Hong Kong Living Influencer Awards 2020: Entrepreneur

Yoona Min, founder and CEO of YVEREST

Following in her sister’s footsteps, Yoona Min moved to Hong Kong just two years ago and was inspired to launch her first business venture. “Hong Kong is a great place to succeed, there are so many opportunities and talented people to work with,” she says. 

With a focus on self-love, Min designed her products from scratch and created her brand, YVEREST to educate and empower women. “Bringing a positive contribution to women’s sexual health and wellness is so important, women need to learn more about the power of self-care and self-love.”

While this year has been challenging for new businesses, Min remains upbeat. “This period was a crucial time for me to learn, strive and grow. I spent a lot of time with my loved ones and prioritised on self-growth and goals,” she says. The future looks bright from Min and YVEREST, taking inspiration from successful female entrepreneurs around the world, she has taken the wellness industry by storm and will continue to be an ambassador for women’s empowerment.

Justin Cheng, co-founder and CEO of Block Manic

Justin Cheng is no stranger to the world of entrepreneurship. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Australia, the Quantitative Trading professional-turned-entrepreneur has founded and grown four start-ups (Block Manic, ALTOS Asia Pacific, GTP Talent Search and GTP Talent Consultancy) that have now branched out to five more brands focusing on lifestyle, sustainability, technology and talent – all within five years.

For Cheng, the journey has been a steep and interesting learning curve tapping into a lot of different industries. Running his businesses has allowed him to meet passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds along the way, from baristas to sommeliers, vegan advocates to market pioneers, with some of whom he became partners and friends with. And now, even the global pandemic cannot stop him – he has recently opened a brick-and-mortar lifestyle lab in Sheung Wan.

Cheng believes there is an opportunity in every situation. “We only need to find one way – where company vision is still upheld – to adapt to the situation and pivot quickly to capture the opportunity,” he says.

Vincent Fong, CEO of Raze

They say timing is everything. This couldn’t be more true for surging material science company Raze, founded in Hong Kong in 2018. What originally began as an idea to develop health and hygiene products for the agricultural sector, Raze has found new life as a simple self-sanitizing spray that decomposes 99 percent of pathogens, bacteria, viruses, odours and mould.

Vincent Fong, co-founder and CEO of Raze, believes a strong push for both private and public hygiene presented a window for his business to step up and assist in the fight against the virus. “My biggest motivation under the pandemic is seeing Raze helping every citizen in every way possible,” he says.

While success is not really a word to be used under these circumstances, driving innovative research into products that benefits millions, has been a hugely motivating factor. Throughout his journey, Fong counts his grandfather as inspiration for continuing to push his ideas and drive innovation. “My grandpa started his entrepreneurial journey at 13 years of age as a spice trader selling sesame and cinnamon, he then moved into textile trading and eventually went into real estate. He maintained the philosophy of earning to give back which has instilled strong value in my own journey.” From home products to self-sanitizing industrial paint and even textiles, the future is very bright for this rising Hong Kong innovator.

Astor Chan, co-founder and CEO of May16

Astor Chan, the co-founder and CEO of clothing company May16, hasn’t always enjoyed a profession in the Hong Kong fashion industry. Before she founded the O2O (online-to-offline) fashion store, she practised as a lawyer for over 15 years, frequenting law conferences and teaching at the Harvard Business School Negotiation program. 

Four years ago, at the age of 40, she decided to change her direction – she wanted to do something she was passionate about. “It was a big move to transform from a legal professional to the fashion and beauty industry,” she says. There were many things she had to learn along the way – like the fact that an O2O model is the key strategy to grow in 2020. “Making use of digital platforms can help tell our story, build our brand and develop a relationship with our customers,” says Chan.

“A physical store becomes a showroom that can bring the tailor-made experience and service to customers.” After four years of hard work, Chan has built a reliable customer base, consisting mostly of professional ladies. For new business owners, Chan has a few words of advice: “An idea can never be perfect, success is all about execution. The idea can be changed during the execution. Don’t just think. Work on it.”

Anita Shum, founder and principal of Mini Mandarins

After moving to Australia as a child, Anita Shum found herself lost without a national identity. Growing up, she was called ‘banana girl’ – someone with yellow skin but with a white mindset. Fuelled by this, she decided to create Mini Mandarins, a school where children can connect with Chinese culture and language. 

