Academy for Woman Entrepreneurs – prizes awarded for best business plans

Business plans based on artificial intelligence for scientific writing, a digital marketplace for creative people, and the reuse of shell waste as a nutrient in flower beds ranked in the top three positions in the Academy for Woman Entrepreneurs (AWE) organised by the University of Iceland in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Iceland, and The Association of Businesswomen in Iceland (FKA) which concluded officially today
 
AWE is an innovation accelerator organised by the University of Iceland in partnership with the American Embassy; the US government offers this programme worldwide. The goal is to support women in developing their companies and business ideas and increasing female representation within the entrepreneurial and innovation sector. This was the fourth time that AWE has been held in Iceland, and 110 women have now taken part in the programme.

Over thirty women were selected to participate in the programme, which began in late February and lasted almost 12 weeks. All participants completed Dreambuilder, an online training programme organised by Arizona State University, as well as workshops organised by the University of Iceland. Fida Abu Libdeh, CEO and co-founder of GeoSilica, and Sandra Mjöll Jónsdóttir Buch, a serial entrepreneur and an innovation-focused leadership coach, have also mentored the women. 
 
The graduation and award ceremony took place in the University of Iceland Ceremonial Hall, attended by the President of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir, the United States acting ambassador to Iceland, Erin Sawyer, the Rector of the University of Iceland, Jón Atli Benediktsson. 

Prizes were awarded in individual and team categories, best video pitch, and most progress

Twenty-nine participants graduated from the programme, several receiving prizes and acknowledgements for their work. The first prize for the best business plan, ISK 700,000, went to the SageWrite project. The woman behind the project is Elena Callegari. SageWrite leverages AI to help academics and technical writers write better documents, faster, leaving academics with more time for research. Second prize, ISK 500,000, went to Dunda; created by Bryndís Hrönn Kristinsdóttir and Unnur Agnes Níelsdóttir. Dunda is a digital marketplace for creative people and a platform for buyers to find unique Icelandic crafts directly from artisans. The winner of third prize, ISK 300,000, was María K. Magnúsdóttir. Her idea is to reuse shell waste from the Icelandic fishing industry and turn this underutilised resource into a nutritious and practical additive for horticulture and potted plant cultivation.

A special prize was awarded for "best pitch," meaning a very brief presentation of a project after submitting a business plan. This prize, ISK 300,000, went to Olena Klimova for her project Touch Tours, which aims to enable visually impaired individuals to experience landmarks through 3-D models that people can touch. Finally, Victoria Rita Jaroslavsdóttir was awarded the prize for most progress, ISK 200,000, for her project Adams Ribs, a restaurant where ribs are cooked over an open grill in the middle of the restaurant.

 

Members of the evaluation committee were: Marta Björg Hermannsdóttir, risk management and ESG specialist at Eyrir Venture Management; Eydís Mary Jónsdóttir, entrepreneur and CEO of Zeto and EMZ, and Þórey Einarsdóttir, CEO of UI Science Park.

About AWE

The University of Iceland organises the AWE pro gramme in collaboration with the American Embassy in Iceland. The United States government runs the initiative in over 80 countries worldwide. The goal is to support women in developing their companies and business ideas and increase female representation within the entrepreneurial and innovation sector. Iceland is the first Nordic country to participate. The Association of Businesswomen in Iceland (FKA) and the Women of Multicultural Ethnicity Network (W.O.M.E.N.) are also involved in organising the AWE programme. 

 

The University of Iceland congratulates all the women who participated in the programme on their achievements and wishes them all the best as they continue to develop their exciting business ideas. Promoting innovation in the Icelandic economy and increasing the number of female entrepreneurs is more important than ever.