Founders’ Stories: Resilience, Pivots & Bold Moves

What a powerhouse session at AWE Hong Kong 2024/25 back in March! Huge thanks to Joanna Hotung (education pioneer, women’s advocate & serial changemaker) and Marianne O (finance trailblazer, InvestTech leader & mentor) for raw, real talk on scaling, stumbling, and soaring as female founders.

From Joanna’s 20+year journey growing—and eventually selling—her education empire to Marianne’s sharp insights on global investing while championing women in finance, their stories were masterclasses in resilience.

Key takeaways?

🔥 Pivot with purpose: Both shared moments when their initial plans hit walls—Joanna starting her career in retails then adapting her education model to parent needs, Marianne navigating male-dominated finance—and how listening to customers (or data!) led to bold shifts.

💡 Barriers are breakable: "The biggest limits are often the ones we set for ourselves," Joanna reminded us, while Marianne stressed strategic partnerships: "You don’t scale alone."

🤝 Mentorship = momentum: Their shoutouts to fellow women who lifted them up? Proof that networks aren’t just nice—they’re necessary.

Fellows left fired up:

“Nothing is impossible!”

“Their vulnerabilities made my own hurdles feel smaller.”

“Strategic planning + flexibility = game-changer.”

To every founder out there: Your stumbles are part of the story. Keep pivoting, keep pushing. 🚀

#AWEHK #WomenEntrepreneurs #FounderStories #PivotLikeABoss