As a global defender of children’s rights, UNICEF is a natural beneficiary for a project that recognises how deeply women shape children’s lives and the future of whole communities. Supporting women and girls is not only an act of empowerment and protection – it is an investment in leadership, equality, and possibility.
Our Partnership
Created in support of UNICEF, the project was inspired by the ideas and energy of the UNICEF NextGen Community, a global network of leaders, entrepreneurs, influencers, and philanthropists united around a shared mission to support and protect children everywhere.
UNICEF’s Women-Led Innovation Challenge
Proceeds from both the auction and the collectibles will directly support UNICEF’s Women-Led Innovation Challenge in Kenya – helping young women entrepreneurs grow their businesses through mentorship, seed funding, and venture-building support, and enabling futures shaped by dignity and independence.
Find out more
The Women-led Innovation Challenge Initiative
The Women-led Innovation Challenge Initiative, a UNICEF programme supported by Ventaglio in Kenya, aims to equip young women and girls with the skills, resources, and confidence needed to lead sustainable enterprises that strengthen communities, protect children’s futures, and drive lasting change for the next generation.
By supporting women as innovators and entrepreneurs, the initiative addresses interconnected challenges of poverty, unemployment, gender inequality, and climate vulnerability, transforming them into opportunities for inclusive and sustainable growth.
Kenya’s youthful population represents a powerful demographic dividend, with more than three-quarters of the population under the age of 35. Yet this potential remains largely untapped, particularly for young women in rural areas, informal settlements, and other marginalized contexts. Systemic barriers, such as limited access to education, finance, digital tools, markets, and professional networks, alongside with social norms and unpaid care responsibilities, continue to restrict women’s economic participation. These constraints not only limit women’s opportunities but also have direct and lasting consequences for children’s wellbeing, increasing risks related to nutrition, education, health, protection, and long-term life outcomes.
The initiative responds to these challenges by supporting women aged 18–35 to become entrepreneurs and leaders in Kenya’s green economy, building on and expanding successful UNICEF approaches already implemented in the country. By enabling women to access skills, mentorship, capital, and networks, the programme helps unlock their potential as community-driven problem solvers and agents of sustainable development. The focus on climate-smart sectors – including sustainable agriculture, clean and renewable energy, circular fashion, eco-products, waste reduction, and nature-based solutions – supports resilient livelihoods while simultaneously addressing environmental degradation and climate risks.
The programme adopts a comprehensive, inclusive, and fast-paced innovation challenge model, combining a national open call with targeted outreach to underserved and marginalized communities. Through partnerships with youth networks, grassroots organizations, digital platforms, and local media, the initiative will ensure broad geographic reach and meaningful participation of women facing the greatest barriers.
One hundred women will be selected to participate in an intensive eight-week skills-building bootcamp covering entrepreneurship fundamentals, innovation, business development, and financial planning, complemented by hands-on mentorship, peer learning, and sector-specific coaching.
Following a competitive pitch process evaluated by a panel of investors, sector experts, and women entrepreneurs, at least 45 participants will receive seed funding of up to 2,000 Euro each to launch or scale their enterprises. This financial support will be reinforced through ongoing mentorship, digital learning opportunities, and access to peer networks, enabling women to strengthen their business models, adapt to market realities, and grow sustainably. Continuous monitoring and light-touch post-award support will track business progress, job creation, and community-level impact, ensuring accountability and learning for future scale-up.
As women gain income, skills, and leadership capacity, the benefits extend directly to children and families. Increased household stability improves access to nutritious food, supports continued education, enhances living conditions, and strengthens child protection. Beyond immediate family impacts, women-led enterprises generate employment, stimulate local economies, and contribute to more inclusive, resilient communities. Over time, these outcomes help shift social norms, elevate the role of women in innovation and climate action, and build a foundation for intergenerational wellbeing.
By investing in women-led innovation today, philanthropists and partners can catalyse systemic change, supporting a more equitable, sustainable future for Kenya’s children and youth. The Women-led Innovation Challenge Initiative stands as a strategic, high-impact opportunity to transform demographic potential into lasting social, economic, and environmental progress.
About UNICEF
UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, works to protect the rights of every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and in the toughest places to reach.
Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfil their potential.
UNICEF provides and advocates for child health and nutrition, safe water, sanitation and hygiene, quality education and skill building, and protection of children and adolescents from violence and exploitation, in a safe and sustainable climate, free from poverty.
With the world’s largest humanitarian warehouse and a global footprint, we are also the world’s largest provider of vaccines.
Before, during and after humanitarian emergencies, UNICEF is on the ground, bringing lifesaving help and hope to children and families. Impartial, non-political, and neutral, our focus is protecting every child and safeguarding their lives and futures.
Become the Wind
Ventaglio thrives on visibility.
Help us put the wind in the sails of thousands of women and girls by sharing this project.