UOB Thailand supports Thai SMEs for international expansion with the E-Commerce Accelerator Programme (EAP) by UOB FinLab
Look at how Thailand supports Thai SMEs to expand internationally through the E-Commerce Accelerator Programme (EAP)
Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur (D.I.P:W) 2025 Recap
In collaboration with UOB Business Banking Singapore, UOB FinLab Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur 2025 (D.I.P:W) aims to digitally transform women-led businesses, fostering a community of empowered women who drive innovation and achieve business success.
Over the course of five days, womenpreneurs participated in expert-led workshops covering topics such as business transformation and resilience, brand and marketing strategies, innovation and scalability. The programme seamlessly integrated practical learning with peer networking, enabling womenpreneurs to embrace technology, enhance their operations, and build resilient, future-ready businesses.
Session 1 - Programme Opening
Welcoming Address and Opening Keynote
Shannon Lung, Head of UOB FinLab and Ecosystem, shares about UOB’s mission to support women entrepreneurs.
The Programme kickstarted with an energising welcoming address by Shannon Lung, Head of UOB FinLab and Ecosystem, setting the tone for a week of growth and learning.
He highlighted UOB’s commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs through innovation, mentorship, and accessible tools.
Ian Wong, Head of Group International Management at UOB, then was also invited to the programme opening and delivered an opening keynote on how businesses should evolve with the changing workforce, embracing digitalisation, innovation, and talent development to stay future-ready, while fostering agility and resilience within their teams.
Ian Wong, Head of Group International Management of UOB, shares about the evolving business landscape and the embracing digitalisation.
Panel Discussion: Empowered Entrepreneurship – Navigating Challenges and Building Resilience
From left to right: Moderator: Sher-Li Torrey, Founder of Mums@Work (Singapore), Co-Founder of Career Navigators SG, Speakers: Chandrima Das, CEO and Co-Founder of Teleskop, Joan Chang, Director of Macly Group and Co-Founder of Ove, Lloyd’s Inn and Good Addition; Sharon Li, Co-Founder of CHOYS and Valerie Aw, Founder of Aestival Elements.
The morning continued with a dynamic panel discussion on the topic: Empowered Entrepreneurship – Navigating Challenges and Building Resilience as Female Business Leaders.
Moderated by Sher-Li Torrey, Founder of Mums@Work (Singapore) and Co-Founder of Career Navigators SG, the conversation brought together four seasoned female business leaders:
- Chandrima Das, CEO and Co-Founder of Teleskop;
- Joan Chang, Director of Macly Group and Founder of Ove, Co-Founder of Lloyd’s Inn and Good Addition;
- Sharon Li, Co-Founder of CHOYS, and
- Valerie Aw, Founder of Aestival Elements
Sher-Li Torrey, Founder of Mums@Work (Singapore) and Co-Founder of Career Navigators SG, moderated the panel discussion with four womenpreneurs.
The panel discussion provided valuable insights into various aspects of female entrepreneurship. Key takeaways included strategies for launching ventures, introducing innovations, and managing cross-sector responsibilities.
Panelists emphasised the importance of overcoming self-doubt, highlighting that it was about “progress over perfection”.
Panelists emphasised the importance of overcoming self-doubt, highlighting that it was about “progress over perfection”.
They discussed balancing business with personal life, leveraging mentorship and past experiences, reflecting on how stepping into a leadership role within a legacy business challenged her to drive innovation in the traditional industries she became involved in.
Joan Chang, Director of Macly Group and Co-Founder of Ove, Lloyd’s Inn and Good Addition, talks about bringing fresh perspectives to traditional industries.
Valerie Aw, Founder of Aestival Elements, emphasises the importance of staying grounded in the community.
Resilience, collaboration, and utilising institutional support were highlighted as crucial elements in the entrepreneurial journey. These insights collectively offer a comprehensive guide for aspiring entrepreneurs to navigate challenges and achieve success.
