The List #213 - May 1, 2014

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ISSUE 213 1 MAY 2014

EVERY TWO WEEKS

T H E M A G A Z I N E T H AT K N O W S

WOMEN WOMEN O OFF

HOPE HOPE Celebrating Hong Kong's most inspiring women

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CONTENTS

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42

05 Editor’s Letter

07 Women of Hope

08 Amazing Advocates Charities, NGOs, Non-Profits

28 Science & Tech Super Stars

Professors, Programmers, Engineers, Inventors

32 Health & Fitness Heroines Wellness Whizzes

36 Women’s Rights Champions Working for the Future

12 Inspiring Entrepreneurs

42 mr. know-it-all

All Things Clean and Green

50 Hope Highlights

Hong Kong’s Homegrown Talents

16 Eco Warriors

20 Corporate Cats

Shattering the Glass Ceiling

24 Woman in the Arts

What’s this about Hong Kong’s shortage of men?

Ten of our favorite nomination notes from readers.

Performers, Curators and Creators

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Th e M aga z i n e That K n ow s

HK Magazine media

Publisher and General Manager | Greg Crandall

The List Magazine Media Ltd. Part of HK Magazine Media Group

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Managing Editor | Sarah Fung

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Editor | Kate Springer

Tel: 852-2850-5065 Fax: 852-2543-4964 E-mail: thelist@hkmagmedia.com

Staff Writers | Andrea Lo, Evelyn Lok

Editor-in-Chief | Zach Hines

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editor’s letter

Who Runs The World?

Girls! In our first-ever Women of Hope issue, we’re thrilled to celebrate the awesome achievements of nearly 50 Hong Kong women —even if they make the rest of us look like hopeless underachievers!

We’ve explored eight categories—Eco Warriors, Corporate Cats, Amazing Advocates and more—and asked readers to send in nominations, a few of which are featured in our Hope Highlights on p.50.

We’ll also be honoring these leading ladies at a cocktail event at Kee Club on May 10. Stay tuned by subscribing to our Listed! newsletter here: thelist.com.hk/subscribe.

Cheers,

Kate Springer Editor

Get in Touch I’d love to hear from you! E-mail me: kate.springer@hkmagmedia.com Find me on Twitter: @katespringer

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Women of Hope About This Issue

Adventist Charity Lunch

This List’s inaugural Women of Hope issue honors a handful of the many amazing women in Hong Kong, and aims to inspire the rest of us to get involved in the community.

Hong Kong Adventist Hospital Foundation is presenting a charity luncheon at Kee Club (1-3pm) on the same day for the foundation’s Cancer Fund. Money raised will contribute to the treatment of children and adults suffering from cancer.

Tickets cost $1,250, and include lunch, a sterling silver “Hope Bracelet,” and a program to celebrate the Women of Hope nominees.

Drawing from nearly 100 nominations, we’ve narrowed our Women of Hope selections down to about 50 women, who we’ll be honoring with two events on Saturday, May 10.

The List’s Women of Hope Cocktail Party The List will be hosting a cocktail party at Kee Club from 6-8pm on May 10. We’ll have all of our Women of Hope nominees in one room, so you can mix and mingle with these awesome ladies. Hope to see you there!

RSVP: www.hkahf.org.hk

Psst... A big thanks to our sponsors—Cowshed, Kee Club and Punch Detox—for making this issue possible!

RSVP: thelist.com.hk/hopeparty

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Am a z i n g Advo cat es Charities, NGOs, Non-Profits

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“That’s what our programs are about—kids helping other kids.”

Mother of two Michele Lai started Kids4Kids in 2008 after a long career in international corporate marketing and strategic planning. The nonprofit organization empowers children to help their less fortunate contemporaries.

She tells Andrea Lo about how it all came about.

It all started in 2008. My son, who was about to turn 5, said he wanted to sell his things and donate.

Michele Lai of Kids4Kids

I explained to him that some children don’t get presents and it somehow stuck.

He said, “Mummy, I would like to help. I want to take some of my things and give them away because I have so many.”

I was searching around, because Hong Kong doesn’t really have car boot sales. A few months later he was still following up—he wouldn’t let it go!

At the time there were open-air markets. After we got there and saw that there was a stall, I thought that he would just run off.

Michele Lai, center, with Kids4Kids volunteers

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But he didn’t, because they were his things. He helped me choose and price the items, and stuck it out the whole day.

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I come from a marketing background, and I thought it was interesting.

The whole day he raised $800. It’s not a whole lot.

I could have given him that money and it would have been easier!

He took on the responsibility, he managed it and he was so proud to go back to school to tell his friends and teachers—it built his self-esteem.

It made me realize that when kids are given the opportunity to take action, when they feel they can really do something, they carry that with them for a long time.

Kids4Kids participants

That’s what our programs are about—kids helping other kids, using that something that they have a talent for or feel passionate about.

It doesn’t have to be in the traditional sense of helping—you just have to take that action to help.

We’ve had kids as young as 4 volunteering, but the average age of our volunteers is about 15 or 16.

They commit to a whole year. Some of them have been with us for three or four years. They work on organizing and implementing projects.

Kids4Kids volunteers

For example, we have “Sharing for a Cause,” an annual project that’s 100 percent youth-led.

The whole idea of it is that we collect items from people with plenty, and we distribute them to people without.

Projects that we lead give them learning experiences that go beyond the classroom. It’s giving them leadership development opportunities.

Michele Lai takes to the stage

Maybe Hong Kong focuses a lot on the academics and seeing tangible results. But some youths do their best to reach out and we encourage that.

Initially, some of the challenges were in explaining to people what we do.

When you’ve been doing this for a while, when you see the child’s vocabulary has improved, when they look forward to coming, when they say, “This is my favorite part...” It makes you feel so good.

Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to go from private funding from myself to being benefited from the likes of the Sun Yat Sen Foundation and Operation Santa Claus.

We’re slowly becoming more sustainable ourselves.

We’re not a center—what we do is much more powerful. We’re helping the have-nots as much as we are the haves.

I’m there to help and it makes me very proud.

Learn more at www.kids4kids.org.hk.

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Tina Luk

Bess Hepworth

Bess Hepworth

Bess Hepworth Australian native Bess Hepworth is the festival director of Pink Season (www.pinkseason.hk), Asia’s biggest LGBT cultural festival. Taking place every fall, the festival is an important platform for the LGBT community. Bess, who is a social scientist, has a bio that’s heaving with accomplishments: she is in charge of team-building and events company Bonza Pie, a curator of TEDxHappyValley, a volunteer coordinator for Kids Ocean Day Hong Kong, as well as the co-founder of The Airmazing Race for Clean Air Network—all while balancing a growing family with partner Kirsty Smith. This May, she’s heading up IDAHOT Hong Kong (www. dayagainsthomophobia.org), the international day against homophobia and transphobia.

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Garvey Chui

Garvey Chui As co-founder of Social Provocateurs and president of Bean Online’s Hong Kong branch (hk.beanonline. org), an online community that links young people with volunteering opportunities, Garvey Chui is dedicated to social responsibility.

Most recently, Garvey has been advocating for sanitation and toilets as the regional head at Toilet Hackers (www.toilethackers.org), a nonprofit which aims to increase access to dignified sanitation to the 2.5 billion people without a toilet (that’s nearly 40 percent of the world). She’s also a proponent of impact investing, where she’s helping innovators of sustainable technology find funding—all while juggling her day job at an investment bank.

Tina Luk, center

Tina Luk A winner of HER Fund’s “She Dares” competition, Tina Luk has been actively promoting social justice ever since moving to Hong Kong from China in 2005. As part of the Federation of Trade Unions, Tina has fought for increased minimum wage, civilian rights and fair practices for workers. Starting out as a a domestic helper, she is now the executive officer of the Hong Kong Liver Transplant Patients’ Association, a non-profit organization that has helped transplant patients since 1991, where she mainly focuses on lending support to families, logistics and helping patients get through transplants.

