With a thirst for knowledge and the audacity to dream big, brilliant young trailblazers – be they scientists, inventors or social entrepreneurs – are leading the charge in addressing global issues and innovating solutions for the greater good.

It is the pioneering spirit of this dynamic generation that drives the creation of groundbreaking solutions that address the world’s most pressing challenges, from clean energy and climate action to healthcare and education accessibility.

To support young entrepreneurial leaders in growing their businesses and to help amplify their voices, Red Club x Cartier, a global membership community of multicultural entrepreneurs, recently launched the 2024 edition of the Young Leader Award (YLA).

This annual international award, which recognises socially impactful initiatives, is open to emerging entrepreneurs aged 20 to 40 years old who are running impact-driven businesses or non-for-profit organisations as a founder or owner in which they are holding an executive position.

The 2024 edition is hosted by the club’s SEAO (South-East Asia and Oceania) chapter, and is themed “Tech for a Sustainable Future”, which will shed light on endeavours providing technology-driven solutions to shape the future of people and planet in a sustainable way.

To celebrate the launch of the 2024 edition, a dedicated event was held in Singapore last month, graced by Cartier South-East Asia & Oceania CEO Yanina Novitskaya and several esteemed members of Red Club x Cartier.

For the 2024 edition, Novistkaya is hoping there will be applicants from a variety of disciplines – whether it is medicine, the creative industry, the educational sphere, agriculture and beyond.

During the three-day event, a diverse community of changemakers ranging from entrepreneurs, academics, and media, came together to support the launch, doing their part to empower the next generation to create change, for good.

Socially conscious and driven

Novitskaya, who leads 10 diverse markets in one of the Maison’s fastest-growing regions, actively participated in the first edition of the YLA in Dubai, and was hugely impressed by the calibre of applicants in every edition.

“First of all, this young generation are very socially conscious leaders, they really care about what they do, how they want to realise their ideas and dreams, they are less selfish and you can really see their passion, determination and sincerity,” shared Novitskaya in an exclusive interview with Life Inspired.

“They really care, it’s not like they just do it for the project, not at all, and the solutions which they propose, it doesn’t matter which theme of the edition, it’s really something very progressive,” she added.

With this initiative, technology and innovation meet altruism and humanitarianism, as evidenced by last year’s winner – Dr Bea Bakhsi, founder of a clinical platform that uses artificial intelligence to identify patients at risk of cancer at the earliest and most curable stage of the disease.

The previous winner, Sahar Mansoor, runs a company that provides zero-waste solutions and holds workshops and classes to raise awareness around sustainability.

For the 2024 edition, Novistkaya is hoping there will be applicants from a variety of disciplines – whether it is medicine, the creative industry, the educational sphere, agriculture and beyond.

“This is what I like about our work, because each year, we get to work with different regions, invite people from different countries but also from different spheres,” she said.

“There are a lot of discussions on sustainability, and the first thought probably goes to climate change but if you go deeper into this subject, it’s much more than climate change, it’s also leadership, sustainability in fashion and sustainability of human relationships.”

Speaking on the theme of the 2024 edition, Novitskaya shared her thoughts on the use of technology and artificial intelligence, and the fear some may have of letting them play a bigger role in our lives.

“There are a variety of opinions on technology and how far we want to go with it, but I believe that technology is something that is very complementary to our creativity, and it’s deeply integrated into our lives and I don’t think we need to be afraid,” said Novitskaya, adding, ”The question is how we can balance and find the perfect formula to live in peace with all these revolutionary solutions.”

(from left) Carta Genomics founder Dr Chee Yang Chen; Red Club Singapore Chapter head, Mulan Group CEO and Red Club global president Giada Zhang; and July co-founder and Red Club Sydney Chapter head Richard Li at the launch.

Collective energy

Novitskaya notes that while there is an age range for YLA applicants for the purpose of streamlining entries, she doesn’t think of age as a number, but rather a mindset.

“The range is quite big from ages 20 to 40 which is almost a generation, but for me I’m talking about a generation of progressive-thinking people who really care and don’t just want to earn money, which is good, as you can invest, add value to other layers of society, to your university, city, country and so on,” she said.

“These kinds of people, they have a strong energy and they really believe in cumulative energy. We can be very powerful individually but as soon as you organise something with a community of like-minded people, the impact which we can give, the exposure, the ripple effect – we always start with one thing, but at the end you are doing much more than just the first idea,” she added.

The winner will take home a grant of €50,000 (RM251,996) while the remaining three runners-up will each receive €10,000 (RM50,399).

They will also benefit from a tailored mentorship programme provided by the award’s academic partners of this year’s edition – the National University of Singapore Business School (NUS Business School) and the University of Sydney Business School.

Apart from this, international exposure, media visibility as well as ad-hoc coaching and mentoring sessions from the Red Club x Cartier networks are among the benefits offered by the initiative.

While the grant will benefit the YLA winners in many ways, Novitskaya believes the most invaluable reward the applicants will receive are the opportunities that only such a platform as Red Club x Cartier can offer.

Having your business, organisation or project presented on a platform such as the YLA is an opportunity to make oneself seen and heard, promising to open doors to potential benefits – such as investors – even if one doesn’t get named as a winner.

“The grant, which of course you can use to buy equipment, recruit more people or implement new technology is a good resource, but the most important thing is the platform of the same level of people,” she said.

“Look at the Red Club, they are amazing young people with huge businesses, already supporting each other, and have embraced the idea of sharing the same type of opportunity with a wider audience.”

The top four applicants will be revealed in June 2024, and the final winner will be announced at an awards ceremony, to be held in Singapore in October 2024.

Applications for the 2024 Young Leader Award are now open until Jan 31, 2024. Eligibility criteria and the online application form are available at https://apply.redclubcartier.com/submit.