Sharon Li, Co-Founder of CHOYS, shares about her transition from corporate innovation to entrepreneurship.
Chandrima Das, CEO and Co-Founder of Teleskop shares about her journey in FinTech and how that shaped her business mindset.
From Challenges to Opportunities: Driving Business Growth Through Strategic Support
Benedict Tay, Head of Customer Engagement, Development and Ecosystem Partnership at UOB Business Banking Singapore, concluded the programme opening session by discussing the evolving SME landscape. He highlighted current business trends, statistics and challenges from UOB Business Outlook Study 2025, and shared how the bank’s ecosystem supports women-led businesses in scaling confidently and sustainably.
Benedict Tay, Head of Customer Engagement, Development and Ecosystem Partnership at UOB Business Banking Singapore, sharing on the evolving SME landscape based on UOB’s latest research.
Workshop: Elevate Pitch – Unlock Your Potential
Dalia Chan, Co-Founder and Lead Trainer of Speech Titans, shares speaking techniques and presentation skills and guides a participant through the writing exercise.
The afternoon session featured a pitching workshop titled “Elevate Pitch – Unlock Your Potential”, led by Dalia Chan, Co-Founder and Lead Trainer of Speech Titans. The workshop focused on helping women founders present themselves with. The session included speaking exercises, tone and gesture tips, and a writing activity to refine their value proposition, equipping womenpreneurs to deliver an elevator pitch with clarity and impact.
Following the conclusion of the session, womenpreneurs had the opportunity to network. Foster bonds and look forward to the beginning of an exciting line-up of workshops and speakers.
Womenpreneur interacting post session 1 of D.I.P:W 2025.
Session 2: LinkedIn Digital Marketing Workshop
Session 2 group photo at LinkedIn APAC headquarters.
Session 2 of the programme: LinkedIn digital marketing workshop was hosted by Shawn Lim, Senior Enterprise Accounts Director at LinkedIn over at LinkedIn APAC Headquarter. His welcoming address highlighted LinkedIn’s close partnership with UOB and their role in enhancing the online influence of women leaders.
Kelvin Lee, Head of Social Media, Group Strategic Communications and Brand at UOB, gave an opening speech on the importance of authenticity and digital storytelling in scaling women-led businesses.
Shawn Lim, Senior Enterprise Accounts Director, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, shares LinkedIn’s mission and its partnership with UOB to support women entrepreneurs.
Kelvin Lee, Head of Social Media, Group Strategic Communications and Brand, UOB, talking about digital storytelling.
Leading with Authenticity: The Power of Women Entrepreneurs in Shaping Their Business Identity
From left to right: Moderator: Dawn Leong, Investment Content Specialist of UOB Private Bank, Speakers: Monica Bhatia, Global External Partnerships Lead and Co-Lead of Women@LinkedIn Singapore, Shu Yi Goh, Founder and Lead Trainer of The Strengths Co., Violet Lim, Co-Founder and CEO of Lunch Actually Group
The programme continued with an inspiring panel discussion on the topic of Leading with Authenticity – The Power of Women Entrepreneurs in Shaping Their Business Identity.
Moderated by Dawn Leong, Investment Content Specialist at UOB Private Bank. This discussion brought together three accomplished women leaders:
- Violet Lim, Co-Founder and CEO of Lunch Actually Group;
- Shu Yi Goh, Founder and Lead Trainer at The Strengths Co.; and
- Monica Bhatia, Global External Partnerships Lead and Co-Lead of Women@LinkedIn Singapore.
Dawn Leong, Investment Content Specialist at UOB Private Bank listens to panelist Monica Bhatia, Global External Partnerships Lead and Co-Lead of Women@LinkedIn Singapore, highlighting the importance of LinkedIn as a tool to scale your influence.
