APEC Women Connect “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition came to a successful close on January 19th, 2024, wrapping up a successful four-month season of building up and empowering a new batch of over 1,300 aspiring women entrepreneurs and influencers who represent the entire gamut from nano- to mega-sized platforms.

Co-hosted by cross-border e-commerce company DHgate, social commerce platform MyyShop, and women empowerment organizations The Inner Mountain Foundation and APEC Women Connect, the “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition invited women e-tailers to show off their social commerce capabilities through competitive challenges focused on boosting their product sales and social awareness. Participants also learned about the many facets of social commerce (such as social media marketing) through exclusive e-learning sessions with key mentors from partner organizations. Participants of this year’s competition hailed from countries including (but not limited to) the US, Puerto Rico, Nigeria, India, China, Canada, Australia, Spain, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam and the UK.

The competition concluded with the fourth “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition Awards Ceremony, held online on the afternoon of Friday, January 19th, 2024. The ceremony kicked off with inaugural remarks by Julia Torreblanca, the APEC Business Advisory Council Chair for 2024, as well as a keynote speech by DHGATE Group Founder, Chairperson and CEO Diane Wang. The ceremony proceeded with two panel discussions, two showcase presentations and the presentation of three types of prestigious awards to 23 winners.

“When we intentionally introduce digital empowerment to women and SMEs, we unlock a powerful force for positive change,” Torreblanca said. “Supporting women entrepreneurs and SMEs with the right skills and access to technology not only strengthens their individual capabilities but also contributes to the overall growth of the SME sector. This symbiotic relationship creates a ripple effect, fostering economic empowerment at both the individual and community levels.”

Diane Wang expanded on this sentiment in her keynote speech: “Having been a part of the tech industry for three decades, I have seen how technology and digital tools, especially for women, can be transformative. The digital economy has significantly lowered the barriers to entrepreneurship, enabling women from various backgrounds to pursue their dreams. This equal opportunity is a game-changer.

“To further amplify this impact, I have initiated several projects aimed at empowering women in the digital economy, including training programs and global entrepreneurship competitions,” Diane said. “Our projects have reached over 100,000 women across 51 countries, showcasing the untapped potential of women worldwide waiting to be realized through digital empowerment.”

23 Entrepreneurs Commended for Inspirational Business and Personal Growth

Three “AWC Her Power Queen” World Champions were rewarded for the competition, representing the participants who had the highest sales quantity and social media engagement and most unique story angles. 20 awards were also granted in two “Rising Star” categories this year, representing the “Best Inner Mountain Power Queens” and the “Best MyyShop Influencer Queens” of the competition, selected according to similar criteria.

The fourth “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition marks the first time the Inner Mountain award has been granted. Developed in partnership with The Inner Mountain Foundation, a newly launched organization focused on promoting women empowerment around the world, this award recognizes the participants who made the most progress at finding and realizing their inner strength during the event period.

The Inner Mountain Foundation fosters a community of like-minded women who can lead, nurture, and inspire those around them — starting with themselves — by providing access to various entrepreneurial resources, mentorship, training, information, support, recognition, and even funding for women-owned businesses.

“AWC Her Power Queen” Award Winners

– World Champion: Sabrina Eshaq (@nnarrgiss)
– World Champion: Ericka Sutton (@itsme234girl)
– World Champion: Tiffany James (@tiiffxny)

“Best MyyShop Influencer Queen” Award Winners

1st Place: Nusaiba Labaran (@nusaeba21)
2nd Place: Dakota Ackerman (@dak.bby)
3rd Place: Deanna Anderson (@deannaay)
4th to 10th Place, in no particular order: @suzyd03, @cxozyt, @annekoii, @ka1ese, @ersmakeup, @dulcessweetworld, @evilhiccup
“Best Inner Mountain Power Queen” Award Winners

1st Place: Lizette Baldeo (@lizettebaldeo)
2nd Place: Lilly Burke (@lillybuurke)
3rd Place: Damaris Sucely Mayorga Pineda (@damarispineda3)
4th to 10th Place, in no particular order: @Quynh Tran, @Karen Lê, @Pagie Trần, @allisonlitt, @dawnlewinsky, @in..your..dreams, @caelielangston
Every winner was not only recognized for their achievements but also received a cash prize and exclusive gifts from the competition’s brand partners (including MySmile, a California-based oral hygiene specialist.)

Empowering Women Through Digital Literacy E-Learning

The awards ceremony featured two panel discussions focused on educational topics. The first panel was about the importance of enhancing one’s digital skills, and was presented by Microsoft China Senior Program Manager Melinda Ma, along with DHGATE Group’s Vice President of Global Business Development Justin Hu and Vice President of Logistics Supply Chain Shawn Liu.

The second panel, called “Empower Women Inner Light”, invited Lean In China co-founder Leiya Lei, International Association of Women President Megan Bozzuto and the SHERO Initiative co-founder Rita Chao to discuss the overarching theme of the “Her Power” competition: women’s empowerment in entrepreneurship.

Two “My Journey to Digital Proficiency” showcase presentations highlighted three success stories from two ongoing programs in the China chapter of The Inner Mountain Foundation. The first story came from the organization’s pioneering “Women Going Global” program, which targets female entrepreneurs and business leaders in cross-border industries, and was presented by The Inner Mountain Foundation member Qiuling Zhuang. Two more case studies from the foundation’s “Sailing Youth” course, designed by DHgate for university students majoring in cross-border e-commerce and business, were presented by Andrea Qi and Chanunthida Chumchong.

These presentations built on the content of the “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition itself, which was highly focused on cross-disciplinary e-learning courses related to improving social commerce skills such as cross-border e-commerce, how to boost sales on social media, novel shopping experience strategies, cultivating a sales persona and securing financing. All of the learning content was designed specifically with Gen Z in mind, to further empower young entrepreneurs from any background.

The competition’s 22 e-learning sessions were all uploaded to Youtube for contestants and all other interested parties to review the content at their leisure. The courses were delivered by a wide array of mentors from partner organizations, including Snapchat, Flyway, Bonjour Girls, Y.O.U Beauty and NETEASE, among many others. A few examples of course titles include “How to Become a Great Product Manager”, “Build Digital Ad Creatives with High Revenue Potential in the New Digital Era”, and “Women Empowerment Self-Discovery Story Sharing”.

This year’s partnership with The Inner Mountain Foundation also brought a new focus on personal growth and inspirational motivation. “To achieve this, we’ve provided numerous experience programs focused on tapping one ‘s inner strength, networking platforms for sharing and inspiring, and most importantly, a decentralized mechanism for realizing companionship within our community,” Diane Wang said in her keynote. “We’ve successfully created a safe space where women can lead, nurture and inspire each other, through the strength they uncover within after discovering and climbing their Inner Mountains.”

In addition to the people mentioned above, other attendees of this year’s “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition Awards Ceremony included:

Danning Zhang, from HEBE Group
Steffi Sun, from Quadrant Lab
Rui & Francisico, winners of the third “Her Power” competition
Tom Tran & Phuong Hoang, winners of the third “Her Power” competition