LONDON, May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Swarovski Foundation announced the names of the nine winning participants chosen to participate in the Swarovski Foundation: Creatives for Our Future program.

After a successful call for applications which resulted in over 400 applications from 72 countries, the selection committee comprised of members from the Swarovski Foundation, United Nations Office for Partnerships, and program advocates finalized the creative cohort. They are:

• Sejal Budholiya, Mechanical Engineering Student, Performance Artist and Entrepreneur (India)
• Agnieszka Doczynska, Graphic Designer (Poland)
• Yara Mohamed Evida, Architect (Egypt)
• Daniele Ficarra, Product Designer (Italy)
• Ghislain Irakoze, Engineer (Rwanda)
• Shuzo Matsuhashi, Fashion Designer (Japan)
• Osasumwen Obasogie, Mechanical Engineer & entrepreneur (Nigeria)
• Benjamin Spencer, Footwear and Accessories Designer (USA)
• Camila Wandemberg, Textile Designer (Ecuador)

The nine grantees were chosen for their groundbreaking ideas and innovative approaches to design, which offer new methods for addressing sustainability challenges, and for their commitment to driving progress towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the blueprint for a better world set out by the United Nations in 2015

Their areas of expertise span across sustainable fashion, product design, biotechnologies, architecture, engineering and visual arts.   Each grantee will receive a $15,000 grant, paired with educational opportunities, industry networking access and tailored mentorship, provided by the program advocates.

This network includes renowned personalities from the creative industries, academia, culture and philanthropy. 

The full list of Program advocates can be found here

Nadja Swarovski comments:
"I am delighted that the Creatives for Our Future program received so much interest from young talents worldwide. This is evidence of the strong commitment from younger generations to use their creativity to raise awareness and find solutions in sustainable development. Swarovski Foundation's mission is to foster creativity for the benefit of society and the environment, and creatives are the problem solvers and critical thinkers that will lead solutions to sustainability challenges  like climate change and human rights issues in this pivotal era. 

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NOTES TO EDITORS AND PRESS IMAGES:
Additional information on the creative cohort and mentors: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dxub17oqhp8oo88/AAAaHlZNUA1fL6HbkoQsCACia?dl=0 

Additional information on the Swarovski Foundation and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/k22xgd147ybj3nc/AADP0zqpBau-0ClW9Ytt5lG3a?dl=0 

Additional information on the Swarovski Foundation Creatives for our Future
www.sfcreatives.org