Being a business owner requires grit and determination on a good day. Being a female founder in the wake of a global pandemic? Even more so.

That's why we've teamed up with HSBC to support female founders looking to scale their businesses. Enter HSBC ROAR, our practical, actionable, and purpose-led programme that provides the insights, connections, and confidence female founders need to supercharge their success.

The HSBC lions are a symbol of success and prosperity. But there's no success and prosperity without that grit and determination we mentioned earlier. And in a pride of lions, it's the lionesses who lift the pack and support each other to thrive amid adversity.

We've said it before, and we'll say it again - sisterhood works. Don't just take our word for it. Take it from these female founders who have been there, done that, and got the t-shirt.

Introducing five women from the latest APAC HSBC ROAR cohort - Founder & CEO of Pretti5 Dorothy Chau, Co-Founder and CEO of Canfem Akriti Gupta, Founder & CEO of Oncode Associate Professor Dr. Lim Su Wen, Co-Founder of Little Blossom Kwek Yi Jun, and Co-Founder of HIRO Drinks Cath Worthington.

Founder & CEO of Pretti5, Dorothy Chau

How does it feel to know there's a cohort of female founders in your region who know exactly how you feel and what you're going through?

Dorothy: It is very encouraging to have a support system with people who truly understand you and the situations you are going through. The program creates a safe space where female entrepreneurs can mask off and share freely without being judged. It is also a space for empathy and vulnerability, which lead to self-discovery for personal growth and better leadership.

Akriti: It feels absolutely amazing and contended, especially hearing from other women the kind of struggles they are going through and realizing just how relatable it is! I personally felt a lot less lonely in my journey, something like 'I am not the only one!'

Su Wen: It is definitely a great relief to know that I am not alone in this journey. Being an entrepreneur is a tough and lonely ride, let alone being a female entrepreneur. I felt a deep sense of comfort knowing that there's a cohort of female founders that share similar ups and downs in this entrepreneurship journey and would resonate with what I am going through as a founder.

Yi Jun: It definitely makes me feel very inspired to know that there are many other female founders around me, working hard to solve problems that they are passionate about. I appreciate being part of this community that allows us to exchange learnings and support each other!

Cath: It's really amazing! There's always some point at which everything feels like it's imploding. In those moments, it's been a really great morale boost, knowing that even though we are all doing different things, adverse and difficult situations do happen to all of us. In the moment, it may feel enormous, overwhelming, and like you won't survive but I find that the feeling of overwhelm is usually the sign that a breakthrough is going to appear. Ultimately, I think the way you handle the "hard" is a huge determining factor in one's ultimate success. I'm enormously grateful for the opportunity to be part of HSBC ROAR and for the incredible network that AllBright has created.

Co-Founder and CEO of Canfem, Akriti Gupta

What goals are you hoping to achieve in both a business and personal sense with the help of the HSBC ROAR programme?

Dorothy: The HSBC ROAR program provides an international platform that allows access to valuable resources such as funding, top-notch talents, and seasoned advisors who are instrumentals to the success of start-ups. I am very excited to be part of the program where I can learn and grow professionally and supercharge my business to the next level.

Akriti: The masterclasses organized by HSBC ROAR are just amazing. The experts, themselves being female founders, helped me understand where as a societal gender role I was lacking, how my societal conditioning was not letting me think bigger. I personally and professionally feel a lot more confident.

Su Wen: From both business and personal sense, I think it would be of great help to learn from the experience of other female founders. Our journeys as entrepreneurs are often crashed by storms and all sorts of obstacles. The paths in front may be hazy and blurry from time to time. Hence, learning from someone who has been there is an extremely valuable opportunity for most of us entrepreneurs. It is an opportunity that does not just come by easily, as most people are more prone to share their glorious moments in lives, and not the stories in which they failed, messed up, and struggled. I would certainly wish to learn from the experiences of other female entrepreneurs, every bit of these past experiences they share would certainly contribute to how I can manoeuvre through my upcoming journeys.

Yi Jun: We are currently working on our international expansion strategy for Little Blossom, so being part of the HSBC ROAR program has definitely given us access to mentors and partners to give us a head start. It's also been valuable to learn from fellow founders who have been on a similar journey or are thinking about it.

Cath: I've had a sense right from the launch of HIRO Drinks that my team and I could make it a huge success story, even after experiencing some very bumpy start-up setbacks. What we truly want to create is an Indonesian brand that Indonesians are proud of, that does what it says it will do, and that the world knows as being Indonesian! This country is so incredible and has so much to offer but too often the world consumes produce from Indonesia with no clue as to its place of origin. I truly want to change that and put Indonesia on the map. We are creating drinks that aid mental wellness at a time the world is facing a mental health crisis. We are buying ingredients that historically have been a by-product. This increases the farmer's income and brings amazingly powerful ingredients to consumers they haven't previously known and offers excellent health benefits. From the farmer to the consumer, our goal is to elevate everyone involved. I think this opportunity with HSBC ROAR is already absolutely helping with that. I'm experiencing amazing guidance that the programme offers, which without a doubt is boosting my confidence, my belief in myself, and my belief in HIRO.

Founder & CEO of Oncode Associate, Professor Dr. Lim Su Wen

35% of female founders have experienced gender bias when raising capital. What has been your biggest barrier to accessing capital as a female entrepreneur so far?

