PayPal and World Citizen have joined collectively to have fun small companies which can be remodeling commerce and driving social and environmental influence.
The World Citizen PayPal Small Enterprise Influence Awards acknowledge entrepreneurs and small enterprise house owners who’re driving tangible change of their communities by demonstrating a deep dedication to fairness and sustainability of their enterprise practices. The award highlights progressive leaders and social entrepreneurs who’ve developed services and products with a constructive social or environmental influence.
We’re thrilled to announce the 5 chosen winners for the primary yr of this award. From sustainable design and clear mobility to meals methods, menstrual fairness, and wildfire prevention, these 5 founders are utilizing enterprise as a instrument for transformation.
The 5 winners every acquired a $25,000 USD money prize, and had been related to advertising and model activations to speed up their work and influence. As well as, every winner acquired in-person masterclass coaching with World Citizen’s advertising and social media groups.
All 5 award winners had been flown out to South Africa to participate in World Citizen NOW: Johannesburg, on Friday, Nov. 21, at The Sandton Conference Middle. On the summit, they participated in a panel to debate their companies, how they made an influence of their neighborhood and formally acquired their awards. Now, let’s meet this yr’s distinctive winners!
Filip Lundin, CEO and Founding father of Sopköket, Sweden
2025 World Citizen PayPal Small Enterprise Influence Awards winner, Filip Lundin, CEO & Founder, Sopköket AB speaks on stage throughout World Citizen NOW: Johannesburg on November 21, 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Picture: Jemal Countess/Getty Photographs for World Citizen
Globally, round 13.2% of meals we develop is misplaced earlier than it even reaches the retail cabinets and an estimated 19% is wasted in our houses, supermarkets and eating places all collectively. This meals waste can also be a significant contributor to local weather change, accounting for 8–10% of world greenhouse gasoline emissions.
Filip Lundin, the founder and CEO of Sopköket, an award-winning Swedish social enterprise, is on a mission to handle this downside by remodeling surplus meals into scrumptious catering choices and round frozen meals. Sopköket employs a round and financially sustainable mannequin that goals to scale back meals waste, donate meals, and create employment alternatives.
Half of the kitchen group comes from marginalized backgrounds and Sopköket collaborates with over 35 associate organizations whereas catering to purchasers corresponding to Spotify, Marshall, and PayPal. A serial entrepreneur because the age of 16, Lundin lectures globally with Wharton College and the EU on meals waste discount and legislative change. Now getting ready for worldwide enlargement with bigger manufacturing kitchens and a SaaS resolution for grocery kitchens, he additionally advocates for legal guidelines enabling Scope 4 CO₂ accounting — proving that sustainability and profitability can really coexist.
Since 2015, Sopköket has rescued 150 tons of meals waste and donated over 90,000 meals, and earned 4 of Sweden’s largest sustainability awards inside the meals sector.
Franco Rodriguez Viau, CEO & Cofounder of Satellites on Fireplace, Argentina
2025 World Citizen PayPal Small Enterprise Influence Awards winner, Franco Rodriguez Viau, CEO & Co-Founder, Satellites on Fireplace speaks on stage throughout World Citizen NOW: Johannesburg on November 21, 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Picture: Jemal Countess/Getty Photographs for World Citizen
Annually, wildfires trigger severe injury to the setting, wildlife, human lives, and infrastructure throughout areas from Canada and the USA to the Amazon and the Arctic, in addition to in Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Satellites on Fireplace is addressing this vital problem by growing an AI-powered early alert system designed to detect fires quickly and effectively. The know-how makes use of real-time satellite tv for pc information, tower cameras, forecasts, and proprietary AI to detect wildfires as much as 35 minutes sooner than NASA, in the end saving lives, livelihoods, and defending ecosystems. The system is defending 56 million hectares throughout 19 nations and stopping 400+ wildfires in latest months.
Backed by MIT, Techstars, the UN Inexperienced Local weather Fund, and Reddit’s founder, Alexis Ohanian, Satellites on Fireplace are proving that innovation can cease wildfires earlier than they unfold and safeguard susceptible communities and ecosystems around the globe.
Franco Rodríguez Viau, an Argentinian entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of Satellites on Fireplace, has devoted his profession to leveraging know-how for world environmental influence. After witnessing the devastating results of wildfires in Argentina, at simply 16 years previous, Viau co-founded the group to mitigate these disasters. His ongoing work continues to advance innovation on the intersection of know-how, sustainability, and human resilience.
Kunjpreet Arora, CEO of Angirus, India
2025 World Citizen PayPal Small Enterprise Influence Awards winner, Kunjpreet Arora, CEO of Angirus speaks on stage throughout World Citizen NOW: Johannesburg on November 21, 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Picture: Jemal Countess/Getty Photographs for World Citizen
The buildings and development sector is a significant contributor to world emissions, chargeable for 37% of greenhouse gases. That is largely as a result of manufacturing and use of conventional supplies like cement, metal, and aluminum, all of which have an enormous carbon footprint.
