Internationally recognised Swiss watchmaker Rolex has long championed exploration, discovery and the ethos of a Perpetual Planet. Although the Perpetual Planet Initiative was officially launched in 2019, the company’s efforts in supporting the upward momentum of an ever-evolving and improving Earth dates back 45 years in celebration of the Oyster, the world’s first waterproof wristwatch.

Since then, the philanthropic company has supported 155 laureates, all visionaries dedicated to achieving incredible feats of discovery, making significant contributions to improving life for humanity and protecting the planet. 

As it continues to drive sustainability, ingenuity and the spirit of enterprise into the future, Rolex has presented five inspiring pioneers from across the globe with the 2021 Rolex Awards for Enterprise — a grant that will allow this year’s laureates to continue their push for remarkable discoveries in the fields of sciences and social entrepreneurship.

Unlike other grant programmes, the Rolex Awards for Enterprise is designed to include a diversity of change-makers — irrespective of gender, social background or nationality – and to peruse new and on-going projects rather than solely recognise past achievements. “Rather than venturing into the unknown and discovering uncharted lands, the new breed of explorers is committed to protecting the planet”, said Arnaud Boetsch, Rolex Director of Communication & Image.

Dubbed by Boetsch as “the guardians of the future”, this year’s batch of awardees comprise of a marine scientist, conservationist, polar explorer, social entrepreneur and a geographer and climate advocate, each committed to creating a sustainable future for the world.

The winners of Rolex’s 2021 Awards for Enterprise are: 

Felix Brooks-Church
US Social Entrepreneur
Equipping rural flour mills with ‘dosifier’ machines to fortify staple food supply in Tanzania with essential micro-nutrients to will help solve starvation in Tanzania.

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim
Chadian Environmentalist
Mapping the rural land and natural resources of Sahel to provide crucial data that will help the community to locate resources, mitigate climate conflict, and create a sustainable future for its people.

Rinzin Phunjok Lama
Nepalese Conservationist and Biologist
Educating the remote community of the trans-Himalayan region in Nepal to lead its own initiative of environmental conservation through traditional values, compassion and education so the community can coexist with and help the area’s richly diverse ecosystem thrive.

Gina Moseley
British Polar Explorer
Leading the first expedition to the planet’s uncharted northernmost caves where its mineral deposits will provide scientists and researches valuable information on the past, current and future conditions of the earth’s climate. 

Luiz Rocha
Brazilian Marine Scientist
Exploring the unfamiliar underwater ecosystems in Maldives to collect new data and uncover new species among the mesophotic coral reefs that will help better understand the biodiversity of this section of the Indian Ocean and how best to protect and strengthen its marine conservation.

 

For more information, please visit rolex.com