Women Building Tomorrow: WEN Gala 2026

WEN Gala 2026

Women Building Tomorrow: Takeaways from the WEN Hong Kong Gala 2026

On 24 September 2026, the Women Entrepreneurs Network (WEN) gathered for its annual gala under the theme, From Vision to Venture. Every great business starts with a big dream and a vision and then someone has to stay with it through the late nights, the first client, the first “no,” and the rollercoaster that follows.

WEN is Hong Kong’s longest-running network for women in business. The afternoon was not a panel about women’s empowerment in the abstract. It was a room of women who have already turned a vision into a venture, whether it’s a vet practice, a jewelry business, a marketing agency or like in my case, a public speaking business.

Here are some of my takeaways:

1. The dream is not the hard part. The infrastructure is.‍ ‍

Ideas are commodities. What changes outcomes is taking action and that’s only possible through community, capital, shared language, and the first people who take you seriously. WEN’s value is not inspiration alone. It is the scaffolding around the idea: peers, milestones, recognition, and rooms where women do not have to translate themselves first and ask for permission. Don’t build in isolation: find your own scaffolding.

2. Women’s ambition still has to justify itself.‍ ‍

Even in a city as modern and vibrant as Hong Kong, a packed room of women founders and entrepreneurs still feels like an event rather than the default. That gap is the work. Visibility is not a vanity metric. It is how the next woman finds proof that the path exists. Put yourself out there, build your brand, pitch your idea…it’s not about being aggressive; it’s about being empowered to sell your business and your vision without feeling guilty.

3. Entrepreneurship and collaboration

Building a company is a solo venture that requires the willingness to be first. However, successful entrepreneurs are rarely the ones who isolate. They build tables, then they keep the door open. Collaboration and partnership are at the heart of entrepreneurship and it’s important to build partnerships and alliances to support each other. Pass the entrepreneurship baton, find a mentor who is ahead of you and mentor someone who is two steps behind. Your network is your net-worth.

4. Celebration is strategy.‍ ‍

Awards, stories, and recognition are not decoration. They make progress visible. When women’s milestones are named in public, they become reusable evidence for everyone else still deciding whether to bet on themselves. When we celebrate one woman, we are opening the door for others to follow and the tide keeps rising.

Why This Matters Beyond One Afternoon

Hong Kong does not lack talent. It often lacks rooms where women can speak as trailblazers, strategists, leaders and entrepreneurs. Networks like WEN close that gap in a practical way: they connect the dream to the next conversation, the next client, and the next version of their business - and themselves.

If you are a woman entrepreneur based in Hong Kong, check out the amazing work WEN is doing to empower, equip and support women to turn their vision into a sustainable business.

Bring This Conversation Into Your Organization

If you are building a culture where women can lead, speak, and grow without shrinking first, I design keynotes and workshops on inclusive leadership, cultural agility, and confident communication for teams across Asia-Pacific.

Reach out at veronica@veronicallorcasmith.com.