With one month to go before the official ceremony on April 29, JFD and its 2025 jury reveal the names of the finalists for the 13th promotion of the “The Margaret” Awards, titled “Women rAIsing”: 9 visionary women entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and juniors whose innovative AI-driven projects address the major challenges of our century.
Founded in 2013 to support women shaping the future of tech, the Margaret Awards by JFD, the only female tech award under the High Patronage of the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, will this year recognize those who dare, innovate, and use AI as a force for good and as a lever for progress on a global scale.
Following the launch of the first European AI Barometer last February, which highlighted the importance of inclusion in AI’s future performance, JFD is taking a new step by encouraging investors and companies to support these female talents and AI pioneers who skillfully combine tech and business.
The 2025 finalists 2025 are:
Entrepreneur Category
- Léa FLEURY, Co-founder & CEO Ordalie – AI providing automated assistance to legal professionals, allowing them to focus entirely on client interactions and advice.
- Iris MARÉCHAL, Co-founder & CEO Theremia – AI tailoring drug dosages based on individual characteristics to enhance efficiency and make medicine more inclusive.
- Marie SOCKEEL, Co-founder & Chief Medical Officer Primaa – AI automating cancer identification, reducing doctors’ workload, and minimizing human error in cancer diagnostics with unprecedented performance.
Intrapreneur Category
- Imane FARD, IBM Technical Consultant for the Speak Easy project – AI revolutionizing communication between hearing and hearing-impaired individuals through a real-time translating intelligent avatar for video conferences.
- Sarah MARTINEAU, COO IDETA – Providing small and medium enterprises with access to all forms of conversational AI to enhance customer relationships.
- Alexandra ZAKHAROVA, Microsoft AI Technical Trainer for the Ascend project – Educate and connecting refugees with high-potential AI careers.
Junior Category
- Aya AIDOUNI, 21, for the Stars Factory project – Democratizing space education through AI.
- Elsa MEIRINHO, 18, for the Theorem project – AI helping students learn, organize, and progress in secondary science studies.
- Viktoriia MELNYK, 20, for the SmartAlim project – AI connecting students in financial difficulty with supermarkets to provide access to affordable food while reducing waste.
“The finalists of the Margaret Awards 2025 ‘Women rAIsing’ promotion demonstrate how women are already shaping the future of AI with their ethical, responsible, and high-performing vision. If Europe wants to establish itself as a global leader in AI, it must make equality a key driver of its development. The good news is that we are only at the beginning of this technological revolution: It is up to us to turn these challenges into opportunities. This requires concrete commitments and collective awareness. Technology can only be a sustainable vector of innovation if it reflects the diversity of our society. The boldness of the 2025 finalists, their ability to merge tech, business, and social impact, is exactly what our ecosystem needs to elevate Europe to a leadership position.” declares Delphine Remy-Boutang, founder & CEO JFD – Join Forces & Dare
The three laureates, who will be revealed at the grand award ceremony on April 29, will benefit from an acceleration program worth one million euros. This one-year program, developed with JFD partners, includes mentoring, coaching, media exposure, funding assistance, and business opportunities to propel these AI champions to international recognition and success.
A prestigious Jury
Chaired by Delphine Remy-Boutang, Founder & CEO of JFD, the 2025 jury convened on March 14 at LinkedIn France to deliberate. Comprising experts and committed leaders for whom inclusion, performance, and innovation go hand in hand, the jury members include:
Miguel Gonzalez, Global & France Chief Digital Officer, Carrefour
Smara Lungu, Strategy, Marketing, Communications, Institutional Relations Director, Docaposte, La Poste Group
Koussée Vaneecke, CEO, EuraTechnologies
Laura Hassan, General Manager, Epitech
Julie Huguet, Director, La French Tech
Ariane Thomas, Global Tech Director of Sustainability, L’Oréal Group
Juliette Martin-Châtenet, Chief People & Legal Officer, Septeo
Alexandra Ruez, VP & Senior Partner, IBM
Laurence Laplane, Margaret Entrepreneur 2024, Director of Impact Investing, Amundi
Véronique Jacq, Digital Venture Division Director, Bpifrance
Julien Khaski, Editor-in-Chief, Maddyness
Sophie Iborra, Engagement Consulting Director, La Tribune
Charlie Perreau, Head of High-Tech, Media & Startups, Les Echos
Anne-Marie Rocco, Grand Reporter, Challenges
Fabienne Arata, Country Manager, LinkedIn France
Since 2013, JFD has supported more than 50 outstanding talents, “the Margaret”, helping them accelerate and expand their impact, including Roxanne Varza – Margaret 2017, Lucie Basch – Margaret 2018, Eléna Poincet – Margaret 2022 and Nelly Chatué-Diop – Margaret 2023. Their influence is remarkable, and their successes are as significant as the challenges they tackle. They are now recognized leaders for their ability to drive economic, social, and technological value, pushing the boundaries of innovation while using their leadership for both economic and societal progress. Through the engagement of a committed collective, JFD contributes to their success and the value they create.
JFD works to build bridges and forge links: between continents, between innovation and research, to turn ideas into reality; between men and women, for a more inclusive industry; between journalists and the rising stars of tomorrow, to highlight and reveal the talents that are changing the world; between major groups and start-ups, to accelerate the impact and adoption of innovations; between investors and female entrepreneurs, to give today’s visions the means to become tomorrow’s successes.
Learn more about the finalists, 2025 « Women rAIsing » promotion: https://www.joinjfd.com/en/margaret-awards/
Mediakit: https://bit.ly/MediaKitJFD2025
About JFD
JFD – Join Forces & Dare – is a mission-driven company founded in 2012 by Delphine Remy-Boutang. A tech accelerator, JFD has been dedicated for over a decade to bringing forward role models and the leaders of tomorrow. Active in Europe, Africa, and Canada, JFD unites private and public actors, as well as media, to empower women in tech. In 2025, JFD has placed audacity and collective strength at the heart of its mission with the “Women rAIsing” campaign, ensuring the emergence of inspiring women in AI. Through landmark initiatives such as the The Margaret Awards, under the High Patronage of the French President, the JFD Club, the Margaret Foundation, monthly events, the White Shirts Movement, and reference publications like Elles changent le monde (2021) and Athlètes de l’innovation, les femmes à la conquête de la tech (2024) published by Flammarion, JFD has reached 20 million people, trained over 10,000 talents, and supported the growth of more than 1,000 startups. https://www.joinjfd.com/
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