Now in its 16th year of celebrating global female entrepreneurs with funding and mentorship, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has selected its finalists for the 2023 awards.
In order to recognize entrepreneurial talent from all corners of the world, the Cartier Women’s Initiative, one of the largest and most generous competitions for women entrepreneurs in the world, has expanded its awards program to include two new regional awards, the Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania awards, bringing the total number of regional awards to nine. The Initiative also introduced a new thematic award, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, which is open to all genders.
A key aspect of the Cartier Women’s Initiative is the annual awards and ceremony, which offers funding to entrepreneurs across all nine geographic regions, plus the two thematic awards, the Science & Technology Pioneer Award and the new DE&I Award.
The first-place awardees will take home USD $100,000 in grant funding, while the second and third-place awardees will receive USD $60,000 and USD $30,000 respectively. To facilitate this, the total grant funding per edition has increased to USD $2 million, the largest amount ever.
Four North Americans are part of the 2023 group of finalists, each with unique and innovative ideas to make a positive impact on their communities. Kayla Castañeda from Hanford, CA, created Agua Bonita, a company that uses rescued fruit to make a healthier version of aguas frescas while supporting farm workers and reducing food waste. Wendy Ownes from Olympia, Washington, founded Hexas Biomass Inc., which produces low-cost, sustainable, plant-based materials to replace wood, corn, and fossil fuel-based raw materials.
Ania Wysocka from Vancouver, British Columbia, developed Rootd, an app that provides an interactive and on-demand tool for managing anxiety and panic attacks. Inspired by her own experience with anxiety and a lack of accessible tools, she aims to help others facing similar struggles.
In addition, Blake Van Putten from Los Angeles, CA, founded CISE, a Black-owned apparel line that commits resources and opportunities to enrich, empower, and celebrate the Black community through partnerships with Black-owned organizations and donations to organizations that empower the Black community through a fashion-forward lens.
Since its inception in 2006, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has supported nearly 300 women impact-entrepreneurs from over 60 countries. The program has granted more than $2 million in funding each year. The initiative is a testament to the power of empowering women entrepreneurs to create sustainable and socially responsible businesses that make a positive impact on the world.
The Cartier Women’s Initiative is a global program created in 2006 by Cartier in partnership with INSEAD Business School and McKinsey & Company. Its goal is to support and encourage women entrepreneurs who are creating innovative and socially responsible businesses.
The winners of the awards will be announced on May 10th, 2023 in Paris, France. In the meantime, learn more about the Cartier Women’s Initiative here.
