Alibaba hosts 3rd Women & Entrepreneurship Conference saluting Female "Disruptors"

Alibaba Group Holding has held its third biennial Global Conference on Women and Entrepreneurship to salute women whose courage to disrupt social norms and shatter traditional roles is reshaping the world.

Joining Alibaba Group founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma at the event were prominent women leaders, such as Melinda Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, United Nations Undersecretary and Executive Director of UN Women. This year’s theme -“The World She Made” - spotlighted the positive changes the world has seen and will experience, thanks to the female trailblazers who dared to break the glass ceiling they faced.

Advancement of women is at the core of Alibaba’s mission to empower others and make it easy to do anywhere in the digital era. The Conference, established in 2015, underscores Alibaba’s unwavering commitment to this cause.

Ma said, “Women have always played an integral role in Alibaba since its establishment two decades ago. I believe the increased participation of women in the development of technology and product design will benefit and improve the entire society. Women have demonstrated the ability to adapt to the rapid changes brought on by the ongoing digital revolution. Such flexibility and ability to embrace change will foster more creativity among women.”

He also added that as an UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, the promotion of gender equality is the one goal he cares about the most because “it is the most important goal of the 21st century” as it pertains to human survival.

Empower Women, Empower the World

Speaking to the participants via video message, Gates drove home the message that investing in women’s economic empowerment, including entrepreneurship, is “not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do.” She emphasized the global economy could add $28 trillion by 2025 if women participated in the labor force to the same degree as men.

Global pop sensation Rihanna, whose Fenty Beauty brand has disrupted the global cosmetic industry, encouraged all women to believe in themselves, work hard and pursue their dreams unapologetically. She also addressed the audience via video. She said, “Making my dreams a reality, it started with just a lot of faith. I’ve always believed that it would happen, no matter what. I just didn’t know how I would get there, but I believed that it would happen one day. Once I got opportunity, I didn’t squander it.”

Globally Connected

For the first time, the conference was held simultaneously in four different cities around the world – Hangzhou, Tokyo, Jakarta and Sydney – to allow participants to hold deep-dive discussions on issues and progress particular to their region and culture.

In Jakarta, the event was co-organized by Lazada, Alibaba’s e-commerce flagship in Southeast Asia. Local award-winning journalist Najwa Shihab said women need to challenge the clichés and stereotypes they face. By leveraging their entrepreneurship and leadership roles, women can help create supportive communities that elevate and empower other women.

Speaking from Australia, Jessica Rudd, the creator of Jessica’s Suitcase with a successful shop on Alibaba’s Tmall platform, candidly shared with the audience her struggle with self-doubt. Offering her empathy and encouragement, Rudd expressed an unconventional view on doubt, calling it a “sign of intelligence and wisdom.”

At the Tokyo event, keynote speaker Mika Kumahira, President of Career College at Showa Women’s University, encouraged participants to believe in themselves.

New Opportunities in the Digital Era

The afternoon breakout sessions at the Hangzhou location focused on three topics centered on new opportunities for women in the digital era – specifically in the realms of sports, technology and entrepreneurship.

One of the featured entrepreneurs was Chen Yan. Born with congenital blindness, Chen was abandoned by her parents and only lived because her grandmother took her in. Despite not being able to read music, Chen excelled on several instruments and later became the country’s first blind piano tuner, without ever laying an eye on any of the 8,000-plus components of a piano.

Notwithstanding the naysayers, Chen started her own piano-tuning business in 2004. Eleven years later, Chen challenged social norms again, opening her own piano-tuning service shop on Taobao.