Cover Celebrating the 2026 Cartier Women’s Initiative Awardees. 30 trailblazing entrepreneurs, 20 years of impact and one shared mission to change the world (Photo: courtesy of Cartier Women’s Initiative)
Celebrating the 2026 Cartier Women’s Initiative Awardees. 30 trailblazing entrepreneurs, 20 years of impact and one shared mission to change the world (Photo: courtesy of Cartier Women’s Initiative)
1 / 1
Celebrating 20 years of empowering impact entrepreneurs, the milestone Cartier Women’s Initiative 2026 cohort spotlights trailblazing women driving global change in healthcare, sustainability and economic equity
Last June, the Cartier Women’s Initiative marked a major milestone. Celebrating two decades of empowering women entrepreneurs, the initiative held a week-long series of activities under the theme “Women Lighting the Path” at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.
The celebration drew over 700 attendees and featured the Cartier Dialogues and an immersive exhibition tracing the journey of its fellows. Among the prominent figures who joined the discussions were human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and Cartier CEO Cyrille Vigneron, who focused on female leadership, overcoming systemic barriers and fostering a global sisterhood.
Above Cartier Dialogues with Cartier CEO Cyrille Vigneron and Amal Clooney (Photo: courtesy of Cartier Women’s Initiative)
Cartier Dialogues with Cartier CEO Cyrille Vigneron and Amal Clooney (Photo: courtesy of Cartier Women’s Initiative)
1 / 1
The Cartier Women’s Initiative 2026 culminated in an award ceremony that recognised 30 fellows across nine regional categories, as well as the specialised Science & Technology Pioneer Award.
The 2026 cohort featured trailblazers tackling complex systemic issues. First-place winners received US$100,000 in grants, while second- and third-place winners received US$60,000 and US$30,000, respectively, along with lifelong mentorship and business education.
Read more: In her terms: Anne Curtis reflects on family, purpose, advocacy and the roles that matter most now
The first-place winner from Latin America and the Caribbean was Cristina Campero Peredo, with PROSPERiA—an AI-enabled retinal screening tool for early detection of chronic diseases.
From North America, Keely Cat-Wells won for Making Space, an inclusive talent acquisition platform that bridges the employment gap for disabled professionals.
The first-place winner from Europe was Angela Ursem, for founding Food for Skin, a high-performance skincare brand utilising upcycled waste products from the food industry.
Mylène Flicka, founder of Irawo, a digital education platform and career development tracking for Africa’s young workforce, is the winner from Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa.
Louisa Gathecha, the first-place winner from the Anglophone and Lusophone Africa region, founded Bottle Logistics, a circular-economy venture that recycles post-consumer glass waste into industrial materials.
See also: Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow 2026: meet the leaders powering the Philippines’ future
Above 20th Anniversary exhibit of the Cartier Women’s Initiative (Photo: courtesy of Cartier Women’s Initiative)
20th Anniversary exhibit of the Cartier Women’s Initiative (Photo: courtesy of Cartier Women’s Initiative)
1 / 1
For the Middle East and North Africa region, Salma Tammam won with Reme-D, a low-cost, highly scalable medical diagnostic test engineered for underserved regions.
The winner from East Asia was Jeklin Kim, with GemGem Therapeutics, an AI-powered therapeutic mobile game built to restore hand function in children with disabilities.
The winner in the South and Central Asia region was Monika Shukla with Humble Bee, a tech-enabled sustainable apiculture (beekeeping) venture aimed at lifting rural women out of poverty and boosting crop biodiversity.
The winner from the Oceania region was Alexandra Cannizzaro with Platform Zero, a digital marketplace for fresh produce that reduces farm-to-table food waste for wholesalers.
Finally, the winner of the Science and Technology Pioneer Award was Isabel Pulido with NanoFreeze, a patented bio-cooling infrastructure capable of keeping materials cold for 200 hours off-grid.
Read more: Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ cast: meet the full ensemble and their characters
As the Cartier Women’s Initiative enters its third decade, its evolution reflects a deepening commitment to the holistic needs of its founders.
Beyond capital, the fellowship has adapted to modern pressures by introducing wellness frameworks, artificial intelligence training and localised childcare stipends to support mothers balancing entrepreneurship.
Since its inception in 2006, the initiative has provided over US$14.1 million in funding and built a global network supporting over 300 impact entrepreneurs across 67 countries.
The anniversary celebrations of Cartier Women’s Initiative underscored how these leaders use business as a force for good, addressing critical global gaps in healthcare, climate action and economic equity.
NOW READ
Remembering Giorgio Armani: A look-back at the Italian designer’s illustrious career
The ultimate guide to finding the right leather journal folio for you
‘Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 4’: a glorified yet chaotic mirror to the Philippine theatre scene
Karis Tsang serves as a Junior Associate Editor at Tatler Philippines. She tells stories at the intersection of high society, local arts and pop culture. A UST journalism alum, she has a knack for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. When she’s not typing furiously against a deadline, she’s likely getting lost in a theatre, overanalysing style or planning her next creative rabbit hole.
