Born from a need for greater inclusivity in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, for the past 17 years, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has supported over 300 female entrepreneurs and their businesses in more than 60 countries around the world. And with more than $2 million in funding granted by Cartier every year since 2006, it’s become one of the most prestigious and generous competitions that enables its female business leaders to take on global challenges head on.

“Every year we prove that women are courageous business leaders that can be a formidable force for good, solving the pressing social and environmental challenges of our times, while being financially sustainable,” says Global Program Director of the Cartier Women’s Initiative, Wingee Sin. “They face the barriers of what seems impossible and yet do it anyway,” she continues.

This year’s impressive line-up of award-winning fellows includes 27 fellows hailing from nine geographic regions plus six fellows from the Science & Technology Pioneer Award and the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award making a total of 33 fellows. The new Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award, which premiered in 2023 marks the inaugural CWI award category open to all genders. 

The 2024 North American Regional Award fellows notably includes Toronto’s Kyla Bolden, and her Wiz Kid Learning digital platform and community that offers accessible coding, STEM, and CTE programs to schools and organizations. Also included are Chicago’s Jessica Menon and her web-based app, Equilo, that automates the gender analysis process and instantaneously collects and processes the most current gender data. Equally impressive is GeekPack by Durango’s Julia Taylor, which is dedicated to closing the digital skills gap for women so they can excel in a technology driven world.

Meanwhile the 2024 North American Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award fellows notably includes Sadriye Gorece from San Francisco, and her BlindLook AI-powered and audio-based brand experience platform for a blind-inclusive world. Richmond’s Erica Cole’s No Limbits is an adaptive apparel brand dedicated to diminishing barriers for people with disabilities to dress independently.

Nearly two decades in, The Cartier Women’s Initiative has proven that women entrepreneurs are an undeniable force, and its support of them has led to striking breakthroughs and significant impact for all. Still, there’s much more to come thanks to Cartier and its change-making fellows. “Women social entrepreneurs are courageous and bold. They are changing the world, one business at a time,” says Cartier CEO, Cyrille Vigneron. “We are proud to support them to reach their full potential and multiply their collective impact,” he says. “Because when women thrive, humanity thrives.”