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Rolex Awards for Enterprise

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Since 1976, through the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, Rolex has supported exceptional individuals who have the courage and conviction to take on major challenges; men and women who have a spirit of enterprise, initiating extraordinary projects that make the world a better place. Created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Oyster, the first waterproof watch and an important milestone in watchmaking, the Rolex Awards foster the values that underpin Rolex: quality, ingenuity, determination and, above all, the enterprising spirit that has driven the company since its beginning. From the start, the Awards were designed to fill a void in corporate philanthropy by supporting exceptional individuals around the world, pioneers who had no or little access to traditional funding and were responding to major challenges with original and innovative projects that advance human knowledge and well-being.

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The support given by Rolex to Award winners has had a catalytic impact and has in many cases transformed lives and communities. It has also stimulated new ways of thinking about common problems in areas as diverse as creating technologies that improved lives, saving endangered ecosystems, protecting the oceans, exploring new frontiers on the planet, or pioneering advances in science and health.

Young Laureates Programme

In 2009 the Rolex Awards introduced the Young Laureates Programme. This programme's goal is to "foster innovation in the next generation". The programme selects 5 young enterprising individuals and provides them with funding and resources for their projects.

Young Laureates

2014

  • Neeti Kailas, India, Develop a unique system to carry out early and mass screenings of newborns in resource-poor settings to monitor hearing loss and prevent the consequent loss of speech.
  • Olivier Nsengimana, Rwanda, Save Rwanda's Grey Crowned Crane, which faces increasing threats to its habitat and a growing illegal trade, in order to conserve Rwanda's biodiversity.
  • Francesco Sauro, Italy, Lead a multidisciplinary team of scientists to explore ancient quartzite caves in table-top mountains between Venezuela and Brazil and uncover the secrets behind the landscape's evolution.
  • Arthur Zang, Cameroon, Reduce the rate of cardiovascular-disease mortality in countries with a shortage of cardiologists by using a Cardio-pad medical tablet to perform cardiac examinations and permit remote readings.
  • Hosam Zowawi, Saudi Arabia, Develop faster laboratory tests for superbugs and raise awareness of antibiotic resistance in the Gulf States through an education campaign.

    • 2012

  • Sumit Dagar, India, Develop a Braille smartphone to improve life for India's blind people
  • Karina Atkinson, United Kingdom, Foster research and responsible tourism in a bio-diversity hotspot
  • Selene Biffi, Italy, Revive traditional storytelling to craft a new narrative for Afghanistan
  • Maritza Morales Casanova, Mexico, Build a park for environmental education in the Yucatán
  • Arun Krishnamurthy, India, Restore urban lakes in India
  • Erika Cuéllar, Bolivia, Train local people in the Chaco Region to protect the biodiversity of this environment.

    • 2010

  • Jacob Colker, United States, Enable smartphone users to become volunteers by donating spare minutes to charitable, scientific and community organizations.
  • Reese Fernandez, The Philippines, Help impoverished women earn a decent wage by upcycling waste, turning it into high-value "eco-ethical, elegant" products
  • Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, Nigeria, Improve the lives of farmers in Nigeria through the development of an interactive, rural radio service
  • Piyush Tewari, India, Train a network of police officers and volunteers to provide rapid medical care to road accident victims in Delhi
  • Bruktawit, Ethiopia, Tackle the high child mortality rate in Ethiopia through a television series designed to teach children about health

    • 2009

  • Reese Fernandez, founder of Rags2Riches, an upcycling fashion enterprise supporting women in the Philippines
  • Jacob Colker, an American harnessing human fascination with social media to generate volunteerism
  • Bruktawit Tigabu, saving children through accessible, engaging education in Ethiopia
  • Piyush Tewari, creator of SaveLIFE Foundation in India to improve emergency response to road accidents
  • Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, tackling poverty through supporting farmers in Nigeria with informational radio broadcasts

    • Laureates

    2016

  • Andrew Bastawrous (ophthalmologist), United Kingdom, is transforming eye care in sub-Saharan Africa using a smartphone-based, portable eye examination kit, Peek, to screen thousands of people.
  • Sonam Wangchuk (activist), India, is helping farmers in the arid Himalayan highlands of Ladakh to overcome water shortages by tapping meltwaters to build artificial glaciers.

