9 awesome women-owned and run businesses in Singapore you need to know about
It's International Women's Day! To celebrate, Yahoo Life SEA reached out to Daryl Dee Teo, one of Singapore's top marketers, for her suggestions on a bunch of excellent, successful, valuable and interesting businesses in Singapore for you to support.
Bespoke Bread
Self-described as ‘Karen the Doughminatrix’, the founder of Bespoke Bread is an artisan baker, a mother, a teacher and a gardener who was an editor and producer before starting her own home-baking business. Selling delicious sourdough bread and waffles, the brand also has a sourdough baking masterclass where you can learn her hard-won skills.
Fawn Labs
Fawn Labs is a luxury bespoke skincare brand started by Hann Chia after a varied career in musical theatre, finance and investment banking. “I’m a huge advocate for women doing what matters to them, doing what makes them motivated and happy,” says Ms Chia. “Every woman can change her life; you don't need to wait for a boss or company to give you an opportunity". Fawn Labs also holds workshops for children to learn to make bath bombs or go on a farm tour.
Golden Addiction Durians
A corporate banker, a mother of two and a "crazy durian lover", the founder of Golden Addiction Durians, wanted to "reinvent the durian wheel". "Golden Addiction Durians was born out of my quest to hunt for good quality durians as I was getting tired of what was available here in Singapore. Somehow, I couldn't find any that could rival the ones I ate in Malaysia," she explains. "One day, a friend told me about his contact who ran a plantation. I took the opportunity to distribute to friends and family at my son's birthday celebration. Everyone started asking for more, and it became almost a monthly affair that I was helping to organise group purchases." To get your hands on these fabulous durians, head to goldenaddictiondurians.take.app to order.
Hedonist Tribe
Jacqueline Kee and Meryl Lim are co-owners of one of Singapore's coolest companies when they merged Good Vibes Only and the Hedonist Tribe, a woman-focused sex toy brand. "Both are committed to empowering women sexually and normalising sex talk in general without the shame,” explains Ms Teo.
Kombucha Works
Kat Sng is an artisan kombucha brewer and a single mother who also has a full-time job as a marketer. She set up Kombucha Works in 2018 when she “decided to start brewing kombucha for her family to boost their health”. Ms Sng’s belief in the importance of sustainability and eco-friendly living has always been prominent in the way she leads her life and educates her son. Kombucha Works also collaborates with Fawn Labs at that brand’s pop-ups and flea market stalls.
Omm Home by Yesah Studio
Omm Home is a fascinating mix of wellness, crafting and dining. Founder Linda Hao started in fashion, then DJing before morphing into a yoga teacher, crafter and the creator of the Omm Home experience. Omm Home Kitchen is a private dining experience where like-minded souls gather to eat healthily. Hao has also recently launched a lunch subscription and homemade chilli oil. "Her spirit is free and creative, ever-evolving and her generosity of sharing her knowledge," says Ms Teo about Ms Hao.
Selva Foods
Selva Foods sells Acai wholesale and various health-focused products like Acai popsicles. Cinthya founded the company with her partner Shaun to introduce "the finest wild-harvest açaí to Southeast Asia”. The pair met in Shanghai while learning Mandarin, fell in love, and started a business together. Next, they moved to Brazil to discover the benefits of fresh açaí berries grown in the Amazon. “In Singapore, Selva’s wholesale model allows us to focus on sourcing and to supply high-quality açaí to other businesses that focus on the customer experience. In addition to açaí, we have been creating new plant-based offerings to add to our offerings,” says Ms Cinthya.
Simone Heng
Simone Heng has gone from a DJ to an inspiring motivational speaker and life coach in only a few short years. Her course on Courageous Speaking and Human Connection has even been featured at South by South West in 2022. She has also recently released a book, Secret Pandemic.
The Inside Job
One of the iconic Butter Factory nightclub co-founders, a founding member of the Great Room and a former marketer at L’Oreal, Celeste Chong, has always been a part of Singapore's fantastic club. Now she has launched The Inside Job to help people deal with living a faster-than-normal life. At the Inside Job, you can experience a Gong Sound Bath and Cacao Ceremony with Ms Chong. "After being in the corp world herself, she understands how stress can be detrimental to a person’s mental health,” explains Ms Teo.
Daryl Dee Teo is the founder of Bless Inc Asia, a popular Singapore-based boutique public relations and marketing company.
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