Cherry Ng On top of her day job as the marketing manager of Kee Club, Cherry Ng brought Beijing-based Chi Fan for Charity (www.chifanforcharity.org) to Hong Kong last year. Started in Beijing in 2009, CFFC provides a new take on charity dinners. Basically, cool restaurants pair up with celebrities and other notables to host a group of 10 people, and the proceeds go to a local cause. At its first Hong Kong event in November, CFFC raised more than $290,000 for local NGO, Child Welfare Scheme. Cherry is also the force behind AERIS Magazine (www.aerismagazine.com), a bilingual lifestyle publication aiming to inspire young creatives in China.

Shaun Bernier A mother of two, Shaun Bernier founded the Hong Kong arm of US charity HandsOn (handsonhongkong.org).

Dedicated to community-based volunteerism, HandsOn Hong Kong frequently organizes fun events, such as “Drink for Good� in 2013, where the organization teamed up with dozens of restaurants and bars around town to collect proceeds, which went to charitable causes.

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Inspiring Entrepreneurs Hong Kong’s Homegrown Talents

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Photo Credit: Sabrina Sikora

“Big changes happen because we all make small changes together.”

Journalist and “E-ting” food blogger Janice Leung Hayes is the brains behind Island East Markets (www.hkmarkets.org).

Since its launch in 2012, the Sunday bazaar has proved to be wildly popular. Bringing in fresh foods by farmers as well as artisans’ handmade creations, the market is in line with Janice’s personal philosophy of championing local produce. Though she’s giving up the reins to make time for new projects, including a TV show, Janice continues to look for new ways to promote food education.

I’ve been a writer all my life. That doesn’t mean I’m good at writing—it means I’m always curious and like to ask questions.

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My passion and work are in food—I started my career as an editor at Luxe City Guides—but have always kept a food blog on the side for fun.

There’s only so long you can go on reviewing restaurants before you start asking, “Why does this tomato salad taste better than that tomato salad?”

I started digging for information about food production, in particular, agriculture in Hong Kong.

I was shocked to learn that there are working farms in our skyscraper city, and that many of them are practicing sustainable agriculture.

Then I questioned why this wasn’t common knowledge, and why regular consumers didn’t seem to have access to what these farmers were growing.

I also started reading more and more about the food system, and it was—and still is—deeply worrying. Sustainable food production is a necessity for an ever-growing population.

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This all happened when I was around 25 years old, and happened to be in what I call my “quarter-life reassessment.” Let’s not call it a crisis!

I just couldn’t let go of the fact that the food system that we’ve taken for granted is so broken—a billion people are hungry yet the same number are obese; our current supply chains encourage soil-degrading, chemicalreliant monocultures; our landfills are full thanks to food waste; food prices are increasingly erratic, and so on.

Setting up farmers’ markets is one way of communicating or “hacking” that broken system on a large, engaging, interactive scale to all sectors of society, with the immediate benefit of increasing local farmers’ real income.

In September 2012, Island East Markets was launched.

I ran that with a partner to serve and connect with the communities on the eastern side of Hong Kong Island.

We did a survey last year and found that most visitors were from the immediate district, and so I’m always on the look-out for more locations.

Last year we were lucky enough to set up on Sun Street in Wan Chai, but sadly that was only possible for one day.

My days are split between managing markets, formulating projects to further the public’s awareness of food issues, introducing foodies from overseas to Hong Kong, and writing about food for various publications.

As a kid, I remember watching G.I. Joe, and his slogan “Knowing is half the battle” stuck with me. People have the right to know in order to make informed decisions.

Nobody likes to listen to a preacher on a soapbox, so in order to get the message across, I’m interested in encouraging participation and immediate action— baby steps that will allow people to experience for themselves the difference that a small change in habit can make.

I always have a specific goal to involve kids in the process, because in the future, they’re the ones that will be making the bulk of the consumption decisions; they’re the ones that will make policies.

I hope that what I do will also push our reactive government into rethinking the potential of farming in terms of aspects like land use, education and employment, then Hong Kong will be part of a global movement calling for change in the food system worldwide.

It sounds silly, but my work means I go to farms more than the average Hongkonger, and when you’re out there, weaving around the patches and plants, your feet sink into the soil, you step on weeds and grass, and you sweat.

One of the most unexpected outcomes of embarking on this journey is that this constant contact with nature has made me feel more alive, and I didn’t even realize that I’d lost that feeling.

In a nutshell, my battle is to get solid, unbiased, evidence-based information about our food system across to everyone, so that individuals can make informed choices about how they eat.

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Lara Jefferies

One of many Sense of Touch locations

Anna Treier

Peggy Chan

A qualified aesthetician, Anna Treier moved to Hong Kong 13 years ago, and she set up a humble day spa in Central back in 2002. Now a household name, Sense of Touch (www.senseoftouch. com.hk) is a multi-award-winning spa brand. Her empire has grown to include skin clinic Medi-Spa, as well as Capelli Salon. Among the numerous accolades, Sense of Touch was recently awarded best luxury day spa in the World Luxury Awards 2014.

With a business administration degree under her belt, as well as training at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute, Peggy Chan established Grassroots Pantry (12 Fuk Sau Lane, Sai Ying Pun, 2873-3353, www.grassrootspantry. com). Inspired by her family’s taste for exotic foods, Peggy is an advocate for sustainable agriculture, and is passionate about maintaining a nutritious, plant-based diet. Grassroot’s serves up in-season produce with local ingredients, and has proved to be such a hit with health-conscious citydwellers that Peggy went ahead and opened a sister resto Prune Organic Deli and Workshop (14 Fuk Sau Lane, Sai Ying Pun, 2873-3353, www.prunedeliworkshop.com).

Doris Leung Following her own experience as a caregiver—her mother suffered from brain cancer and was in a wheelchair—Doris wanted to create a social enterprise that would help other people in wheelchairs get from point to point. Enter Diamond Cab (www.diamondcab.com.hk): a fleet of barrier-free cabs that ensure safe and convenient transport for wheelchair users and their caregivers. Since its start in 2011, Diamond Cab has handled over 50,000 trips, and has served as an inspiration to other socially conscious entrepreneurs.

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Lara Jefferies is the founder and managing director of Plug (www. plug-me.com), one of the most effective boutique public relations agencies in Hong Kong. Born to two professional ballet dancers, Lara grew up in Hong Kong and later got her start at Darwall Smith Associates Agency in London, where she worked with lifestyle and luxury brands. She moved back to Hong Kong to work for Red Earth Cosmetics before striking out on her own in 2008.

Since then, the PR powerhouse has expanded to a team of 13 today. Plug’s portfolio covers dozens of brands, including the likes of Nespresso, Tumi, Jack Wills, 2XU, Tree and Jax Coco.

The Plug team

Katrina Kerr Katrina Kerr helms restaurant group Concept Creations, which boasts some of the city’s most popular eateries—think Frites, Tapeo, Chicha and new Greek resto Souvla. Katrina studied business while still in Melbourne, Australia, and began working in the industry as soon as she got to Hong Kong. Her first bar?

The Groovy Mule in Wan Chai, which was styled after “Coyote Ugly.” When she’s opening new restos these days, she knows to consider everything from the energy in the room to the consistency of the food. When she’s not opening new restaurants around town, you can likely find her spending time with her kids and exploring Hong Kong’s outdoorsy offerings.

Eco Warriors All Things Clean and Green

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Nissa Marion (left) and Lisa Christensen (right)

“The biggest challenge we face is the misconception that Hong Kong is a clean city.”

Lisa Christensen: I moved to Hong Kong in 1997 and was working in sports marketing at the time.

While training for the 100km MacLehose Trailwalker event, I would go up to Tai Long Wan quite regularly.

I couldn’t believe how completely trashed these “untouched” beaches were.

I decided to do something about it and threw a beach cleanup with a few friends at Tai Long Wan.

otli ght Co-founders of Hong Kong Cleanup, which organizes beach cleanup activities all over Hong Kong, Lisa Christensen and Nissa Marion are true eco warriors whose efforts have empowered thousands of volunteers to take action.

