The ‘Women of the Future Awards Southeast Asia 2024’ took place at Voco Orchard Singapore, honouring trailblazing women making their mark across diverse industries. This prestigious event celebrated top female leaders from the ASEAN region, with 60 finalists competing in 12 categories. Among them, 22-year-old Harsha Ravindran stood out as the youngest Malaysian to win the ‘Social Entrepreneur Award,’ recognized for her outstanding entrepreneurial achievements.
(Picture Courtesy: ET Boost)
Harsha’s remarkable journey began at the age of 13 when she co-founded Ascendance with her sister Heerraa Ravindran and friends Sanadtkumar Ganesan and Mathura Kannan. Over the past nine years, Harsha and the Ascendance team have made a significant impact, reaching over 55,000 students across 26 countries through their grassroots entrepreneurship programs. Today, Ascendance stands as a leading global organization amplifying the voice of Gen Z. Harsha’s sister Heerraa, an internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter, also attended the awards gala as a finalist in the Arts & Culture category.
“We bet that Gen Z, at-risk youths, and vulnerable communities deserve to be at the driver’s seat to solve the issues that they see around them.”
“To the people who have believed in me since I started, thank you for changing my life!” remarked Harsha Ravindran, the University of Pennsylvania undergrad during her acceptance speech. Harsha’s latest venture, the NextGen Entrepreneurship Network (NGEN), is a New York-based non-profit that hosts a unified platform to support the intercollegiate entrepreneurship ecosystem in the United States.
(Picture Courtesy: ET Boost)
Malaysia celebrated a proud moment last evening by winning three prestigious awards: the Social Entrepreneur Award, the Community Spirit & Public Service Award, and the Property, Infrastructure & Construction Award. Rachel Siew Suet Li was honored with the Community Spirit & Public Service Award for her inspiring efforts in championing the rights of people with disabilities and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. A dedicated advocate for rare diseases, Rachel lives with Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA, a rare condition, and has courageously shared her journey through her book Little Book, BIG Secrets.
The British High Commissioner to Singapore, Nik Mehta, commemorated the achievements of these young leaders as he presented one of the awards this evening, “I had the immense pleasure of hosting many of the nominees at my residence last night. I‘ve heard many of their stories and I defy you to listen to their stories without a dry eye. Honestly, it was one of the most remarkable evenings I’ve ever been involved in.”
(Picture Courtesy: ET Boost)
Another proud Malaysian, Jojo Wei Gwee, earned the Property, Infrastructure & Construction Award for her exceptional contributions to the industry. She has been at the forefront of leading award-winning township developments, pioneering creative marketing approaches, and championing sustainability in her projects.
Congratulations to these outstanding women who are making strides in their fields and representing Malaysia in the Southeast Asia female leadership community. Click HERE to learn more about the Women of the Future Awards Southeast Asia and discover the incredible winners and finalists for 2024.
All the information and images are provided by Ascendance.
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