Bangladeshi entrepreneur wins Unlock Her Future Prize 2025

Bangladeshi health-tech entrepreneur Nishat Anjum Palka, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MommyKidz, has been named one of six winners of the Unlock Her Future Prize 2025 - South Asia Edition.

The award is presented by The Bicester Collection, the group behind Bicester Village in the United Kingdom.

MommyKidz represented Bangladesh in a cohort that included India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bhutan. It was recognised for its work in delivering accessible and stigma-free health information and services for women under United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.

The six winners were selected from thousands of applications. Each venture will receive up to US$100,000 and support that includes mentorship, training, media engagement, and academic guidance from Oxford Saïd Business School.

MommyKidz provides a safe platform for girls and women to ask questions and access clear information on puberty, reproductive health, pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. It also connects families to tele-consultations and essential health products, reaching both urban and rural communities.

Reacting to the announcement, Nishat Anjum Palka said, "This prize is not only about me; it belongs to every girl in Bangladesh who has repeatedly been told never to speak about her body or her pain. With MommyKidz, we want to prove that women's health is not an 'optional' issue – it is a fundamental right."

She added, "The support from the Unlock Her Future Prize will significantly accelerate our work – we will deepen our impact in Bangladesh and expand to more countries across South Asia. Our vision is very clear: a girl's health should never again be determined by her postcode, her income or her level of digital literacy."

The Unlock Her Future Prize is part of The Bicester Collection's Do Good platform, which supports women social entrepreneurs worldwide. This is the first edition focused on South Asia.

The judging panel included Dr Rubana Huq and four international experts. They selected the six winners from more than 2,400 applications.

Chantal Khoueiry, Chief Culture Officer of The Bicester Collection, said the finalists show stories of courage, creativity, and the drive to create change.