lemiA “salad bowl” rather than a melting pot of cultures, Singapore is a diverse city-state known as one of the world’s top destinations
This Is A Woman's World
Singapore
Between strategizing business plans, growing consumer bases, and raising capital, running a business is hard work; and being a woman in the industry comes with even more challenges. We salute nine female founders in Singapore who serve as an inspiration for aspiring game-changers! Learn how they built their companies, thrive in a still male-predominant environment, and rise to disrupt the scene.
Yuet Whey Siah is the founder of DREA, a digital real estate advertising portal that allows property-related businesses to easily target their audience. It aims to be the average homebuyer’s go-to real estate platform; and it hopes to help shift industry advertising from traditional to digital media in the long run. According to Yuet, it was challenging as a woman to build her business in the predominantly male tech and real estate industries. Fortunately, she comes from an investment banking background, so she knows how to navigate the environment. Yuet also takes an objective perspective when she conducts her businesses. Instead of adjusting to accommodate gender biases, she focuses on improving legitimate concerns that she is able to change about her product, strategies, and goals.
- +65 6612 9178
1 Sophia Road, #06-10B Peace Centre, Singapore
- https://www.drea.com.sg/
Armed with an impressive resume, USD5 million in personal savings, and a fervent belief in a game-changing product, Rosaline Chow Koo founded CXA Group. The platform gives employees access to a personalized range of health and wellness benefits. Today, the company is the top insurance technology startup in Singapore; and it recently just raised another USD25 million in investment to grow its regional reach. Rosaline is familiar with the added challenges that come with being a woman in the tech industry. In fact, she often welcomes opportunities to talk about it. She always advises young woman to get ahead by taking on professional roles that are outside of your comfort zone to stretch your limits, effectively growing your confidence and skills.
- +65 6659 8082
401 Commonwealth Drive, #05-03/05, Haw Par Technocentre, Singapore
- https://www.cxagroup.com/
Delegate, a free-to-use online marketplace that lets you discover and book events vendors, packages, and services, was founded by Melissa Lou and Jacqueline Ye. They met while working for concierge company Quintessentially Group, where they both experienced the frustrations of events planning. To get Delegate going, the duo learned how to “speak a man’s language,” especially during investor meetings. They would often hear sexist remarks and they would deal with them by being objective, reassuring, and, at times, sarcastic. By doing so, they are usually able to point out the absurdity of questions like “What happens to your business when you start a family?” By standing their ground, they have successfully expanded the company Hong Kong; and the platform now boasts a combined total of 1,700 vendors and 70,000!
- +65 9168 8386
WeWork, 8 Cross Street, #18-00, Singapore
- https://www.justdelegate.co/
According to CardUP CEO and Founder Nicki Ramsay, to be an entrepreneur means understanding and accepting that the business is a roller coaster of ups and downs. Celebrate the big milestones, but always be ready for the challenges that will come next. Nicki is now considered a thought leader in the industry, and she is often tapped to attend media events and talks. Nicki started CardUp, a fintech startup that enables users to pay for recurring fees via credit card (even those that don’t accept cards) in 2015. She has led her company through difficult partnerships, trust-building with businesses and users, and multiple fundraising and product launches. In 2016, CardUp was featured by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) as one of 20 global organizations in their Fintech Festival Programme, solidifying their place in the industry!
- +65 3163 9289
75 Ayer Rajah Crescent, #02-04, Singapore
- https://www.cardup.co/
Founder Krystal Choo proves that curiosity and resilience are must-have qualities in an entrepreneur. When she was only 27, she already had four companies under her belt: events service Insurgence, travel trend predictor ZipTrip, social media chat Wander, and—what she’s currently working on—experience marketplace Tickle. An advocate of mental health awareness, Krystal often reminds people of the importance of taking breaks. She also encourages people to identify their own drivers for productivity and to constantly remember these to motivate you. In your day-to-day, she advises you to get the most important thing over with first; the rest of the day will fall into place.
AZ @ Paya Lebar, 140 Paya Lebar Road, 06-23, Singapore
- https://www.trytickle.com/
Shiok Meats, the first cell-based clean meat company in Southeast Asia, was founded by scientists Sandhya Sriram and Ka Yi Ling. The company focuses mainly on cell-based seafood; and they are currently developing a shrimp substitute. The duo admittedly hasn’t faced many challenges as female entrepreneurs (or they have just ignored them, says Ka Yi). Apart from gaining respect due to their academic achievements, they believe that having strong support systems have helped them weather the trials that come with running a business. Sandhya also thinks that working with a female co-founder has been very open, collaborative, and overall just a positive experience.
Singapore
- https://www.shiokmeats.com/
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