The 2009 Laureates of the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards were announced on October 16, 2009 in Deauville, France during a ceremony held on the occasion of the Annual Global Meeting of the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society. After two rounds of competition, they were selected by an international jury of entrepreneurs and businesspeople for the creativity, sustainability and social impact of their projects. The detailed business plans and verbal presentations were both carefully examined and evaluated. All five Laureates succeeded in proving the added-value of their ideas, convinced the Jury of their ability to carry them to maturity and finally, presented business models that answered important social needs in additional to making profits.
From an applicant pool of 820 of which 15 entrepreneurs reached the Finals, the Laureates received a trophy designed by the jewellery workshops of Cartier, a US$ 20,000 cash award, and will benefit from a full year of coaching from Cartier, McKinsey & Co., and INSEAD Business School. The coaching is tailored to their needs and personalized.
The Laureates represent five geographical regions that encompass all countries: Africa, Asia (including the Oceania Zone and the Middle-East), Europe, Latin America (including the Caribbean) and North America.
Watch the 2009 Ceremony here 
The government of Nigeria’s Lagos state is constantly striving to meet the sanitation needs of the area’s rapidly expanding population, projected to increase from 18 million today to 23 million by 2015.
Recognizing a critical social need and a market poised for accelerated growth, Jife Williams founded MN Environmental Services in 2008. The company aims to build 57 sanitation facilities in Lagos state by 2014.
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In the Philippines, more than 12 million people suffer from Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM), which increases the risk of developing life-threatening conditions such as diabetes and coeliac disease. Having seen PEM’s disastrous effects on Manila’s poorest neighborhood, Kimberley Ong decided to take action. Her company, AlgaVentures, helps combat PEM by offering food supplements made from spirulina, a vitamin and protein-packed alga.
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Win-lose scenarios, short-term gains and high-risk behaviors have traditionally dominated the financial sector.
Seeking an alternative, former bank executive Kristin Pétursdóttir joined forces with Halla Tómasdóttir, previously the managing director of Iceland’s Chamber of Commerce, to found Audur Capital, a financial services company.
Their mission: to incorporate “feminine” values into the world of finance by offering their clients a long-term perspective and a win-win approach.
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In March 2007, systems engineer Rosario Monteverde and graphic designer Magdalena Rodríguez set out to create a web agency with a social conscience. Their company, PRO Internacional, trains people with an elementary knowledge of web design to develop customized, cost-effective sites for clients including the World Trade Center and Ceibal, a one-laptop-per-child program.
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After excelling in academia and ascending the ranks of the pharmaceuticals industry to become President and CEO of AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Dr. Una Ryan is turning her attention to water.
Her latest venture, Waltham Technologies, has developed an environmentally friendly process that makes cleaning wastewater profitable. Currently in its start-up phase, the company plans to begin beta testing in 2010 and earning revenue in 2011.
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