SINCE its creation in 2006, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has spotlighted the achievements of over 260 women entrepreneurs hailing from 59 different countries and has awarded over $4 million in prize money to support their businesses.
Now, Cartier has announced the 24 fellows of the 2021 edition of the initiative, selected from 876 applicants hailing from 142 countries: Rafa Cavalcanti, Valentina Rogacheva and Barbara Graneck from Latin America; North America’s Rebecca Hui, Ellington West and Sabina Bharwani; Corina Huang, Natalie Chan and Nana Wang from East Asia; Seynabou Dieng, Yetunde Ayo-Oyalowo and Tomilola Adejana from Sub-Saharan Africa; Rana El Sakhawy, Manal Hakim and Basima Abdulrahman from the Middle East and North Africa; Europe’s Olga Kitaina, Andrea Barber and Jenifer Clausell-Tormos and lastly, Orianna Bretschger, Rana Sanyal and Christina Gyenge, who are up for the brand-new Science & Technology Pioneer Award.
The Science & Technology Pioneer Award – open to women-run and women-owned businesses from any country and sector – offers up three additional regional awards to women at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation, highlighting “disruptive solutions built around unique, protected or hard-to-reproduce technological or scientific advances.”
Manal Hakim
This year also marks the first time female entrepreneurs from Mali, Iraq and Myanmar have been recognised, with these fellows representing the top three businesses for each of the seven regional awards and the Science & Technology Pioneer Award.
Orianna Bretschger
Nana Wang
Before the ceremony on May 26, the Cartier Women’s Initiative is organising a virtual gathering under the theme of the Ripple Effect on May 24 and 25 that will feature a wide range of speakers, including Cartier President and CEO Cyrille Vigneron, industry leaders and friends of the Maison.
Each of the eight laureates for the award categories will take home $100,000 in prize money, with second and third runners-up receiving $30,000. The eight laureates and 16 finalists will also benefit from bespoke 1:1 training, collective workshops, media visibility and international networking opportunities, as well as the opportunity to join an Insead impact entrepreneurship program.
Olga Kitaina
Rafaela Cavalcanti
“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,” said Cyrille Vigneron.
“It is our honour and pride to support these women who keep pushing the boundaries in order to make the world a better and more equal place.”
by Joshua Hendren