NEW YORK, USA — In a powerful tribute to women shaping the future, Häagen-Dazs has unveiled the winners of The Rose Project, Class of 2024 a global initiative rooted in the legacy of the brand’s co-founder, Rose Mattus. This year’s celebration coincides with International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, spotlighting women whose work ignites impact in their communities and beyond.
Meet the five remarkable women breaking boundaries, redefining narratives, and creating ripples of change each receiving $20,000 from the $100,000 bursary fund to elevate their mission and amplify their voices.
Philomena Nwajagu | Nigeria
Founder, Shoe My Feet Initiative
Philomena walks the talk – quite literally. Through her Shoe My Feet initiative, she’s placed over 2,000 pairs of durable shoes on children in rural Nigerian schools, driven by the belief that education begins with access. Her vision? To equip not only feet, but futures by combining shoemaking workshops with entrepreneurship training and community empowerment.
Faith Ida | United Kingdom
Co-founder, MigrAide & Founder, TTPNetwork
Technology meets purpose in Faith’s world. Inspired by her own immigration journey, she co-created MigrAide, an AI-powered platform that simplifies the U.S. visa process for skilled migrants. Alongside this, she champions diversity in tech through TTPNetwork, pushing for a more inclusive future for underrepresented talent. Her mission is clear: create systems that open doors.
Lorna Phillip | United Kingdom
Founder, Black Mamas Birth Village
Lorna is reimagining maternal care with cultural compassion. As a doula and founder of Black Mamas Birth Village, she has supported nearly 400 families, offering a sanctuary for Black and mixed-heritage mothers navigating pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Her work speaks to healing, heritage, and the deep power of community.
Dr. Nirja Joshi | United Kingdom
Co-founder, The WorkWell Doctors
With stethoscope in hand and empathy in heart, Nirja merges medicine with wellbeing. As a practicing NHS doctor and co-founder of The WorkWell Doctors, she champions workplace wellness, burnout awareness, and mental health—fusing science with soul through dance therapy sessions and health advocacy. She believes connection is the antidote to fatigue.
Judit Giró Benet | Spain
CEO, The Blue Box
For Judit, innovation is personal. After witnessing her mother’s battle with breast cancer, she developed The Blue Box—an AI-powered, non-invasive device that detects early-stage breast cancer with remarkable sensitivity. With clinical pilots showing 88% accuracy, she’s driving toward a future where diagnosis is smarter, faster, and more accessible for all.
Each of the Class of 2024 winners will receive an equal share of the $100,000 USD bursary grant to help them continue their exceptional work, and unleash their potential. From hundreds of applications, the winners were chosen for their pioneering efforts and societal contributions by an all-female global judging panel. More details about The Rose Project, the winners and the top 50 women nominated in 2024 can be found at https://iwd.haagen-dazs.global/.
