The luxury brand’s Women’s Initiative Speaker Series will travel to different countries in the region.
Since 2006, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has brought together a diverse community of 262 women impact entrepreneurs from 62 countries who tackle a wide range of social and environmental issues.
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A total of $6,440,000 in prize money has been awarded to support their businesses, all driven by a common conviction: solving the most pressing global challenges.
The Cartier Women’s Initiative World Reunion kicked off on March 6, 2022, in the company of global thinkers and doers to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of women leveraging business as a force for good.
Nine former Cartier Women’s Initiative fellows who have been selected for the extraordinary impact their businesses have created over the years were also celebrated at the Reunion. These women have improved lives, preserved the planet, and created opportunities, which are based on the United Nations Sustainable Development goals.
On March 8, International Women’s Day, Cartier also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting women impact entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia through the Cartier Women’s Initiative.
Regional efforts will combine a plethora of engagement activities to drive meaningful conversations around women empowerment, and one-on-one guidance to potential applicants for the Carter Women’s Initiative across the region.
“We are committed to supporting incredible ideas and dreams, where women in the region can find support, connect with one another, and achieve visibility,” says Cécile Naour, CEO, Cartier Southeast Asia & Oceania. “We welcome women change makers from around Southeast Asia to lend your unique voices to inspire and encourage others as we build our Cartier Women’s Initiative community in this region.”
Fresh from the World Reunion in Dubai Expo, Wingee Sampaio and Carmina Bayombong interacted virtually with a 70-strong audience of entrepreneurs, partners and ecosystem enablers at the National Gallery Singapore.
Sampaio is Cartier Women’s Initiative global program director while Bayombong is the 2019 Laureate for the Southeast and Oceania regional award and 2021 first-runner up for the Impact Award in Creating Opportunities.
Kicking off the inaugural Speaker Series in Singapore, Naour then hosted a hybrid panel discussion with powerful, diverse women voices across Southeast Asia.
The panel included Nikasha Khemka a luxury fashion designer from India and Singapore with a new sustainable line; SG’s Jane Wang, a robotics engineer behind Asia’s first robotic glove; Thailand’s Proud Limpongan, a sustainable jeweler, venture capitalist, and fintech marketer; Vietnam’s Tu Ngo, an edutech entrepreneur turned venture capitalist; and Indonesia’s Shinta Dhanuwardhoyo, an e-commerce pioneer, serial entrepreneur, and angel investor.
Nikasha Khemka 
Proud Limpongpan
Limpongpan, Ngo, and Dhanuwardhyo are also members of the Asia Gender Network. This is the first pan-Asian network which mobilizes capital to close the gender gap in Asia by funding the advancement of women and girls.
The Speaker Series will travel to other countries in the region including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam in both physical and virtual formats, featuring inspiring speakers who champion women empowerment and business for good.
Leading up to the application period of May 16 to July 14 for the 2023 edition of the Cartier Women’s Initiative, the luxury brand will be collaborating with selected partners to prepare applicants for the program. They will leverage on the networks, expertise and passion of these ecosystem enablers.
Shinta Dhanuwardoyo 
Tu Ngo
“Our goal is to build a community in Southeast Asia that supports women-led businesses with a strong social or sustainable impact, giving them the financial, human, and social capital necessary to grow their businesses,” says Cécile Naour. “By including and supporting women, we can create the change we hope to see in this world.”
