World region: Latin America and the Caribbean

Lina Maria Useche Kempf
Co-Founder and Head of Institutional Relations, Aliança Empreendedora
Brazil

Lina Maria Useche Kempf is the Co-Founder and Head of Institutional Relations at Aliança Empreendedora, an organization that empowers, trains, and connects low-income micro-entrepreneurs so they can thrive. Aliança Empreendedora’s mission is to boost small businesses and improve living conditions for micro-entrepreneurs, demonstrating entrepreneurship as a pathway to a dignified and prosperous life. In Brazil, micro-entrepreneurs generate over 50% of jobs and contribute nearly 30% of the GDP, making their support essential for social and economic inclusion. Since its inception, Aliança Empreendedora has supported over 200,000 micro-entrepreneurs, predominately women and people of color, through its free training courses, financial aid and mentorship opportunities. They also lead a national think tank initiative to conduct research and influence policies to support and strengthen Brazil’s micro-entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Lina’s business supports the following SDGs:
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

World region: Middle East and North Africa

Dr. Ayesha Zulfiqar
Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Bioniks
Pakistan

Dr. Ayesha Zulfiqar is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Bioniks, a social enterprise using AI to revolutionize healthcare through providing customizable and affordable bionic limbs. Bioniks aims to enhance mobility, independence, and quality of life for individuals with limb differences and disabilities by combining medical intervention with societal inclusion. Unlike traditional prosthetic providers, Bioniks goes beyond simply providing functional prostheses by offering a comprehensive rehabilitation process that includes counseling for patients and families. Their initiatives, such as mentorship programs, empower women with limb differences to succeed in the workforce. Bioniks also engages with communities to educate on preventive measures, emphasizing prenatal care and safety protocols to mitigate the risk of limb loss.

Ayesha’s business supports the following SDGs:
SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
SDG 13: Climate Action

World region: Asia and the Pacific

Lachmi Baniya
Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Icarus Media Group
Myanmar

Lachmi Baniya is the Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Icarus Media Group, an innovative media and marketing company dedicated to bridging information gaps and driving positive social change in Myanmar and beyond. Icarus operates under three main pillars: Icarus Media, Icarus Marketing, and Icarus Collective. Icarus Media reaches 11 million monthly readers (20% of Myanmar’s population) with five digital media products, addressing social challenges such as women’s empowerment, men’s wellbeing, and conscious parenting. Icarus Marketing offers tailored strategies that emphasize storytelling, deep connections, and trust, driving sustainable business impact and growth. Icarus Collective guides creators toward ethical content creation, aiming to reduce misinformation and disinformation online by ensuring reliable information sources. Icarus Media Group is dedicated to encouraging informed and inclusive dialogue in Myanmar’s developing social environment.

Lachmi’s business supports the following SDGs:
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

World region: Europe, North America and Other

Dr. Edda Aradottir
Co-Founder and CEO, Carbfix
Iceland

Dr. Edda Aradóttir is the Co-Founder and CEO of Carbfix, an Icelandic company focused on significantly contributing to climate recovery through its proprietary technology that permanently turns captured CO2 it into stone underground. Carbfix’s technology is scientifically proven to speed up natural processes that already store over 99% of all carbon that exists on Earth. As a recognized global leader in this space, Carbfix was featured on the cover of the 2023 November edition of National Geographic. Carbfix is dedicated to scaling their technology globally with responsible partners to reduce emissions and advance permanent carbon removal, contributing to climate targets and planetary health.

Edda’s business supports the following SDGs:
SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

World region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Teresa Njoroge
Founder and CEO, Clean Start Africa
Kenya

Teresa Njoroge is the Founder and CEO of Clean Start Africa, an organization that works with women, girls and children impacted by the criminal justice system to restore their dignity and support successful reintegration. Clean Start Africa offers employment training, psychosocial support, entrepreneurship and vocational training, enabling women to find sustainable livelihoods post release. To date, they have supported over 4000 women and their families in Kenya with successful reintegration.Clean Start Africa was created after Teresa’s own personal experience of wrongful imprisonment with her infant daughter. She uses her story and the stories of the women she supports to advocate for government policy change in sentencing and prison reform.

Teresa’s business supports the following SDGs:
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 1: No Poverty
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions