The fourth annual APEC Women Connect “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition — co-hosted by cross-border e-commerce company DHgate, social commerce platform MyyShop, and The Inner Mountain Foundation and APEC Women Connect female empowerment organizations — has announced partnerships with more than 10 multinational companies that are leaders in their industries. This includes vivo, BlueFocus (Digital), iQIYI, NetEase, Snap Inc., Hooli, Ecovacs Robotics, Bonjour Girls, PostNL, E.P. Design Lab, Y.O.U Beauty, Apiyoo, Flyway.

The “Her Power” Competition is also working with esteemed recruiting partners from universities and higher education institutes such as The Confucius Institute at Chiang Mai University, Beijing Union University, Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Xi’an International Studies University, Henan University Of Economics And Law, and Dalian Jiaotong University’s School of Economics and Management.

“We are excited to announce strategic partnerships with a myriad of global brands across various industries this year. These collaborations represent the APEC Women Connect “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition’s extensive engagement in cross-border e-commerce, social commerce, and dynamic consumer product sectors guided by influential figures. These sectors include cosmetics, electronics, personal healthcare, and even cross border real estate,” said Diane Wang, Founder of APEC Women Connect.

Diane Wang is also the Founder, Chairperson and CEO of DHGATE Group; China representative and member of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC); Chair of the APEC Women Leadership Summit; and a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Business Advisory Group.

“There is so much to learn from this year’s partner companies,” Diane said. “E.P. Design Lab, an interdisciplinary collective, will share insights about how they hope to launch a digital society. We’ll also see analytics from vivo about how influencers and customers are engaging with their smartphones, as well as the latest trends in content and gaming by NetEase.”

The ongoing APEC Women Connect “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition, which launched in October, has seen more than 1,300 aspiring female entrepreneurs and influencers (whose platforms represent the entire gamut from nano- to mega-sized) participate and compete while learning more about the world of social commerce and taking their skills in social media marketing to the next level.

The focus of the “Her Power” Competition has always been to showcase female participants’ capabilities in social commerce and building their self-worth. Each year, the competition invites thousands of women from around the world — including students, Gen Zers, stay-at-home moms, and established influencers who hope to scale up their social commerce businesses — to take part in educational and competitive challenges that teach them to boost product sales and engagement across multiple social media platforms.

This year’s competition features exclusive e-learning sessions with key mentors from partner organizations. All sessions will be uploaded to YouTube so contestants can review course content during and after the competition.

E-learning highlights include e-commerce branding workshops with members from Bonjour Girls Lin Chen and Shan Huang; a cross-border payments insights session with software company Flyway’s Payment Operation Manager Hannah Zhao; a session on the latest fast-moving consumer goods trends in the e-commerce industry with Y.O.U Beauty’s Senior Marketing Manager Danning; and a Black Friday sales and insights sharing session with Stella Jin from Google.

Competition co-organizer The Inner Mountain Foundation will also encourage participants’ self-discovery through a special video podcast from Founder Diane Wang and sharing sessions with two outstanding Foundation members — Shen Min and Annie Wong.

The e-learning sessions are customized for the Gen Z community joining the “Her Power” competition, helping them to efficiently and effectively gain experience in real-life online trading and social communication scenarios.

The APEC Women Connect “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition works with DHgate, MyyShop and the newly-launched The Inner Mountain Foundation — an organization dedicated to international women’s empowerment through education, community and outreach — in addition to the roster of multinational partners to expand the scope of resources and range of mentors that participants can draw on throughout and after the event.

Through inspirational sharing, practical learning, effective recognition, and awards, the competition helps women achieve their personal, financial and entrepreneurial dreams. The event will culminate in December with an online award ceremony to recognize participants’ achievements.

The fourth annual APEC Women Connect “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition extends special thanks to business partners, including:

• vivo Communication Technology Co. Ltd. — vivo is a world leading brand of innovative smartphones and accessories.
• BlueFocus (Digital) Media Group — also known as BlueMedia, a strategic business segment of BlueFocus Communications Group focusing on intelligent marketing and new digital advertising
• iQIYI International (www.iq.com and apps) — Asian streaming entertainment leader specialized in Chinese dramas, TV and variety programs along with premium Southeast Asian original contents
• NetEase, Inc. — a Chinese Internet technology company providing online services centered on content, community, communications, and commerce
• Snap Inc. — Snap is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. The Company’s three core products are Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world; Lens Studio, an augmented reality platform that powers AR across Snapchat and other services; and its AR glasses, Spectacles. For more information, visit snap.com
• Hooli — a global real estate trading and service platform
• Ecovacs Robotics — a Chinese technology company known for developing home robotic appliances
• Bonjour Girls — a New York-based non-profit organization for Chinese girls
• PostNL — a mail parcel and e-commerce corporation with operations in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the United Kingdom
• E.P. Designlab — an interdisciplinary creative collective that brings together professionals from different disciplines across the digital society
• Y.O.U. Cosmetics — a Southeast Asian color cosmetics and skincare brand that launched in Indonesia in end 2018
• ApiYoo — a intelligent manufacturing company specializing in oral care and personal care products
• Flyway — a one-stop cross-border collection and payment service platform created by Tuotuo Digital

Interested participants can sign up here for the 4th APEC Women Connect “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition and join the community discussion on Discord. Upcoming events include the competition award ceremony as well as the annual APEC Women Connect workshop in January 2024, during which the competition’s esteemed partners and speakers are also set to participate.