To celebrate innovation in women’s leadership, sustainability, and animal welfare on a global scale, The Vegan Women Summit (VWS) has announced the “VWS Awards.” This marks the first-ever recognition event of its kind, designed to acknowledge individuals and organizations elevating female leadership while positively impacting the planet and animals.
The Vegan Women Summit is a global events and media organization that empowers women in vegan business by providing networking, pitching, and investment opportunities. The VWS Awards is the newest of the organization’s many initiatives aimed at providing a platform for women leaders that may otherwise go unnoticed.
“We created the VWS Awards to spotlight those […] who are not just leaders in their fields but also are pioneering best practices”
Last week, VWS announced the winner of its Pathfinder Pitch Competition, where a variety of female entrepreneurs submitted pitches to secure a spot as a speaker at the 2024 Vegan Women Summit. Additionally, VWS also launched a top chef challenge in April to find America’s best female plant-based chef.
Founder and CEO of Vegan Women Summit, Jennifer Stojkovic, expressed the purpose of these awards, stating, “We created the VWS Awards to spotlight those individuals and organizations who are not just leaders in their fields but also are pioneering best practices and advocating for the pressing issues facing our world today.”
Inclusivity and collaboration
Submissions are not limited to women but are open to all genders and backgrounds. The awards are built on diversity, inclusivity and collaboration, hoping to bring together leaders from different industries and sectors to accelerate a shared vision.
The VWS Awards feature nine categories:
- Best Place to Work: Recognizing global companies or nonprofits making a meaningful impact on women, the planet, and animals.
- Founder of the Year: Honoring founders of global organizations positively impacting women, the planet, and animals.
- Nonprofit of the Year: Acknowledging global nonprofits making meaningful contributions to women, the planet, and animals.
- Company of the Year: Recognizing global companies significantly impacting women, the planet, and animals.
- Woman of the Year: Honoring a woman-identified leader making meaningful contributions to women, the planet, and animals.
- Ally of the Year: Recognizing male or nonbinary leaders making a meaningful impact on women, the planet, and animals.
- Creator of the Year: Honoring creators significantly impacting women, the planet, and animals.
- Innovation of the Year: Recognizing new innovations making a meaningful impact on women, the planet, and animals.
- Investor of the Year: Acknowledging investors significantly impacting women, the planet, and animals.
Submissions are currently open at www.veganwomensummit.com/awards and will be accepted until December 31, 2023. The live awards ceremony is scheduled for May 10, 2024, at the Vegan Women Summit in Hollywood.
