Beau Plan Creative Park hosted the Finals of the Women Entrepreneur Awards in a glittering ceremony on Saturday 28 October 2023. Six of the nine finalists received awards after pitching their businesses to a panel of judges with significant experience in the entrepreneurial space.
The Women Entrepreneur Awards (WEA) is a concept created to encourage, support and empower and celebrate Mauritian female entrepreneurs from different sectors, and to showcase their contribution in the Mauritian economy. The awards, which are in their inaugural edition, recognised the outstanding achievements of women entrepreneurs who have made a significant impact on their industries and communities.
Commenting on the Finals, Kirti Sheonarain, as the Founder of the awards, said: “WEA has been created to promote, showcase and celebrate the contribution of our female entrepreneurs in the Mauritian economy. I think the winners have beautifully earned their way and this has been publicly visible when everyone was able to witness their pitch. Our aim has been to create a platform that is based on credibility and meritocracy which has been achieved through our prestigious jury members and the transparency of the judging process”.
Speaking on behalf of the Beau Plan Creative Park, as the host of the awards, Benjamin Gilot, Cultural Project Manager said: “It was a pleasure to host the finals of the competition here at Beau Plan Creative Park. Our interest was to see the feminine side at work and to support this entrepreneurial spirit that is present everywhere. It was especially interesting to see that it is not only about gender, and that women are full of creativity. We were delighted to be able to witness this ourselves.”
The Women Entrepreneur Awards have also been supported by Impact Production Group, where Director Jean Luc Manneback shared his own message for women entrepreneurs: “Be daring. Fight back. I think it’s part of your charisma to fight. I support women entrepreneurs in particular because I think they have a big part to play in the economy and in life in general. Women have a different sensibility to men and, with women behind an economic machine, I think they could bring something completely different. We have to trust them. After thousands of years of being constrained by men, I think that women must take this place and must be able to give free rein to their imagination, their creativity, their emotions. With this instinct that men have lost, they must use these tools.”
Commenting as one of the partners of the awards, Atul Bhatia, Chief FinTech Officer at Emtel, explained how blink was able to support women entrepreneurs by encouraging them to embark on the path of digital inclusion, through reducing costs and promoting efficiency. He saw that the idea of a woman entrepreneur venturing to start a business was a bold decision and took the view that “behind every successful woman is herself. You need to back yourself up”. He urged women entrepreneurs to “continue that journey, with your own determination, your grit, and your trust in your product”. He underlined that blink and Emtel could assist women entrepreneurs with their technology concerns, whether for connectivity or payment solutions.
As a media partner of the event, as well as a jury member, Samantha Seewoosurrun added: “Platform Africa has been delighted to support the Women Entrepreneur Awards in its inaugural edition. It has been incredible to hear the inspiring stories of the women who have participated throughout the competition and how they brought their innovative ideas to fruition. We warmly congratulate all of the participants in the competition on their commitment and dedication and wish them continued success on their entrepreneurial paths.”
Pitching before the jury
At this final stage of the competition, the nine finalists were invited to appear before a panel of five jury members with significant experience in the entrepreneurial space, namely Marc-Antoine Tschopp, Rima Ramsarun, Myriam Blin, Meenakshee Kuntz and Samantha Seewoosurrun.
The finalists were asked to make a brief presentation of their businesses, underlining where these were relevant to sustainability, innovation and making an impact, as some of the main criteria sought by the judges to decide on the winners.
Winners revealed
The following candidates were announced as the winners of the competition:
- WEA Champion: Elizabeth De Marcy Chelin – Chabert, My Pop Up Store Ltd
- Most Impactful Award: Sharanaz Subratty, Casting World Ltd
- Most Sustainable Award: Stephanie Bouloc, La Déchetèque Ltée
- Most Innovative Award: Farrah Jahangeer, Sustainable Energies For Aprica Ltd
- Most Promising Start-Up Award: Pierre Louis Marie Paule, Eco Ballade Ltd
- Special Jury Award: Stephany Noëllis, Lullaby Production Ltd (Zenlife)
The Women Entrepreneur Awards is planning to hold its second edition in 2024, and invites interested parties to get in touch at contact@womenentrepreneurawards.com.
