A new generation of female entrepreneurs, just like the successful female entrepreneurs around the world, these ladies have the winning combination of ingenuity, drive and leadership. Their emergence is even more impressive when one considers the fact that the exploits of these ladies are in diverse industries and sectors. In this issue, Top 10 of Asia takes a look at Thailand’s top ten businesswomen (listed in random order) who have what it takes to hold their own in the world of commerce.
Juliette Gimenez | Goxip, ubuyibuy and CdiscountJuliette Gimenez is a lady who wears many hats and this statement can be taken quite literally simply because her latest venture combines fashion and technology. She is the Co-founder and CEO of Goxip, a mobile app which enables users to search and identify fashion items simply by image recognition. If you spot something that your favorite celebrity is wearing, you can scan it, and plug it into Goxip. The item will be identified and the retail company in which one can purchase it will be pointed out. Goxip is not the first success for Juliette as she previously found success in ubuyibuy and Cdiscount.
Sarah Huang | WhatsnewEveryone knows that retail is one of the most important cornerstones of the Thai economy and Sarah Huang knows how to harness this potential with the help of internet shopping. Sarah co-founded Whatsnew, the parent company for Petloft, Venbi, Sanoga ,Lafema and MOXY before it was acquired by Orami. As one can see, Huang is instrumental in bringing all the most relevant brands that would appeal to Thai women collectively in one webpage. Sarah catapulted the company from a $4,000 entity to one of $2 million and she will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in coming years.
Kotchakorn (Ollie) Techaphonphol | O-Spa International
For Kotchakorn (Ollie) Techaphonphol, her work is much more than just a profit generating venture but a manifestation of her desire to do her country proud and this is reflected in her decision in using Thai herbs in her products. Ollie is the founder of O-Spa International, a specialist of body creams, hand creams, scrub soaps and a myriad of other spa products. Ollie affirms that O-Spa is not just about a having pretty face but also inner serenity that emanates from within and thus the company’s apt motto – ‘Spa from beneath’. Ollie truly brings out the best out of Thailand.
Nicky Surapaitoon | Easy Taxi (Thailand)There is no doubt that Nicky Surapaitoon possesses the sort of agility required to be a successful businesswoman when she realized the limitation associated to her pharmaceutical degree. She is the Co-Founder of several companies such as EasyTaxi Thailand (Under Rocket Internet Group) and One2Go. As a truly remarkable serial entrepreneur with keen sight on entrepreneurship, Nicky is poised for a bright future for years to come as it is impossible not to notice someone like her.
Sirithip (Praew) Sripaisal | DA+PPSirithip (Praew) Sripaisal has style and she has the chops to make rich the new black! Praew wants fashion that is both chic but affordable and she wants it to be made available to her fellow fashion conscious “country women”. In the first year starting up DA+PP, Praew opened a new store every 2 months. And apart from business, she is also a charitable philanthropist who champions environmental conservation and the great outdoors.
Krishna and Kruti Mawani | Diamonds of EdenDiamonds are a girl’s best friends – everyone understands this statement quite well, but Krishna and Kruti Mawani understood it deeper, and have worked to make “Diamonds of Eden” a success that it is today. According to the sisters, Diamonds of Eden’s strength lies in its attention to detail by customizing jewelry to the customers’ needs, thus producing jewelry that tells stories of the person or couple wearing it. Although the sisters have a little regret for not going aggressive from start, but judging from their dazzling success, all that glitters is definitely a victory for the sisters.
Nhoo Matthews | Nhoo Matthews AtelierNhoo Matthews was trained in one of the world’s fashion capital, New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology and she worked in the Big Apple for 10 years. Her impressive resumé boasts names such as Zac Posen and Marchesa – fashion houses that have been influencing what we wear for such a long period of time. When Nhoo returned to her home country, she wanted to make haute couture, especially for evening wear wedding gowns; hence she started Nhoo Matthews Atelier. Nhoo makes sure that her clients feel and look their best and as a result, Nhoo Matthews Atelier has been flourishing.
Kalaya Kovidvisith | Fabcafe
Kalaya Kovidvisith has vision and also a sense of humor and it is apparent when she fuses digital fabrication with biotechnology and at the same time, names her company, “Fabcafe”. The first syllable of her company’s name actually means “fabulous” in addition to “fabrication”. Kalaya believed that the tumultuous world economy needed better tools and that people will benefit from Fabcafe where one can converse, share ideas and use technology to make those ideas come true. Kalaya, who was educated in the prestigious MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), will undoubtedly continue to contribute and innovate for Thailand.
Ploy (Zae) Lumthong | C’est Designs and You2MorrowThe exceptional concept, idea and commercials in the Bangkok International Fashion Fair and Bangkok International Leather Fair originated from none other than the talented Ploy (Zae) Lumthong. As the founder of C’est Designs, Zae uses her creativity to the fullest after graduating from EPSAA University, also known as École Professionnelle Supérieure d’Architecture de la Ville de Paris, and her wonderful talent is noticeable from her creations. In addition to being the visual artist that she is this lady is also a wordsmith as she is both a writer and the CEO of a publishing company called You2Morrow, thus proving that creativity boils in her veins.
Aliza Napartivaumnuay | Socialgiver Aliza Napartivaumnuay is someone who understands that a thriving business does not necessarily mean harming the environment or unfair exploitation of people. In Socialgiver, customers use their spending power to purchase whatever goods they want from the best and leading brands of the world where proceeds go back to charity, and you can fund any projects on the site for social coins for you to spend shopping on the same site and that sounds pretty cool. Aliza used to work for 12 hours a day before Social Giver came into being and now that it is enjoying the success that it deserves, Aliza is ready to take Socialgiver to the next level.