Cartier Honours Six Winning Laureates for Its Women's Initiative Awards 2018

Congratulations to the six inspiring women #DrivingChange

Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards Laureates 2018

By Annabelle Fernandez - published 7 May 2018

Just last week, Cartier presented their annual Women's Initiative Awards at the Capella Singapore with a new theme, "Bold Alchemy". Almost 2,800 world-changing female entrepreneurs from more than 130 countries applied, and six were awarded for their innovative and inspiring business ventures:

Swati Pandey from India, founder of Arboreal Agro Innovations, an industrial scale, vertically-integrated producer of stevia, a 100 per cent natural substitute for sugar. Kristina Tsvetanova from Austria, founder of Blitab Technology, a tactile tablet for the blind and visually impaired. Paula Gomez from Brazil, founder of Epistemic, a device that alerts patients and caregivers of an oncoming epileptic seizure up to 25 minutes in advance. Siroun Shamigian from Lebanon, founder of Kamkalima, an online platform that uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to help learn and teach

Arabic. Yiding Yu from the US, founder of Twiage, a digital platform that enables the transmission of real-time data from ambulance to hospital. And Melissa Bime from Cameroon, founder of Infiuss, an online blood bank that collects and dispatches blood donations to hospitals.

In addition to receiving an award and US$100,000 in prize money, all six laureates—and remaining 12 finalists—will receive personalised business coaching as well as an offer to attend an Executive Program from INSEAD, an elite business school for aspiring graduates.

“With the awards, our Maison aims to contribute to women’s empowerment efforts worldwide, and

thus mirror Cartier’s values," said Cartier's CEO Cyrille Vigneron. "Indeed curiosity, audacity, willpower to lead the change and openness to the world have been part of our DNA from a very early stage. Sharing with these women about their dreams and lives is both part of who we are and our responsibility”.

Keeping in line with the theme, the esteemed jewellery brand announced a new partnership with TED through a specially curated series of live conversations at the soiree. The live conversation panel featured Matilda Ho (CEO/Managing Director of food accelerator company Bits x Bites), Meagan Fallone (CEO of Barefoot College), Zubaida Bai (CEO and Founder of budget healthcare provider, Ayzh) and former laureate Halla Tósmadóttir. Hosted by Sandi Toksvig (again), it was an unforgettable night.

By Michelle Varinata

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