Dorothy: I always look up to Oprah Winfrey. She managed to pick herself up in spite of all the traumatising experiences at her young age and she broke through the societal prejudices and excelled. Oprah is the best role model who refuses to let adversities bring her down. Rather, she turns the struggles into triumphs. Her personal stories are both humbling and inspiring.

Akriti: As a female, I have often been asked absurd questions like, what will happen to your venture when you get married? How will you manage this if you want children? Do you even see it in the long term? Is it a hobby?

Su Wen: I think as female entrepreneurs, there are times when we are required to prove ourselves again and again and again before we would be "awarded" with the same recognition we deserve, as compared to our male counterparts. There may also be occasions that being a female entrepreneur and/or being younger in age, people may not take you seriously. But actually, it all boils down to how we define certain things. At the end of the day, by battling through all these milestones and overcoming them, you just outgrow yourself from needing to prove yourself to others to becoming someone whom others come to you because they see your worth, instead of the other way round. So, the mindset we have and also the original intention of why we are doing something is critical, to stay encouraged and persistent.

Yi Jun: We are extremely lucky to not have faced any form of gender bias in our fundraising journey so far. Instead, our biggest challenge has been finding the right partners that are aligned with our long-term vision for Little Blossom. Our mission is to nourish the next generation with our range of organic, all-natural snacks for kids and we wish to serve and grow our community in a sustainable manner.

Cath: I'm lucky not to have hit this barrier, yet. Our first round of capital raising was self-funding between the shareholders - a friend, my ex-husband, and myself - so it hasn't been entirely without complications. We are however about to cross this bridge, so watch this space, my answer may change. A driving factor in my application for HSBC ROAR was certainly around our need to soon be raising a second round of capital. I wanted to obtain as much knowledge as possible on what to do and not do in the capital raising process. The advice and guidance so far has been excellent and really resonated with me. Based on where we have managed to get with round one, I'm optimistic that HIRO Drinks will be an attractive prospect for new investors. We have a product we know works and solves a problem, it tastes amazing, has a wonderful sustainability story, and generates additional wealth for our farmers. It's a really positive story.

Co-Founder of Little Blossom, Kwek Yi Jun

In a pride of lions, the lionesses lift the pack and support each other to thrive amid adversity. What women have inspired, supported, and lit the way for you on your entrepreneurial journey?

Dorothy: The entrepreneurial journey could be a crazy ride. However, being resilient, open-minded, and willing to grow is the key to becoming stronger and hopefully, I can pay it forward in the near future to empower the next generation as well.

Akriti: My biggest inspiration is Shradha Sharma from YourStory. She is a fierce woman who has built a company when start-ups weren't even cool. Attending her session and interacting with her was super inspiring. Also, learning that the kind of struggles with team building and securing partnerships that I am facing is something that she also faced, made me further believe that I need to be more patient and I am on the right path.

Su Wen: Women have great capabilities, they are full of potential, and I always believe that women play unique roles in the corporate world. Hence, supporting, and empowering women to achieve greatness is definitely one of my life-long missions as an entrepreneur. My mother, specifically, is always a tough and persistent woman that has set a role model for me since young, showing me that when it comes to being tough enough to bear burdens and responsibilities, there is no such thing as men can bear more responsibilities than women or vice versa. There are also several female professors from the universities which I studied who have shown me that, regardless of being a male or a female, everyone has equal rights to fight for what they want in life, to be what you want to be - you know, get the role, grab the chance, well, just be whoever you want to be, and make whatever differences you want to make. Everyone should be contributing to making this world a better place regardless of gender.

Yi Jun: Since I started Little Blossom, I've had the pleasure of meeting many mompreneurs - mothers or parents who have started their own businesses inspired by problems they or their children have faced. Starting a business is never easy but doing so while raising young children is an even more commendable feat! A notable example would be Yvon Bock, who founded Hegen to empower mothers on their breastfeeding journey with their innovative baby milk bottles.

Cath: As they say, it takes a tribe! And it's true, it really does. I am incredibly fortunate to have a vast array of wonderful women supporting me, both near and far. My mum, two sisters, and a myriad of interesting, capable, intelligent girlfriends sprinkled all over the world, always just a phone call away. My number one wing woman, who I truly couldn't do it without, is my super nanny. I cherish her presence in my life and having her is the ultimate working moms comfort. It allows me to work the way I do, knowing that when I am not there, she is lovingly supporting and caring for my three children. Additionally, the best investment I've ever made was hiring a coach. Amara Samata founded the InnerGuidance Institute and describes herself as a Conscious Evolutionist. She literally changed my life, professionally and personally. A year of coaching and three of her retreats helped me to transform and let go of old patterns that were not serving me. In fact, they were completely detrimental to being able to grow and were holding me back. With her guidance, I've been able to truly tune into exactly who I am, what I want, and how I'm going to best achieve those goals.

Co-Founder of HIRO Drinks, Cath Worthington

Ready to embrace your inner lioness? The next HSBC ROAR cohort starts in September.

Yes, you read that right. After the roaring success of the first programme, HSBC ROAR is back for round two this year. So, apply today to follow in the footsteps of these five fierce female founders who supercharged their success through the programme's invaluable lessons, unrivalled connections, and exceptional opportunities that entrepreneurs can't find elsewhere.

Still need convincing? get a glimpse of what the programme can do for you and your business by watching the live recordings of these masterclasses and listening to these podcasts. Don't say we don't spoil you.