Cartier Women's Initiative Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary, Holds Speaker Series in Singapore

Since 2006, the Cartier Women's Initiative has brought together a diverse community of 262 women impact entrepreneurs from 62 countries who are tackling an incredible range of social and environmental issues. A total of USD 6,440,000 in prize money has been awarded to support their businesses, all driven by a common conviction: solving the most pressing global challenges.

The Cartier Women’s Initiative World Reunion kicked off on March 6, 2022, in the company of global thinkers and doers to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of women leveraging business as a force for good. Nine former Cartier Women’s Initiative fellows who have been selected for the extraordinary impact their businesses have created over the years were also celebrated at the Reunion for their contributions towards Improving Lives, Preserving the Planet and Creating Opportunities, which are based on the United Nations Sustainable Development goals.

On March 8, 2022, International Women’s Day, Cartier also reaffirmed its commitment towards supporting women impact entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia through the Cartier Women’s Initiative. Regional efforts will combine a plethora of engagement activities to drive meaningful conversations around women empowerment, and one-on-one guidance to potential applicants for the Carter Women’s Initiative across the region.

"We are committed to supporting incredible ideas and dreams, where women in the region can find support, connect with one another, and achieve visibility. We welcome women change makers from around Southeast Asia to lend your unique voices to inspire and encourage others as we build our Cartier Women’s Initiative community in this region,” says Cécile Naour, CEO, Cartier Southeast Asia & Oceania.

Fresh from the World Reunion in Dubai Expo, Wingee Sampaio and Carmina Bayombong interacted virtually with a 70-strong audience of entrepreneurs, partners and ecosystem enablers at the National Gallery Singapore. Wingee is Cartier Women’s Initiative global programme director while Carmina is the 2019 Laureate (winner) for the Southeast & Oceania regional award and 2021 first- runner up for the Impact Award in Creating Opportunities.

Kicking off the inaugural Speaker Series in Singapore, Cécile then hosted a hybrid panel discussion with powerful, diverse women voices across Southeast Asia. The panel comprised:

• Luxury fashion designer with new sustainable line, Nikasha Khemka, based in Singapore and  India
• Robotics engineer behind Asia's first robotic glove, Jane Wang, based in Singapore
• Sustainable jeweller, venture capitalist and fintech marketer, Proud Limpongpan, based in Thailand
• Edutech entrepreneur turned venture capitalist, Tu Ngo, based in Vietnam
• E-commerce pioneer, serial entrepreneur and angel investor, Shinta Dhanuwardhoyo, based in Indonesia

Proud Limpongpan, Tu Ngo, and Shinta Dhanuwardhyo are also members of the Asia Gender Network, the first pan-Asian network which aims to mobilize capital to close the gender gap in Asia by funding the advancement of women and girls.

The Speaker Series will travel to other countries in the region including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam in both physical and virtual formats, featuring inspiring speakers who champion women empowerment and business for good.

Leading up to the application period of 16 May – 14 July for the 2023 edition of the Cartier Women’s Initiative, Cartier will be collaborating with selected partners to prepare applicants for the programme, leveraging on the networks, expertise and passion of these ecosystem enablers.

“Our goal is to build a community in Southeast Asia that supports women-led businesses with a strong social or sustainable impact, giving them the financial, human, and social capital necessary to grow their businesses. By including and supporting women, we can create the change we hope to see in this world,” says Cécile Naour, CEO, Cartier Southeast Asia & Oceania.

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