They shared how authenticity shaped their entrepreneurial journeys and brand identities in an increasingly digital world, and discussed aligning personal values with brand purpose. Panelists also highlighted on the power of consistent messaging, how LinkedIn platform has helps woman leaders scale their influence. The panel reinforced that authenticity is not just a marketing tool, but a core strategy for women entrepreneurs.
Shu Yi Goh, Founder and Lead Trainer of The Strengths Co., speaks about how staying rooted in her core purpose helped her navigate business growth.
Violet Lim, Co-Founder and CEO of Lunch Actually Group, talks about how she developed a connection with her audience through authenticity.
(Left to right) Shannon Lung, Head of UOB FinLab and Ecosystem, and Kelvin Lee, Head of Social Media, Group Strategic Communications and Brand, UOB, present the panelists with tokens of appreciation.
Rock Your Profile on LinkedIn
Robin O’Connell, Senior Content Solutions Consultant at LinkedIn, shares tips on how to optimise one’s LinkedIn Profile and interacts with a session attendee.
Robin O’ Connell, Senior Content Solutions Consultant at LinkedIn, then led womenpreneurs in a practical session and shared the best practices for optimising LinkedIn profiles to strengthen personal branding and build credibility. He covered key elements such as using impactful visuals to tell a clear professional story. Womenpreneurs were encouraged to take ownership of their digital presence and position themselves as thought leaders.
The Power of Lifelong Learning in Entrepreneurship
Sydney Giang, Large Enterprise Account Director of LinkedIn, concluded the session on an unique topic “The Power of Lifelong Learning in Entrepreneurship”. She emphasised the importance of continuous learning, encouraging womenpreneurs to adopt a growth mindset, remain agile, and foster a culture of learning through upskilling and utilising LinkedIn resources. Sydney highlighted that a growth mindset is essential for womenpreneurs to scale their ventures successfully.
Sydney Giang, Large Enterprise Account Director of LinkedIn, shares about the value of continuous learning and introduces LinkedIn Learning as a resource for womenpreneur to use to upskill.
Session 3: Business Model Canvas Workshop
Felix Tan, Adjunct Business Advisor of UOB FinLab, shares about the Business Model Canvas (BMC) framework.
Session 3 focused on helping women entrepreneurs build sustainable, scalable businesses using the Business Model Canvas (BMC) framework. Felix Tan, Adjunct Business Advisor of UOB FinLab, guided womenpreneurs through the key components of the BMC, enabling them to assess their current business models and identify opportunities for future growth.
Designed to support founders at various stages, the session provided a structured approach to strategic planning. The main takeaway was a clearer understanding of how to align business operations with long-term goals, empowering womenpreneurs to make confident, informed decisions.
Felix Tan, Adjunct Business Advisor of UOB FinLab, fielding a womenpreneur’s question on the key components of the Business Canvas Model framework.and engaging in conversation with a womenpreneur.
Womenpreneurs networking in between the session.
Session 4: Social Media Marketing Strategies and Innovation Scalability
The Art of Social Media Content and Influencer Marketing
Evangeline Leong, Founder and CEO of Kobe, compares the engagement statistics across different platforms.
The session began with Evangeline, Founder and CEO of Kobe discussing the art of social media content and influencer marketing. She highlighted the importance of centering the customer when creating content and explored how platform-specific strategies ranging from Instagram and TikTok to LinkedIn and YouTube can be used to build brand credibility and drive engagement within each platform’s unique user based.
Womenpreneurs completing the Customer Persona worksheet with Evangeline’s guidance.
Evangeline Leong, Founder and CEO of Kobe, interacting with womenpreneurs post session.
She also broke down the best practices for working with content creators and identifying relevant trends. Through case studies, womenpreneurs learned how to craft compelling narratives and use strategic content marketing to expand business reach across digital platforms.
Fireside Chat: Amplifying Brand Impact – Her Velvet Vase Story
Evangeline Leong, Founder and CEO of Kobe, and Clare Chan, Co-Founder of Her Velvet Vase discuss developing authentic connections with their audience.
