Brian Jeffrey
On the morning of May 13 in Hanoi, the Vietnam Association for Women Entrepreneurs (VAWE) teamed up with Vidogroup to organize a gathering with the Cherie Blair Foundation, a global entity dedicated to aiding women in business.
This event represented a notable advancement in global collaboration, featuring the presence of Le Thi Bich Tran, spouse of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, various government officials, over 50 women entrepreneurs from 18 northern provinces, Cherie Blair, and high-ranking representatives from the foundation.
One remarkable narrative shared was from Nguyen Ngoc Bich, also known as Kat Nguyen, co-founder of the Co Cay Hoa La brand.
Inspired by traditional agricultural products like her mother’s ginger wine, the brand utilizes technology to transform local ingredients into contemporary health products.
After eight years of growth, the company has reached over 5 million customers and expanded into international markets, such as Amazon, one of the top e-commerce platforms globally.
A unique aspect of Co Cay Hoa La is its successful creation of a community of over 43,000 women, serving not just as consumers but as entrepreneurs themselves. Presently, more than 6,000 women are generating monthly incomes ranging from $315 to several thousand dollars through this cooperative business approach.
Expressing her vision for development, Ngoc Bich remarked, “Rather than spending on advertisements through international platforms like Facebook or Google, we prefer to share our profits with the Vietnamese populace to stimulate the domestic economy and create avenues for women’s advancement.”
Nonetheless, she acknowledged that building consumer trust for startup products on e-commerce sites is a significant hurdle. “Quality remains our foremost priority, but establishing market trust through reliability and dedication takes time,” she pointed out.
Beyond financial gains, several entrepreneurial ventures also offer social benefits. A notable example is a fabric recycling initiative spearheaded by Pham Thi Hien, Chairwoman of the Hoan Kiem District Association for People with Disabilities.
Transforming what would be discarded fabric scraps into unique handcrafted fabric flowers, this project not only provides income opportunities for women with disabilities but also fosters environmental sustainability.
“We conduct monthly vocational training sessions, enabling women to acquire skills, practice, and market their creations through fairs and exhibitions,” Hien explained.
As per Ha Thi Phuong Thanh, Vice President of VAWE, utilizing digital tools and AI is crucial for fostering and maintaining startup growth in the modern era.
“Merely having an idea is insufficient today. Companies need digital tools to efficiently model, operate, and penetrate markets. We’ve collaborated with FPT, CNC, and other tech firms to create courses specifically designed for women entrepreneurs, presented in Vietnamese, to help them harness available resources effectively,” Thanh noted.
VAWE has also evolved from only teaching business concepts to embedding technology from the start in its support programs for startups. Rather than focusing solely on theoretical knowledge, women entrepreneurs are now learning to incorporate AI in areas like resource management, e-commerce, and brand strategy.
A standout platform aiding women entrepreneurs is Her Venture, introduced by Cherie Blair, the wife of the former British Prime Minister and founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation.
Launched in Vietnam in 2018, this app caters to busy women entrepreneurs by offering business skills training that takes just 10 minutes a day, even offline. The content is fully adapted to the Vietnamese context.
“Our aim is for technology to facilitate equality. Her Venture supports women in learning how to establish their businesses, navigate marketing and finance, build resilience, and utilize the internet to reach customers more effectively,” emphasized Blair.
Currently, approximately 80% of Her Venture users in Vietnam are women, with aspirations to engage one million users soon. Initial feedback indicates that many women have boosted their business performance after using the app.
In this wave of digital transformation, women have transitioned from being passive recipients to active influencers, crafting technological trends, and launching startups with creativity, resolve, and strong community connections.
From traditional ginger wine to AI-driven e-commerce platforms, Vietnamese women’s entrepreneurial journeys are ascending new peaks, extending their influence, and reshaping the future by harnessing the power of technology.
