Recognizing, highlighting, and promoting female talent is the purpose of 50 Genias del Año (50 Geniuses of the Year), an initiative promoted by Genias—a community that empowers women and promotes their professional development —which recognizes those who are transforming Chile in different fields, such as business, science, social issues, technology, culture, sports, and the environment, through leadership that has a real impact on their communities and sectors.
The awards cover seven categories: Inspire and Transform; Equity and Empowerment; Digital Women; Women in STEM; Well-being and Sports; Sustainability and the Environment; and Creativity and Innovation, reflecting the diversity of areas in which women are transforming Chile.
Marca Chile Award: women with global influence
But in this third edition, Imagen de Chile joins "50 Genias del Año" (50 Women of the Year) by incorporating a new category: the Marca Chile Award, aimed at recognizing women whose work stands out for its international reach, innovative nature, and contribution to the country's image abroad.
The eight winners of the Marca Chile Genias 2025 Award are: Agustina Mir, Beatriz Palma Roeschmann, Valery Rodríguez, Constanza Escobar, Silvana Nicole Herrera, Matilde Gaete Tapia, Camila Cortínez, and Melania Sanhueza, women who stand out for their projects with international reach.
In this regard, María Teresa Saldías, executive director of Imagen de Chile, pointed out that "recognizing these women strengthens Chile's image around the world. Each of these Genias demonstrates that Chilean talent knows no boundaries and that our stories connect innovation, sustainability, and social commitment."
Imagen de Chile's participation in this initiative is part of Chile, País de Mujeres(Chile, Country of Women), a sub-brand created to highlight the role and contributions of Chilean women both in the construction of the country and in its international projection, connecting talent, innovation, and sustainability with real stories of global impact.
Along these lines, Jimena Zapata, CEO and founder of Genias, emphasized that "this year, for Genias, the partnership with Marca Chile through Chile, País de Mujeres is very significant because it allows us to showcase Chilean female talent beyond our borders. Recognizing Genias with international impact is a concrete way of highlighting how women are innovating, creating, and leading in different fields, contributing to Chile's image in the world."
With the addition of the Marca Chile Award, Imagen de Chile reaffirms its commitment to showcasing Chilean female talent and positioning the country as a diverse, innovative, and inclusive player on the international stage.
8 Geniuses Who Are Projecting Chile to the World
Agustina Mir
From New York, the commercial engineer and co-founder of Sortile is leading an innovation that promotes the circular textile economy. She developed a hardware device that reduces the time needed to identify the fiber composition of clothing by more than six times, using data analysis and artificial intelligence, preventing large volumes of garments from ending up in landfills.
Beatriz Palma
She founded My Nipp, an innovative alternative to traditional breast reconstruction: the development of hyper-realistic external prostheses for the nipple-areola complex, handmade, customized, and biocompatible, integrating art, science, and technology.
His vision focuses on accessibility: he works alongside cancer foundations and private companies to implement programs that seek to scale up nationally and expand access to these solutions.
Valery Rodriguez
From recycling cigarette butts, he developed Celion, a high-quality cellulose acetate used in the manufacture of optical industry products and other applications. His company, IMEKO, has further developed this work, achieving international recognition for the environmental impact of a science-based proposal.
Constanza Escobar
One of the founding minds behind Photio —a Chilean startup dedicated to combating air pollution—is chemical engineer Constanza Escobar. She developed an additive that can be incorporated into paints, concrete, asphalt, or textiles, which uses solar radiation to break down polluting gases in a process similar to photosynthesis. It is a scalable solution that transforms everyday surfaces into allies for clean air.
Silvana Nicole Herrera
Product designer and inventor Silvana Herrera created a sensory band to detect obstacles in the field of vision, giving greater autonomy to people with visual impairments. This work, promoted by MOV Design, earned her the Ingenias LATAM 2025 Award, a European Union initiative that highlights developments with social impact and global projection in intellectual property.
Camila Cortínez
With more than a decade dedicated to animal advocacy, Camila Cortínez founded Te Protejo in 2012, a leading organization in the fight against animal testing in Chile and Latin America. Her leadership has been recognized internationally, including the 2017 Lush Prize, and she has driven concrete changes in policy, responsible consumption, and regional awareness.
Matilde Gaete
Matilde Gaete is the first young Chilean woman to attend a NASA space camp and part of the first Chilean women's team to complete astronaut training. Her career combines academic excellence, socio-environmental activism, and international representation in UN Women and UNICEF spaces.
Melania Sanhueza
He developed an AI-powered social-emotional early warning application that anticipates and prevents emotional risks in educational communities. The startup he co-founded, MÜUD, has been recognized for its contribution to the educational ecosystem in Chile and abroad, being selected among the 10 finalists of the Singularity + Sync Global Impact Challenge in the Digital Wellbeing category.
For their impact, innovation, and international reach, these eight leaders were recognized with the Marca Chile de Genias 2025 Award. From applied science and technology to design, sustainability, and health, their careers represent the best of Chilean ingenuity on the global stage and reinforce Chile's position as a country that creates solutions with real impact.
