ShEO Awards in Gdańsk. “Wprost” rewards women

The editors of “Wprost” presented the ShEO Awards statuettes for the sixth time. This time, during the special edition in Tricity, awards were given to local entrepreneurs, activists, politicians and representatives of the science community.

Katarzyna Gintrowska, President of the Management Board of PMPG Polskie Media, the woman thanks to whom the ShEO Awards were established, always emphasizes when talking about this distinction that it is “the Award of Women who once decided to take matters into their own hands, refusing to stand on the sidelines, who believe that the world can be better.”

Category: Women’s View of Film

The award in this category went to Joanna Łapińska, Artistic Director of the Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdynia. She is a member of the European Film Academy and has been working professionally in cinema for over 20 years. In 2023, she took up the position of artistic director of the Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdynia, the most important annual event for the film industry and cinema lovers in Poland.

– Thank you very much for this distinction, which is important to me. I am lucky, I do what I love in life and from time to time the world sends me a signal that it makes sense, she said, accepting the award.

Category: Mayor of the City of the Future

The award in this category was awarded to Aleksandra Kosiorek, mayor of Gdynia. The winner works not only for the city, which she has recently managed, but also for women’s rights, the rights of excluded people and civil rights. He perfectly diagnoses social problems and does everything to solve them.

– This award is a commitment at the beginning of my journey, but the very fact that Gdynia is a modern city and heading in the right direction leaves no doubt for me – she said, accepting the award.

Category Leader of Brave Changes

The award in this category was awarded to Magdalena Czarzyńska Jachim, mayor of Sopot. Before she became president, she hung a “vice president” sign on her door. Then in an interview she said that “this is not a discussion about language, but about the status of women.” But there are, of course, more such changes in her city, one of Poland’s showcases.

A guide to the world of non-fiction

In this category, the award was given to Magdalena Grzebałkowska. It is thanks to her determination and enormous reporting and literary talent that we, the readers, can learn about the biographies of great Poles.

– I am receiving this award for Maria Konopnicka. Because the fact that we as women are where we are is due, among other things, to: her. She was a feminist activist, she cared very much about the fate of women, she said while accepting the award.

Category Engaged Art

Marta Frej was honored in this category. She is a resident of Gdynia by choice, but her cultural and activist activities have already become a permanent part of the city’s landscape. And not only Gdynia. She is a female voice in the world of art, a commentator of reality who uses illustrations, paintings, posters and graphics as a weapon to fight patriarchy, injustice and discrimination.

– I would like to thank you very much for this award. Yesterday we celebrated a very important anniversary, the anniversary of winning voting rights. When I run out of patience, I remember that two lifetimes ago we couldn’t vote, work without my husband’s permission, or travel on our own. We were slaves. Thank you to all our great-grandmothers, thanks to whom we are where we are and can continue to fight, she said, receiving the award.

Body Kindness in Sports Category

The award in this category went to Pamela Stefanowicz. She graduated from the Academy of Physical Education in Gdańsk, which undoubtedly gives her the mandate to tell millions of followers on social media how to live a healthy life. But her social media career is not only a response to market demand or increasingly aware audiences. It is also a demonstration of determination and the ability to turn passion into a profitable business.

– Thank you very much for this distinction. Beauty begins not in the mirror, but within us. Our body is our ally no matter what form it is in, she said, accepting the award.

Innovation Leader in Medicine and Well-being category

In this category, the ShEO statuette was awarded to Dorota Białobrzeska-Łukaszuk, President of the Invicta Group. Thanks to the company she founded, 25,000 babies were born. Kids. The winner successfully combined artificial intelligence with the latest achievements in genetics to make in vitro treatment as effective as possible.

– Thank you for this distinction. My mission is that everyone who wants can have children. And my second mission is to live a long and healthy life. Let us remember that we women, fulfilling our dream of having children, do not end there. We still have plenty of time to take care of, she said, accepting the award.

The Science of Longevity category

The award in this category was awarded to prof. Ph.D. n. med. Ewa Stachowska. She is considered one of the leading specialists in the field of nutrition sciences in Poland. She is the co-author of over 290 publications on nutrition, and is also a specialist in popular science activities on YouTube and, more broadly, in social media, where she successfully educates what to do and how to eat to live longer.

– On behalf of prof. I would like to thank Ewa Stachowska very much. Ewa educates a lot of dietitians, but she is also a great science popularizer – said prof. Wojciech Marlicz, accepting the award on behalf of the winner.

Category Leader in the Fight for Consumer Rights

In this category, the ShEO statuette was awarded to legal advisor Agnieszka Sobczyk. She was the first in Poland to win a Swiss franc class action lawsuit. When no one previously believed that it was possible to defeat the bank in such a case, she decided to show how to fight Goliath. Thus, it opened a new chapter in the fight for consumer rights.

– Thank you very much for this award, I feel extremely honored. The fact that I am here is thanks to the people who believed it could be done. I would especially like to thank Mr. Sebastian, who after the third pleading said: “Ms. Agnieszka! I already know what it’s about,” she said, accepting the award.

Social Activities Category

The award in this category went to Paulina Zielińska, who, as a therapist, helps children from Pomerania, including those whose parents – hospice patients in Kwidzyn – died prematurely.

– I would like to thank the jury for the award, it is a huge motivation for me to continue working – she said, accepting the award.

Category: Inspiration in the World of Culture

The award in this category was awarded to Grażyna Wolszczak, an actress known for dozens of theater, film and TV series roles. The winner inspires not only artistically, she has been showing for years that maturity can taste delicious, and business and art go hand in hand.

Business Without Borders category

The statuette in this category was awarded to Agnieszka Hedin and Krystyna Karpiel. They managed to achieve the status of one of the largest companies in Podhale, renting apartments in the winter capital of Poland.

– It is a great honor and pleasure for us. We dedicate this award to all women who strive to realize their professional dreams every day, said Agnieszka Hedin, accepting the award.

Lesson of Love

The award in this category went to Anita Demianowicz. Her story of fighting for a child’s life showed what to do to change the situation of seriously ill children in Poland.

– A year ago, the world began to end for me. My son stopped moving his arms. Diagnosis was very difficult and in most cases we were ignored. If it weren’t for that, this story would have ended differently. My son suffered from a very rare disease, we were very unlucky. A chance would be quick diagnostics, she said.

AI Development Visionary Category

The award in this category went to Lucyna Chwastowska, Director of Research and Development at the Amazon Technology Development Center. The winner cares about building a system in which AI specialists choose to stay in Poland and develop their careers in the country rather than go abroad.

A visionary in the Construction Industry

The winner of the ShEO in the Visionary in the Construction Industry category was Kamila Gierszewska, Vice-President of Drutex. Recent years have been a series of successes for her. She is the vice-president of a company belonging to a group of the most important players on the European market. Her colleagues speak clearly – about the company’s record results and its continuous development.