In pursuit of global sustainability, Cartier honored a record number of female entrepreneurs with the program's greatest amount of funding to date.&nbsp;

Since 2006, the annual <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/austin-butler-cartier-new-ambassador-cannes-film-festival-elvis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cartier</a> Women&rsquo;s Initiative (CWI) has championed and supported a global network of female entrepreneurs. Providing <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/politics-culture/pomellato-international-womens-day-campaign-joey-king-jane-fonda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women</a> with the necessary <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/amalia-ulman-el-planeta-movie-sundance-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">financial</a>, social, and human capital to thrive, CWI is an invaluable influence on the lives and livelihoods of female business owners who seek to solve global challenges through <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/lola-tung-coach-coachtopia-campaign-sustainability-circular-fashion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sustainability</a>.&nbsp;
In the 16 years since the program&rsquo;s inception, CWI has supported 298 <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/politics-culture/famous-firsts-womens-history-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women</a> from 63 <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/upcoming-destination-fashion-shows-cruise-pre-fall-men-spring-2024-dior-gucci-chanel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">different countries</a>, awarding a total of $7,440,000 in financial backing. Despite an already illustrious past, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/cartier-high-jewelry-sixieme-sens-accessories" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cartier</a> has chosen to up the ante through increased funding and the introduction of new regional and thematic awards to its existing prize roster.
Inside <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/shopping/paris-fashion-week-street-style-looks-outfits-shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paris</a>' famous&nbsp;Salle Pleyel music hall on May 10,&nbsp;CWI raised its total number of fellows to 32 &mdash; its highest number to date. Candidates were considered for 11 awards, 9 of which were regional, including the newly added Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania awards. The last two were thematic, with the addition of the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/age-diversity-fall-winter-2022-runway-valentino-plus-size-body-diversity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diversity,</a>&nbsp;Equity, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty-zodiac/salem-mitchell-model-activism-gemini-zodiac-beauty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inclusion</a> Award &mdash;&nbsp; the first to be open to all genders &mdash;&nbsp;being a novel advancement within the initiative.&nbsp;

First-place winners took home $100,000 in grant funding, while the second and third-place awardees received $60,000 and $30,000, respectively. Apart from the cash prizes, fellows were given several priceless <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/shopping/bridesmaid-box-gift-ideas-bridal-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gifts</a>, including tailored mentoring, media visibility, networking opportunities, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/politics-culture/rihanna-and-emmanuel-are-working-together-for-education-access" target="_blank" rel="noopener">education</a> courses from the prestigious INSEAD business school.
In what turned out to be a star-studded affair, ceremony speakers included M&eacute;lanie Laurent, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/lea-seydoux-facts-movies-bond-girl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French actress</a>, director, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/stella-mccartney-fall-winter-2019-ad-campaign-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">environmental activist</a>; Nadine Labaki, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/remembering-billie-holiday-songs-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">activist</a>, actor, and director; <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/yara-shahidi-facts-family-parents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yara Shahidi</a>, actress, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/queer-artist-tete-a-tete-virtuoso-leland-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">producer</a>, and activist; and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/10-stylish-looks-amal-clooney-copy-this-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amal Clooney</a>, co-founder of the Clooney Foundation for Justice.
With this year&rsquo;s theme being "Forces for Good," the evening reaffirmed <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/cartier-love-is-all-film-lily-collins-troye-sivan-willow-smith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cartier</a>&rsquo;s alignment with women through a spirit of collaboration. Working with women on a systems level to pursue global sustainability, this omnibus approach to progress embodies <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/secret-history-cartier-trinity-ring-old-hollywood-grace-kelly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the jeweler</a>'s unwavering resolve for excellence. &nbsp;

The 2023 CWI winners are as follows:
<ul>
 <li>Latin America and the Caribbean: Emily Ewell, Brazil,&nbsp;Pantys</li>
 <li>North America: Wendy Owens, United States, Hexas Biomass Inc.&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Europe:&nbsp;Iva Gumnishka, Bulgaria,&nbsp;Humans in the Loop&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Francophone&nbsp;Sub-Saharan Africa: Yvette Ishimwe, Rwanda,&nbsp;IRIBA&nbsp;Water Group&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Anglophone&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lusophone&nbsp;Africa:&nbsp;Dupe Killa-Kafidipe, Nigeria, Platinum Fisheries&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Middle East and North Africa: Khadija&nbsp;Elbedweihy, Egypt,&nbsp;PraxiLabs</li>
 <li>East Asia: Woori Moon, South Korea, 40FY&nbsp;</li>
 <li>South Asia and Central Asia:&nbsp;Denica&nbsp;Riadini-Flesch, Indonesia,&nbsp;SukkhaCitta</li>
 <li>Oceania: Ingrid&nbsp;Sealey, Australia, Teach Well&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Science and Technology Pioneer Award: Poulami&nbsp;Chaudhuri, India, Helex&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award: Blake Van Putten, United States, CISE</li>
</ul>
<ul></ul>

Photo via Instagram/ @cartierawards.

Cartier Honors the 2023 Cartier Women’s Initiative Awardees

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