To date, Hong Kong Cleanup volunteers have picked up over 12 million pieces of trash. The partners talk with Kate Springer about fixing Hong Kong’s trash problem.

As Hong Kong Cleanup grew, it became the signature event of Ecovision, and it’s now the main focus.

Hong Kong has the highest consumption rates of anywhere else in Asia and produces the most amount of rubbish per capita in the world.

We suffer from a mentality that someone will clean up after us.

HK Cleanup isn’t just about picking up trash—it’s about empowerment, personal responsibility and behavior change.

We have to get ourselves on a path to zero waste and re-think our relationship with trash.

See it as a resource with another life: repurpose it, recycle it, upcycle it, and do your utmost to minimize the amount you produce in the first place.

It kept growing organically and went from 50 people to 150 people. Last year we had over 45,000 volunteers.

San Francisco is a great example. The city set a zero waste target about 18 years ago and has achieved 85 percent reduction.

I started Ecovision at the end of 2000. It is an NGO that provides environmental education and events.

That’s the direction that Hong Kong needs to go in: an integrated waste management system.

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Nissa Marion: In 2003, I was one of the friends that Lisa mentioned who came along to help out at the cleanup.

bottles and snack bar wrappers all over the trail and in the woods.

I was shocked at what I saw, because I’d only ever been to beaches like Shek O, which is cleaned by the government.

When we hear someone say, “Oh my gosh! I am never going to drink out of a single-use plastic bottle again,” after they pick up 200 in the space of an hour—that’s the most rewarding thing.

When we started, there wasn’t such a strong environmental movement here—there wasn’t anyone in this space.

Waste was not a very sexy topic, and NGOs weren’t really tackling that subject. It struck me as an important issue.

There’s a light-bulb moment, when people realize that what they do in their personal lives directly affects the community.

I’d say the biggest challenge we face, which is a constant, is the misconception that Hong Kong is a clean city.

We are offering educational programs that teach people how to reduce waste in their home, school or office, because individuals can make a tangible difference.

We have thousands of street cleaners and the public beaches are cleaned up to 16 times a day, so a lot of people don’t realize just how filthy it is.

We’re also launching a new program in June called the Zero Waste Challenge, which speaks to that.

Littering used to be a much bigger problem. When I first arrived here, people were literally throwing stuff out the windows.

It’s about looking at all the various ways that you can reduce waste in your own environment, targeting zero waste.

But it’s still a massive, massive issue. What we’re finding, statistically, is that it is getting worse.

You look at issues like climate change, which feels so big that there is nothing you can do on your own. But with trash, it is really easy to be a part of the solution.

There’s more trash in the ocean, in the country parks, on the city streets and being washed up on the beaches.

Sign up for the next Hong Kong Cleanup: www.hkcleanup.org.

But we talk to people and they say, “What do you mean Hong Kong has a trash problem?”

If you go to a non-public, natural beach or a country park trail that isn’t cleaned up, it’s a disaster.

It’s so sad to see, especially on the country trails, where hikers who supposedly love nature leave plastic

Before

After

Hong Kong Cleanup

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Photo: Luke Casey

Abbie Jung, right, meeting with

Redress’s “Post-Consumer

people in a farming community in Western China

Waste” project

Jill Robinson of Animals Asia

Abbie Jung, right,

Green Queen’s

in traditional Tibetan robes

“Made in Hong Kong” event

Jill Robinson

Abbie Jung

Originally from the UK, Jill Robinson moved to Hong Kong three decades ago. While working at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, she became an advocate against animal cruelty in Asia. A few years later, Jill visited a bear farm in China and learned about the black-market “moon bear” operations, where Asiatic black bears were farmed for bile. She founded the Animals Asia Foundation (www.animalsasia. org) in 1998 to help eradicate this practice, as well as improve animal treatment in general. What started as a small venture has become a huge NGO staffing more than 300 people across the world.

An entrepreneur with a passion for sustainability, Abbie Jung started her nonprofit Synergy Social Ventures (www.synergysocialventures. org) to help people get into the nonprofit world. The projects run the gamut: anything from sustainable development to bringing solar power to Ghana. “We are trying to reduce the barriers of entry for people who want to get involved and help change the world’s problems,” she says.

She’s also planning a Sustainability Festival to promote eco literacy, as well as a “Pay it Forward” app to celebrate random acts of kindness in Hong Kong.

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Sonalie Galardi-Este & Tracy Turo With a mission to help people make greener choices on a daily basis, Green Queen (www.greenqueen. com.hk) is one of Hong Kong’s best online resources for healthy and sustainable options in Hong Kong.

Covering everything from groceries to restaurants, NGOs to local businesses, the website is a onestop spot for those who want to live cleaner. The duo is also behind the Made in Hong Kong pop-up bazaars where local artisans can show off their wares. The next one is on May 3 at The Space!

Photo: Luke Casey

Christina Dean

While working as a journalist and researching China’s environmental issues, Christina Dean realized that the fashion and textile industries were among the biggest polluters.

Christina took action in 2007 by starting Redress (www.redress. com.hk), an NGO that promotes sustainability and positive change in the fashion industry. Redress runs consumer awareness campaigns, hosts guest speakers and runs the the EcoChic Design Awards (www.ecochicdesignaward.com).

Sam Woods A driving force behind the urban farming movement, Sam Woods set up Time to Grow (www. timetogrow.hk) in 2012, which focuses on improving access to locally grown food and encouraging city dwellers to take up urban farming. Time to Grow holds educational workshops, as well as offers installation services on rooftops, balconies and windowsills.

The team of experts helps maximize space and provides a harvesting plan, so you’ll have your own fresh foods sprouting in no time.

Jenny Quinton A former teacher and a mother of two, Jenny Quinton launched the Ark Eden Foundation (www. arkedenonlantau.com) in 2006.

She set up a camp at her home in Lantau, where 7,000 people a year visit to learn about permaculture and sustainable environments.

The ultimate goal? Jenny hopes to preserve the area’s natural resources and cultural heritage by offering educational workshops, as well as corporate team-building camps and school field trips.

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Cor por at e Cats Shattering the Glass Ceiling

“People don’t come back for the amenities we put in the rooms. They come back for that attachment.”

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The General Manager of the Peninsula Hong Kong, Rainy Chan is the woman in charge of one of the finest hotels in the world. From humble beginnings as a front-desk clerk and with no formal education in the industry, she has risen to one of the highest positions in the traditionally male-dominated world of five-star hospitality. She tells Sarah Fung about her journey.

I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and I moved to Hawaii in 1989. When I got there, there were only two industries: either I could become a real estate agent, or I could go into the hotel industry. I decided I would like hotels better.

While many companies do consider the needs of women, society will always expect us to do [everything].

You want to be a career woman? Fine, but be a mother too, and a good one.

What I really appreciate about the US is that people there gave me a chance. They didn’t ask for any previous experience or academic qualifications in that field.

Challenging and fulfilling—they’re pretty much the same. We are in the service industry, and I think the most challenging thing about my job is the people.

When I first became front office manager here, I was the first Chinese female front office manager in 65 years.

So that was a shock to everybody—including me!

Although I’m lucky to have an amazing team, the challenge comes then—how do I keep them happy?

I remember the guests would ask for the manager, and I would come down, and the guests would say “I asked for the manager, not the secretary!”

Our industry is 24 hours a day—we don’t control our time. The guests and the staff control our time.

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Keeping the young ones happy and keeping the experienced ones from feeling out of touch [are my job].

We have five generations in this hotel.

It’s very hard to say that I’ve made it, because every day there are still things that I feel frustrated about, and things that I can do better.

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But I can tell you the day I felt like I had to pinch myself.

It was when I moved back from Bangkok where I was GM to come to Hong Kong to take over this hotel.

It didn’t really hit me until I went to the gym in Central. I was on the treadmill and was looking at the Peninsula building, and I thought, “I’m the boss there! I’m the GM there!”

We have a regular guest who comes for business every year, and he used to bring his three daughters to spend New Year’s Eve at the Peninsula, every year since I started 20 years ago.

