In a world where talent is universal but opportunity is not, The Bicester Collection’s Unlock Her Future Prize stands as a rare, decisive intervention. Designed to fuel women-led social ventures, the Prize recognises a truth too often overlooked: women are already driving change, what they need is access, investment, and visibility. Now in its 2025 South Asia Edition, this philanthropic initiative celebrates six extraordinary innovators from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan, each confronting some of the region’s most urgent challenges through purpose-built entrepreneurship.
For many, this may be the first time hearing about the Prize, but its impact is far from modest. Launched in 2022 and supported by UN Women and Ashoka, it combines philanthropic capital with private-sector infrastructure to help women-led ventures take root and scale from the ground up. Winners receive a grant of $50,000 alongside mentorship, leadership training, media exposure and academic support from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School – an investment not only in ideas, but in long-term agency and leadership.
Amritha Krishnamoorthy (left) from Stepping Stones Centre and Jhillika Trisal from Cognitii are helping children with special needs to access education in India. Through Idea to Impact, Sophiya Tamang is transforming excess fruit produce in Nepal into nutritious purées.
This year’s South Asia Edition received 2,400 applications and was judged by leaders including Desirée Bollier and Dr Rubana Huq. The winners are six women whose work aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Their ventures span education, clean water, health, agriculture and economic inclusion, proving that social change is neither theoretical nor distant, it is being engineered today.
From India, Amritha Krishnamoorthy (Stepping Stones Centre) and Jhillika Trisal (Cognitii) are reshaping access to education for children with autism and special educational needs, ensuring no child is left behind. Sophiya Tamang of Nepal transforms surplus produce into nutritional fruit purées, cutting waste while empowering women farmers – a smart solution to hunger and sustainability.
Addressing Pakistan’s growing water scarcity, Nida Yousaf Sheikh (H2O Technologies) turns humidity into safe drinking water, an innovation with life-changing potential for underserved communities. From Bangladesh, Nishat Anjum Palka (Mommykidz) creates a stigma-free platform for women and parents to access essential health information and products. And in Bhutan, Yangchen Dolkar Dorji (LEAD+) champions grassroots, women-led enterprises through mentorship, funding and market access, tackling inequality at its base.
Through H2O Technologies, Nida Yousaf Sheikh (left), is using cutting-edge tech to generate drinking water from humidity in Pakistan. Nishat Anjum Palka (middle) founded MommyKidz to support parents in Bangladesh through puberty, pregnancy and parenthood by providing a community, health services and resources. In Bhutan, Yangchen Dolkar Dorji, from LEAD+, is championing female empowerment and equality.
Though the work of each winner is distinct, the through-line is clear: dignity, autonomy, and impact at a community level. Their ventures do not merely “solve problems”—they rebuild systems.
Speaking to the power of this cohort, Chantal Khoueiry, Chief Culture Officer of The Bicester Collection, reflects: “From 2,400 applicants to 11 exceptional finalists — and now our winners — each reminds us that behind every number is a story of courage, creativity and the determination to build a better world… This edition reinforces a purpose that defines us: progress is meaningful only when it unlocks opportunity for others. This is the spirit of Unlock Her Future.”
There could scarcely be a more fitting moment. As The Bicester Collection marks its 30th anniversary, Unlock Her Future shows that philanthropy is not charity, it is partnership. This prize recognises that women are not beneficiaries of development but architects of it.
For those encountering this initiative for the first time, the message is simple: the future is not unlocked by chance, but by choice. And choosing to back women—boldly, visibly, and at scale—may be one of the most consequential choices philanthropy can make.
Author: Julia Pasarón
Lead image: The 2025 South Asia finalists at the Unlock Her Future Prize event.
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