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Mentoring Fashion Startups in Singapore; Rising Star Accolades for Mid-Career Women
Clubs News
The HBS Club of Singapore (HBSCS), in collaboration with the Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFF) and its signature The Bridge Fashion Incubator (TBFI), welcomed seven TaFF startups to a virtual “War Room” session over a week in June, where they were matched one-to-one with seven HBS alumni mentors for guidance on strategy, problem-solving, and more.
The club designed the War Room series to allow HBS alumni to interact directly with promising startups in Singapore. Deploying the HBS case study method, mentors are pre-matched to each startup team and given detailed information and problem statements in advance so they can provide practical solutions to the challenges the startups are facing. The June session was the fourth one that HBSCS has held for TaFF and TBFI.
“This is a great way for HBS alums to share knowledge and experience, and contribute to the development of Singapore’s startup ecosystem,” says HBSCS board member Prashant Pundrik (PLDA 9), who developed the War Room concept with fellow board members Cristina Ventura (GMP 6) and Shabnam Mansukhani (MBA 2005).
Cristina Ventura (GMP 6) top right, and Soon Loo (MBA 1999) bottom right, talk with the team from TaFF during the HBS Club of Singapore's virtual War Room sessions in June.
“The idea originated from our desire to not do what everyone else was already doing,” Pundrik says. “We didn’t want to do another business plan competition or another investing network. We took inspiration from our club’s mentorship program and came up with a shorter version, where we could advise startup founders.”
Pundrik, Mansukhani, and Ventura lead the club’s New Ventures & SME Committee (NVSC), which runs panel discussions and the War Room sessions to connect HBS alumni mentors to Singapore’s startups and small and mid-sized enterprises (SME).
“Our vision for the NVSC is to create a positive impact on the local startup and SME network by creating opportunities for community engagement,” says Mansukhani. “Working with strategic partners such as incubators, accelerators, government agencies, and other organizations, the NVSC aims to facilitate connectivity within the ecosystem, and leverage the intellectual, social, and financial capital of alumni. That might be in the form of advisory engagements, board-level participation, or angel investing.”
Ventura, who serves as an adviser and mentor at TaFF and TBFI, contributed to all seven virtual sessions, introducing the HBS alumni mentors, and sharing guidance and advice to the startups. A team from TBFI followed up each session with summary emails inviting the mentors to a Demo Day in July.
“Every session was truly productive and inspiring, as the HBS mentors brought a new perspective and incredible expertise to this fourth cohort of TBFI,” says Ventura. “The sessions were well-organized and interactive, with lots of questions from the entrepreneurs, balanced with thoughtful and practical responses from the mentors. The matching was perfect.”
The program is very popular among entrepreneurs who see it as a chance to connect with the experience and expertise of top business leaders in Singapore. And those leaders—HBS alumni—see it as a chance to give back, expand networks, and support the local community.
“I decided to participate in the project to help our community of entrepreneurs,” says War Room mentor Jasper Camacho (MBA 2006), who was able to share his experience in sustainability. “I work in markets such as Bangladesh, Lao, Cambodia, and Vietnam, where the textile industry brings wealth to the local economies. I appreciate the opportunity to introduce technologies and new businesses to these markets so they will be able to adopt sustainable practices.”
In addition to Mansukhani and Camacho, the HBS alumni mentors included Soon Loo (MBA 1999), Chris Marshall (DBA 1996), Kamal Karmakar (OPM 37), Eugene Lee (MBA 1976), and Sophia Shing (MBA 1997).
The seven participating startups were recruited by TaFF as part of The Bridge Fashion Incubator (TBFI) program, considered Southeast Asia’s “first fashion tech, beauty, and lifestyle incubator bridging the gap between fashion, technology, and sustainability,” according to Ventura.
In an effort to give outstanding HBS alumnae a mid-career boost of recognition, HBS Women’s Association of New York (HBSWANY) named three 2021 Rising Stars, during its virtual annual meeting on June 21.
More than 700 HBSWANY members were invited to nominate a Rising Star from among the membership, which yielded 37 initial nominees, according to organizer Carmen Li (MBA 2016), HBSWANY board member and co-vice president of programming.
Amy Kadomatsu (MBA 1998), Maneesha Ghiya (MBA 2005), and Emma McCarthy (MBA 2018)
The three winners were selected from 14 finalists nominated for their significant accomplishments in one of three sectors. For the corporate sector, the winner is Amy Kadomatsu (MBA 1998), CEO of ComplySci, a leading RegTech company providing compliance solutions to more than 1,200 financial services and professional services companies globally. For the entrepreneur sector, the winner is Maneesha Ghiya (MBA 2005), Founder and Managing Partner of FemHealth Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on women’s health. For the nonprofit/government sector, the winner is Emma McCarthy (MBA 2018), Lieutenant Commander and one of the first women to serve as a Submarine Officer in the United States Navy.
This is the second year HBSWANY has presented the Rising Star Award, which was established to recognize mid-career alumnae for what they’ve already accomplished or are in the midst of accomplishing.
“We always see and hear so much about outstanding alumni, who are very successful and getting plenty of recognition,” says Li. “But what about recognition for outstanding alumni who are not there yet? We thought maybe, if we give them the support and recognition they need at mid-career, it could help them get there a little faster.”
Li, and outgoing HBSWANY president Sara Queen (MBA 1997), presented the virtual award ceremony and annual meeting, which also featured a fireside chat by guest speaker Ann Sarnoff (MBA 1987), CEO of Warnermedia Studios and Networks.
Photo byPhoto courtesy
The Rising Star Award is a necklace and star pendant designed by HBSWANY board members Susan Grant (OPM 30), and Susan Engel (MBA 1976).
Lieutenant Commander McCarthy, an Officer Engineer on the USS Ohio, leads a department of 70 officers and sailors and is charged with the safe operations of a nuclear power plant and all pressure boundary systems on the submarine. She also serves as a mentor in the Navy’s Women in Submarines initiative.
“It’s an honor to be selected for this award,” says McCarthy. “As one of the first women to join the Submarine Force, I don’t often think of myself as a trailblazer, but I hope my presence and attitude demonstrates that diverse teams make stronger teams. The Rising Star award helps to represent the value that diversity brings to an organization. In a very simple way, I hope people, no matter who they are, aspiring to a career similar to mine, can see my successes and tell themselves ‘If she can do it, I can do it, too!’ I pursued a tour as a Submarine Officer to give back to the community that gave an incredible amount of opportunity and trust to me. At the completion of my tenure, I plan on transitioning to the civilian workforce. Hopefully, the Rising Star award can help open doors as I start the next chapter.”
Just six months into her tenure as CEO at ComplySci, Kadomatsu has overseen the company’s best quarter ever. She sits on several boards, including at MOUSE, a nonprofit bringing STEM programs to underserved youth, and she sponsors an annual scholarship for high school seniors.
Ghiya co-founded FemHealth after experiencing life-threatening complications during childbirth. The firm is reimagining women’s health to include a range of conditions and investing in new products to address the inequities that women face in the health care system. The FemHealth team is currently raising its first fund.
“It is an honor to be selected as a Rising Star by the HBSWANY,” says Ghiya. “My personal experience during childbirth over a decade ago inspired me to focus on women's health, and I feel this recognition signifies that women’s health is increasingly coming to the forefront. I deeply appreciate the support and interest in the work we are doing at FemHealth Ventures.”
After the winners were announced, the 60 attendees went to virtual breakout rooms to toast the winners and socialize.
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