Following the workshop, Evangeline was joined by Clare Chan, Co-Founder of Her Velvet Vase, for a fireside chat that dove deeper into the nuances of digital brand building. Together, they discussed how brands can use trend jacking, storytelling, and influencer collaboration to not only reach wider audiences but also strengthen emotional connections with consumers.
Clare shared her personal experiences in using TikTok to build a lifestyle brand rooted in authenticity, sharing that it took her nearly 6 months before she saw results on the platform and Evangeline offered tips on identifying the right platforms and creators for long-term brand equity. The session offered fresh perspectives on how women founders can use social platforms as powerful growth engines.
Clare Chan, Co-Founder of Her Velvet Vase, speaking to the audience about her building her brand on digital spaces, and interacting with the participants post-session.
Group photo with speakers Evangeline Leong, Founder and CEO of Kobe, and Clare Chan, Co-Founder of Her Velvet Vase.
Strategies for Success in Digital Marketing, E-Commerce & GenAI
Julie Wang, Global Principal Trainer of Omnichannel Sales and Marketing at Boston Consulting Group, shares how AI can be used for hyper-personalisation of content.
The afternoon session continued with sharing by Julie Wang, Global Principal Trainer of Omnichannel Sales and Marketing at Boston Consulting Group, leading a discussion on AI’s impact on digital marketing. She highlighted how AI drives hyper-personalised content, predictive analytics, and automation to enhance customer retention. Womenpreneurs learned to apply GenAI in real-world marketing, enabling smarter decisions and scalable growth. The session equipped them with tools to stay agile and competitive in the dynamic digital economy.
Womenpreneurs involved in Julie Wang’s sharing of how AI helps in improving efficiency and creativity in content creation.
Audience member actively participating in the Q&A portion of Julie Wang’s sharing.
Artificial Intelligence Tech Showcase
To wrap up the day, womenpreneurs explored an engaging AI Tech Showcase featuring innovations by File.AI and Guidesify. Yee Huang, Global Head of Revenue at File.AI, and James Chee, Co-Founder of Guidesify, demonstrated practical, resource-friendly AI tools that SMEs can adopt to enhance automation, streamline decision-making, and unlock new opportunities for growth and efficiency.
Yee Huang, Global Head of Revenue at File.AI, shares about how File.AI optimises operational decision-making.
James Chee, Co-Founder of Guidesify, shares about the different AI tools SMEs can adopt
Session 5: Mentors Meet-and-Greet Session
The final session of D.I.P:W 2025 focused on connection and forward momentum. Paul Kan, Head of UOB Business Banking Singapore, shared brief reflections on leadership and UOB’s commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs across the region.
Paul Kan, Head of UOB Business Banking Singapore shares his closing remarks for D.I.P:W 2025.
Womenpreneurs then engaged in a dynamic mentors meet-and-greet, connecting with 13 experienced leaders from diverse industries. During the session, womenpreneurs listened to the mentors share their expertise and experiences and spent time getting to know them before being matched post-programme.
By offering mentorship and resources specifically for womenpreneurs, we continue our strong commitment to supporting women, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the entrepreneurial world, and empowering women to succeed in their business ventures.
Benny Chan, Head of Channels and Digitalisation, UOB, interacts with womenpreneurs post mentorship session.
Ian Wong, Head of Group International Management, UOB, interacts with womenpreneurs
Joewin Tan, CEO of QUANT Consulting Group, interacts with womenpreneurs
Vanessa Ong, Owner and Founder of Gernise Global Pte Ltd, interacts with womenpreneurs
Mentorship Meet-and-Greet Group photo.
The programme shows our dedication to supporting women in building a community of business leaders and entrepreneurs. We are proud to promote diversity and inclusivity in the entrepreneurial world, helping women thrive and achieve their business goals.
Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur (D.I.P:W) 2025 Recap
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