UOB FinLab

Digitalisation
Innovation Programme:

Womenpreneur

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Programme Overview

In collaboration with UOB Business Banking Singapore, Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur (D.I.P:W) is designed with forward looking initiatives to build a community and empower women entrepreneurs through mentorship, business transformation and growth with digital innovation.

The programme is tailored to female entrepreneurs, business owners and managerial positions who own or manage small to medium businesses.

Programme Pillars

Innovation & Scalability

Community Building

Business Transformation

Brand & Marketing Strategies

Mentorship

Business Resilience

Dipw Article First Day Group Photo E1746671135299 - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

D.I.P:W 2025 Highlights

Womenpreneur reached its successful conclusion, after a comprehensive two-week programme designed to foster a vibrant community and empower women to drive growth and business success through digital innovation.

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Success Stories ​

After attending the DIPW programme, Ethel, the founder of Edith Patisserie, redefined her brand’s purpose and initiated a series of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects, implementing strategies to support lower-income families.

Ethel Tan
Co-Founder, Edith Patisserie

Ethel Tan - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

After joining the DIPW+ programme, Christine described it as a turning point for her business. Through the mentorship sessions, it helped her uncover her business’s core purpose and provided actionable strategies. 

Christine Hiew
Founder, Plantitude

Christine Hiew - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Through digital adoption and integration of digitalisation solutions, we were able to achieve a 15% boost in engagement with prospective clients.

Belinda Yeo
Director, Innovez Engineering​

Belinda Yeo 2 - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

The programme gave me clarity in branding, essential digital tools, and a priceless support network of women founders.

Joyce Chung
Founder & CEO, Guilt Free Food​

Joyce Chung - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

My mentor provided financial advice which benefitted and boosted our business operations.

Jeanne Liu
Director, Rich & Good Cake Shop​​

Jeanne Liu - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Featured News

Two women who defied tradition and gender bias to transform their businesses.

Jenny Tay and Clare Leighton, who have transformed their businesses by challenging traditional norms and embracing innovation.

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Jenny Tay And Clare Leighton 2 - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Sonata Dancewear leaps into Southeast Asia by building on tradition

Sonata Dancewear, a Singaporean family-run business established in 1982, has evolved from a modest tailor shop into a prominent regional brand.

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Sonata 1 - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

大华FinLab推数码创新计划 助女企业家建立可持续发展商业模式

大华银行的一项调查显示，在亚细安和大中华地区逾4000家受访企业中，有多达五分之二的企业由女性来领导。因此，该银行推出数码创新计划，帮助女企业家打造可持续发展的商业模式。

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Lianhe Zaobao Article Image - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Business Mentors

Benny - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Benny Chan

Group Channels and Digitalisation,
UOB
Ianwong - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Ian Wong

Group International Management,
UOB
Karen Teo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Karen Teo

Group Channels and Digitalisation,
UOB
Paul Kan

Paul Kan

Business Banking
Singapore, UOB
Charu Srivastava - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Charu Srivastava

TriOn & Co
Evangeline Leong - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Evangeline Leong

Kobe
Gillian Chang - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Gillian Cheng

Google Cloud
Joewin Tan 1 - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Joewin Tan

QUANT Consulting Group
Lesley Ngai 1 - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Lesley Ngai

Bit by Bit Marketing
Munal Rathore - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Munal Rathore

Boston Consulting Group
Pauline Sim - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Pauline Sim

United Overseas Insurance Limited
Sher Li 400X400 1 - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Sher-Li Torrey

Mums@Work
Career Navigators SG
Return-To-Work Japan
Vanessa Ong - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Vanessa Ong

Gernise Global
Violet Lim - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Violet Lim

Lunch Actually

Supporting Partners:

Ace Sg Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Bcg Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
File.ai Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Guidesify Singapore Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Kobe Agency Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Linkedin Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Mums@Worksg 1200X800 1 - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Speech Titans Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Supporting Speakers and Mentors:

Aestival Elements Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Bit By Bit - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Choys Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Gernise Global Pte Ltd Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Google Cloud Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Hvv Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Lunch Actually Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Lloyds Inn Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Mama Shop - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Quant Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Teleskop - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
The Strengths Co Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur
Uoi Logo - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Past Programmes

Uob X Womenpreneur 1600X900 1 - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

UOB Womenpreneur Networking Event 2024

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Recapping First Masterclass Dip Womenpreneur 1600X900 1 - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

Recapping UOB FinLab’s
First Masterclass –
DIP: Womenpreneur+

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Finlab Dip Womenpreneur Kv - Digitalisation Innovation Programme: Womenpreneur

DIP: Womenpreneur 2024


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Benny Chan

Head of Channels and Digitalisation, UOB Singapore

Benny has a passion in transforming businesses. In his 20 years of banking experience, he has financed customers to save failed businesses, and execute transformation plans. He has also built a banking business from scratch in the Education sector and led the way in entering the Myanmar market for a regional bank.

In 2012, he headed a regional SME Banking digital transformation team, developed new SME online account opening and online loans application straight through capabilities before digital banks were launched. He was one of the first in the industry, to develop internal sales force mobile apps that provided Relationship Managers with complete information of their customers and sales opportunities while on the go. He also established a strong SME banking social media presence and built data models to compute customer propensity to buy products in the SME banking space.

Benny is currently the Head of Channels & Digitalisation for UOB Singapore, he heads UOB’s branch network in Singapore including Privilege & Wealth Banking centres and Self Service Banking network. He is leading efforts to transform the network to complement digital channels as part of an omni-channnels strategy to better serve customers and cross-sell complex consumer and SME banking products.

ian

Ian Wong

Head of Group International Management, UOB

Key Skills

  • Executive coaching and management
  • Deal negotiation, venture management
  • Foreign direct investment advisory
  • Interpersonal skills development 
  • Chief master coach and mentor
  • Regional expansion advisory

 

Originally geared towards medical studies, Ian took on a totally different path in university and eventually embarked on a career in banking, leading countries and enabling deals across Asia, Europe and US. After leadership stints, including an overseas posting, with global banks like Bank of America Merrill Lynch and HSBC, Ian is now Managing Director and Group Head, International Management at United Overseas Bank.

In this role, he is responsible for the international banking entities, venture management and foreign direct investment advisory divisions. A certified chief master coach, Ian strives to bring out the best in people and advocates for organisations to foster strong coaching and mentoring cultures so as to thrive sustainably and purposefully.

He writes about personal inspirations, experiences and learnings which colleagues and connections may find helpful as they navigate their career and life journeys, especially in today’s “business as UNusual” environment.

Karen Teo

Deputy Area Manager of Privilege Banking Center, UOB

Karen Teo started her career as a Treasury Officer in Bullion and Futures. Thereafter, she moved on to the Wholesale Banking arena, boasting over 20 years in institutional and Commercial Banking. Throughout her career, Karen has helped corporate clients grow and expand both domestically and internationally by providing innovative and holistic financial solutions covering financing, cash management, structured trade, merger & acquisition financing, all aimed at supporting businesses in corporate growth and international expansion.

Additionally, Karen has played a pivotal role in opening an ASEAN market for a bank as well as provide strategic insights and financial expertise to support corporate clients in their regional expansion. Her understanding of cross-border operations and her ability to leverage UOB’s extensive ASEAN network has helped businesses successfully penetrate new markets and capitalize on growth opportunities.

With six years in UOB’s Group Channels, Karen has been at the forefront of managing the relationship and needs of high-net-worth individuals and corporate clients, both in Singapore and across UOB’s ASEAN-wide network. She has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to driving client success through bespoke financial strategies and a deep understanding of both personal and corporate banking requirements.

Karen’s wealth of experience, coupled with her dedication to delivering comprehensive banking solutions, makes her a trusted partner for businesses and individuals seeking to navigate today’s complex financial landscape.

Paul Kan

Paul Kan

Country Head, Business Banking Singapore, UOB

Key Skills

  • SME banking expertise 
  • Financial and credit analysis
  • Business strategy and development advisory
  • Portfolio and risk management 
  • Regional expansion advisory

Paul is the Country Head for Business Banking Singapore in UOB, with over 20 years’ banking experience in leading banks across markets such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Prior to this, he has held positions such as the Group Product Head leading SME-focused product strategies across ASEAN, and Country Head for Business Banking Indonesia at UOB, leading the small business segment in the regional market. His experience has allowed him to build deep knowledge in strategising, developing and commercialising products and solutions, and in developing expert teams.

Paul is a regular speaker at business forums, sharing his insights with SMEs and start-ups. He believes in empowering his team to pilot ground-up ideas and in bringing people together to maximise opportunities.

Paul holds a Master of Business Administration and an Honors Degree in Engineering.

Charu Srivastava

Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, TriOn & Co

Charu brings with her over 14 years of experience in corporate and government affairs locally, regionally and internationally. Charu is an award-winning communications leader who specialises in:

  • Cross-border corporate and public affairs
  • Crisis preparedness, response and recovery
  • Media training and relations
  • Stakeholder engagement and management
  • B2B event communications
  • ESG communications

She has an extensive proven track-record working at agencies such as Golin, Bell Pottinger, Freshwater, Burson-Marsteller, Litmus, Redhill as well as in-house at Berwin Leighton Paisner, an international law firm in the UK.

Some of the clients she has advised include the Singapore Business Federation, DBS, BIGO, Victoria Government Trade and Investment, Ministry of Law Singapore, Hitachi, Singapore Post, XL Catlin, Labuan International Financial Centre, and many more.

Charu is the Chair of the inaugural PRCA APAC Equality, Diversity & Inclusion committee, and an accredited member of the Institute of Public Relations of Singapore.

Evangeline Leong

Founder and CEO of Kobe

Evangeline is the Founder & CEO of Kobe Global Technologies. Founded in 2016, Kobe has quickly established itself as a leading influencer marketing agency by specialising in creative ideation and results-driven campaigns with its proprietary influencer data and patented management system. With access to over 14 million creators globally, Kobe effectively matches brands with influencers to engage target audiences. The agency’s excellence is underscored by its 8 consecutive Gold Awards for Influencer Agency of the Year since 2020.

Gillian Cheng

Regional Professional Services Lead at Google Cloud

Gillian is the Regional Professional Services Lead in Google Cloud. In her role, she enables organizations to accelerate their digital transformation journey using Google’s leading edge technology and industry expertise. After spending 18+ years in the data and machine learning space, she has deep and practical knowledge to extract true business value from investments in AI.

 

Gillian is deeply passionate about delivering impact using AI as a strategic enabler for public and private sector organisations. She advocates for a well-balanced approach to scaling AI, encompassing the people, process and technology aspects. She actively contributes to the tech community. She serves as the Treasurer in the AI & Robotics Chapter of the Singapore Computer Society and sits on the Programme Advisory Board for the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS).

 

She was an undergraduate and postgraduate scholarship holder from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. She holds a Master of Science in Business Analytics from the National University of Singapore and a Bachelor in Accountancy (Honours) from Nanyang Technological University.

Joewin Tan

Chief Executive Officer, Quant Consulting Group and ACE.SG Women Entrepreneurship Committee (WEC) Member

Joewin Tan is an entrepreneur, speaker, and financial literacy advocate with over a decade of experience building multimillion-dollar ventures. Known for her expertise on innovative financial strategies and turning failures into successes, she empowers SMEs to master business financial health through her unique ABC Methodology. Drawing from her journey of overcoming personal and professional adversity, she inspires entrepreneurs and individuals to thrive in challenging times. Passionate about resilience, she believes entrepreneurship is the ultimate school of life.

Lesley Ngai

Founder of Bit by Bit Marketing | Mentor with ACE.SG WEC

Lesley Ngai is a seasoned business leader with over 30 years of experience spanning financial services, media, and entrepreneurship. Her career journey evolved from corporate leadership and intrapreneurship to entrepreneurship and startup mentorship. As a strategic thinker and innovator, Lesley has consistently driven transformation and growth across diverse industries in the APAC region.

Lesley’s career has been defined by transformation and innovation. In financial services, she held leadership roles at institutions like Citibank Global Consumer Bank where she pioneered the Citibank Sales Academy. Lesley professionalised sales roles through accredited programs that became benchmarks across Asia-Pacific. Her ability to drive transformation extended to branch banking networks and credit culture reforms in regional banks including leading Islamic bank, the Kuwait Finance House.

In media and startups, Lesley demonstrated her entrepreneurial acumen through impactful strategies. She led regional audience growth strategies as the Regional Content Head for Asia’s largest health platform across nine Asian markets where she achieved over 50 million unique users through culturally adapted content strategies. As the Country Manager for a leading Asian parenting and mommies platform, Lesley revitalized the startup’s operations in Malaysia by tripling its web traffic, enhanced user engagement in Singapore and Malaysia, and turned both markets into profitability. Lesley also founded SmartParents.sg for MediaCorp and built the parenting platform into one of the top 3 platforms for parents in Singapore.

As an author and thought leader, Lesley contributed to Genuinely Helpful, an SEO marketing book for universities. She co-wrote the chapter on content and a case study on the work her Agency did for a leading nursing university website’s revamp strategies. Her insights reflect her expertise in leveraging SEO to create discoverable and impactful digital platforms.

Lesley actively mentors startups through organizations like ACE.SG, SUTD Venture Innovation & Entrepreneurship programs and other leading incubators in Singapore. Her mentorship focuses on product marketing strategies, go-to-market planning, and digital transformation frameworks. Combining empathy with actionable insights, Lesley enables entrepreneurs to navigate challenges with clarity and confidence.

Lesley holds an MBA from Manchester Business School (Distinction), an MA in Strategic Business Change (Merit), and a BA HONS in Law from the University of Kent. Her vision is to empower womenpreneurs to harness technology and innovation to create meaningful impact in their businesses and communities.

Munal Rathore

Managing Director and Partner of Boston Consulting Group

Munal is a MD and Partner at BCG, and brings over a decade of experience working across private and public sector. On the private sector front, she focuses on agri, food, and industrial goods. She brings deep expertise and proven track record in driving strategic growth, operational excellence,  digital innovation and large-scale transformations. She’s also worked in development foundations and governments in driving social impact at scale, especially in the space of public education and health. She’s passionate about shaping policy and business strategies to enhance sustainability, competitiveness, and impact.

Pauline Sim

Head of Strategy and Transformation Office, United Overseas Insurance Limited

In her current roles in UOI, Pauline takes care of the strategic planning, execution and project management needs of the company, as well as the business insurance needs of SME clients that are referred by UOB. Her 20 over years of work experience include helping SMEs to structure their working capital financing and cashflow requirements for the present and driving digitalization and technology adoption to set themselves up for the future. She served on the exco of Singapore Fintech Association for 4 years, within which she led the Women in Fintech subcommittee for a term. She is a firm supporter of women representation – seeing women do well in their respective fields, whichever they are, gives her joy.

Sher-Li Torrey

Founder, Mums@Work

Key Skills

  • Career coaching
  • Business development
  • Partnership and community building
  • Diversity & inclusion
  • Marketing Strategy and Project Management
  • Leadership and Workplace Relations 


Sher-li Torrey is the founder & director of Mums@Work (Singapore), which was started in 2010. Trained in various personality profiling tools, she has more than 20 years of corporate experience holding various roles in different industries. In 2010, following the birth of her daughter, Sher-li started Mums@Work (Singapore) – a social enterprise that supports women. A point of information source for women looking at flexible work arrangements and/ or starting their own business, Mums@Work is a career portal that supports more than 53,000 women. In 2016, she started a subsidiary of M@W, Career Navigators – with a focus on bringing women back into the workforce in full-time roles. Through this subsidiary, partnerships with more than 150 MNCs have been established – and various returnships and back-to-work programmes have been implemented across the years. In 2021, Sher-li launched “Singapore:40-over-40. Inspiring Women”- an annual initiative to highlight 40 women in Singapore, over the age of 40, who have started a business, restarted a career, changed career paths or created a social giveback project. The project aims to speak up against ageism and gender bias faced by women in Singapore.

As founder of Singapore’s first flexible work career portal, Sher-li has spoken to various organisations and local media on Diversity & Inclusion topics, as well as HR-related issues. She is a frequent speaker and article contributor to press and TV on topics related to new work environment, employment trends and diversity hiring. As a trained career coach, Sher-li also currently sits on various advisory boards of Singapore’s different government ministries – including the COMPASS Council (Ministry of Education) since 2017, the ACCORD Family & Community Council (Ministry of Defence) since 2019 and the Families For Life Council (Ministry of Social & Family Development) since August 2019. A mother of 2 school-going children, Sher-li strongly advocates a work environment that thrives in allowing employees to have better work-family integration.

Vanessa Ong

Owner and Founder, Gernise Global Pte Ltd

Vanessa Ong leads Gernise Global, specialising in the distribution of raw plastic materials across Southeast Asia. Her strategic insight has positioned Gernise Global as a key player in sectors like automotive, electrical, and telecommunications, with a strong emphasis on sustainable practices. Vanessa’s vision has propelled Gernise Global to integrate environmental consciousness into its core business model, fostering growth and sustainability.

Beyond her business acumen, Vanessa champions community support and philanthropy, particularly through initiatives like Mumpreneurs-Go-Places, a platform she co-founded to highlight Singapore-based mumpreneur businesses. Her commitment to social responsibility shines in her work, from aiding local charities to launching ‘Farmpack for A Cause,’ rallying SMEs to support communities in need, exemplifying her belief in using business as a force for good.

Vanessa’s philosophy centers on sustainability and proactive change, driving her to incorporate eco-friendly products into Gernise Global’s offerings. Her efforts aim to reduce environmental impact while promoting a healthier lifestyle for future generations, marrying her professional endeavours with her personal values.

Her journey reflects a dedication to innovation, community, and environmental stewardship, making Vanessa a distinguished figure in her industry and an inspiration for sustainable entrepreneurship and community engagement.

Violet Lim

CEO and Co-Founder, Lunch Actually Group

Violet Lim is the heart and soul of Lunch Actually –
a dating and matchmaking company that she co-founded with her then fiancé, now-husband Jamie Lee back in 2004. Her inspiration came from observing her colleagues who did not have time to date, due to their busy lives around work.

Today, Lunch Actually is Asia’s biggest lunch dating company with offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Lunch Actually’s
philosophy is to help singles find love by being, meeting and choosing the right one. Leveraging on both technology and the human touch, Lunch Actually has successfully arranged more than 140,000 dates and brought together more than 4,000 successful and married couples.

Violet is the first Asian to be certified by the Matchmaking Institute in New York City, and today, she is an acknowledged expert in her field. She has appeared in over 4,500 media coverages such as FOX, Forbes, CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, CNA and CNBC Asia. Violet is a resident dating expert on Class 95 FM, Singapore’s most listened to English radio station. She was also the dating guru on TV channel TLC dating show Travel for Love. Violet is a sought after speaker. She has spoken at TEDxNTU in Singapore, PR Asia conference, Asian Women in Leadership Summit, Global Dating Insights Summit in New York and more.

Violet is active in Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Singapore where she previously served as Chapter President. She is also a Winner at Women Entrepreneur Award 2017 in Singapore for demonstrating outstanding entrepreneurial qualities.

Violet sits on the board of Matchmaking Institute and is the Principal Trainer of Matchmaking Institute of Southeast Asia where she trains matchmakers and aspiring matchmakers from all around the world. She is also the Past President of the Rotary Club of Suntec City.

Violet has a master’s degree in Personnel Management from the London School of Economics and a law degree from the University of Manchester.

Violet is passionate about nurturing relationships, mentoring youth and aspiring entrepreneurs and parenting her two teenagers Corum and Cara. Having been blessed with a fulfilling marriage and enriching family life, Violet’s life goal is to create 1 million happy marriages.

Online programme

Start Smart Programme

Designed for business owners to enhance their digital capabilities through practical learning, this programme takes businesses to the next level.

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Online programme

Start Smart Programme

Designed for business owners to enhance their digital capabilities through practical learning, this programme takes businesses to the next level.

Find Out More

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