Celebrating independent, strong women as well as all their achievements
We just passed International Women’s Day, where the world came together to recognize and celebrate independent, strong women as well as the achievements that they have made. In light of this year’s theme of Be Bold For Change, we have rounded up a list of inspiring women entrepreneurs who have made a change in their individual lives, the industry, as well as the world.
Krystal Choo, CEO and Founder of Wander
As a tech entrepreneur in a male-dominant industry, Krystal has met with her fair share of failures. After ZipTrip, a predictive travel pricing app failed to gain traction, Krystal pivoted and created Wander, which brings like-minded singles together for travel adventures. Within the first month of its launch, there were already 25,000 matches.
Wander has since strayed from its original purpose of bringing singles together. On February 2017, the app officially launched as a group messaging platform to connect strangers through topics of interest. Wander is currently being built by a multinational team of 7 passionate ex-strangers.
Krystal’s passion for the tech industry blossomed at a young age – she taught herself how to code at the tender age of 12. Already a two-time TEDx speaker, the young millennial has also been awarded as one of the “Most Awe-Inspiring Women” by Cosmopolitan and named as one of Asia’s top 50 Women Leaders.
Cynthia Chua, CEO and Founder of Spa Esprit Group
Cynthia’s empire started out in 1996 with the opening of Spa Esprit in Holland Village. In 2002, when Brazilian waxing was a concept unheard of in Asian communities, Cynthia opened up Strip despite facing criticisms from industry experts, friends and family. Today, Strip has 46 outlets worldwide.
It’s not just beauty and lifestyle that this entrepreneur is involved in. The Spa Esprit Group also has many F&B outlets under its umbrella such as House at Dempsey, 40 Hands and Tiong Bahru Bakery. More than 20 years after Cynthia forayed into the scene, the business is now worth more than $200 million. From one small spa, the group has grown to span the globe. Speaking to The Peak magazine, Cynthia attributes her success to finding the right staff and partners.
Lyn Lee, Founder of Awfully Chocolate
Speak to the young people in Singapore and you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn’t heard of Awfully Chocolate. Lyn left her career as a lawyer during the Asian Financial Crisis to venture into the F&B industry and fulfill her dream of creating the perfect chocolate cake.
Awfully Chocolate has come a long way from its humble beginnings. The first outlet in Katong did not start out looking like a cake shop. 19 years after Lyn embarked on her dream, Awfully Chocolate has expanded its business to Hong Kong and China.
To Lyn, the best part of being an entrepreneur is that she is not held down by conventional ways of thinking. According to her, there are many ways for businesses to be done. Her advice to budding entrepreneurs? Don’t overthink it and simply do it.
Pocket Sun, Co-Founder of SoGal Ventures
The only woman to be featured on the cover of Forbes Asia, Pocket is the Founding Partner of SoGal Ventures which connects female entrepreneurs to investors. SoGal Ventures is the first millennial female-led venture capital firm. Pocket’s company empowers young women to make an impact through entrepreneurship by providing advisory, mentorships, networking opportunities and peer-to-peer help.
Having been featured on Harper’s BAZAAR, BBC World News, CCTV and other publications, Pocket has also spoken on TED Talk and is the youngest LinkedIn Top Voice in VC & Entrepreneurship. Today she travels around the world to give talks at technology and business conferences.
Stephanie Chai, Founder of The Luxe Nomad
The curated list of luxury hotels, resorts and villas on The Luxe Nomad completes a traveller’s dream to the most divine of holiday destinations. Founded by the ex-model, the Asia-Pacific travel booking website offers travel tips, insider guides and exclusive deals for members.
Like many other female entrepreneurs, Stephanie left her job in order to pursue a path as an entrepreneur. Leaving behind the glitz and glamour of a model’s life, she entered the scene with zero knowledge of the travel industry and e-commerce. Growing from four to 1200 curated luxury properties listed, the online startup has expanded into neighbouring regions such as Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.
Velda Tan, Founder of Collate The Label
One of Singapore’s most iconic It-girl, you might know her best for being one of the co-founders of Love, Bonito. Balancing her studies and running a business proved to be a difficult affair, and Velda eventually dropped out of SIM to focus on the blogshop. After eight years working together with her sister Viola Tan and friend Rachel Lim, Velda left Love, Bonito to pursue her own path. In 2015 she launched Collate The Label, a luxurious yet affordable label for the masses.
Apart from Love, Bonito and Collate, the serial entrepreneur has also co-founded lobster joint Pince & Pints with her husband Federick Yap. Yet on the topic of accomplishments, Velda says that she hasn’t accomplished anything that she is really proud of, as “The best is yet to be”.
Lu Yawen, Co-Founder of The Local People
The Local People is described as a nomadic space and art market that gives craftsmen and craftswomen an opportunity to sell their wares. An anti-thesis to mass manufacturing, The Local People provides a platform for young brands and artists to showcase their creations. At every event there is also a screening of underground films and music performances.
Apart from organising experiential events, Yawen also freelances as a writer. Speaking to Cleo, she admits that her family would prefer it if she had a stable job. However, she is keen on changing the mindset that life is about finding a 9-to-5 job, getting married and having kids. In Yawen’s books, it is more important to chase after self-fulfilment and make life well-rounded.
Alicia Pan, Founder of Yoga Movement
Apart from being a songstress, the trained yoga instructor and fitness enthusiast always had a desire to create something of her own. Thus begins the story of Yoga Movement. Fast forward to five years later, Alicia’s passion has turned Yoga Movement into a lifestyle brand and not just another yoga studio. From its flagship studio at Carpenter Street, Yoga Movement has grown to consists of six different studios.
Striking a balance between her social and business life is incredibly important to Alicia. However, she advises that it is vital to remain realistic, as entrepreneurs have to be willing to sacrifice a lot for their businesses. Speaking to Ladyboss, she mentions that balance is unlikely to come by until a few years later or when the business takes off.
Robin Lim and Roslyn Teng, Founders of Made Real
Concerned with the lifestyles of Singaporeans and the pervasive issue of body-image dissatisfaction, the two undergraduates created Made Real with the intention to promote balanced eating, an active lifestyle and optimism. Made Real offers a subscription service that provides healthy and wholesome snacks based on nutritional needs, dietary preferences and health goals.
The inspiration behind Made Real is deeply personal – both girls grew up with eating disorders. On their road to recovery, they realized a social gap where body image issues are considered taboo in the society. Determined to promote open discourse in these issues and advocate a holistic lifestyle, the two girls made a bold decision, armed with just the savings from years of angbao money. Their struggles have paid off, and today Made Real continues to rally in what they stand for.
Rebekah Lin, Founder of The Social Co.
Rebekah is heavily involved in the philanthropy sector and The Social Co. was established with her good friend, Cheryl Chong, to bring together young creative minds to tackle social problems in Singapore. Through a series of movements, workshops and programs, The Social Co. aims to challenge conventional ways of thinking.
Apart from The Social Co., Rebekah is also the co-founder of Chloros Solutions, a SPRING-seeded green consultancy firm and manages her family’s foundation, the Jia Foundation. Did we also mention that she sits on the committee of the Yellow Ribbon Fund and Community Chest of Singapore?
