The 2026 Women in Business Awards have recognised entrepreneurs driving innovation and business growth while highlighting the resources women-led enterprises need to expand.
The awards were held during the 9th World Investment Forum in Doha, Qatar, where women entrepreneurs building fast-growing businesses received international recognition.
Organised under the theme “Women-led businesses and the art of scale”, the Empretec Women in Business Awards 2026 honoured entrepreneurs across four categories: Leadership, Sustainability, Innovation and Technology.
Nigerian entrepreneur Biobele Oyibo, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Earlybean, received the Technology Award for leveraging technology to promote financial literacy and inclusion among young people, according to a statement by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The awards attracted 52 entrepreneurs nominated by Empretec centres, which had provided them with training and business development services.
The ceremony also brought together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and business leaders to celebrate achievements and connect participants with the finance, markets, expertise and networks needed to expand their businesses.
The Leadership Award went to Sandra Letio, a Ugandan entrepreneur and Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Pelere Group Limited. She was recognised for building a successful agribusiness that works with more than 5,000 smallholder farmers and creates opportunities across the shea and oilseed value chain.
Paula Gianserra, an Argentinian entrepreneur and Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Reforest Latam, received the Sustainability Award for advancing forest restoration through artificial intelligence, biotechnology and drone seeding.
The Innovation Award was presented to Aisha Albinali of Qatar, Co-Founder of Wafir, for transforming traditional savings practices into an innovative financial technology solution.
Meanwhile, Adriana Fernandes, a Brazilian entrepreneur and Chief Executive Officer of Mátrika Special Foods, was recognised for developing an innovative food business that improves access to safe, high-quality food for people with food allergies and dietary restrictions.
Resources needed to scale women-led businesses
In a statement, UNCTAD highlighted the challenges women entrepreneurs face when expanding their businesses, stating: “Women entrepreneurs are creating jobs, introducing new technologies and developing solutions to economic, social and environmental challenges. Yet starting a business is often only the first hurdle while expanding it can be even more difficult”.
The organisation noted that business growth requires access to finance, investment, new markets, skilled workers, mentors and business networks. These resources can help entrepreneurs move beyond local success and access opportunities in regional and global markets.
According to the statement, the awards recognise women entrepreneurs who have demonstrated their ability to establish and grow successful businesses. They also create opportunities for women founders to connect with investors, venture capital firms, mentors and organisations supporting entrepreneurship.
The awards were part of the broader World Investment Forum agenda aimed at promoting women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
During the forum, UNCTAD and the Qatari Businesswomen Association signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen collaboration in supporting women entrepreneurs and advancing women’s economic empowerment.
The forum also hosted a session titled “Women who invest: Mobilizing female capital for the future”, which brought together ministers, investors, family offices, business leaders and other stakeholders to examine how increased participation by women in investment could create opportunities for entrepreneurship, innovation and growth.
Together, these initiatives underscored a broader shift towards recognising women not only as beneficiaries of entrepreneurial support but also as founders, innovators, investors and key contributors to the future economy.