We rise by lifting others. This award celebrates women who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their field, making significant contributions that inspire and pave the way for others. It recognizes individuals who have:

• Exhibited visionary leadership and innovation.

• Made a lasting impact through their work.

• Acted as role models and mentors to others in their industry.

Applicant Requirements:

• C-level executive, accomplished VP, or equivalent executive leadership role within your organization

• Demonstrated a significant contribution to their industry or sector

• Whose work has the potential to impact the wider community

Application Overview:

Applications should be submitted through our application playform, where you can save your progress as you go. Each submission will go through (2) rounds of judging and the evaluation will be based on women who have not only excelled in their professional endeavors but also uplifted and guided others, fostering a culture of growth and excellence. The Leaders award will honor three finalists and one winner.

Application Questions:

most answers have a 300-500 word maximum limit.

Leadership Impact:

• Describe the nominee's leadership role and responsibilities within their organization, community, or industry.

• Provide specific examples of how the nominee has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities. How have they inspired and motivated others?

• Describe a significant challenge the nominee faced in their leadership role and how they successfully addressed it.

Achievements & Contributions

• Detail the nominee's key achievements and contributions as a leader. How have these achievements impacted their organization, community, or industry?

• Provide measurable outcomes or evidence of the nominee's impact. This could include data, testimonials, awards, or recognition received.

Vision & Innovation

• How has the nominee demonstrated vision and innovation in their leadership role? Provide examples of initiatives or projects they have led that reflect their forward-thinking approach.

Community Engagement and Inclusivity

• Describe how the nominee engages with and supports their community. How do they foster inclusivity and create opportunities for others?

Additional Information

• Why do you believe this nominee deserves to be recognized as a Leader of the Year? What sets them apart from other leaders

• Please provide any additional information or insights that would help the judges understand the nominee's leadership qualities and impact.

Option to upload any supporting documents, such as letters of recommendation, articles, or additional testimonials that highlight the nominee's leadership and impact.

Application Fees:

There is a $249 application fee for each submission, with $99 early bird application fees available for a limited time. Applications are completed once payment is received via our payment platform, Stripe. If you need help affording a submission, reach out to our team to inquire about subsidized submissions.

Empowering the future, one breakthrough at a time. This award is an opportunity to acknowledge and support the rising stars who are shaping the future with their ingenuity and leadership. Nominees should feel they are making meaningful strides and influencing their field.

Application Requirements:

• Below C-level, senior level

• Demonstrated impact once - execution/chartered a new initiative that is not a C-level

Application Overview:

Applications should be submitted through our Jotform application, where you can save your progress as you go. Each submission will go through (2) rounds of judging and the evaluation will be based on early to mid-career professionals who are already demonstrating leadership and have the potential to become future industry leaders. The Rising Stars award will honor three finalists and one winner.

Application Questions:

most answers have a 300-500 word maximum limit.

Early Achievements

• Describe the nominee's current role and responsibilities within their organization or community

• .Detail the nominee's significant achievements and contributions early in their career. What impact have they made in their field or community?

Potential and Promise

• Provide examples of how the nominee has demonstrated exceptional potential and promise as a future leader.

• Describe a project or initiative the nominee has led or played a key role in. What were the outcomes and what did the nominee contribute to its success?

Innovation and Creativity

• How has the nominee shown innovation and creativity in their work or community involvement? Provide specific examples.

Leadership and Influence

• What steps has the nominee taken towards their professional development and growth? Include any relevant training, mentorship, or educational experiences.

Community and Collaboration

• Explain how the nominee engages with and contributes to their community or industry. How do they collaborate with others to achieve their goals?

Additional Information

• Why do you believe this nominee deserves to be recognized as a Rising Star? What distinguishes them from their peers

• Please provide any additional information or insights that would help the judges understand the nominee's potential and achievements.

Option to upload any supporting documents, such as letters of recommendation, articles, or additional testimonials that highlight the nominee's early achievements and potential.

