Global Courant 2023-05-09 16:01:16
MasterCard announced the winners of the second edition of the Women SME Leaders Awards in a virtual ceremony, celebrating the achievements of women-led businesses in 22 categories across multiple industry sectors in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Launched in 2022 in partnership with Entrepreneur Middle East, the Mastercard Women SME Leaders Awards is the first initiative of its kind to recognize SMEs owned and led by women who are shaping the future of the region.
“The second edition of the awards has once again exceeded our expectations – from receiving entries from diverse companies to seeing the women of tomorrow raising the bar as we embrace a future that includes more women across industries. I would like to congratulate all the winners for their contributions and dedication to the SME success story and for being part of the Women SME Leaders Awards 2023,” said Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President of Market Development, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Mastercard.
For the second edition of the awards, there were 4,547 entries from companies with revenues of less than $13.6 million (AED 50 million) and employing between six and 50 people.
Participation in the 22 categories of the award – including the designer, the logistician, the retailer, the educator and the investor – was open to all female individuals or companies that have their offices or offer their services in EEMEA. Other award categories included the F&B Leader, the Educator, the Real Estate Leader, the Health Custodian, the Executive, the Leader or TomorrowThe Leader in Agriculture and The Visionary, among others.
The winners from the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Kuwait, Botswana, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Kenya and Morocco were:
Marcela Sancho Montoya, Founder, House of Pops Rim Guirari, CEO, Mustard and Linen Interior Designer Marloes Knippenberg, CEO, Kerten Hospitality Meher Mirchandani, Managing Director, Palmon Group FZCO Kim Thompson, Founder and Managing Director, Raw Coffee Company Masindi Netshakhuma, CEO , Renof Productions Latifi Bin Haider, Founder, Baytuki Noora AlAskar, Founder, Nutribox Your Pocket Nutritionist Marang Mbaakanyi, Founder & CEO, Drones of Africa Susy Massetti, Founder & CEO, Maria Massetti WLL Roaya Saleh, Founder, Villa Mamas Restaurant Youmna Khoury, Founder , Youmi Beauty Sarah Curtis and Zainab Imichi Alhassan Alli, Founders, POP Communications Jana Krimpe, Founder and CEO, BEST Solutions Anastasia Kopijevski, Founder and CEO, Skaya Art Agency Dina Mattar, Founder and CEO, Dverse Jennifer Obiorah, CEO, TeamUpcyclers Karima Anbar , CEO, Intisar Foundation Beatrice Jemimah Wanjiku Kiniti, Founder, Jobenvic Enterprises LTD Wada Kealotswe, Founder and Director, Aiko Creations t/a Eco Zera Shilpa Mahtani, Founder and COO, BnB ME Mona Alami, Co-Founder, Ecofertil
The 2023 Women SME Leaders Awards jury included Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA for Mastercard; Tamara Pupic, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East and Nezha Alaoui, Founder and CEO, Women Choice.
The awards are in line with Mastercard’s global commitment to connect 25 million female entrepreneurs to the digital economy by 2025, as part of its goal to build a more sustainable and inclusive world.
About Mastercard (NYSE:MA)
MasterCard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. With connections in more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless opportunities for everyone.
