Meet the finalists of the 2014 Rolex Awards for Enterprise
Andie AngSingapore, Born 1985Reconnect groups of Indochinese silvered langurs in Vietnam with aerial bridges to permit breeding between fragmented populations, strengthening the gene pool and increasing the likelihood of their survival.
John BurnsUnited States, Born 1984Develop novel waterproof electronic tablets to promote community-based monitoring and conservation of coral reef ecosystems in Hawaii, where the coastal populations depend on marine resources.
Marita ChengAustralia, Born 1989Develop an easily mounted, smartphone-controlled robot arm for disabled people who use wheelchairs as a result of spinal injuries or debilitating diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Rafael Morais ChiaravallotiBrazil, Born 1985Apply community-based mapping that will enable locals, conservationists and tourist operators to create a sustainable management plan for the western border of Brazil’s Pantanal wetland.
Sayam ChowdhuryBangladesh, Born 1986Curtail hunting and poaching of endangered wildlife in three fragile ecosystems of Bangladesh by involving the local community and educating them about the benefits of conservation.
Eden FullCanada, Born 1992Advance solar energy in developing countries by promoting a solar-tracking device that generates more electricity than a stationary solar panel and filters water at the same time.
Medhavi GandhiIndia, Born 1986Revive and preserve the traditional arts, crafts and culture of Indian tribes to help alleviate poverty through the development of creative, sustainable businesses.
Neeti KailasIndia, Born 1985Develop a unique system to carry out early and mass screenings of newborns in resource-poor settings to monitor hearing loss and prevent the consequent loss of speech.
Divya KarnadIndia, Born 1985Build a sustainable fisheries model in India by bridging the divide between seafood producers and consumers through conservation programmes linking the community with fishermen.
Yashraj KhaitanIndia, Born 1989Develop cutting-edge, smart-grid technology to make rural power distribution more efficient, reliable and economically sustainable.
David LangUnited States, Born 1985Support a global community of professional and amateur ocean explorers who collaborate to create innovative tools such as low-cost underwater robots for citizen exploration and science.
Jeffrey MarlowUnited States, Born 1984Launch schoolchildren worldwide on a journey of discovery by involving them in the science behind NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover and educating them about space exploration and astrobiology.
Sarah McNair-LandryCanada, Born 1986Circumnavigate Canada’s Baffin Island, the world’s fifth largest island, to collect and document the dog-sledding knowledge of the Inuit communities before it is lost forever.
Soham MukherjeeIndia, Born 1984Educate and train rural communities in India’s Gujarat state to prevent venomous snakebites and administer appropriate first aid.
Olivier NsengimanaRwanda, Born 1984Save Rwanda’s Grey Crowned Crane, which faces increasing threats to its habitat and a growing illegal trade, in order to conserve Rwanda’s biodiversity.
Akosita RokomateFiji, Born 1986Encourage sustainable management of natural resources on Fiji’s Kia Island, which is part of the Great Sea Reef and a biodiversity hotspot, by incentivizing the community to practise long-term conservation.
Gerardo Ruiz de TeresaMexico, Born 1985Install solar-energy systems to eradicate energy poverty in Mexico’s rural communities and create employment.
Francesco SauroItaly, Born 1984Lead a multidisciplinary team of scientists to explore ancient quartzite caves in table-top mountains between Venezuela and Brazil and uncover the secrets behind the landscape’s evolution.
Livio ValentiItaly, Born 1985Use silk biomaterials to create a heat-stable polio vaccine that does not require refrigeration and can efficiently reach people living in remote areas of the world.
Nathalie VlcekBrazil, Born 1985Document and revitalize the endangered Tuyuka language, spoken by 20 indigenous communities in Brazil and Colombia, and engage the people in composing a theme-based dictionary of their language.
Arthur ZangCameroon, Born 1987Reduce the rate of cardiovascular-disease mortality in countries with a shortage of cardiologists by using a Cardio-pad medical tablet to perform cardiac examinations and permit remote readings.
Hosam ZowawiSaudi Arabia, Born 1984Develop faster laboratory tests for superbugs and raise awareness of antibiotic resistance in the Gulf States through an education campaign.