But when his daughters grew up, they said, “Dad, we’re not going to Hong Kong. We want to go to the beach.”

So he hadn’t come back to spend New Year’s for a number of years, and one year he called me up. He said, “Rainy, I need to come back for New Year’s.” I was really surprised.

When he got here, he said: “When I called you, I had been diagnosed with cancer, and the doctor told me Rainy at the Peninsula’s that he didn’t know 85th anniversary party how bad it was.

I said to myself, ‘I may die, and before I die, I want to spend one more New Year’s Eve at the Peninsula.’”

I thought to myself, “My god, I have to run this hotel at this level. People don’t come back for the amenities we put in the rooms.”

They come back for that attachment. How do I keep that going? That really inspired me and kind of pushed me to never be too comfortable.

The Peninsula, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2920-2888, www.peninsula.com.

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Emma Sherrard Matthew

Kathleen Berroth A Vice President at Barclays and an Acumen Global Fellow (www. acumen.org), Kathleen Berroth’s passion lies in microfinance—finding ways for small-scale businesses and non-profits, often in developing nations, to get financing to become viable, healthy ventures. By bringing financial expertise and global mindset to these organizations, microfinance specialists can help to lift workers out of poverty and enable businesses to become scalable. As part of her year-long fellowship with the Acumen Fund, which raises money to invest in business ideas that can help tackle poverty, Kathleen brings her expertise to GADCO (www. gadcompany.com), a Ghana-based company that connects smallscale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa with big international companies.

“Sometimes the work you do feels impossibly small in terms of impact,” says Kathleen. “It makes it important to savor the small successes, and to focus on the positive development you can bring to even one person.”

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With more than 60 offices around the globe, Emma Sherrard Matthew certainly has a lot on her plate as the CEO of Quintessentially Lifestyle (www.quintessentially.com), a luxury concierge service. Born in Singapore, Emma grew up in Hong Kong and the UK, returning to Hong Kong as the Business Development Manager at the British Chamber of Commerce. She joined Quintessentially in 2005 to grow the brand’s presence in the Asia-Pacific. She is also committed to philanthropic efforts through the Quintessentially Foundation.

She also sits on the board of the Women’s Foundation in Hong Kong.

Kristie Lu Stout An award-winning journalist with CNN International (www. cnn.com), Hong Kong-based Kristie Lu Stout has reported on major stories in Asia for more than a decade. In that time, Kristie has interviewed the likes of Aung San Suu Kyi, Melinda Gates and Lady Gaga, and has also covered major news stories in Asia, including a special report on Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. When asked what she considers to be a successful piece of journalism, she says: “Journalism succeeds when we spur our viewers to act. Occasionally, viewers have told me how a segment prompted them to make a donation or do something in their own personal capacity to help end an injustice. If we can encourage our audience to feel and act for someone a continent away, we’ve done our job.”

Atifa Silk As Brand Director for Haymarket Media, Atifa Silk is the woman in charge of Campaign Asia, an Asia Pacific-wide magazine targeted towards marketing professionals. When she joined Haymarket as assistant editor in 2000, the editorial team was made up of just three members. In the 14 years since, the office has expanded, and there are now more than 120 people working in two offices in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Atifa is in charge of editorial, sales and events for flagship magazine Campaign Asia and business event magazine, CEI.

Cristina Ventura Originally from Barcelona, Cristina Ventura has worked with luxury brands such as LVMH, Gucci and Prada. In addition to overseeing Hong Kong’s best-known luxury powerhouse—she’s the Senior Vice President of Lane Crawford Joyce Group (www.lanecrawford.com)—Cristina serves on the committee of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce and is an alumni officer for Harvard Business School. She is also the founder of Luxarity (www.luxarity.com), which raises money for charity by selling second-hand luxury goods.

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Women In the Arts Performers, Curators and Creators

When I started Galerie Huit, I didn’t really have a mission statement per se—it was really because I studied art and loved painting.

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I started collecting maybe 10 to 12 years ago.

When I was living in Shanghai, I was very fortunate to meet a lot of talented artists. Through these friends, I also met artists from different countries.

They all encouraged me, saying “We’ll give you works on consignment, and we will really support you.”

A lot of the artists I met many years ago, they’re people I already know and I love their work or I have collected their work previously.

When I started, I really didn’t know anything about the art business. I knew what people were selling at auction houses, but I totally had no idea how the whole thing operated.

But after working in the art world in four years, I understand a little bit more.

A painter and art collector, Jane Chao Lee opened Galerie Huit in 2010. She strives to bring contemporary paintings, sculpture and ceramics to Hong Kong, while working with local charities in the process. To celebrate women in the arts, Jane held an exhibition last year at the Hong Kong Arts Centre called “Bridging—Important Female Artists of Our Time.” She tells Evelyn Lok about opening her own gallery and helping kids in need.

I’m kind of a start-up gallery, and I only have three staff working for me. They’re very hardworking but of course they’re quite overloaded. Every day is different, but my schedule is jam-packed.

I started the gallery to share my passion with other people, but at the same time I want to give these artists a platform and give these artists more exposure.

I’m also working with outside curators, and I’m having an upcoming show starting May 12 at ArtOne that’s curated by a London curator.

One reason I’m working with outside curators, is that

My background is quite funny! For eight years, between 1999 and 2007, I lived in Shanghai, working in my family’s businesses.

My father did a lot of property development in China, and my mother had four restaurants in Shanghai.

After working for my family for so many years, I had accumulated some experience, and finally I had the confidence to pursue my passion, which is art.

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Galerie Huit

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based in Hong Kong, I probably have limited information about art in Europe or America.

You need to follow your heart, but at the same time it needs to be commercially viable as well.

I’ve been helping a local charity named Changing Young Lives Foundation, which helps underprivileged children in Hong Kong, for the past five years.

A lot of people would be shocked to hear that there are over 320,000 children in Hong Kong living below the poverty line.

A lot of these children, who may be 70-80 percent visually impaired, have great imaginations.

The children love to take photographs, but with their poor eyesight they might not be able to see what they’re looking at.

Every year we have an annual fundraising event—a gala dinner—called “Festival of Trees.”

Some of the photographs are really beautiful and really meaningful. So I hosted an exhibition of these photographs, where all of the proceeds from sales went to the charity.

For the upcoming gala, I’m donating some artworks.

The event is a way to remind people that there are people who need our help.

Our ultimate goal is to raise enough money to open another Changing Young Lives center—right now there’s only one, in Kowloon. We still have a long way to go.

So far, I’ve done one other exhibition dedicated to Ebenezer, a charity for the visually impaired.

Galerie Huit, 8 St. Francis St., Wan Chai, 2520-0281, www.galeriehuit.com.hk.

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Yeung Yang

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Arts Biennale 2013 by the YAF

Lindsey McAlister Without UK-native Lindsey McAlister, founder and artistic director of the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation (YAF), the city’s youth art scene wouldn’t be what it is today. She set up YAF in 1993, which has offered non-competitive arts experiences to tens of thousands of young people in Hong Kong since.

Lindsey has always been passionate about the arts—so much so that she has been awarded prestigious accolades for her services to the arts, including an MBE and an OBE.

Ysabelle Cheung Born and bred Londoner Ysabelle Cheung is a writer, editor and illustrator based in Hong Kong. By day, she’s the culture editor at Time Out Hong Kong, where 26

she observes the eccentric lives of artists of all stripes. And when she punches out? Ysabelle slips into a plethora of other roles: she brought London-based live literary salon Liars’ League to Hong Kong and she’s also the curator for graphite zine Tiny Pencil (www.tinypencil.com), where she commissions pencil work from Hong Kong artists.

Jacinta Read Co-founder and director of Handmade Hong Kong, Jacinta Read is a huge supporter of the local arts scene.

With help from her sister-in-law, Megan Sweeting, Jacinta organized Hong Kong’s first indie craft market, which has led to many more markets around town. So why indie arts? Other than a passion for needlecraft, painting and crafts, on the whole, Jacinta strives to educate the public about how buying handmade and shopping local can make a global difference.

