Cim Finance hosted the Semi-Finals of the Women Entrepreneur Awards in Port Louis on 30 September, with Chesma Bhundoo, SME Manager, congratulating the women on their achievements. Nine finalists were announced at the event, who will go on to compete in the final round of the competition on 28 October.
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, will recognise the outstanding achievements of women entrepreneurs who have made a significant impact on their industries and communities. The theme for the Semi-Finals was “Celebrating our Differences”.
Commenting on Cim Finance’s support for the awards, Chesma Bhundoo, SME Manager, said:
“It is with immense pride that Cim Finance is partnering with this very first edition of the Women Entrepreneur Awards. We firmly believe that women’s entrepreneurship is a powerful growth engine for our economy. The exceptional careers of these women entrepreneurs that we are showcasing are a source of inspiration for those who hesitate to start, thus accelerating the emergence of new SMEs. In addition, this event offers networking opportunities. We believe in the importance of an ecosystem favourable to the success of SMEs. That is why, thanks to our Noubiznes platform, our support now extends beyond simple financing.”
Commenting on the event and the collaboration with Cim Finance, Kirti Sheonarain, as one of the Co-Founders of the awards, said:
“Cim Finance was one of the first organisations to come on board as they believed in the project since the very beginning. It is very important for Women Entrepreneur Awards to join hands with organisations that understand the important of female empowerment and entrepreneurship is one of the core values of Cim Finance. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Cim Finance for our Semi-Finals and for supporting us through this event where we have announced our finalists. Best of luck to our finalists!”
(From left) Priscille Adam-Dahall, Marketing Manager, Cim Finance; Kirti Sheonarain, Co-Founder of the WEA and Chesma Bundhoo, SME Manager, Cim Finance.
One step away from the finals
In order to prepare the women entrepreneurs for the final stage, WEA Ambassador Bhoomika Annah gave a presentation setting out some tips and advice on how to make an effective pitch, including presenting product samples, using facts and statistics and involving the audience, among others.
Jury member Marc-Antoine Tschopp spoke on behalf of the jury panel, before the finalists were announced, to encourage all of the semi-finalists to continue on their entrepreneurial paths:
“As several participants have said, WEA is a journey where like-minded women entrepreneurs can share their adventures and support each other on this sometimes complex and difficult voyage.”
“As judges, we have a tough and thankless task. Each participant deserves to be on the podium, such is the quality of the entries. We are now entering a phase where some will not be selected for the final. This is in no way a punishment or a disavowal of their effort and commitment. The journey will continue for all of them, and we hope that the links they have forged will endure, whatever the result.”
Finalists revealed
The following candidates were announced as finalists (in alphabetical order by first name):
- Anne Rajoo
- Divia Deesha Gungah-Gokool
- Elizabeth de Marcy Chelin-Chabert
- Farrah Jahangeer
- Marie Paule Pierre Louis
- Sharanaz Subratty
- Sonya Mohadeb
- Stéphanie Bouloc
- Stéphany Noëllis
The finalists will compete in the final round of the competition to be held on 28 October, where they will pitch their businesses directly to the judges, who will then be awarding the winners in the categories of most environmentally sustainable, most impactful, most innovative and most promising start-up business.
