Meet The 21 Finalists Of The Cartier Women’s Initiative 2020
What entails a better future? Certainly, there is no better question to ask than the current. The ongoing health outbreak has led to a growing impact on the global economy and businesses are forced to consider what the “next normal” is post-virus, and how they should reinvent themselves moving forward.
The Cartier Women’s Initiative has long been regarded as one of the world’s most comprehensive and financially rewarding entrepreneurial competitions, since its inception in 2006. And now, the 21 finalists of this year’s edition have been announced.
These finalists have been selected amongst 1,200 applicants from 162 countries, including, for the first time, Australia, New Zealand, Benin, Denmark and Sweden, and have put social and environmental impact at the heart of their business, ranging addressing issues related to healthcare, social inequalities, and sustainable communities and consumption.
“Creating opportunities for women and empowering them is not only what we believe is right, it also tells who we are : a Maison both anchored in reality and open to the world, thus perfectly aware of our responsibility. A responsibility all the more important given these uncertain times. At Cartier, we believe it is crucial to support young businesses and start-ups through to a more stable period. And this is what we intend to keep doing, fully aware that these women are making a concrete and durable impact, therefore paving the way for a better future,” says Cyrille Vigneron, President and CEO of Cartier International in a press release.
The finalists will not only receive financial support, but also personalized coaching and access to an international professional network to help their business thrive, as well as a place on an INSEAD executive education programme. The laureates from each region will take home US $100,000 in prize money, whereas the second and third runner ups will receive US $30,000. The winners will be announced in early June 2020.
From East Asia, the shortlisted finalists include:
What: Delivers financial literacy education to Chinese families through workshops, audio programs, family games, books and practical tools, to enable a thriving and prosperous community
Why: This is in bids to highlight the pervasive problems plaguing China’s booming economy: a lack of knowledge about how to manage money and a skewed sense of the value of things. “In China, people are ashamed to talk about money,” says founder, Nini Mao. This lack of financial literacy has landed millions of families to fall victim to financial crimes and loan frauds.
What: Uses patient-submitted data to make cancer curable and treatment affordable.
Why: To make sense of overwhelming cancer diagnosis in China, where the vast amounts of cancer diagnoses each year, combined with a shortage of trained doctors, leaves little time for physicians to help patients understand their disease. Haalthy was started to address this data analysis gap for a variety of cancers, which serves both patients and pharmaceutical companies, which allows them to understand what drugs are more effective for a particular group of patients.
What: An energy optimization company that combines artificial intelligence and big data to deliver energy efficiency solutions.
Why: “When I had my first child, I felt a responsibility to create a low-carbon future that preserves our earth. I truly believe that by using AI and big data we can improve energy systems for the next generation,” says Charlotte Wang. China, bearing the highest cost for fossil-fuel-related pollution, has led to numerous health risks. EQuota gives individuals real time feedback on their behaviours so they can make healthier choices, and analyses energy use patterns to identify opportunities to increase efficiency, at every point along the energy supply chain, ultimately leading to a reduction of particulate matter and fewer illnesses and deaths from pollution.
Find out more about the program and footage of the fellows of the Cartier Women's Initiative 2020 here.
