The finalists of this year’s Women Entrepreneur Awards (WEA) were revealed at a ceremony hosted at Vatel Mauritius in Pierrefonds on 7 September. It was announced that six women entrepreneurs will compete in the live finals to be held on 19 October.
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 second edition, will recognise the outstanding achievements of women entrepreneurs who have made a significant impact on their industries and communities.
In her welcome address, Samantha Seewoosurrun, Co-Chair of WEA, highlighted that this year’s competition is aligned with the UN’s theme of “Invest in women: accelerate progress”. She noted that WEA was focusing was on financial and digital literacy, as well as mental and physical wellness, where workshops had been held in August by Bank One, Emtel and blink by Emtel, while an energising body combat session had been hosted by the Ennoia sports and fitness club.
Jean-Luc Manneback, Chef d’Enterprise, Impact Production Group, as one of the sponsors of the event, urged the women entrepreneurs to tell their stories with passion and celebrate their successes, while remaining humble and using the visibility to inspire the next generation. He congratulated all of the women entrepreneurs who were selected as participants in this year’s competition, where 11 were chosen from all of the applicants, saying “you are the star of your own show”.
Sendy Thoplan, Head of SME and Business Banking at Bank One, said that the bank was proud to be a sponsor of WEA 2024, emphasising that banks and other financial institutions should adopt a women entrepreneur-centric approach to achieve meaningful change in supporting the growth of women-led businesses. His message to the participants was that “your journey is a testament to your resilience creativity and passion. Each step you take not only gets you closer to your own dreams, but also paves the way to the future generation of women leaders. Your achievement is a source of inspiration for others, proving that with determination and vision there is no limit to what you can accomplish. Keep shining and making your mark. Your impact is changing the world, one day at a time.”
Know your stuff, be flexible and be ready
Corinne Robert, WEA Ambassador and Communications Consultant at Akheza Consulting, shared the secrets of the perfect pitch, noting that the finalists will individually pitch their businesses before the jury panel in the live finals. She explained the concept of personal branding, highlighting the importance of emotions and remaining authentic in storytelling. For those participating in the live finals, she urged them to ‘know your stuff’, be flexible and be ready. She reflected that “there is only one you, and that is your superpower”.
Jury panel to focus on passion, resilience and creativity
The jury panel was presented at the event, composed of highly experienced professionals with significant experience in the entrepreneurial domain:
- Renaud Azema, CEO – Vatel Mauritius
- Johanne Hague – Barrister
- Julien Guillot Sestier – Generative AI Facilitator & Brand Strategist
- Ingrid Bell – Managing Director of Aestetika Studio
- Eric Grenouilleau – Founder, Bluefrog Holding Co Ltd
- Lea Verbizier – Managing Director, OME Mauritius
Members of the jury panel shared their perspectives on what they would be looking for from the finalists of the competition. Renaud Azema underlined that the finalists had a lot of talent and he would be looking to see passion and a vision for the future. Johanne Hague emphasised the importance of resilience, and was keen to learn how the finalists had learned from adversity, and how their businesses had grown from it. Julien Guillot Sestier was hoping to see those who could inspire the next generation, while Ingrid Bell was waiting to see trailblazing, innovative entrepreneurs who could convert challenges into disruptive ideas and write unique and compelling brand stories. Eric Grenouilleau explained that he would be looking out for innovation, creativity and passion from those pitching at the finals.
Finalists revealed
The following candidates were announced as finalists (in alphabetical order by first name):
- Astrid Arlove – OBOĒ Ltd
- Azeeza Ruhomuth – RAFS Design
- Khandini Rajmun-Goraya – The Minimalist Style Coach
- Lili Ip Kwok Sheung – Keliks Ltd
- Srishti Dixit – ONS FinServ Ltd (in absentia)
- Zaahirah Muthy – ZeeArts Ltd
The finalists will compete in the final round of the competition to be held on 19 October, where they will pitch their businesses directly to the judges, who will then be awarding the winners across a range of categories.
Commenting on the event, Kirti Sheonarain, Founder and Co-Chair of WEA, said: “I would like to congratulate all of the incredible women entrepreneurs who were selected for this year’s competition and those who have made it to the final. I would also like to thank all of those who participated in our workshops, generously hosted by our sponsors, to build their skills. We have seen the amazing diversity of talent among our women entrepreneurs once again this year, across a wide range of sectors. We can’t wait for the finals of the competition to celebrate the successes of our talented women entrepreneurs and their contribution to our vibrant Mauritian economy .”