Application Fees:

There is a $249 application fee for each submission, with $99 early bird application fees available for a limited time. Applications are completed once payment is received via our payment platform, Stripe. If you need help affording a submission, reach out to our team to inquire about subsidized submissions.

In partnership with EY, we are excited to celebrate 10 outstanding women who have driven positive change in their communities through groundbreaking ideas, innovative products, or transformative projects. Whether they have pioneered a new technology, launched a creative business venture, or initiated a community-focused innovation, we want to honor their achievements and inspire others with their story.

Application Overview:

Applications should be submitted through our application platform, where you can save your progress as you go. Each submission will go through (2) rounds of judging.

Application Questions:

most answers have a 300-500 word maximum limit.

Innovative Ideas and Products

• Describe the innovative idea, product, or project the nominee has developed. What problem or need does it address?

• What inspired the nominee to create this innovation? Provide background on the motivation and thought process behind it.

Impact on the Community

• Detail the specific impact the nominee's innovation has had on their community. How has it improved lives or solved problems?

• Provide measurable outcomes or evidence of the innovation's success. This could include data, testimonials, awards, or other recognition received.

Implementation and Execution

• Explain the steps the nominee took to bring their innovative idea to life. What challenges did they face and how did they overcome them?

Vision and Future Plans

• What is the nominee's vision for the future of their innovation? How do they plan to scale or further develop it to increase its impact

• Describe how the nominee engages with and supports their community through their innovation. How do they ensure inclusivity and accessibility?

Additional Information

• Why do you believe this nominee deserves to be recognized as a Mover and Maker of the Year? What sets their innovation and impact apart from others?

• Please provide any additional information or insights that would help the judges understand the nominee's innovation, impact, and leadership.

Option to upload any supporting documents, such as letters of recommendation, articles, or additional testimonials that highlight the nominee's innovation and impact.

Application Fees:

There is a $249 application fee for each submission, with $99 early bird application fees available for a limited time. Applications are completed once payment is received via our payment platform, Stripe. If you need help affording a submission, reach out to our team to inquire about subsidized submissions.

This award is for products or services that have disrupted their industry and pushed the boundaries of innovation.

Included but not limited to:

• Real Estate & Proptech

• Healthcare & Biotech

• Finance & Fintech

• Emerging Tech (AI/Meta/Web3)

• Sustainability & Climate Tech

• Reproductive health & Femtech

• Social Innovation

• Retail & Commerce

• Food & Bev

Finalists for the startup category will have the opportunity to present to esteemed judges at the Demo Day at the Awards culminating event in New York City on October 25th.

Requirements:

• Nominees must be early-stage startups that have raised less than $5 million USD in funding and have been in business for less than 5 years.

• They must have a product or service that is disrupting their industry and driving innovation forward.

• They must also have a woman on the founding team

Application Questions:

most answers have a 300-500 word maximum limit.

Startup Overview

• Date the company was launched?

• Who should be credited for the creation of the startup?

• Provide a brief overview of the startup, including its mission and vision.

• Describe what the startup does. What problem(s) does the startup solve

• Who is the startup for? Describe the target audience or customer base.

Innovation and Disruption

• Explain how the startup's product or service is disrupting the industry. What makes it innovative and unique?

• Detail the specific innovation sub-category your startup falls into (e.g., Real Estate & Proptech, Healthcare & Biotech, Finance & Fintech, Emerging Tech, Sustainability & Climate Tech, Reproductive Health & Femtech, Social Innovation, Retail & Commerce).

Product/Platform Usage and Sales

• How is the startup's product/platform used or accessed?

• How is the product/platform sold? Describe the sales channels or distribution methods.

Research and Development

• How was the startup's R&D funded?

• Provide evidence of the startup's impact and traction in the market. Include metrics such as user adoption, revenue growth, partnerships, or other relevant data.

Application Fees:

There is a $249 application fee for each submission, with $99 early bird application fees available for a limited time. Applications are completed once payment is received via our payment platform, Stripe. If you need help affording a submission, reach out to our team to inquire about subsidized submissions.

We’re looking for women working in the field of innovation who are defining and designing better futures for us all.

