WFWPI Webinar on Women Entrepreneurship
Written by: Mion Tsuchiaka
On February 25, 2023, the Women’s Federation for World Peace International (WFWPI) hosted an educational webinar featuring women entrepreneurs from four countries (India, UK, Malaysia and the U.S.) who shared their success stories and decision-making processes in effectively dealing with huge crises in various areas of life responsibility. The webinar was broadcasted on Zoom and YouTube platforms, interpreted in Korean, Japanese, Spanish and French, with a total of 315 participants.
Mrs. Florida Ledwaba was a webinar moderator. She is the Regional Secretary General of WFWP Africa and has initiated various projects on literacy education, character education, HIV/AIDS prevention, support to orphanages, nursing home visits, organizing youth camps and projects on environmental sustainability. She started the webinar by greeting the audience and introducing each panelist.
For the first speaker, Mrs. Payalh Agarwwal, innovation and creativity play a crucial role in her professional and personal life. Mrs. Agarwwal is an entrepreneur and a passionate innovator who loves to experiment with all that life puts on her plate. Before being an entrepreneur, she is a mother to a 21-year-old and has learned the best lessons as a mother.
Her aim is to utilize the knowledge, experience and skills to make positive efforts for the organization in all respects and create an ecosystem for more women entrepreneurs. She never went to college, therefore she didn’t have a degree to get into a job so her plate was empty, which meant she could experiment with all available options. Now, she is an IIM and ISB alumni, as she has been recognized amongst the top 100 women by the 10K Goldman Sachs. “First, and most importantly, we need to set a goal. If we don't know where we need to go, we cannot discover that road. So, in any area of life, always have a goal.”
Mrs. Ling Ling Parnin is the second speaker from Taiwan doing her business in the United Kingdom. From entrepreneur to philanthropist, Mrs. Parnin is a Taiwanese businesswoman. She grew up in Taiwan and currently resides in Cambridge, England. She is the co-founder of Regalstar Catering Limited and the previous winner of the Cambridge Local Food and Drink Awards for the “Street Food of the Year'' with her food truck, “LingLing's Steam Kitchen.” An active and model trustee of the “Saints’ Projects Trust,” a British charity funding education and small businesses for brighter futures across Africa and India with the most recent project providing grants for 20 former sex workers in Uganda for them to start their own businesses, be independent and break the cycle. In addition, she has most recently been appointed the role of associate adviser of the Overseas Community Affairs Council by the Taipei Representative Office in the UK. This role has the primary responsibility of promoting, supporting and integrating Taiwanese culture and community in the United Kingdom. Mrs. Parnin is a risk-taker who has been recognized for her determination, empathy and compassion. “In my life, the secret to success is that when the opportunity comes, we are ready for it. This attitude must be cultivated daily with an open mind, always willing to try new things!”
The third speaker was Dr. Linda Nishikawa who has held positions in the nonprofit, state and federal government in the United States. She worked as a health educator navigating two hundred American Indian/Alaskan Natives to increase knowledge about healthy behavior and cancer prevention. She also holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Colorado School of Public Policy. Today's women are more interested in raising children and family affairs, and women are starting more and more businesses in the future. Currently, she holds the position of Subregional Director in WFWP USA Western region. Dr. Nishikawa gave the tips on successful entrepreneurship with the title, “Make more choices possible with your time…Your time is just as important as your money. Making sure your life and time are of high quality is the same as entrepreneurship. No one would call entrepreneurship survival, but that is what fosters creative thinking.”
The last speaker was Mrs. Tan Poh Ling, a Certified Chartered Accountant with more than 20 years of experience in the area of auditing, corporate financial advisory and financial planning. She is a highly motivated professional with a proven track record of delivering accurate reports and high quality services and is a dynamic leader with the ability to lead effective teams in attaining profit improvement. She is also a founder of the AI Integrated Reporting Information System (AIIRIS) which aims to automate and turn unstructured data into data-driven decisions and create value for companies to sustain in their businesses. Since 2007, she also works as the managing partner in Total International Associates. Mrs. Ling shared her own experiences and know-how in entrepreneurship and stressed the importance of teamwork and spirit.
The webinar culminated with a question and answer session during which participants were able to ask questions to learn more about the speakers' perspectives and thoughts.
The video of the webinar can be viewed here.