An independent curator, culture writer and classics professor at Chinese University of Hong Kong, Yeung Yang shares her passion for an overlooked corner of art: sound. Six years ago, she founded Soundpocket: a small non-profit that supports artists who create art through sound. Yang’s devoted to providing a communal environment where artists can share inspiration.

She also represented Hong Kong at the 2003 Venice Biennale as part of the Para/Site Collective, with her sonic environment constructed with concrete tubes—reminiscent of older playgrounds in Hong Kong.

Soundpocket workshop with Yeung Yan

Dr. Vicki Ooi A former lecturer at HKU, Dr. Vicki Ooi worked at the first black box theater in the 70s—the Drama Lab—and has been nurturing theater talents since the 70s. These days, she’s the artistic director of her own theater company, The Absolutely Fabulous Theatre Connection (AFTEC), which is both a bilingual learning theater and a charity.

She’s also immersed in the education side as well, working on drama lessons to complement school curriculums. Her definition of success? A young actor who has truly understood another human being through a character, or who has achieved an artistic breakthrough.

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Science & T ech super Stars Professors, Programmers, Engineers, Inventors

“Coding is a great blend of creativity and logic.”

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The CEO and co-founder of First Code Academy, Michelle Sun is arming young people with tools for the future. She runs AppJamming workshops with Girls Who Code, to promote digital literacy among young women, and has already taught more than 100 students to make mobile applications. Michelle is also a member of the Technology Advisory Council of The Women’s Foundation and has a worked at several Silicon Valley startups. She talks to Kate Springer about her journey.

I moved back to Hong Kong last year and started First Code Academy, which teaches coding and mobile app development to kids, starting from 8 years old.

The very first thing I coded was a to-do list app so I could check my list and stay organized. It was simple but was a major hurdle.

I am from Hong Kong—born and raised here—which is why I wanted to start the company here.

I kind of felt like I was just one of the many, many tech people in Silicon Valley, whereas in Asia there is so much potential to grow and make a difference.

As a fresh graduate, I was not really sure what to do in my career, so I took a typical path.

When I started at Goldman Sachs, I actually covered technology as a research analyst, and I was so lucky to be on that team—imagine covering metals and mining!

In the industry of education and technology, there are a lot of resources for educating adults, such as Coursera or Code Academy and General Assembly.

It was really fun to research companies, such as Alibaba and Chinese Facebook, with successful entrepreneurial stories.

So many friends in the Bay Area who are working as engineers and entrepreneurs had started tinkering with the computer at the age of 12, and it made a big impact.

I started learning to code on the weekends and decided to move to the Bay area to really get in the door.

We did a one-day workshop last year for kids, collaborating with Google Hong Kong, and we got off on a great track.

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Parents came back, asking, “Why is it only one day?

How can we learn more?”

I went on to construct a full-on curriculum that’s now in three international schools.

We believe that coding is the next literacy. Knowing how to communicate with a computer is essential.

These kids have tablets, mobile phones and even watches with apps on them!

Younger kids are growing up drawing on a screen, where as I grew up coloring on a blank sheet of paper with crayons.

Coding is a great blend of creativity and logic.

One great thing about the start-up community is that everyone has a pay-it-forward mentality.

A friend of mine was spending his free time helping me learn to code: the community is just so generous.

Every day I feel very happy about the fact that the people I’m surrounded with are amazing.

Learn more at www.firstcodeacademy.com.

A lot of great things come with technology, but it robs kids of an opportunity to play with a blank canvas.

We want to return that power—so instead of consuming games and streaming videos, they can learn how to create on their devices.

In our classes, about 90 percent of students finish creating an app in the first session. We want to emphasize how accessible it is.

Michelle working with kids at First Code Academy

We want them to start thinking like a computer scientist and deconstructing problems logically and systematically.

But it’d be really dry if we approached it that way.

We prepare apps to make that are really playful— like a hippo that makes a noise when you tap its belly.

So that might be the first lesson that an 8-year-old would work on.

The most important thing is to change the preconception of technology.

A lot of people, especially adults who don’t understand coding or computers, have this sense of apprehension.

First Code Academy classes in action

I used to panic and call my dad when my computer or the network broke down. And after I learned how to code, the sense of fear broke away and I felt more capable.

We want to teach kids at a young age that it’s not a black box—you can learn how it works.

Our goal isn’t to convert everyone into engineers and computer scientists—it is just to help kids learn how to think structurally, systematically and encourage creativity.

Computer whizzes of tomorrow

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The women of Women Who Code

Karen Farzam Hailing from France, Karen Farzam moved to Hong Kong four years ago and set her sights on the digital world. As she was brushing up on new coding languages, she realized that there were few developer groups for women. To give women a place to learn and collaborate, she set up Women Who Code (www.womenwhocodehk.com) with Michelle Sun. She’s also working on her own start-up, W Hub (www. whub.hk), which connects passionate entrepreneurs with likeminded engineers, marketing guru and business experts, so they can build a team.

Pascale Fung A professor at HKUST, Pascale Fung has always been amazed by how computers could solve realworld problems.

She researches statistical speech, language and music processing, and says her goal is to “create technology that makes people’s lives better and more beautiful.” Along the way, she has co-founded two companies, claimed 15 patents and she recently created an “intelligent music predictive engine,“ basically like a digital DJ. 30

Cat Purvis Rust at a conference

Two of Pascale Fung’s many innovations

Cat Purvis rust Tech entrepreneur Cat Purvis Rust was born in Hong Kong and has worked in China, the UK and the US. She returned to Hong Kong in 1999 and got her footing in the digital space. From there, she went on to found 11 mobile and web-based startups, including Exicon (www.exiconglobal.com), an “App Lifestyle” management platform, which helps companies deploy successful mobile apps.

Kalina King The regional director for General Assembly Asia (www.generalassemb.ly), Kalina King spends her days equipping entrepreneurs, career-changers and thinkers of all ages with the digital skills they need to achieve their goals. “My organization is all about empowering people and building our global community of creators,” she says. GA opened in Hong Kong last year, and offers all kinds of classes for those who want to create websites, apps or simply switch careers.

Nancy Ip The Dean of Science at HKUST (www.life-sci.ust. hk), Nancy Ip is a true science star. An esteemed neuroscientist, Nancy’s research aims to understand how brain cells communicate, particularly the biological processes in diseased brains. “My ultimate goal is to contribute towards the global quest of understanding the pathology of devastating and debilitating brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s,” she says. “Developing effective treatments is one of the most urgent medical needs of the 21st Century.”

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Margaret Chung teaching at Pure Yoga

“It’s about looking at abilities, not disabilities.”

Thanks to a grant from the Joshua Hellmann Foundation for Orphan Diseases, a Hong Kong-based charity that raises money for research into rare genetic disorders, Margaret Chung, together with Hersha Harilela, is bringing yoga to special-needs children citywide with “Art in Your Life,” a combo of yoga and art therapy. She chats with Sarah Fung about the program.

We took part in an international program called “Yoga for the Special Child.” Hersha and I were trained under [founder] Sonia Sumar. It’s a really comprehensive course—a lot of hands-on workshops.

It’s really useful for children with breathing problems.

It helps hypertonic children [with extreme muscle 32

tension and abnormal spasms] with their diaphragms and the way their intercostals muscles move.

With the children I work with now, it’s all about eye contact, and really just looking at their abilities and not their disabilities—it sounds clichéd, but it’s not easily done by a lot of people.

A lot of, let’s say, conventional therapies look at what the child cannot do, and they try to fix that.

The way we approach children with yoga, is we focus on what we can do, and we let that grow.

I’ve been teaching yoga since 2005. Before having my daughter in 2010, my training had all been based on dynamic yoga.

But after having my daughter, who was going through challenges herself, I wasn’t able to practice yoga often.

During that time, at the hospital, I did a lot of breathing techniques and meditation inside the public washroom—I had nowhere else to go!

I met Hersha—I knew that she also had a niece with special needs—and she was telling me about this Yoga for the Special Child program.

