https://www.rolex.org/rolex-awards/about
Created in 1976 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.
The support given by Rolex to 150 Award winners since 1976 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.
Recent Rolex Awards for Enterprise Laureates
João Campos-Silva, Grégoire Courtine, Brian Gitta,
Krithi Karanth and Miranda Wang prove that, with the right amount
of passion and commitment, anyone can change everything.
The largest scaled freshwater fish in the world – the giant arapaima – is bound for extinction. But in a close partnership with local associations and fishing leaders, fisheries ecologist João Campos-Silva has a plan to save not only the arapaima but with it, the livelihoods, food supply and culture of the indigenous communities who depend on the Amazon’s rivers for survival. For medical scientist Grégoire Courtine, a broken back need no longer be a barrier to walking again. A powerful new weapon in the war on malaria – a disease that attacks 220 million people every year – is the dream of Ugandan IT specialist Brian Gitta. As human numbers surge, conflicts between people and the planet’s dwindling wildlife are multiplying – but Indian conservationist Krithi Karanth is convinced this problem can be solved. If 25 year-old Canadian entrepreneur Miranda Wang fulfils her goal, a third of the world’s plastic waste – which now chokes landfills, rivers and oceans – could be converted into new wealth.
João Campos-Silva
Grégoire Courtine
Brian Gitta
Krithi Karanth
Miranda Wang
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