Our awards are for leaders, rising stars, and any women taking big strides in innovation as well as the general innovations or startups that are inventive, disruptive of the industry, and pushes the boundaries of the industry.

For our 2024 Program, you can view the application & categories here.

If you’re nominating yourself or someone else, you can complete the application here. Each category has a range of different questions, and you can save your progress as you go. If you prefer you can review the Awards & Eligibility requirements and prepare a document of responses accordingly before beginning your application. Once you are ready to begin the application, it should not take more than 15 minutes to complete.

Applicants will register in our application system after choosing the award category they'd like to apply for.

Applicants will then begin their application by answering a series of questions and can review their application (as well as save it) as they go.

Applicants will then be prompted to pay via our payment platform (powered by Stripe) to process the payment. The application is not submitted until payment is processed. The applicants will then receive an email confirmation and will be added to our awards update emails to be notified when finalists are announced.

Some key dates to note below:

Early Bird Applications open on June 24, 2024.

General Applications open on July 15, 2024.

All applications must be submitted by the deadline of August 26, 2024.

Our panel of judges will review every application, with the Shortlist announced in September 2024.

The Awards culminating event will take place in New York City on October 25th.

There is a $249 application fee for each submission.

Early Bird applications are available for limited time for $99 application fee for each submission.

Applications are completed once payment is received via our payment platform, Stripe. If you need help affording a submission, reach out to our team at awards@womenininnovation.co to inquire about subsidized submissions.

The Demo Day will be an in-person demo day that will feature presentations from 6 finalists. The presentations will be 15 minute sessions for presenting with Q&A.

Participants are notified at least 4 weeks in advance and are provided with either travel sponsorship or a hybrid option. VIP hour tickets are provided to winners, and demo day participants are also given access to the general admission portion of the event.

Demo day winners will be announced at the Award culminating event on October 25, 2024 in NYC. Demo day winners receive exposure across the WIN ecosystem: Podcast interview, Newsletter Features and Non-equity funding awards of $5,000-$10,000.

Absolutely! We accept applications completed on behalf of nominees.

RECOGNITION: be acknowledged alongside other winners by colleagues, peers and future employers. Join the WIN community at our Awards event to celebrate your success.

OPPORTUNITY: Be featured on our leading WIN / WIN podcast and highlight how you have carved out your career in a historically male-dominated innovation space.

PLATFORM: Tell your story to the world; highlight the success of your team, or yourself with our custom assets.

VISIBILITY: have your product or individual experience be acknowledged and recognized by a cadre of notable experts spanning corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and creatives.

COMMUNITY: Become part of a strong network of connected and diverse women and champions that you can lean on for support to amplify your impact and access across the industry.

Our Shortlisted applicants will also be able to join us for our virtual Awards Gala, where the winners of each award will be revealed on October 25, 2024.

Our selection of notable experts spanning corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and creatives will meticulously review each application and consider a variety of factors, including: funding, revenue, inventiveness, and results.

Finalist shortlists are shared with category specific subject matter experts, who select the winners in their assigned categories. Regardless of final status, all finalists will receive an event invitation and details to join the WIN community at our prestigious Awards event and celebrate with us.

Our Shortlist will be announced in September 2024. Sign up for our newsletter here to receive all of the details!

Absolutely! Once you start an application, you will have the opportunity to save your responses on the form and return to complete later using a unique link. Once you’ve paid you will not be able to edit your application.

Interested in organizing your thoughts prior to starting an application? That works too! On our Awards Eligibility page, we have listed out an overview of applicant requirements and a thorough overview of what to expect from the application for each category.

Yes! You will receive an email shortly after submission to confirm your payment and application has been received.

No. Any sensitive information included in your application will not be shared beyond the judges. Finalists will have the chance to approve facts that are shared ahead of any public announcements.

For application-related questions, please reach out to awards@womenininnovation.co. Please note, we are a fully volunteer-run organization, so we urge you to use this inbox for critical questions only. We will do our best to get back to you within 48 hours.

You can visit our 2023 Gala Recap page to see photos alongside all winners and speakers.