“Since opening my school, I have engaged with over 5,000 students across Hong Kong,” says Shum. “Mini Mandarins is the first government approved language school to be accredited in international schools.” Aside from this, she is also the first Mandarin educator columnist to be featured in the South China Morning Post, where she shares her thoughts on multilingualism and suggestions for nurturing youth Chinese literacy. In fact, for Shum, Hong Kong continues to be the gateway of China to the world. “As we head into globalisation many families will love their children to learn more about Chinese culture and language.” 

While money is a motivator for many people, Shum believes subscribes to something more. “You need to have a real passion for what you are doing and as a leader you need to ensure that you take care of your team.” Her passion has enabled her to stand with her team this year and help them find different strategies to continue classes including Zoom and private classes.

Vincent Tsui, co-founder and CEO of WOOM Workspace Booking Platform

Vincent Tsui’s entrepreneurial journey started in 2018. In his mid-30’s, it was a big risk to take. With family and kids to support, taking a leap of faith into the world of self-employment was not easy. But there was a bigger idea at play. 

“Early success in my career in the financial industry meant I was trapped in a comfort zone for years. That was a frustrating point in my life,” he admits. “I realised my friends were making remarkable achievements in their mid-30s and I started to think about my passion, my achievements and being a role model for my young kids.” This yearning led him to invest in several business ventures, but the real change came with an idea to shake up the sharing economy in Hong Kong.

Enter WOOM, a workspace booking platform which allows users to book a meeting room, hot desk, event venue and even a hotel within minutes. The Uber of workspaces. Today, WOOM has over 50 business centres in its platform and a recent pivot has seen the application expand into hotel day passes for the local business community. “Within one month we had a network of hotels distributing work from room packages. That became a great hit in the market and replenished our revenue loss from the business travellers that originally was the bread and butter of our business.”

Being an entrepreneur is about adapting to change and Tsui is living this philosophy to its best. “There’s never a formula that can give you success forever. It has given me a great sense of satisfaction to start the whole business from scratch, build the team and gain trust from business partners.”

Read more: Best co-working spaces in Hong Kong

Julianna Yau, founder and director of Ampla Education

After graduating from the University of Cambridge with a Masters in Mathematics, Julianna Yau pursued her interest in education by completing a course on Maths Teaching at Stanford University. Upon returning to Hong Kong, Yau started an admissions consultancy, Ampla Education, to help students succeed in their pursuit of higher education.

“Seeing the smiles on our students’ faces when they achieved their goals never fails to make my day,” she says. Yau’s students are also her biggest source of inspiration. “They are not afraid of falling nor are they afraid to try new things. Their imagination is limitless and they are always able to find happiness in the smallest things,” she says.

As Hong Kong comes out of a turbulent year, Yau’s secret to staying motivated through tough times is simply by staying connected. “Nothing beats human interaction. With social distancing in place, it’s more important than ever to stay connected with your family, friends, colleagues, clients and business partners,” she says.

Read more: 8 successful female entrepreneurs to know in Hong Kong

Tracy Ho, founder and director of Frame & Fame Personal Branding

Before starting Frame & Fame Personal Branding, many of Tracy Ho’s entrepreneur friends advised her: “Be prepared for a roller coaster ride.” As a business owner now, Ho finds herself relating to this statement every single day.

Along with running her own business, Ho is also a personal branding consultant and certified coach. “Being able to run a business that connects my passion and purpose as well as helping others reach their career and personal goals is a big achievement,” she says. “I count my blessings for every client I have. it’s not easy to win someone’s trust, especially for a consulting and coaching business like mine.” 

The past 12 months have been among the toughest ever in Hong Kong and globally, but Ho has stayed motivated by focusing on internal growth. “The best defensive measure against a tough environment is to make sure we regularly review who we are and develop ourselves to be the best for our target audience.” 

For aspiring entrepreneurs, she suggests: “Connect your passion with concrete actions. There are many dreamers who talk about their passions, aspirations and how they can change the world, but those who succeed are the ones who take action.”

Brenda Wilson, owner of Swoon Soirées

Hong Kong can be a tough market to succeed. But against all odds, Swoon Soirées has found mainstream success and will be celebrating its fifth business anniversary this year. Founded by Brenda Wilson when there was little in the way of party supplies available in the local market, Swoon Soirées constantly seeks out on-trend, high quality and whimsical partyware from around the world.