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I brought my daughter to meet Hersha and it was just amazing. It’s very hard to understand until you go and see it for yourself.

like some of these children deserve much more love.

I told myself that I needed to go more in depth with this, because during this process of my daughter going through all her medical issues, I met a lot of moms.

Some children don’t have parents—or they don’t have people around who love them as they should. It really breaks my heart.

At first I was thinking maybe I should teach yoga to the mothers—that’s still something that’s in my head— but now I’m focusing more on children.

It’s all about loving that child and connecting with them.

The whole spectrum of special needs children is so neglected in Hong Kong. It is an issue that can be opened up more.

It’s so easy to grab a hand and lift it for someone, but you need to ask for permission and have that connection with before you touch them—you need to respect them.

We have big dreams. Hersha and I want to open a non-profit studio, hopefully funded by somebody!

I only have that 1.5 hours with the children once a week, and I know that when we’re gone, there are a lot of great therapies and people who love them, but I feel

I pray that one day, awareness for special needs children is equally as important as, say, cancer research.

Learn more at www.artinyourlife.org.

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Kate Cheung A competitive runner for more than 10 years, Kate Cheung has placed highly in marathons and ultramarathons in Hong Kong and around the world. But it’s her commitment to working with blind and deaf atheletes that make her a Woman of Hope. Since 2011, she has coached the Fearless Dragons, a blind and deaf sports team, every Wednesday in running, swimming and dragon boating. Her career as a lead runner—that is, a sighted runner who races alongside a blind runner to guide them in a race—began in 2009, when she led the first blind female runner in the Standard Chartered Marathon.

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Royce Chan Leong-sze The captain of the women’s Hong Kong Rugby Sevens team, Royce Chan first caught our attention in an interview with our sister publication, HK Magazine.

We were inspired by her story, in which she described herself as being directionless and lacking in ambition, until she was introduced to rugby by friends. Royce was made captain of the squad in 2009, and led the team to a bronze medal at the 2009 East Asian Games.

Kate Cheung

Kate Cheung and her team at the 2010 Oxfam Trailwalker

Rachel Jacqueline

Sophie Cairns

Running enthusiast and sports and wellness journalist Rachel Jacqueline is the woman behind Run Rae, Run! (www.runraerun.com). Now in its second year, the project works in collaboration with The Women’s Foundation to raise funds for its TEEN program, which helps high-risk but high-potential youths develop leadership skills. Rachel’s additional funds help to take the kids out of the classroom and into the countryside for adventure and life skills-building camps. She raises funds by running in the HK 100, a gruelling 100-kilometer race through Sai Kung that tackles parts of the Maclehose Trail.

When her father passed away unexpectedly of esophageal cancer in 2008, Hongkonger Sophie Cairns decided to do something to honor his memory, and also raise awareness and money to help combat the disease. After climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, Sophie hit upon the idea of climbing the Seven Volcanoes— the highest volcanoes on each continent. The current world record for completing this challenge is two years, but Sophie is looking to smash that by climbing all the peaks in just four months. Track her progress and donate to the cause—which has so far raised US$7,000—by visiting www.sevenvolcanoes.com.

Rachel Jacqueline

Sophie Cairns

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Women’s Rights Champions Working for the Future

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The Women’s Foundation‘s Financial Literacy Program

“I am surrounded by amazing women role models.”

CEO of The Women’s Foundation and member of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), Su-Mei Thompson is a longtime women’s rights champion. As head of TWF, she’s involved in an array of campaigns: from nurturing leadership skills among disadvantaged youth to providing support to women living in poverty. She tells Evelyn Lok about the organization’s goals and recent initiatives.

I’ve only been working in the NGO space for five years, but I’ve always had a great empathy for the less privileged.

After a long corporate career working at wonderful companies like Disney, the Financial Times and Christie’s, I was on a year-long sabbatical during which I realized how 36

hard it is for women who give up work to return to the workplace.

It takes confidence, courage and determination for women to overcome the perceptions and biases of employers.

I had a Eureka moment: instead of returning to a corporate job, I decided to dedicate my energies to empowering women and girls to achieve their full potential.

By happy coincidence, The Women’s Foundation was looking for a CEO, so I guess the planets were aligned.

Joining TWF in 2009 turned out to be one of the best things I have ever done in my life.

The Women’s Foundation is a non-profit that’s dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in Hong Kong through research, education and advocacy.

The Foundation focuses on combatting stereotypes, increasing the number of women in leadership roles, and empowering women in poverty to achieve a better quality of life.

The increasing rich-poor divide in Hong Kong has recently thrown a spotlight on the feminization of poverty.

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The number of female working poor was 111,700 in 2010, whereas the comparative figure for men was 55,200, according to the Council of Social Service.

One of the main challenges is that after 1997, the main promoters of women’s causes in Hong Kong fractured into a patchwork of organizations.

We piloted a program to empower low-income women from four of the most disadvantaged districts by teaching them how to manage money and introducing them to entrepreneurship.

Women’s groups in Hong Kong need to present a more united front to carry more weight with the media, the government and other stakeholders.

We see the massive impact a more coherent voice could achieve in terms of changes in laws and policies, the allocation of resources, and so on.

We built on this and launched a new program providing financial capability and employability training to eight marginalized communities of women to help them achieve greater economic self-reliance.

I love my job, and it’s been wonderful watching TWF grow in its reach and influence.

TWF is also running two youth programs—TEEN, leadership workshops for at-risk teenagers, and Life Skills, training for youth in the poorest districts—both of which include a strong component of gender awareness.

Thanks to the amazing supporters, we are able to provide brighter prospects for women and girls in Hong Kong.

I learn something new every day, but the best thing about my job is that I am surrounded by amazing women role models.

We’re also making a new documentary, “She Objects,” about the impact of gender-insensitive news reporting and unrealistic standards of beauty in advertising.

Learn more at www.thewomensfoundationhk.org.

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Kylie Uebergang & Melissa Mowbray d’Arbela

Andrea Gutwirth

A charity advocating for the rights of migrants workers and their children born in Hong Kong, Pathfinders (www.pathfinders. org.hk) was founded by Aussie natives Kylie Uebergang and Melissa d’Arbela in late 2007. Born from concern about women who have fallen outside society’s safety net, Pathfinders aims to help find pathways for these women, by providing education and support, and helping mothers make decisions that will help their kids get a better start in life.

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Alia Eyres

Devi Novianti

Former lawyer Alia Eyres was first exposed to advocacy as a child: her parents co-founded grassroots charity Mother’s Choice (www. motherschoice.org) together with Gary and Helen Stephens in 1987.

Flash-forward 26 years, and Alia is helming Mother’s Choice as the CEO. A mother herself, Alia fights for the rights of children who can’t voice their problems—whether it’s children surviving without families or young women in crisis. To promote volunteerism, Alia launched MC Links (www.facebook.com/ MCLinksHongKong) in 2009 to encourage people to donate their skills, ideas and time.

Corporate Communications Officer at the Equal Opportunities Commission (www.eoc.org.hk), Devi Novianti has been working in the human rights sector for almost a decade. Devi moved to Hong Kong in 1995 from her native Indonesia.

She worked at local charity Christian Action, pursued a human rights degree at the University of Hong Kong, and subsequently began working with the EOC. “I see it as an extension of my previous work and as a purpose of my life,” she says. Devi’s work focuses on women’s education and independence, and she also helps raise funds for various organizations benefiting women.

Devi Novianti, of the Equal Opportunities Commission

SoulTalk members working on a garden

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Sringatin, of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union

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Sringatin grew up in East Java, Indonesia, and completed a degree in finance and accounting.

She struggled to find a job in her country, so she moved to Hong Kong in 2002, only to fall victim to the same kind of abuse that many foreign domestic workers endure. She took up her role as chairperson of the Indonesian Migrant Workers’ Union (IMWU) in 2004, which represents some 150,000 Indonesian maids in Hong Kong. Ultimately, Sringatin hopes to end the forced migration and slavery of migrant workers, and to gain recognition as workers with rights.

