Nominated on the basis of their short business plans, the 2009 Finalists are competing for the third edition of the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards. Among them, five Laureates, one for each continent, will be selected to receive the Award on October 16, 2009.

The 2009 Finalists

Laureate 2009
Jife Williams
MN Environmental Services
NIGERIA
Sanitation services - showers and toilets - that make a difference in Lagos state communities.
Finalist 2009
Elizabeth Campillo
Work Up Bienestar Empresarial
MEXICO
Health programs that improve employees’ well‑being and increase their productivity.
Finalist 2009
Joanna Baker and Phaedra Chrousos
HealthLeap
USA
A free scheduling service that makes it easy to book medical appointments online.
Finalist 2009
Gabriela Enrigue and Leticia Jáuregui
PROSPERA
MEXICO
Mexican dream: supporting the development of women-owned enterprises in Mexico.
Laureate 2009
Kimberley Ong
AlgaVentures
PHILIPPINES
Fighting malnutrition in the Philippines by commercializing new forms of spirulina, a protein‑packed microalgae species.
Finalist 2009
Carol Chyau
Shokay
CHINA
Luxury with a story: textiles made from 100% yak fiber.
Finalist 2009
Martina Hoffhaus
LOHAS CompetenceCenter
GERMANY
A consulting company that helps businesses target environmentally and socially conscious consumers.
Finalist 2009
Lisa Warner
Fink Cards
UNITED KINGDOM
A mother’s wisdom: conversation cards that transform the way families communicate.
Finalist 2009
Michele Romanow
Evandale Caviar
CANADA
Supplying the world’s largest caviar market, the United States, while helping preserve the endangered sturgeon species.
Finalist 2009
Jeanne Habashi
Jeanne Habashi-Le Caire
EGYPT
Fit for a queen: premium cosmetics using ancient ingredients for Egypt’s top hotels and spas.
Laureate 2009
Una Ryan
Waltham Technologies
USA
A simple, eco-friendly system that uses bioengineered blue-green algae and solar energy for cleaning wastewater profitably.
Finalist 2009
Laura Mc Seveney-Sprague
Gaěa
SWAZILAND
Earth mother: caring for abandoned, orphaned and HIV-positive children.
Laureate 2009
Halla Tómasdóttir and Kristin Pétursdóttir
Audur Capital
ICELAND
Financial services based on feminine values.
Finalist 2009
Alia Malik
Shangrila Farms
CHINA
Fair-trade, pure honey from small farms in China’s Yunnan Province.
Laureate 2009
Rosario Monteverde and Magdalena Rodríguez
PRO Internacional
URUGUAY
A web agency with a difference.

The 2009 Finalists were selected by the international Jury based on criteria of creativity, sustainability and social impact. Coached by Cartier, McKinsey and INSEAD mentors, they are preparing their detailed business plans and verbal presentations for the next round of the competition. The five most promising businesses, one for each continent, will receive the annual Cartier Women's Initiative Award, prize money of 20 000 USD and one full year of coaching.