“We keep our costs down by only operating an online boutique,” explains Wilson. “This has helped us weather several storms.” To manage the chaos of 2020, she has had to change her business tactics several times. “My roles have changed dramatically from business owner to full-time teacher and mum, and back again,” she says. “Keeping priorities clear can be hard because you can’t have it all, but acknowledging that is a healthy start.” 

Read more: Hong Kong children’s brands and the entrepreneurs behind them

The biggest lesson she has learned this year is to always look for the silver lining. The pandemic may have slowed things down, but Wilson remains hopeful for the future. “We are excited to launch a variety of new products, enhance the customer experience on our e-commerce site and hopefully capture the imagination of new customers and our existing clients who love us.”

David Pope, founder and managing director of All Voice Talent

Starting his career as an assistant film editor at the BBC, David Pope came to Hong Kong in 1995, drawn to the energy and vibrancy of the city. “My love affair with Hong Kong continues to this day,” says Pope.

Through his work as a language specialist, voice artist, voice director and producer, Pope repeatedly saw a direct link between how we use our voice and the effect it can have on confidence in the workplace, and leadership potential. His research led to the creation of specific workshops and coaching programmes, focussed on voice and physical presence, that empower executives to find their authentic voice, and speak with impact. 

“Building up a successful business takes hard work, but the satisfaction of helping clients find the power of their voice makes it all worthwhile,” he says. In the current pandemic, Pope has adapted fast with a digitalisation of his business through webinars, online coaching and professional development video programmes. Despite some initial challenges, Pope holds a positive outlook. “I’m learning not to worry about the future and to just live in the moment.”

Anna Chan, founder and life coach of Peace by Peace

Anna Chan has one mission – to empower others with a growth mindset so that they can find true happiness and continue to grow. From working in the digital industry, to joining an adtech startup and even taking up a role in senior regional management, Chan only found her true calling when she became a life coach. She set up Peace by Peace to provide coaching services to others, so that they could find their life purpose too. 

Through coaching, Chan hopes more people can discover their blind spots and self-worth so that they will be in a better position to contribute to society and others in need. Her determination has kept her motivated throughout the past year as the world battles a pandemic. “I spent a significant amount of time learning new skills and reading books,” she explains. “I meditate and keep a daily journal which records my experience about savouring, gratitude and kindness acts.”

As we adjust to the new ‘normal’, she hopes to put her new knowledge into practice and contribute to society. “Things happen for a reason. Instead of focusing on things you can’t control, stay positive and be where you should be,” she says.

Joyce Lau, founder of The Naked Lab

During tough times, Joyce Lau believes that passion can trump expertise in helping business owners stay afloat. “If you believe in your idea, you can make it happen. It can get overwhelming sometimes, so I try to keep things simple and take baby steps. Just give yourself a goal and stick with it,” she says.

Lau got the idea to start her own organic bedding brand after struggling to find the right bedding for her daughter Pia, who suffered from eczema. After putting in countless hours of research and development, the mumtrepreneur launched Naked Lab in 2018 to provide high-quality bamboo silk bedding for kids and families. “When customers come back and share with me how much the products have helped them with their skin and sleeping problems, I feel overjoyed and fulfilled,” she says.

As a business owner who is also juggling a full-time job and a young child at home, Lau has learnt to quickly adapt her mindset to be more flexible and responsive in both her work and family life.

Angela Cheung, managing director of APV

A career in TV production is a dream for many, but only a few are able to ride out its highs and lows. Angela Cheung is one such person. 

As the Managing Director of APV, her biggest achievement is a career launching TV shows all around Asia Pacific and making lifelong friends along the way. “I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career but the signs were there,” she says. “At school, I wrote and directed plays and was a community radio DJ. At university, a friend suggested doing something related to the media. I remember thinking – I don’t know what an Executive Producer is but that sounds fancy.” 

For Cheung, the joy of working in TV production is creating memorable scenes all the time, with locations, cast, props and a storyline. She likes to think of life as a series of chapters or scenes from a movie. As for people joining the film and entertainment industry, Cheung has a few words of advice, “don’t look for a traditional path as there’s no such thing. If the front door doesn’t work, go round the side, crawl through the cat flap – do whatever it takes.”

