AWIT at the Indo-Pacific Women in Tech Summit, November 2023
December 5, 2023By Shanti Punukollu, AWIT Board Member
I recently delivered a keynote speech at the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Indo-Pacific Women in Tech Summit, hosted by the American Institute in Taiwan and the U.S. Department of State. It was a remarkable experience connecting with over 75 women entrepreneurs from nine countries and hearing their inspiring stories. This summit, a collaboration between the U.S. Department of State, the American Institute in Taiwan, and Advancing Women in Tech (AWIT), showcased graduates of the AWE program. This initiative empowers women in business by providing them with vital knowledge, networks, and opportunities for launching or growing successful ventures.
My keynote on the “Impact of the Technology on the Ecosystem” outlined the history and evolution of the era of digital technology, its rapid acceleration, and the opportunities it provides for entrepreneurs globally; while challenges exist in the representation of women, the numbers are improving and there are now several inspiring women entrepreneurs hailing from the Indo-Pacific region including Tan Hooi Ling, co-founder of Grab and Melinda Perkins, co-founder and CEO of Canva.
Leading up to the summit, AWIT programmed and delivered a comprehensive Masterclass called "Future Proofing Your Business," offering video lessons, live workshops, and assignments to all participants. Participants also had the option for submitting a capstone pitch of which 10 were selected to be “pitched” live to industry leaders at the summit. We were blown away by the participation, passion and engagement that resulted in a 87% completion rate for the class and 30+ pitches submitted for review by myself and AWIT board colleagues. I had the pleasure of being emcee of the pitch session where presenters outlined their ideas and received feedback with enthusiastic support from their peer entrepreneurs.
This willingness to support each other was evident during the whole event as I met with many inspiring entrepreneurs at the summit, learning about their ventures and products. I was excited to host a podcast session with 3 enterprising women: Eden Heng (Singapore), Frinny Lee (Taiwan), and Shwe Ying Lim (Malaysia) where we explored their journey from idea till now, their learnings, and their advice for others (go for it!).
Participating in the AWE Summit was immensely rewarding. I am grateful to the U.S. Department of State, the American Institute in Taiwan, Taiwan’s Ministry for Economic Affairs, speakers, and participants for their contributions. Special thanks to AWIT founder, Nancy Wang, and my fellow board members for their support. I'm exceptionally proud of these women entrepreneurs making a meaningful impact globally and look forward to witnessing their continued success.