Cartier Impact Awards 2025: These remarkable women are using business to drive social change

CNA

5 days ago

'With great power there must also come great responsibility" – this line from a Spider-Man comic has become a defining pop culture moment, symbolising the moral obligation that comes with influence.
Reflecting on today's interconnected world, the quote rings especially true – businesses wield huge influence, not just over economies, but over societies and the environment.
This principle forms the foundation of the Cartier Women's Initiative (CWI), which was incepted in 2006 to recognise and support women entrepreneurs who are using the power of business to become 'forces for good', driving meaningful change and creating impact in their communities.
According to Cartier, the programme has supported 330 awardees (known as 'fellows') from 66 countries, providing over US$12 million (S$15.5 million) in funding and nurturing a growing community of more than 500 changemakers.
In 2025, the CWI marked another milestone by holding its second-ever Impact Awards, celebrating nine former fellows of the programme whose ventures have significantly scaled their missions over time. The 2025 Impact Awards Ceremony took place on May 22 at the Sakai Performing Arts Centre in Osaka, Japan, coinciding with the official opening week of Cartier's Women's Pavilion at Expo 2025.
The first edition of the Impact Awards was held in 2022 at the Dubai Expo 2020. The Impact Awardees are selected across three categories – Preserving the Planet, Improving Lives, and Creating Opportunities, aligning with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Fellows from previous editions of the CWI apply for the awards and undergo a rigorous selection process. 'In this edition, when selecting fellows for the Impact Awards, we looked for those who have created extraordinary impact through their businesses. That impact can be measured in terms of breadth – reaching a large number of beneficiaries – or depth, such as introducing a truly innovative model that transforms how we think,' said Wingee Sin, global programme director of the CWI.
The nine awardees each received a US$100,000 grant to help further their mission. They will also take part in a one-year fellowship programme designed to enhance their capacity for impact measurement, refine leadership skills, and scale their operational reach.
PIONEERING SOLUTIONS
The awardees hail from across the globe, with three representatives operating social impact businesses in India representing those from the Asian continent.
Namita Banka is an awardee from the Improving Lives Category. She is the founder of Banka Bioloo, a company that provides sustainable water and sanitation solutions across India, including biotoilets, biodigesters and sewage treatment plants. The former jewellery designer was selling ink cartridges and green office supplies to Indian Railways when she discovered that one of their biggest problems is sanitation.
'An estimated 100 million households do not have access to toilets and 60 per cent of people are forced to defecate in the open, posing health hazards, environmental concerns and leading to water contamination," said Banka. With an average 18 million people travelling by train every day, Indian Railways is 'our lifeline', but its toilets were 'in a pitiful state'.
Since Banka Bioloo's inception in 2012, it has installed 3,000 biotoilets for Indian Railways and supplied 30,000 biotoilets to rural areas, impacting millions of people by providing them with a clean, safe and hygienic environment to take care of their needs. Banka's goal is to 'bring a toilet to every household in India'.
Also in India, Kristin Kagetsu, an awardee from the Preserving the Planet category, is the founder of Saathi, which produces and distributes 100 per cent all-natural, biodegradable sanitary pads made of banana fibre. Conventional sanitary pads on the market contain toxic chemical agents, and women in rural parts of India commonly dispose of them by burning them due to a lack of waste facilities.
Saathi converts banana fibre, a natural byproduct of banana farming, into a soft absorbent pad via a patented fibre-processing technology. The pads degrade within six months of disposal. The company also provides subsidised pads for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) committed to improving access to sanitary pads and health education for women.
In the Creating Opportunities category, American Jackie Stenson is the co-founder of Essmart, a social enterprise that aims to bridge the gap between life-improving technologies and underserved rural communities in southern India. Recognising that many innovative products fail to reach those who need them the most, Essmart curates a catalogue of over 350 cleantech and agricultural tools – such as solar dryers and battery-powered sprayers – and distributes them through a network of more than 5,000 local retailers.
ROLE MODELS AS BUSINESSES FOR GOOD
Other awardees leading innovative companies include Kresse Wesling from the UK. Wesling is the founder of Elvis & Kresse, a company with a mission to convert waste products into luxury goods. It turns industrial and commercial waste, including fire hoses, coffee sacks and scrap leather into luxury bags and other accessories.
Hailing from Armenia, Mariam Torosyan created Safe YOU, a mobile application that provides women suffering gender-based violence with emergency support, access to relevant resources and a safe online community.
Yvette Ishimwe from Rwanda is the founder of IRIBA Water Group, which created a smart self-service water ATM that makes purified water available, accessible and affordable for low-income communities across Africa.
For many awardees, the true value of the Impact Awards goes beyond visibility and funding. It lies in the recognition and affirmation of their efforts to build businesses that drive positive change, said Sin. 'A big part of the initiative is to drive the idea that business is an important force for good. Not only is it possible, but many people are already doing it. Highlighting these individuals as role models is important to us,' Sin shared.
CONTINUING THE MISSION
Cartier will hold the 20th edition of the CWI in 2026, which will culminate in a global awards ceremony to be held in Bangkok, Thailand. It will spotlight 30 women impact entrepreneurs, selected as top three candidates across nine Regional Awards alongside the Science & Technology Pioneer Award.
Singapore's presence in the CWI is steadily growing. In recent years, two fellows have been inducted into the programme. They include Mint Lim, founder of inclusive learning centre School of Concepts, who was a fellow from the 2023 edition. In the 2024 edition, Singapore surgeon Dr Lynne Lim, founder of medtech start-up NousQ, took home the top prize in the Science & Technology Pioneer category.
Cyrille Vigneron, chairman of culture and philanthropy at Cartier, emphasised Singapore's important role in advancing Cartier's philanthropic efforts in the region. 'Singapore's strategic location and global connectivity position it as a key regional hub for collaboration and scaling social impact. By forging partnerships with local and regional institutions, such as social enterprises, cultural foundations, and universities, Cartier can amplify its impact across Asia-Pacific,' Vigneron commented.
'The upcoming 2026 Cartier Women's Initiative in Thailand underscores the region's growing role in fostering social change, with Singapore poised to lead in shaping and advancing these efforts,' he concluded.