    • 2008

  • Talal Akasheh, Jordan, Cultural Heritage, Help conserve ancient Petra from the ravages of time and tourism
  • Tim Bauer, The Philippines, Applied Technology, Reduce pollution from motorized tricycles in Asian cities
  • Andrew McGonigle, Italy, Applied Technology, Develop a way to predict volcanic eruptions using a remote-controlled helicopter
  • Andrew Muri, South Africa, Environment, Provide training and jobs to young people orphaned by AIDS
  • Elsa Zaldívar, Paraguay, Applied Technology, Combine loofah and plastic waste to make low-cost housing

    • 2006

  • Alexandra Lavriller, Siberia, Cultural Heritage, Establish a travelling school to revive a vanishing culture
  • Brad Norman, Australia, Environment, Create a system of identification to protect the whale shark
  • Pilai Poonswad, Thailand, Environment, Save threatened hornbills and their habitat in Thailand
  • Chanda Shroff, India, Cultural Heritage, Revive traditional hand embroidery to create a sustainable income for women
  • Rory Wilson, United Kingdom, Applied Technology, Use mobile technology to track how wild animals use energy

    • 2004

  • Lonnie Dupre, an explorer who crossed the Arctic in the summer of 2005
  • Claudia Feh, a scientist working with Mongolian nomads
  • Archeologist David Lordkipanidze
  • Teresa Manera, who works to preserve prehistoric animal footprints
  • Kikuo Morimoto, whose work is to revive Cambodian silk producing, particularly as a means of providing employment for Cambodian villagers

    • 2002

  • Michel André, France, Applied Technology, Protecting whales from collisions with ships
  • José Márcio Ayres, Brazil, Environment, Protecting the Amazon forest
  • Dave Irvine-Halliday, Canada, Applied Technology, Supplying low-cost LED lighting systems to people in developing countries
  • Lindy Rodwell, South Africa, Environment, Protecting blue and wattled cranes
  • Gordon Sato, United States, Environment, Planting mangrove trees in Eritrea

    • 2000

  • Elizabeth Nicholls, Canada, Exploration, a paleontologist who excavated a 23-meter ichtyosaur fossil

    • 1998

  • Wijaya Godakumbura, Sri Lanka, Science & Health, development of Safe bottle lamp
  • Jean-François Pernette, France, Exploration, Ultima Patagonia caving expedition

    • 1990

  • Anita Studer, Switzerland, Environment, replanting Brazilian rainforest

    • Associate Laureates

    2008

  • Alexis Belonio, The Philippines, Applied Technology, Turn rice husks into cheap, clean energy for cooking
  • Arthur Gonzalez, Mexico, Exploration, Explore submerged caves to discover and study remains from the Ice Age
  • Rodrigo Medellin, Mexico, Environment, Save endangered bats through protection and education
  • Moji Riba, India, Cultural Heritage, Safeguard the heritage of the people of Arunachal Pradesh
  • Romulus Whitaker, Environment, Establish a network of rainforest research stations across India

    • 2006

  • Cristian Donoso, Patagonia, Exploration, Gather vital new knowledge about the little-known western Patagonia region
  • Zenon Gomel Apaza, Peru, Environment, Transform Andean communities through traditional agriculture
  • Shafqat Hussain, Pakistan, Develop a livestock insurance and ecotourism in Pakistan
  • Runa Khan Marre, Bangladesh, Cultural Heritage, Develop a "living museum" of traditional boats to preserve this national craft
  • Julien Meyer, France, Cultural Heritage, Revive whistled and drummed languages from remote areas

    • References

    Rolex Awards for Enterprise Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA