Co-Creation Panel Discussion for ASEAN Japan Women Entrepreneurs & Business Leaders

■Introduction:

The ASEAN-Japan Business Leaders Summit serves as a vital platform to connect emerging business leaders from ASEAN and Japan, addressing pressing social challenges and fostering innovation for a sustainable future. ASEAN, recognized as a global growth center, faces various social issues, including inequalities, while Japan grapples with challenges such as an aging population but leverages its wealth of experience and assets from decades of development. Against this backdrop, the summit aims to cultivate meaningful connections among next-generation business leaders who are poised to drive transformative change. The summit culminated on 20th December 2024, with impactful pitch sessions and a panel discussion, showcasing innovative ideas and fostering dialogue among leaders.

■Session Information:

• Session Name: Panel Discussion 1.2A: ASEAN-Japan Women Entrepreneurs & Business Leaders

• Place: ASEAN-Japan Business Leaders Summit 2024, International Conference Center Kyoto,  Annex Hall A

• Date: 20th December 2024

■Moderator:

• Win Win Tint:

  • Group Chief Executive Officer, City Holdings Limited

  • Myanmar

■Speakers:

• Miku Hirano:

  • Co-CEO, Cinnamon Inc.

  • Japan

• Carina Lukito:

  • CEO & Co-founder, Little Joy

  • Indonesia 

• Vu Hoang Yen:

  •  CEO, Be Group

  •  Vietnam

• Sunepha Detvongsa:

  • Founder & CEO, IQURI Tech

  • Laos

■Panel Discussion:

The Moderator and Speakers

Win Win Tint set the tone for the panel, emphasizing the vital role of women in entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. She presented global and regional statistics that highlighted both progress and challenges in women’s workforce participation and entrepreneurship, noting that ASEAN countries like Vietnam and Laos have some of the highest female workforce participation rates globally. She invited the panelists to share their insights on the topic, starting with introductions.

• Miku Hirano shared her journey as an AI entrepreneur, highlighting the innovative work of Cinnamon AI in training math geniuses in Vietnam and solving enterprise problems through advanced document AI technologies.

  

  
  

• Carina Lukito described her mission to combat malnutrition in Indonesia through her mom-and-baby brand, Little Joy, which addresses the significant nutritional gaps contributing to child mortality.

  

  
  

• Vu Hoang Yen spoke about her leadership at Be Group, Vietnam’s leading local super app, providing a range of services from ride-hailing to digital banking and enabling income opportunities for thousands of partners.

  

  
  

• Sunepha Detvongsa detailed her work in digital transformation with IQURI Tech, emphasizing the need for tailored tech solutions for SMEs, corporates, and government entities in Laos.

  

  
  

■Discussion Highlights

Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs

The panelists discussed the unique barriers they face in their respective industries and countries:

• Miku Hirano reflected on subtle gender discrimination and emphasized the importance of self-awareness and addressing unconscious biases, even within her leadership role.

• Carina Lukito highlighted the dual challenges of cultural expectations and limited access to capital in Indonesia, sharing a personal experience of rejection by investors due to gender biases. She called for policy reforms and dedicated funding schemes to support women entrepreneurs.

• Vu Hoang Yen pointed to three critical challenges: capital access, rapidly evolving technology, and collaboration. She emphasized leveraging women’s natural strengths in sensitivity, intuition, and consumer-centric thinking to overcome these barriers.

• Sunepha Detvongsa noted the male dominance in Laos’ tech industry and stressed the importance of role models and mentorship for encouraging women to enter STEM fields. She also highlighted the generational gaps in workplace dynamics as a unique challenge.

■Industries Needing More Women Participation

When asked where women’s leadership is most needed, panelists highlighted:

• Sunepha Detvongsa: Advocated for greater diversity in tech and STEM fields, emphasizing the creative contributions women bring to innovation.

• Vu Hoang Yen: Called for more women in consumer technology, healthcare, and R&D, areas where attention to detail and empathy play significant roles.

• Carina Lukito: Focused on health, nutrition, and education, noting the critical role mothers play in shaping future generations.

• Miku Hirano: Stressed the need for women entrepreneurs in deep tech, arguing that diversity in teams can prevent biases in AI and other technologies.

■Collaboration Between Japan and ASEAN

The panelists proposed various ways to enhance Japan-ASEAN collaboration for empowering women:

• Miku Hirano: Urged Japan to learn from ASEAN countries’ successes in gender equality and to address systemic disparities in education and wages.

• Carina Lukito: Highlighted existing programs like SheLovesTech and the potential for deeper collaboration between Japanese technology companies and ASEAN startups.

• Vu Hoang Yen: Praised the complementary strengths of ASEAN’s dynamism and Japan’s craftsmanship, suggesting initiatives in consumer products and creative industries.

• Sunepha Detvongsa: Called for more events focused on women entrepreneurs, as well as mentorship and knowledge-sharing platforms to inspire and guide aspiring female leaders.

■Closing Remarks

Win Win Tint concluded the session by reiterating the importance of forums like the ASEAN-Japan Business Leaders Summit in raising awareness and fostering collaboration. The panelists shared final thoughts on increasing women’s participation in technology and leadership roles, emphasizing the need for education, mentorship, and structural reforms. Miku Hirano ended on a motivational note, introducing the audience to Win Win Tint’s success story as an inspiration for aspiring women entrepreneurs.

■Join the Movement

The ASEAN-Japan Business Leaders Summit is not just an event but a call to action for fostering innovation, collaboration, and transformative solutions to shared challenges. As we continue to build a stronger, more connected future, we invite businesses, organizations, and individuals to join us in driving impactful change across ASEAN and Japan. To explore collaboration opportunities or to become part of this dynamic initiative, please contact PoliPoli’s secretariat at:

asean-japan-business-leaders-summit@polipoli.io 

Together, let’s shape a future of sustainable growth and shared prosperity.