“We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” –Serena Williams
How do you use the power of community to move the needle in your business and personal life without it being exhausting? Building genuine connections in order to rise together is not easy, but when you learn how to do it – it can be absolutely magic.
This International Women’s Day, we are gathering leaders who have successfully created engaged communities to share their journeys and experiences in uniting women to support each other. This evening is all about making connections, exchanging insights, and learning how to build a truly wonderful community around you and your business.
The panel will be followed by drinks and canapes and some great connections.
Ready to join a movement of empowerment and connection? Reserve your spot now for an inspiring evening of dialogue, networking and community-building.
About the panellists
Akina Ho
Akina Ho is the co-founder and Lead Ambassador for AsiaPacific at the AllStarsWomen DAO, Co-Founder and Advisor for Hong Kong Proptech Alliance, and a thought leader in the innovative tech like AI, PropTech and the Web3 space covering NFTs, Metaverse, blockchain, GameFi, DeFi, and DAOs. She is also an Advisor for Pi Labs as their Venture Partner for Asia along sitting on Boards of Web2, Web3, and AI companies. She was one of the Executives that helped built a Unicorn in Hong Kong in 2017 with investors from FoxConn and Softbank. Akina has over 20 years of experience in change management, digital transformation, innovative technology, corporate strategy consulting, marketing strategy, finance, hospitality and global sales operations management experience starting from the Silicon Valley to worldwide. She also built the VC arm at Great Eagle and was part of the Investment Committee focusing on cutting-edge technology and disruptive business model across different industries.
Akina is an Adjunct Professor for HKUST (Hong Kong University of Science & Technology) teaching EBMA classes on using the Art of War for Change Management and Business Transformation. She is also a respected global guest speaker, panelist and guest professor with notable media appearances on Bloomberg and Fox International about innovative technologies.
Jayne Chan
Jayne is the head of StartmeupHK at Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the government department responsible for attracting and retaining Foreign Direct Investment into Hong Kong. Her role at StartmeupHK is to attract innovative startups, investors and other stakeholders to Hong Kong, provide information and connections to support these companies setting up in the city, and help build the ecosystem to transform the city into a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Jayne graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a BS(Hons) in Zoology. Prior to joining InvestHK, Jayne was Executive Director at the HK chapter of TiE, a global non-profit network focused on fostering entrepreneurship in the markets in which they operate. She has been an award winning producer on interactive programmes at 4A’s and digital agencies, managed product development for a number of startups at Hong Kong’s first tech startup incubator, and filled marketing roles in manufacturing and architectural companies.
Nicole Denholder
Nicole is the founder of Next Chapter Raise, Asia’s first digital education platform focused on funding women business owners. Nicole is also the co-founder of Sophia, Asia’s only female-focused financial education platform
for the financial services sector and corporates, and their female employees and customers.
Prior to her current ventures, Nicole spent 12 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she worked on Capital Markets Advisory services across Europe and Asia. She has also actively contributed to women’s empowerment initiatives, having served on the Australian Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Committee and the Women Entrepreneurs
Network Board, and is a regular speaker on women and their money.
Nicole’s unwavering passion lies in enabling women to take control of their financial journey and shape their own future. Through her work in financial education, she strives to bring more wealth into the hands of women, empowering them to own their financial narratives.
About the host
Chris Edwards
Founder, Honeycombers and Launchpad
Chris is a serial entrepreneur having started her first business in 2008 – a lifestyle media platform: Honeycombers. It was designed to inspire Singapore residents to live better lives. Chris had only been living and working in Singapore for two years, and found that she (and her peers) were only reading international media. She felt that many expats were disengaged with the local Singapore culture, nightlife and entertainment scene, and that many people felt Singapore was “boring” because of this disconnection. With a background in marketing and publishing, Chris decided to fill the gap, and so she created a digital platform and a community that expats, as well as locals, would trust; that would engage and influence them, and unlock the best experiences in Singapore. Over the last 15 years, the Honeycombers platform has grown to become the leading digital brand in lifestyle content. In January 2022, Chris launched Launchpad – an entrepreneurial community business group, designed to help small businesses thrive through community, peer mentoring and coaching. Chris now runs five companies across four countries and spends her time split between Singapore and Australia.