed play essentials and information matched to the child’s stage of development.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/rana-el-sakhawy

• Manal Hakim, Lebanon, Geek Express
  

An accredited ed-tech platform enabling K-12 students with STEM skills through a multidimensional learning journey of online coding courses, DIY kits, and self-paced lessons.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/manal-hakim

EAST ASIA

• Natalie Chan, Hong Kong SAR (China), OWN Academy
  

An education movement that empowers young people to be changemakers and problem solvers of the future.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/natalie-chan

• Corina Huang, Taiwan (China), Boncha Boncha
  

A company that offers high-absorption candy pills to provide nutrition to people who have difficulty swallowing conventional pills.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/corina-huang

• Nana Wang, China, No Barriers Tech Co.
  

A company that develops AI-based hardware and software solutions that provide a bridge between the deaf and hearing worlds.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/nana-wang

SOUTH ASIA & OCEANIA

• Edwina Sharrock, Australia, Birth Beat
  

A company that provides online, evidence-based childbirth education to improve health outcomes for mothers and families globally.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/edwina-sharrock

• Rebecca Percasky, New Zealand, The Better Packaging Co
  

A company that is solving the global waste crisis by producing sustainable packaging, practicing product stewardship, and communicating and educating about waste.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/rebecca-percasky

• Mimi Wu, Myanmar, Myanmar Recycles
  

A company that collects hard-to-recycle, single-use plastic waste and recycles it into resin, thereby promoting a circular, closed-loop economy for plastics.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/mimi-wu

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PIONEER AWARD

• Rana Sanyal, Turkey, RS Research
  

A next-generation therapeutics company developing novel nanomedicines based on innovative drug delivery platforms to treat patients fighting cancer.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/rana-sanyal

• Orianna Bretschger, United States, Aquacycl
  

A company that offers modular on-site organic waste treatment systems that make energy-neutral wastewater treatment a reality.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/orianna-bretschger

• Christina Gyenge, Canada, Agora Energy Technologies
  

An engineering company that develops innovative non-metal CO2-based batteries for long-duration renewable energy storage.

https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/candidate/christina-gyenge

About Cartier

A reference in the world of luxury, Cartier, whose name is synonymous with open-mindedness and curiosity, stands out with its creations and reveals beauty wherever it may be found. Jewellery, fine jewellery, watchmaking and fragrances, leathergoods and accessories: Cartier's creations symbolize the convergence between exceptional craftsmanship and a timeless signature. Today, the Maison has a worldwide presence through its 265 boutiques.

www.cartier.com

About INSEAD Business School

As one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society. The school's research, teaching and partnerships reflect this global perspective and cultural diversity. With locations in Europe (France), Asia (Singapore), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi), and now North America (San Francisco), INSEAD's business education and research spans four regions. Each year, the school’s 168 renowned faculty members from 41 countries inspire more than 1,100 degree participants and 9,000 executive in its Executive Education programmes.

www.insead.edu

About the Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society

The Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society is leading the effort to align INSEAD with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. To achieve this, the Institute researches and develops innovative business models, explores sustainable operations, engages our global alumni community and inspires a diverse group of future leaders. The Institute strives to make INSEAD a sustainable school that leads by example and empowers others to do the same.

https://www.insead.edu/centres/the-hoffmann-global-institute-for-business-and-society