Inside Cartier Women’s Initiative 2023’s glittering awards event: the Parisian jeweller celebrated 32 female entrepreneurs – including 2 from Hong Kong – with presenters Amal Clooney and Yara Shahidi

Amal Clooney giving a speech at the Cartier Women’s Initiative 2023 awards ceremony in Paris, on May 10. Photo: Handout

“Throughout my career as a lawyer I have sought to advance women’s rights. It seems pretty obvious that this is a worthy area of focus,” said Clooney. “Whether you believe in human rights, or just prosperity, it is a good idea to try to unshackle half the population of the world. The latest data shows that women’s economic parity would add US$12 trillion to the global economy. Yet the percentage of philanthropic grants that go to women’s empowerment is in the single digits.”

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Amal Clooney and Cyrille Vigneron at the Cartier Women’s Initiative 2023 awards ceremony in Paris, on May 10. Photo: Handout

Her speech was then followed by welcoming remarks from Cyrille Vigneron, CEO and president of Cartier International.

“We are thrilled to host the 16th annual awards ceremony of the Cartier Women’s Initiative in Paris, celebrating our ever-growing community of impact-driven entrepreneurs,” said Vigneron. “Cartier is proud to continue building on its commitment for women’s empowerment, thus leveraging business as a force for good.”

Cartier president and CEO Cyrille Vigneron presenting his speech on the brand’s female empowerment goals at Cartier Women’s Initiative 2023 awards ceremony in Paris, on May 10. Photo: Handout

The prestigious award ceremony took place just last month in Paris’ Salle Pleyel concert hall and included other notable guests and speakers such as Cartier Women’s Initiative global programme director Wingee Sampaio, actress and producer Yara Shahidi and French actress, director and environmental activist Mélanie Laurent.

Megan Lam at Cartier Women’s Initiative 2023 awards ceremony in Paris, on May 10. Photo: Handout

To conclude the evening, the maison presented 32 candidates from all over the world with first-place, second-place and third-place prizes. Two of them hailed from Hong Kong – 30-year-old Megan Lam, co-founder and CEO of mental health platform Neurum Health, and 31-year-old Olivia Cotes-James, founder and CEO of Luüna, a company which specialises in organic menstrual care products and services.

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The 11 first-place winners each received US$100,000 in funds, while the second-place and third-place recipients were each awarded US$60,000 and US$30,000, respectively. Besides the cash prizes, all 32 finalists will gain access to networking opportunities, education courses, tailored mentorship, coaching and media visibility from renowned business school, Insead.

Yara Shahidi and Mélanie Laurent at the Cartier Women’s Initiative 2023 awards ceremony in Paris, on May 10. Photo: Handout

Each category featured two thematic awards – the Science and Technology Pioneer Award and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award – and nine regional awards: Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, Europe, Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa, Anglophone and Lusophone Africa, Middle East and North Africa, East Asia, South Asia and Central Asia and Oceania.

The 2023 first-place winners are as follows:

● Latin America and the Caribbean: Emily Ewell, Brazil, Pantys

● North America: Wendy Owens, United States, Hexas Biomass Inc.

● Europe: Iva Gumnishka, Bulgaria, Humans in the Loop

● Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa: Yvette Ishimwe, Rwanda, Iriba Water Group

● Anglophone and Lusophone Africa: Dupe Killa-Kafidipe, Nigeria, Platinum Fisheries