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12:10:57 PM

Sally Choi As a master’s student at HKU, Sally Choi started volunteering C in various women’s groups such as Zi Teng and the Hong Kong M Women Workers Association.

Y Continuing her work towards CM gender equality, Sally joined the Association for the MY Advancement of Feminism CY (AAF), where she was the CMY chairperson for several years and worked to advance women’s K rights through policy reform, cultural change and awareness.

As a current project coordinator at Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), Sally continues to work for equal opportunity policies and gender labor issues, as a part of the Women’s Affairs Committee and chair of the Commission of Sexual Harassment Prevention.

Sally Choi, campaigning for women’s rights

Sally Choi

41

Mr. Know-it-all Our favorite smart aleck sneaks out of his full-time gig at HK Magazine to give you an extra helping of useful advice.

Photo: Edward Wong/SCMP Chief Secretary Carrie Lam

Dear Mr. Know-It-All, What’s this I hear about Hong Kong’s shortage of men?

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JANE PACKER LONDON & TOMAS DE BRUYNE at The Hong Kong Academy of Flower Arrangement

• cert. / Dip. courses • short courses / International Classes in English available • Intensive Class / Private Tuition /Group Classes • Team Building Workshops, Corporate Training & Consultancy Services

Hotline: 2882 1832 www.hkafa.com.hk Hong Kong Branch : 15/F, Hennessy Plaza, 164-166 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, HK Kowloon Branch : 8/F, Lokville Commercial Building, 25-27 Lock Road, TST, Kln

Follow The List on Facebook www.facebook.com/ TheList.HongKong As thanks for being loyal readers, we’ll keep you in the know: follow us to find out about the best shops, events and activities.

View exclusive discounts and win free tickets to concerts and movies, plus get the chance to be on the invite list to our own happenin’ events. Love it, list it!

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You’re quite perceptive, Singleton.

Indeed, the ratio of men to women in Hong Kong has been on the decline for the last 30 years. In 1981, there were 1,087 men for every 1,000 women in the city.

As of 2012, there were 943 men per 1,000 women. Include foreign domestic helpers in this statistic and there are 869 guys for every 1,000 gals in the SAR. It’s a far cry from China’s imbalance, which is badly skewed the other way thanks to a combination of the One-child Policy and a patriarchal insistence on sons, not daughters. Chinese society and its Confucian values are male-dominated: increasing equality of women in China only really came about post-1949—as Mao himself said, “Women hold up half the sky.”

So with markedly more women than men in Hong Kong,

how does that impact our own social makeup? Well, women still have to battle against deeply entrenched prejudice—add Chinese Confucianism to Western parochialism and that’s one hell of a judgmental duo—but in Hong Kong, success is respected regardless of sex.

Take politics: 15.7 percent of Legco is female (compared with, say, 18 percent of the US House of Representatives) and 20 percent of Exco—that’s the same as the US Senate. Statistically, not ideal. But a majority of our female legislators were directly elected.

And the women in Hong Kong’s public eye are extraordinary. Take Ex-Chief Secretary Anson Chan—who just met Joe Biden in Washington— or current Chief Secretary Carrie Lam. Take the formerly reviled and now mostly rehabilitated Regina Ip. Or take Civic Party founder Audrey Eu, and social activist Elsie Tu. “Women hold up half the sky,” true, but in Hong Kong it seems like they’re doing the heavy lifting.

Man shortage? Give us fewer men, and more women like these.

Photo: Felix Wong/SCMP

Anson Chan, Ex-Chief Secretary

CONTACT US: Send your queries to Mr. Know-It-All. Email: thelist@hkmagmedia.com

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MARKET Place Business / Classes

Hong Kong Immigration Services (managed by Ex-Immigration Official)

2151 8082

info@lloyden.com www.lloyden.com

Call Now For A Free Consultation Employment Investment Dependant Training Defacto Partner Capital Investment Extensions ■

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Mother’s Day Shopping Shoppinghongkong presents...

Mother’s day Shopping bazaar Something for every mom & everyone else!

Wednesday may 7th The Fringe Club 2 Lower Albert Road noon-8pm Central HK Open to the Public Credit cards accepted Contact: shoppinghongkong@gmail.com

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H.K.

Learn to sail and have fun on our 45 foot yacht!

Hong Kong’s most experienced sailing school – accredited to run Crew and Skipper courses with Hong Kong Sailing Federation Certificates. 5-day courses including lunch, HK$5,000.

English and Chinese instruction, Gift Certificates for Christmas etc. Visit our website www.yachtingventures.com.

Mandarin / Cantonese-nannies —play, read stories, songs, toys, fun games and guide your kids to discover the daily life.

Mandarin tutors— for kindergarten, primary and secondary students, experience tutoring students from GSIS, HKIS, CDNIS, KGV, Kellett, ISF, CIS... . Can help prepare IGCSE, IB, AL...Please visit www.call-a-tutor.com or call 2572-8989

Brenka Ltd . Tutors Highly qualified and specialized in English, maths, sciences, essay writing, Mandarin and more. Will come to your home or office. Call April 9078-6155 or brenkaltd@gmail. com

For advertising rates and further information on Box Ads. Call 2534-9552.

health & Beauty FLEX STUDIO ACUPUNCTURE EXPERT QUALITY TCM A well established TCM clinic, QUALITY CHINESE MEDICAL CENTRE, originated from Guangxi, China, is now offering Herbal, Acupuncture, Bone-Setting, Moxibustion and Cupping Therapies in Central.

We specialise in curing internal and external problems like Weight loss, Arthritis, Migraines, Depression, Stroke, Eczema, Sinus, Hemorrhoids, Various Skin Conditions, Fertility, Smoking Addiction; Back Pain, Stiff Neck & Shoulder, and Slip Disc. We are for those who want to have their problems cured from the root, or just wanna to discover the secret of 5000 years TCM from China. Our Chinese Medicine Practitioners are fully registered in HK, and all have extensive experience from China and HK. FREE CONSULTATION, call 2881-8267 www.qualitytcm.com

Expat Hairstylist Expat Hairstylist from Toronto Canada with 25+yrs experience...

6th yr in Central, HK. Please go to my website: www.hairexpat.com Email or text at kclau_kclau@ yahoo.ca or 9575-3496. I’ll be delighted to hear from you.

EXPAT-PAINTER & DECORATOR Expat: House painting, Plumbing, Electrical, Ceiling fan & Light, Air conditioning Installation & Handyman Home Appliances and Services Reasonable price Call: 9238-0384 Email: painting92380384@gmail.com

A boutique haven for elite fitness conditioning, Flex offers complete training in Pilates, yoga, Xtend Barre® a rigorous ballet barre workout, TRX® and Zumba© Fitness. Private Pilates and yoga sessions are available, led by HK’s most experienced instructors.

Classes offered in Aberdeen and Central.

Tel: 2813-2212 www.flexhk.com info@flexhk.com

The Yoga Room (Yoga & Pilates) We are a boutique Yoga Studio in Sheung Wan offering classes in Hot Yoga, Hatha, Meditation, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Candlelight Yin, Yin Yang, Detox Flow, Pre-natal Yoga, Yoga for kids, Pre-natal Pilates. We also offer yoga private classes at your home, office & our studios. Come and try our 1 free class now!

Tel: 2544-8398. info@yogaroomhk.com www.yogaroomhk.com

HOME YOGA & THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE Yoga (beginner to advanced) & therapeutic massage in your own home.

Email: homeyoga4u@gmail.com Tel: 6628-7266

TENNIS COACH. MOTIVATOR. FITNESS TRAINER U.S. Certified Professional. Stroke production and match play. All ages & levels.

Call Larry 9013-8344 / www.acematchpoint.com

Tennis Instructor private / group for children age 4.5 up and adults.

Mini tennis for children and adult who want to keep fit with tennis.

Language: English, Cantonese, German, Mandarin. Call: 9026-1290 / 5328-8113. rubytennis@gmail.com

Tennis Performance Asia Ltd. Private, Groups, Ladies Coaching.

