Prestigious Bicester Collection Prize goes to six South Asian female innovators

Six women entrepreneurs have been selected as recipients of the *Unlock Her Future™️ Prize 2025*, an initiative aimed at supporting emerging women social innovators in South Asia this year. The winners will receive business funding to help them launch or expand their start-ups.

Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford has also joined forces with The Bicester Collection to offer executive education to the award recipients. The winners were announced at a glamorous awards ceremony in London on November 19, 2025.

The six winners are

1. Nishat Palka – Mommy Kidz (Bangladesh): A safe and affordable community platform that allows parents to access health information without stigma.
2. Amritha Krishnamoorthy – Stepping Stones (India): Providing education and therapy to children with autism and developmental disabilities.
3. Yangchen Dorji – LEAD+ (Bhutan): Supporting grassroots, women-led and marginalized businesses through financing, mentorship and market opportunities.
4. Sophiya Tamang – Idea to Impact (Nepal): Turning surpluses into nutritious meals for children.
5. Jhillika Trisal – Cognitii (India): Making quality education more accessible to children with special educational needs.
6. Nida Sheikh – H2O Technologies (Pakistan): Providing clean water solutions, including technology that converts humidity into safe drinking water.

Nida Yousaf, the founder of H2O Technologies, stood out among the 3,000 applicants and 11 finalists. H2O Technologies shared this information with Techjuice and stated that it is the only winner from Pakistan of the Unlock Her Future™️ Prize 2025 South Asia awarded by The Bicester Collection.

Several founders gave heartfelt speeches about their entrepreneurial journeys, while judges and past winners shared valuable advice, especially the reminder to stay connected to the original purpose that inspired them to start their business.

These six exceptional women were selected from more than 2,000 applicants in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

A tailor-made executive education experience

As the academic partner of the award, Oxford Saïd will offer the winners a tailor-made executive education program along with personalized leadership coaching to support their growth both professionally and personally.

Kathy Harvey, Associate Dean for Global Networks and Innovation, led a bootcamp for the business school’s shortlisted candidates and also delivered a keynote speech at a press conference in Bicester Village the day before the finals. She shared:

“What I really appreciate about this competition is its long-term global vision. It is not just focused on one year, but is built around sustainable support and business ideas that can create meaningful impact in many forms.

The women are all remarkable and fascinating. I’m always curious about what drives a founder to move forward. Most businesses fail, but every participant will learn invaluable lessons that they can pass on, and some of these ventures could grow into multi-million pound businesses. I am very optimistic.”

Keble College dinner and bootcamp reflections

Earlier in November, the eleven finalists visited Oxford Saïd for a boot camp and later attended a dinner at Keble College.

Simone Koo Ishikawa, Program Leader of the Unlock Her Future Prize and entrepreneurship expert at Oxford Saïd, held a debriefing session with the winners and received incredibly positive feedback from them about their time at the University. She shared:

“Many of the winners said their experience with Oxford Saïd was unforgettable, especially the wonderful dinner at Keble College, which showcased truly warm hospitality.

They left feeling inspired and grateful, although many wished they had more time to engage with the Skoll Impact Center team, meet the amazing social entrepreneurs within the Oxford Saïd community and explore the beautiful historic city of Oxford.
Leading in social entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurship is a core pillar at Oxford Saïd, driven primarily by the Skoll Centre, a globally recognized hub for social impact. The center brings together academics and practitioners to explore how impactful businesses can be led, financed, measured and scaled. These insights have been integrated into learning programs for entrepreneurial leaders in Oxford and around the world.
About the price

Launching in 2022, the Unlock Her Future Prize is part of The Bicester Collection’s philanthropic DO GOOD initiative. Its mission is to celebrate, support, and equip women social entrepreneurs around the world with the recognition, funding, and resources they need to scale their impact.