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To Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, the world was a living laboratory. He sent Rolex watches to the world’s most extreme locations, supporting explorers who ventured into the unknown. The world has changed since then, and as the 21st century unfolds, the company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to protecting the planet. Rolex still sends its watches into the unknown, but today, it also supports individuals and organizations who use science to understand the world’s environmental challenges and devise solutions that will restore balance to our ecosystems. The Rolex Awards for Enterprise, launched in 1976 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Oyster chronometer, are one of the three pillars of the Rolex Perpetual Planet initiative. It is dedicated to helping exceptional individuals with innovative projects that expand our knowledge of the world, improve human well-being, and protect the environment. Here are this year’s five laureates:
The five laureates in this year’s Rolex Awards for Enterprise are pioneers whose visionary projects have the potential to help reinvent the future. They include a wildlife conservationist, a polar explorer, a climate change scientist, a marine scientist who is exploring coral reefs, and a social entrepreneur fighting malnutrition in Africa.
RINZIN PHUNJOK LAMA is a scientist and environmentalist from Nepal who works to protect the diverse ecosystems of the Trans-Himalayan region, home of iconic and globally threatened mammals. Lama’s project is science-based, using field surveys and camera-trapping techniques to establish the baseline number of mammal species, while supporting the development of new enterprises that will expand the possibilities for local people’s income.
FELIX BROOKS-CHURCH is a social entrepreneur from the U.S. who, after witnessing malnutrition while working on educational programs in developing countries, devised a program to tackle malnutrition in Tanzania. He does it by equipping rural flour mills with dosifier machines, which fortify staple foods with micronutrients.
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