Kowloon, NT, HK Island. Phone Todd Hooper 9733-5197. www.tennisperformanceasia.com / todd@tennisperformanceasia.com [TPA Director, Ray Kelly]

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health & Beauty

Home

13.03.05_thelist_horizonplaza_sen_diningtable_op.pdf

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つばきハウス

Ordinary to Extraordinary ... in just an hour!

colour

style makeup makeovers

Tel: 852-2522-2592 image@savvystyle.com www.colour mebeautiful.hk www.savvystyle.com

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Our Japanese therapist Ms. Keiko C skilled in unique Jing Luo (経絡) Massage and Lymphatic Drainage M releases you from stresses accumulated over weeks at aY Cozy and Private room in Central.

CM Suitable for those who can not bear overly strong massage.MY Ladies Only • Open 10am - 8pm CY Phone: 9163 8032

By Appointment Only CMY <www.tsubaki-co.com>K

h

Home self-storage

Hong Kong’s Leading Self-Storage Company • Flexible self-storage facilities • Competitive rentals • No hidden extras • Contents insurance available • 24/7 access (except Shatin) • Secure facilities with CCTV

• Clean and climate-controlled • Wide range of unit sizes • Convenient location • Friendly and helpful staff • Transportation arranged

Whether you are looking for secure storage for your business or personal needs, The Store House has the solution for you.

Hotline: 2548 4049 www.thestorehouse.com.hk Facilities located at Ap Lei Chau / Kennedy Town / Western District / Shatin / Tuen Mun For further information: Email: tshenquiry@thestorehouse.com.hk

Restoring Mums For rates and more information on Text Ads for TheList Market Place, call 2534-9552.

Restore your Pre-natal Figure Through the art of Traditional Post Natal Massage and Abdominal Binding www.restoringmums.com Email : karen@restoringmums.com 47

Home

Best House Painting in Town Elite Movers & Handyman Packing, Moving, Storage, Handyman, Single-Item move, Disposal Service, All kinds of electrical work, hanging curtains, shelves & TV mounting.

Tel: 8209-1793 www.emdhk.com whatsapp me 9811-2053

INTERIOR DESIGNERâ&#x20AC;&#x2030;/ GAIL ARLIDGE DESIGN A personalized interior design and renovation service. Soft furnishing and window treatment service for a total refurbishment of a room or an apartment.

Call Gail on 9026-4617 for a consultation or email gail@gailarlidge.com or visit www.gailarlidge.com.

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DR. FIX IT ALL â&#x20AC;&#x201C; HANDYMAN Excellent Service-No Job Is Too Trivial, no task too difficult. From hanging pictures to moving / decorating full house, we are your choice. Painting, Shelf & Ceiling Fan Installations, Electrical repairs. More details on website www.drfixitall.hk Tel: 2525-0055 sales@DrFixItAll.hk Whatsapp me 9811-2053

SELF - STORAGE The Store House offers a self contained clean, climate controlled storage units of various sizes to suit your needs and gives you unlimited 24hr access 7 days a week with no extra charges. Our self storage facilities are conveniently located in Western district (near The Belchers), Victoria Road & Wong Chuk Hang and Tuen Mun. Please call us on 2548-4049, or visit www.thestorehouse.com.hk

ETC Collect teenager and young ladies clothes We Pay $1 per item, go to collect from your place, good condition and clean cotton tee, ladies shoes, handbags, summer children clothes, bedding, costume jewelleries. We sell to local young people who cannot afford to pay at normal prices.

Ms Lee 2586-1128, goodjobsper@hotmail.com (small commercial Thrift shop)

For advertising rates and further information on Box Ads. Call 2534-9552.

HEALING courses & sessions All levels of Reiki, Karuna Reiki and other courses taught to highest international standards since 1997. Private or group tuition. Healing sessions and Tarot readings also available.

Please call 9501-0478 or visit www.healingfire.com

Hypnotherapy & Counseling For making positive permanent changes naturally & gently.

Habits, Emotional Upsets, Stress, Insomnia, Self Confidence, ETC. Healthymindshk.com 6271-7633

At least twenty thousand readers scan this space every week for the best health and beauty deals.

Book this space 2534 9552

Editorial Internship TheList needs you!

If you love The List and think you’ve got what it takes to contribute to the magazine, then sign up for our internship program.

Gain an insight into Hong Kong’s media industry and develop and impressive portfolio.

The job includes: • Writing listings and articles • Getting out and about and researching the best the city has to offer • Learning about how social media works and writing content for Twitter, Facebook and The List Magazine online No experience necessary, but you will need: • The right to work in Hong Kong (working visa or ID card) • A passion for Hong Kong and city living • Cantonese an advantage, but not essential Please note that the internship program runs for 10 weeks and is a full-time, unpaid position. Office hours are 10am-6pm, with a lunch break from 1pm-2pm.

Please send your CV and covering letter to editorial@hkmagmedia.com 49

hope highlights

Over the past few weeks, we have had a pouring in of thoughtful nominations for this very special issue of The List.

Here are 10 of our favorite nomination notes from our readers.

“Jenny Quinton of Ark Eden is my Woman of Hope. She is a living, breathing eco-warrior in every sense... She started a camp at her home in a remote part of Lantau, where students could go and learn about preserving their environment.”

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“I’m nominating Sam Woods for the Eco Warriors category. She is spear heading the Urban Farming movement with her venture Time to Grow and is inspiring the city to go local and grow their own food!”

2

“Bess Hepworth, an amazing LGBT leader in promotion of LGBT rights and love.”

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“Every time I talk to Cherry Ng, she is always up to something good. Cherry single-handedly launched the first Chi Fan for Charity event in Hong Kong... She is an incredibly inspiring young female, genuinely kindhearted, naturally humble and a selfless human being.

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“Animals Asia founder and CEO Jill Robinson is widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on the cruel bear bile industry, having campaigned against it since 1993. She promotes compassion and respect for all animals and works to bring about long-term change.”

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“Abbie Jung is bootstrapping her way into every category of non-profit, even pulling together a Sustainability Fair in the style of Island East Markets—because of her personal passion. She is truly admirable.”

3

“Tina Luk keeps a positive and ‘willing 4 to learn’ attitude at all times. She is very active in pursuing workers’ rights, representing the trade union in tripartite and voicing workers’ demands during street rallies.”

“Katie Berroth has been instrumental as the Chairperson in Hong Kong for Roots of Health, a non-profit organization based in the Philippines that is dedicated to removing barriers to optimal educational and economic outcomes through a focus on maternal and child health.”

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“I would like to nominate Michele Lai of Kids4Kids—unpretentious, unassuming, always smiling and upbeat, she tirelessly works to benefit needy children in Hong Kong by investing her time and talents in fundraising, organizing and inspiring youth-initiated projects.”

9

“Doris Leung, CEO and Founder of Diamond Cab, is an excellent showcase of a female entrepreneur and an inspiration for all of us. She has turned her personal experience into Diamond Cab, a successful social enterprise.”

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Woodland Open Days 1oth May 2014 The Woodland Harbourside Pre-School 17th May 2014 The Woodland Montessori Pre-School (Repulse Bay) & The Woodland Montessori Pre-School (Tai Tam)

Please come to our Open Days: Saturday, 10th May 2014 (10.00 am to 2.00 pm) The Woodland Harbourside Pre-School G/F, Ocean Court, 3 Aberdeen Praya Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong.

Tel: 2559 1377 Email: whs@woodlandschools.com

Saturday, 17th May 2014 (10.00 am to 1.00 pm) The Woodland Montessori Pre-School (Repulse Bay) Shop G118-119, The Repulse Bay, 109 Repulse Bay Road, Hong Kong.

Tel: 2803 1885 Email: montessorirb@woodlandschools.com

and

The Woodland Montessori Pre-School (Tai Tam) G/F, Red Hill Plaza, 3 Redhill Road, Tai Tam, Hong Kong.

Tel: 2525 1655 Email: montessoritt@woodlandschools.com

For 35 years Woodland has set the standard in Hong Kong for quality early years education.

With ten schools, Woodland offers the only accredited early years education in Hong Kong.