Empowering women in the green economy

Now and in the future, green entrepreneurship will be an essential means to finding concrete solutions for the climate crisis. Fostering women’s participation in the green economy – a sector where they are still underrepresented – is necessary if we are to build an inclusive economy and a sustainable future. That is why we created WomenEntrepreneurs4Good — to support women entrepreneurs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to power the green transition.

The initiative, launched in partnership with Procter&Gamble and HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center, was met with such a success in 2021 that it doubled the number of participants for its second edition in 2022. On June 1st, the Grand Jury selected 18 women-led projects with promising solutions to contribute to a better future.

“WomenEntrepreneurs4Good represents a strong support to empower women in their strive to bring about a positive change in the world through entrepreneurship,” said Saba Alvi, 2022 Laureate.

Double the projects — double the impact

With the goal of doubling the impact of WomenEntrepreneurs4Good in 2022, this year the Call for Applications welcomed 99 women-led projects – twice as many as last year – from 46 different countries. All the candidates were welcomed at the Opening Ceremony, kicking off a 3-week in-depth customer research to allow the early-stage projects to improve their business models. Next, the candidates participated in an intense 3-day StartUp Sprint, during which the entrepreneurs refined their ideas and finalized their pitches.

“The WE4G workshops were very practical and offered a new perspective for us to approach our work. We were able to integrate these learnings immediately elevating our overall messaging,” said Lia Papazoglou, 2022 Laureate.

Tough choices for the Grand Jury

After passing the test of the Pre-Jury, 24 semi-finalists faced the final round of presenting in front of a high-level Grand Jury, which evaluated each project on the basis of innovation, scalability and concrete impact. “I loved my experience as a Grand Jury member because it is both exciting and rewarding to see the passion that drives people trying to solve the world’s problems and create a sustainable model in doing so,” said Grand Jury member Marco Luchini, CFO and Head of Media at Procter & Gamble.

Although the choice was a tough one, the Jury selected 18 projects from 8 different countries, opening the new phase of the programme. The finalists will now begin a 3-month HEC Incubator Programme to receive tailor-made business coaching and technical support, combined with visibility and networking opportunities by participating in the Women’s Forum events.

Claire Dumas, 2022 laureate, sees the programme as “the opportunity to be part of a great community to share experiences and to be supported during this amazing entrepreneurship journey”.

Grand Jury Members

• Anne-Gabrielle Heilbronner, President, Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society
• Bettina Denis, Head of Sustainability, Revaia
• Elizabeth A. Vazquez, CEO and Co-Founder, WEConnect International
• Imran Dassu, Partner, Kearney
• Inge Kerkloh-Devif, Senior Executive Director, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center, HEC Paris
• Marco Luchini ,CFO and Head of Media Italy, Procter & Gamble
• Meral Guzel, UN Women, Partnerships Manager of WEA
• Romain Decorps – Co-founder, NEMOW Venture
• Soazig Barthélemy, Founder and CEO, Empow’Her
• Taide Guajardo Vite, Brand Senior Vice President Europe, Procter & Gamble

Read the full press release