Young entrepreneurs from Argentina and Uganda win UN global pitch contest at ChangeNOW: Youth Ecopreneur Awards

(Geneva/Paris) - Camilla Saa of Satellites on Fire, Argentina and Hellen Munyasa of Helton Traders Limited, Uganda win the top prizes in a UN young entrepreneurs pitch contest held at the ChangeNOW conference in Paris, after pitching before a panel of international judges.

The announcement of the winners of the Youth Ecopreneur Awards - which recognizes outstanding youth-led start-ups dedicated to sustainability from across the globe - came on 31 March at the event organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the G20 Global Land Initiative of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Camilla Saa of Satellites on Fire, an AI-powered wildfire early warning system combining satellite imagery, cameras, and weather data to detect fires faster and protect ecosystems and communities won for best land restoration initiative and wins a $10,000 cash prize.

Hellen Munyasa of Helton Traders Limited, a women-led social enterprise transforming post-consumer plastic bottles into affordable polyester sewing threads while creating green jobs took the top prize in the green business solutions category and wins a $10,000 cash prize.

An honourable mention as Public Choice Winner was given to Joshua Forte of Red Diamond Compost Inc. a biotech-agritech company transforming organic waste and sargassum seaweed into regenerative agricultural inputs that strengthen soil health and reduce fertiliser dependence. 

The winners were selected from eight finalists who advanced through the Youth Ecopreneur Programme, an intensive journey including a 10-week bootcamp and a 14-week accelerator designed to support and scale sustainable businesses. The finalists were selected from more than 1,500 applicants across over 120 countries. Each winner, in addition to receiving $10,000 in cash, will receive services and further support to scale up their businesses from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Sidley Austin, Google Startups for Sustainable Development Programme and EY.

The finalists who pitched on stage were Marie Wilvenna Añora, AtoANI (Philippines), supporting farmers with sustainable practices; W. Leif van Grinsven, Small Farm Cities Africa (Malawi), producing soil blocks to reduce deforestation; Margaret Wanjiku, Pollen Smart Hive Limited (Kenya), using smart hives and AI for pollination; Joshua Forte, Red Diamond Compost Inc. (Barbados), transforming sargassum into biostimulants; Camila Saa, Satellites on Fire (Argentina), using AI and satellite data to detect wildfires; Patience Onyoche Obande, Schrödinger Technologie (Nigeria), improving access to safe drinking water; Hellen Munyasa, Helton Traders Limited (Uganda), recycling plastic into textile materials; and Mohamed M. Khaled, NoorNation (Egypt), delivering decentralized clean energy and water solutions.

To learn more about the winners and their initiatives, visit the Youth Ecopreneur Programme webpage.

Notes for the editor

About the International Trade Centre - The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

For more information, visit https://www.intracen.org.

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The Youth Ecopreneur Programme is a joint initiative of the International Trade Centre and G20 Global Land Initiative-UNCCD, implemented in partnership with World Intellectual Property Organization, Sidley Austin LLP, Google Startup for Sustainable Development and EY.

About the Ye! Community - The ITC Ye! Community powered by the Youth and Trade Programme is aimed at helping youth entrepreneurs to build scalable and sustainable businesses. The Ye! Community provides access to a global network of youth, mentors and ecosystem enablers, as well as free access to start-up trainings, resources, events and business opportunities.

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