THEeighth edition of the Women Value Company Award di Intesa Sanpaolo has started in Florence, an initiative in collaboration with the Marisa Bellisario Foundation which celebrates and supports thefemale entrepreneurship. The event, which saw the involvement of over 1400 business realities from all over Italy, has started a series of regional meetings that will culminate in a special recognition for those companies that make gender equality and corporate welfare his own workhorse.
The Women Value Company 2024 focuses more than ever on supporting new female entrepreneurship, with the aim of promoting not only gender equality, but also the valorisation of diversity. Sustainability, digitalization, technological innovation, continuous training and human capital have been identified as the pillars on which the future of businesses is based, especially female-run businesses. And precisely in light of the opportunities offered by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which allocates specific funds for social inclusion and support for female entrepreneurship, Intesa Sanpaolo has made available instruments of support, including one billion euros in funding for female entrepreneurship, through initiatives such as the program “Your future is our business”.
The awards
This year's edition awarded the two winners of the Golden Apple Women Value Company Intesa Sanpaolo, awarded last June during the ceremony of the 36th edition of the Marisa Bellisario Award. The Golden Apple for medium-sized enterprises went to Blue Morelli, CEO of Pellemoda, a company from Empoli, while the Golden Apple for small businesses was awarded to Stella Stefanelli, managers of Lab. Instruments of Castellana Grotte. But the Women Value Company is not only a recognition for the winners of the Golden Apple. In Florence, they were 30 companies from Central Italy awarded, among the 100 winners of 2024, and were also awarded two Special Mentions: Women for Made in Italy at Elizabeth Pieragostini, CEO of Dami di Sant'Elpidio a Mare, and Women for Innovation at Monica Caporaso, co-founder and administrator of Anthropic in Florence.
Comments
“Our Bank's commitment to inclusive entrepreneurship and attentive to female talent translates into concrete actions such as attention to the needs of our employees, financing with one billion euros to companies that combine economic performance with policies of inclusion and welfare, and recognition of merit to the most virtuous SMEs,” declared Anna Roscio, Executive Director Sales & Marketing Imprese di Intesa Sanpaolo -. The Women Value Company award sums up these objectives, annually giving due recognition to companies that put the well-being of women and the value of their work at the center of their strategies”.
“The extraordinary participation that has characterised all the editions of the Women Value Company award tells of a production system that recognises the fundamental value of the female contribution to economic growth – commented Lella Golfo, president of the Marisa Bellisario Foundation -. Giving space and visibility to these SMEs, recognizing their merits and commitments, has always been a priority for us, and it is even more so today. My thanks go to the companies that are the protagonists of this edition and to Intesa Sanpaolo for continuing to believe and invest in a future based on equality and sustainability.”
And now, with the first event concluded, we are already looking to the Next appointment: Milan, on November 21st, with the participation of 40 companies from Northern Italy, and Napoli on December 3rd, at the Gallerie d'Italia, with the presence of 30 companies from Southern Italy.
