Adriana Mano, Zouri’s founder, was distinguished with the "Outstanding Female Entrepreneur” award. The distinction is part of the Global Innovation Initiative through Science and Technology (GIST), within the scope of the United Nations Ocean Conference, a United Nations initiative held in Lisbon last week.

The founder, which was among the several innovators chosen by GIST Ocean, was yesterday at the GIST Startup Pitch Showcase for Innovative Water Solutions session. Adriana Mano was invited by the US Department of State to participate in the Initiative and apply for the Ocean Prize for Plastic Pollution 2022, in which she represented Portugal.

"The award is crucial for Zouri, in terms of brand development in international markets, and places Portugal in a pioneering role of the blue economy and technological innovation in the sector”, advances the brand in a statement. According to the competition's jury, this new technology for the reuse of plastic, which affects the oceans, "was one of the most creative and with the greatest potential to scale in the world's innovation sector".

Zouri is an ecological and vegan footwear brand that uses plastic collected from the Portuguese coast to manufacture its products. During production, plastic marine waste is mixed with natural materials such as pinatex, natural rubber and organic cotton. The footwear is produced in a factory in Guimarães.