Letao Wang, founder and spiritual counsellor of The Healing Kingdom

As the founder of The Healing Kingdom, Letao Wang did not plan his spiritual path – he had been confused about life when one fateful meeting with a spiritual counsellor in Australia changed everything. Wang strongly believes opportunities only come to us when we are ready. “Keep learning and improving, the universe is always protecting us,” he says. Since opening his professional practice in Hong Kong eight years ago, Wang has helped many Hongkongers through financial, family and relationship problems through spiritual counselling. 

“Hong Kong is a very dynamic city. People come and go. The energy changes and we are constantly transforming. The bubbling energy of the city gives us challenges, but also pushes us to strive better,” he adds. The uncertainty of 2020 has caused many people to seek guidance, whether that be spiritually, emotionally or physically.

Wang believes one of the greatest lessons 2020 has taught us as a society, is that we must learn how to work together for mutual empowerment. “The universe needs a humanity that is harmonious and has a strong sense of unity. We are all in this together and we can overcome any challenge.”

Renée Boey, founder and education director of Baker & Bloom

For Renée Boey, the opportunity to build a new school in a city that is in the crosscurrents of change has been a major adventure, “I wanted to live in a place that challenged me – with its many contradictions and contrasts,” says Boey. 

As an educator who believes in fostering creativity and entrepreneurial spirit in children, Boey is motivated by seeing how education can propel a young person into a new direction, “witnessing that human transformation and being able to play a small role in it, is a miraculous thing,” she says. 

Some of her students have won the Harvard Book Prize Scholarship and embarked on a study abroad experience for the first time; while others have opened their eyes to the new economy and their potential role in it through the entrepreneurship education at CoCoon Foundation. 

Even during such challenging times, Boey keeps pushing ahead. “By focusing on the long-term value and vision of your work, you will stay motivated. Luckily, in education, we are naturally focused on how to create a better future for the next generation,” she says.

Tayma Page Allies, founder and jewellery designer of TAYMA Fine Jewellery

Growing up in the Caribbean and Africa gave jewellery designer Tayma Page Allies her passion for colour. She founded her own jewellery brand, TAYMA Fine Jewellery in 1991, starting off small at an Atelier in Lan Kwai Fong. Known for her exotic gemstones such as neon blue Paraiba tourmaline and mandarin orange garnet, Page Allies soon became popular with the Hong Kong market. After a few years, Page Allies was offered a shop space in the Landmark Prince’s Building, rubbing noses with Cartier and Chanel. “I knew then that I’d made it,” she laughs. 

After calling the Prince’s Building home for 16 years, Allies has returned to her original light, bright Lan Kwai Fong Atelier. While she admits it was a difficult decision, Page Allies looks on the positive side, “It’s lovely to have a window, after having been in a shopping mall, and I’m enjoying the freedom to hold events and give talks.”

As TAYMA Fine Jewellery gears up to celebrate its 30th Anniversary next year, Page Allies reminisces about her experiences. “It’s been a long, challenging and wonderful journey, full of fabulous gems, adventures and colourful characters, not to mention clients.” And with the changing climate of retail, Page Allies says that she will be expanding the TAYMA Online Shop, social media and her YouTube channel, Tayma Gemalista. 

Taking inspiration from her mother’s love of art and jewellery, and using her own experience from her former teaching days, Page Allies now wants to impart her knowledge and passion for gems to inform, educate and delight her listeners, with a blend of history and gemmology. “I’ve given lectures in the U.K. and Hong Kong, and I’m looking forward to expanding my repertoire.”

Grace Siu, career coach and trainer of Career Center, HKUST

Born, raised and educated in Hong Kong, Grace Siu is someone who is consistently looking for challenges. Her previous career chapters include human resources and container terminal operations, the last of which had her managing 300 men in a third-tier city outside of Hong Kong. As the only woman in a man’s world, Siu was constantly looked down upon and had to fight to have her voice heard – and fight she did. “In that job, I broke loads of operation records and was able to raise the team spirit and morale to a record high in four years,” she says.

As the career coach and trainer at HKUST, Siu has transformed the lives of thousands of students in Hong Kong, giving them a sense of purpose and inspiration. Many students see her as not only a teacher, but also a friend. She is able to apply what she learnt previously to her current situation. “I enjoy the process of unlearning and relearning, and would say having ‘people skills’ is my superpower,” says Siu. 

For people going through a difficult time in their career at the moment, she offers, “find opportunities in difficulties. I always ask myself, how can this be done better? What are the new demands in this new normal? There is no such thing as failure. The only failure is not trying.”