Angirus, a climate-tech startup, is tackling this problem by creating sustainable options to standard development supplies. The corporate transforms plastic and development waste into Wricks®, high-strength bricks made with out cement, burning, or extreme water. This progressive resolution not solely produces sturdy, waterproof and thermally environment friendly constructing supplies, but additionally reduces landfill waste and carbon emissions.
Angirus is shaking up development in India by utilizing micro-manufacturing to place manufacturing in native palms. The end result? Extra inexperienced jobs, decrease prices, and a cleaner planet. With over 100,000 Wricks® already on the market, they’re proving sustainability and influence can go hand in hand. Kunjpreet Arora, co-founder and CEO of Angirus, brings a ardour for tackling systemic environmental points by sensible and scalable innovation. With a background in civil engineering and as an alumna of IIM Indore, her management and work has gained recognition from notable organizations corresponding to Forbes Asia, TiE World, Netflix, the Authorities of India, the Clinton World Initiative, and the World Financial Discussion board.
Somnath Ray, CEO and Co-founder of CLIP, USA
2025 World Citizen PayPal Small Enterprise Influence Awards winner, Somnath Ray, CEO & Co-Founder, CLIP speaks on stage throughout World Citizen NOW: Johannesburg on November 21, 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Picture: Jemal Countess/Getty Photographs for World Citizen
The transport sector is chargeable for 13.7% of world greenhouse gasoline emissions and stays closely reliant on fossil fuels. Transitioning to sustainable transportation options is urgently wanted. Nevertheless, obstacles such because the excessive price of choices like e-bikes can restrict their widespread adoption and accessibility.
That’s the place CLIP, a Brooklyn-based clear mobility startup steps in. CLIP is working to make e-bike know-how extra accessible as a part of its mission to fight local weather change. They’ve launched the world’s first and solely Plug & Play system that upgrades any bike into an e-bike — no instruments or pre-installation required. CLIP is 4x inexpensive than the common e-bike and is patented in 47 nations.
After the success of its plug-and-play system, CLIP, is piloting BOLT, their latest and extra inexpensive motor unit designed for rising economies. BOLT retails for $100, is 20 occasions inexpensive than the common e-bike, and might instantly motorize the two billion bikes already in circulation and eradicate as much as 5% of carbon emissions globally.
Somnath Ray, the CEO and co-founder of CLIP, is making city commuting extra sustainable by inexpensive e-bike know-how. With a background as a design technologist and entrepreneur, he has been acknowledged by MIT Tech Evaluation as a prime innovator. With over 20 years of expertise, Ray has devoted his profession to the event of sustainable transportation options.
Zizipho Ntobongwana, CEO of Sheba Female, South Africa
2025 World Citizen PayPal Small Enterprise Influence Awards winner, Zizipho Ntobongwana, CEO, Sheba Female speaks on stage throughout World Citizen NOW: Johannesburg on November 21, 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Picture: Jemal Countess/Getty Photographs for World Citizen
The world over, hundreds of thousands of ladies and women are nonetheless struggling to entry inexpensive menstrual merchandise vital for his or her menstrual well being. This problem of interval poverty can result in missed college days and work days and in the end, negatively have an effect on their total well-being. Sheba Female is on a mission to boost menstrual well being by offering sustainable, eco-friendly options whereas advocating menstrual fairness.
Sheba Female merchandise embrace natural and biodegradable pads, tampons, panty liners, menstrual cups, interval underwear, and bamboo wipes, all designed to guard each folks and the planet. They’re greater than only a product supplier, as they deal with interval poverty by training, outreach, and partnerships with colleges and NGOs. Quickly they’ll be launching “Blud”, a youth-focused model, and “Bluddy”, a data-light, multilingual interval monitoring app.
Because the Founder and CEO, Zizipho Ntobongwana focuses her work on sustainable product innovation and menstrual fairness, whereas main neighborhood applications like “Pay for a Pal’s Pads,” which tackles interval poverty by training and distribution. Shea Female is reshaping menstrual care in Africa by innovation, accessibility, and social change.
This yr’s World Citizen PayPal Small Enterprise Influence Award winners present how highly effective native management could be when innovation meets function. Every entrepreneur is demonstrating that small companies can drive significant change from advancing sustainability and defending the planet to increasing fairness, strengthening communities, and reshaping whole industries for the higher.
As we have fun their achievements, we’re reminded that progress is a collective effort. By championing mission-driven small companies, we’re investing in a extra inclusive and resilient future for everybody. To study extra about how PayPal and World Citizen are empowering customers and enterprise house owners to take significant steps in strengthening their communities, discover the initiatives driving this partnership ahead. Collectively, we can assist guarantee small companies in all places obtain the help they should thrive and, in doing so, assist finish excessive poverty.
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