Some of the winners
Mastercard Women SME Leaders Awards reveals 2023 winners
DUBAI, May 8, 2023
Women entrepreneurs from UAE, South Africa, Kuwait, Botswana, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Kenya and Morocco are among the winners of the Mastercard Women SME Leaders Awards.
A virtual ceremony was held celebrating the achievements of women-led businesses in 22 categories across multiple industry sectors in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Launched in 2022 in collaboration with Entrepreneur Middle East, the Mastercard Women SME Leaders Awards is the first initiative of its kind to recognise women-owned and run SMEs shaping the future of the region.
Women of tomorrow
“The second edition of the awards has once again exceeded our expectations – from receiving entries from diverse businesses to seeing the women of tomorrow raising the bar as we embrace a future that includes more women across industries.
“I’d like to congratulate all the winners for their contributions and commitment to the SME success story and for being a 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.
The second edition of the awards saw 4,547 submissions from businesses with a turnover of less than $13.6 million (AED50 million) and employing between six to 50 people.
22 categories
Entry to the award’s 22 categories – which included The Designer, The Logistician, The Retailer, The Educator and The Investor - was open to all female individuals or businesses who 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 of Tomorrow, The Leader in Agriculture and The Visionary, in addition to others.
Celebrating and showcasing individuals and enterprises shaping economies, value chains and the digital economy, the winners 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 and CEO, Drones of Africa
Susy Massetti, Founder and 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 Women SME Leaders Awards 2023 judging committee included Ajmal; Tamara Pupic, Managing Editor of Entrepreneur Middle East and Nezha Alaoui, Founder and CEO, Women Choice.
The awards are aligned with Mastercard’s global commitment to connect 25 million women entrepreneurs to the digital economy by 2025, as part of its goal to build a more sustainable and inclusive world.-- TradeArabia News Service
