2020 Cartier Women’s Initiative : Funkola Odeleye and Temie Giwa-Tubosun shortlisted as Finalists

A shortlist of three African entrepreneurs who stand a chance of winning the sum of US$ 100,000 in grant at the 2020 edition of Cartier Women’s Initiative has been released. DIY’s co-founder Funkola Odeleye and Lifebank’s founder Temie Giwa-Tubosun made the list.

Funkola Odeleye and Temie Giwa-Tubosun, owing to the social impact of their businesses within Nigeria, were amongst the selected 21 finalists from a pull of 1200 applications from 162 countries across 7 regions. A winner will be selected from each region who will take home the sum of US $100,000 in prize money, second and third runner-ups will receive the sum of US $30,000.

Funkola Odeleye who is the Co-founder and CEO at DIYlaw, a legal technology company committed to empowering Nigerian entrepreneurs through the provision of accessible and affordable legal services and free legal and business resources. She is also the Corporate-Commercial and Intellectual Property lead at The Longe Practice LP (TLP), an entrepreneur focused law practice.

She is an Obama Leader, having been chosen as a 2019 Obama Africa Leader and also an Innovating Justice Fellow of “The Hague Institute for the Innovation of Law” (HiiL).

DIYlaw’s goal is to reduce unemployment in Nigeria by 50 percent by 2030, At the end of 2019,DIYLaw’s services and partnerships had created more than 120,000 jobs in Nigeria.

Temie Giwa-Tubosun, also shortlisted as one of the finalists is the founder of LifeBank, a medical distribution company with the mission aimed at helping hospitals find critical supplies and deliver them in the right condition and on time within three cities in Nigeria.

Since it’s founding in 2016, LifeBank has consistently ensured the timely delivery of vital medical supplies and blood to hospitals in its service area within 55 minutes’ day or night, thereby relieving doctors of the logistical stress associated with locating blood and giving them ample time to focus on treating patients.The company has transported more than 20,000 units of blood and other medical products, served 450 hospitals, engaged 5,823 donors, and saved over 6,757 lives.

LifeBank’s ambitious mission is to save a million lives across Africa in 10 years and to reach all of Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and South America to deliver critical supplies around the clock, eventually becoming a profitable public company.

The Cartier Women’s Initiative which was founded in 2006, has helped women over the years to reach their full potential by shining a light on their achievements, whilst providing them with the necessary financial, social and human capital support in growing their businesses and leadership skills. This initiative is open to women-run and women-owned businesses across the globe and sector with the aim of ensuring a strong and sustainable social and environmental impact as defined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Seven (7) laureates out of 14 finalists from the 2020 edition of the Cartier women’s initiative will be announced in early June 2020. The Seven (7) laureates and 14 finalists will all benefit from financial advisory services, strategy coaching, media visibility, and international networking opportunities, as well as a place on an INSEAD executive education programme.