Rick Woo, co-founder of LOST

LOST is an empire. In 2013, it became Hong Kong’s first and most well-known escape room concept. Founded by entrepreneur Rick Woo, LOST is now established in eight countries with a total of 13 branches. 

Although it is primarily an escape room, it is also used for team building, corporate training, birthday parties and more. “When I started LOST, everybody was opting for an online business, but I could see that the competition would be harsh and it would be hard to survive,” Woo explains the brand’s beginnings. “I thought the other way round, deciding to set up a physical business. Instead of following the wave, why not create the wave?” 

Just last year, he opened LOST Junior, targeting ages 6 to 14. The entrepreneur shows no signs of slowing, despite the global pandemic. “The biggest lessons I have learned is to diversify your business when there is a chance and never put all your eggs in one basket. “In my personal life, I treasure my business partners and we are always searching for different ways to support each other.” As for those starting their own business, he only has one piece of advice: “Do what the market needs, instead of doing what you want.”

Catherina Boh, founder of 7 figure Career Changemaker

Catherina Boh’s Hong Kong story is a well-worn tale of hard work, a little luck and a lot of figuring things out along the way. It’s a story many of us are familiar with. 

Boh arrived in Hong Kong some 17 years ago, relocating from Singapore to start a new life in a city. There were obstacles, challenges and tears, but a sense of purpose and some gritty determination saw her push through and achieve some major milestones. “My first six months were extremely tough,” she admits. “I was new to the recruitment industry, new to the city and just wrapping my head around things. I almost didn’t make it.”

By month seven, things took a turn for the better. “I put in more hours than others, traded my personal time to learn about the industry, took projects that others didn’t want and from there built my client base.” This hard work and persistence saw Boh launch her own coaching consultancy in 2018 helping ambitious professionals achieve the kind of success they seek in their careers. 

While the past 12 months have been some of the toughest ever in Hong Kong, Boh has adapted and changed her business accordingly. “I have started moving online to offer a one-to-many model, helping as many people as I possibly can.” With a shifting economy and disruption, it’s important for professionals to learn how they can repackage their career and create wealth. “That is how I coach my clients to live their best lives and fulfil their potential,” she says.

Rebecca Ting, CEO and co-founder of P9 Productions 

Rebecca Ting is the CEO and co-founder of P9 Productions, a tech-driven creative agency that produces short films, animations and interactive video games. Knowing many customers nowadays have a limited attention span, Ting applies her expertise in big data and user behaviour analytics. Helping her clients in the finance and insurance business, improve the customer experience of their digital products. “Poor product fit is one of the biggest reasons that start-ups fail. Do your research and be flexible with what you’re offering,” she says. 

Ting lived in both Tokyo and Melbourne at a young age, but always knew that she wanted to start her career in Hong Kong. “Hong Kong is a great place to start your own business because of the ease of registering a company and the minimal paperwork compared to other countries. This reduces the barrier for aspiring entrepreneurs to just go ahead and try out their ideas,” says Ting. 

Since remote working was already part of P9 Productions work schedule, Ting saw an increase in opportunities this year, but believes face-to-face meetings are a crucial element of working successfully as a team. 

Alice Han, founder and program director of Nihao Language Education

Alice Han is on a mission to dispel a long-held myth that learning to speak and read Chinese is hard work. “Learning Chinese is not hard at all,” she says. In fact, it is outdated education tools and a lack of innovation that has perpetuated this belief. But Han, who founded Nihao Language Education in 2014, is turning that idea on its head. After graduating with a Masters in Teaching Chinese as an International Language, Han bounced around various language and training centers, but found their methods were not working. “I found teaching methods and materials were not innovative. So in 2014, I started my own center.”

“I wanted to inspire people to learn Chinese and make the learning journey effective while having as much fun as possible. Our course is based on pragmatism. With building block methods, we read Chinese using illustrated Chinese characters and tailor-made storybooks.” Since 2014, Nihao Language Education has gone on to expand into the corporate world, training the likes of teams from SUEZ, HSBC and Adidas. But she admits it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. “The difficult thing at the beginning was finding experienced and passionate teachers. Some enthusiastic teachers couldn’t stay long in the industry and some experienced teachers were not innovative enough.” But persistence and a commitment to innovate, have proved a successful ingredient in Hong Kong’s competitive language market.