FORCES for CHANGE

Women are creating the companies that will save the world. This month, we celebrate the three Australian fellows honoured by the Cartier Women’s Initiative in its first-ever Oceania category. These leaders are using impact entrepreneurship to solve the country’s most pressing problems

The Cartier Women’s Initiative has one goal: to drive change by empowering female impact entrepreneurs. Since being founded in 2006, Cartier’s program has supported 297 impact entrepreneurs hailing from 63 countries, awarding more than $US7 million to women solving the world’s most pressing issues.

This year, the 11 first-place awardees were focused on food insecurity, period inequality, ethical artificial intelligence, and mental health. All 32 fellows were honoured at a glittering event in Paris, where the keynote address was delivered by human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.

The Cartier Women’s Initiative had something else to celebrate: the launch of its Oceania category, created to recognise the extraordinary work being done by Australian and New Zealand impact entrepreneurs.

“In Australia, what we’ve been seeing even before the Oceania category was these incredible women creating these businesses that are so solid,” Wingee Sampaio, who heads up the Cartier Women’s Initiative, told marie claire. “They’re creating a lot of impact. There’s a lot the world can learn from these businesses.”

As for what unites the 32 fellows honoured this year, Sampaio is clear: their grit. “They all have great ideas, passion and perseverance, but if there’s one characteristic that’s common among all the fellows, it’s definitely grit,” she says. “And the Australian fellows are always part of that.”

INGRID SEALEY
TEACH WELL