Bonnie Chan Woo, CEO of marketing company Icicle Group, discusses the importance of self-empowerment and her advice for female entrepreneurs
Bonnie Chan Woo makes hard work look easy. Splitting her time between Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York and Los Angeles, the CEO of Icicle Group, a publicly listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, manages a growing team of 50 working on projects across dining, retail, luxury and insurance. She also owns Studio SV, an entertainment programming studio that she co-founded with American musician Lupe Fiasco in 2017.
In 2019, she launched e-commerce platform WomanBoss, which shines a light on women-founded brands in fashion, lifestyle and wellness. Beyond work, she’s the vice-chairwoman of the Hong Kong Design Centre and a director of art centre Para Site. And the Oxford University graduate and mother-of-one is only just getting started.
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How did you get your start with Icicle Group?
I stumbled upon marketing because that seemed to be the most accessible industry for me at a time when I decided to run my own business. Media has always been where I wanted to land in terms of my career. I like to be in with culture and be au courant to what’s next.
For those who don’t know, what exactly is WomanBoss?
WomanBoss is a lifestyle platform that sells products from independent brands, like skincare and accessories, alongside social content centred on wellness, culture, work-life balance and mindful consumption. We empower women by promoting makers and sharing the voices of entrepreneurs who are independent, fearless and confident.
Why is female empowerment so important to you?
Female empowerment is important to humanity. We’ve been socially conditioned to certain ideals that have impeded individual and societal development. In this day and age, when hunting and gathering are no longer relevant to our everyday life as urban dwellers, the inherent natural differences between men and women should not be limiting factors in what determines how far one can reach professionally or domestically. Hence, it is important that we unleash the power of each individual equally, regardless of gender and identity.
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