On November 19th and 20th, Team Strawlific attended an event in Ho Chi Minh City organized by TNI King Coffee – a famous Vietnamese coffee brand – and the HCMC Women’s Union in cooperation with the government to celebrate the country’s female entrepreneurs. The event not only allowed female entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses and products but also to receive crucial investment and network to make important connections for further growth.
Strawlific, co-founded by Nguyen Minh Châu, attended to support other Vietnamese start-ups and to spread awareness concerning plastic pollution by showcasing our 100 percent natural and biodegradable products.
While Châu oversaw the Strawlific stand, our CEO David Simon took the opportunity to talk to other entrepreneurs attending the event to exchange valuable industry insights concerning sustainability. Among others, he met up with restaurant owner and general director Ngô Tân Phu to learn about organic and locally produced make-up and traditional Vietnamese medicine before heading over to try some coffee beans from local Arabica coffee farmers. He further discovered a range of eco-friendly and biodegradable products showcasing Vietnamese female entrepreneurship and giving hope for a greener and more egalitarian future for Vietnam.
The event was part of a string of events that are currently taking place across Ho Chi Minh City to support female entrepreneurs. The “Start-up Women” seminar is being piloted in eight of the city’s 24 districts from September to December 2020 and will be spread to the remaining 16 districts in 2021.
Furthermore, women wishing to start their own businesses can realize their dreams by registering a business through the “Women Can Do” program, which allows them to become distributors or franchise partners of TNI King Coffee products.
In addition to create financial opportunities for the city’s women, the program further creates opportunities for women to increase their knowledge of financial management, to participate in community activities to develop communication skills, and to contribute to improving the social and domestic position of Vietnamese women.