FOUR women from different countries have come together to establish the Network for Entrepreneur Women Associations in ASEAN-Pacific-India (NEW-API), an alliance dedicated to empowering women-led organisations in entrepreneurship across the region.
Krista Goon of Malaysia, Sharyne Fong of Fiji, Tanya Raj of India and Mona Celine Marie Villas Yap of the Philippines embarked on this partnership after participating in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) programme from Oct 6 to 19 in the United States. This Leaders Lead On Demand (LLOD) exchange programme was sponsored by the United States Department of State.
They were among 23 participants from eight countries, including Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, who were selected to join the programme in which its primary focus was to promote collaboration, innovation and economic prosperity across the Indo-Pacific region.
The IPEF, launched by the US in 2022 with 13 partner nations, focuses on the opportunities related to the four pillars of IPEF, notably fair economy, clean economy, connected economy and resilient economy.
Participants of the LLOD programme came from different backgrounds, including venture capitalists, government officials, private entrepreneurs, and individuals working with community organisations and non-governmental organisations.
Krista, who co-owns Redbox Studio in Penang and co-founded WomenBizSENSE with Datin Josephine Yoong, was selected to join the programme based on her application.
A podcaster since 2020 with her show Womenpreneur Asia, Krista expressed her enthusiasm for the programme’s goals and its positive impact on participants.
The programme, funded by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, was implemented by World Learning.
“The programme brought a group of us from some ASEAN countries to the US to learn about trade, business and investment opportunities, and to encourage partnerships that can foster economic prosperity between the US and our region,” Krista shared with Buletin Mutiara during an interview.
Through the IPEF initiative, the four women decided to found NEW-API and create a platform that empowers women-led organisations in entrepreneurship, offering opportunities for knowledge sharing, network building and business growth.
Each founding member brings unique expertise to the network: Krista is a seasoned entrepreneur and advocate for women in business; Sharyne is a business consultant and managing director of Insight Business Advisory Pte Ltd in Fiji; Tanya is the founder and CEO of Ficuslot & Eduratnam Innovation Pte Ltd, a technology firm in India; and Mona leads the Quezon City Small Business Cooperatives Development and Promotions Office in the Philippines.
“We realised we could accomplish so much together, even as friendly competitors within the region. We aim to support each other in growing our businesses,” Krista said.
She added that NEW-API would invite women’s organisations across the region to join, creating wider opportunities for trade, business and entrepreneurship.
Each participating country in the programme had three representatives, except Fiji, which had two. Alongside Krista, the Malaysian delegation included Wong Wai Khuen, senior principal assistant director at the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), and Chong Zhi Zheng, a researcher at the Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS).
The programme began by bringing participants to Washington, D.C., where they met with representatives from the US Department of Commerce and with Miss Mikaela Rear, Director of International Economics, National Security Council, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building located next to the West Wing, and houses a majority of the White House staff offices.
This visit was followed by a stop at the US-ASEAN Business Council, which is marking its 40th anniversary this year. The council, a non-profit organisation, conducts research and analysis of economic, environmental, financial, political and social conditions of the ten member countries of ASEAN. The group also met with Department of State officials and later that day, with directors of the Wilson Center, which in 2019, was named the number one regional studies think tank in the world.
Thereafter, the participants were divided into three groups, each visiting different locations. Krista and her group travelled to Atlanta, while the other groups went to Columbus in Ohio, and Phoenix in Arizona. The entire cohort later reconvened in Seattle.
In Atlanta, Krista’s group engaged with local government officials, entrepreneurs, and community members, gaining insights into grassroots initiatives. In Seattle, they met with local businesspeople enthusiastic about fostering trade and investment opportunities.
Krista observed the strength of public-private partnerships in the US, where corporate entities often extend support to communities and business centers. When they visited the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), she learned how local black-owned businesses were supported and nurtured through various programmes. RICE is a business generator and the largest centre of its kind in the US.
Atlanta, home to Georgia Tech, one of the nation’s top universities, impressed Krista with its robust ecosystem. Through intelligent, combined efforts of corporate, university, government and community, every stakeholder worked to bring investment and business opportunities into the city.
In Seattle, the participants visited the headquarters of Amazon and Microsoft and had discussions with the CEO of Humanly, Prem Kumar about ethics in artificial intelligence.
They also had the unique opportunity to meet Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, a former NASA astronaut. Dorothy flew with the crew of STS-131 to the International Space Station in 2010.
“Meeting her was quite inspiring because we had mostly been engaging with business leaders,” Krista shared.
“From young, Dorothy dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but at one point she detoured and became a teacher instead. Then, she applied to the astronaut programme, was accepted, and went on to achieve her dream with rigorous training.
“This is what makes America special. No matter what you are, if you have the determination and are persistent, you can get there,” Krista said.
Krista has similar hopes for NEW-API, the alliance she’s now co-founding. With determination and persistence, Krista envisions the opportunities and vast potential for women entrepreneurs in this region thanks to its diversity and depth of incredible experience and knowledge that they can offer each other.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Siew Chia En and courtesy of Krista Goon