Life

Female elite funds Chinese entrepreneurs

By Wang Chao (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-08 08:15

Clockwise from top: Four Tsinghua students holding scholarships (from left: Zhou Pei, Liu Fan, Liu Jin, Zhang Lin) stand beside C200 organizers Pamela Coker and Laurie McDonald Jonsson; Pamela Coker, CEO of Acucorp, talks at the Reachout forum; a panel discusses the role of female enterpreneurs in China.[Photo/China Daily]

Liu Fan has always been an aspiring woman searching for business opportunities.

From the moment she walked through the doors of Tsinghua University to study accounting, she worked as a campus distributor of hair dryers and other beauty products.

Then, after learning that Zara, a Spanish clothing brand, was hiring distributors in China, she wrote to them and recommended herself personally. Liu went on to start up her own business in Tianjin after working for three years at L'oreal China.

Never did Liu expect she would be granted a scholarship for her persistent entrepreneurship.

On Nov 3, Liu, together with three other female MBA students from the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University, received scholarships of $3,750 (24,956 yuan) from a Chicago-based organization called the Committee of 200 (C200), which helps foster and build businesses for female entrepreneurs all over the world.

This was the first time that C200 had reached out to China.

"I plan to use the money to develop my career," Liu said.

"The MBA program in Tsinghua University provides me with an opportunity to study abroad in my third year, so I will use this scholarship to cover my living expenses."

Most recently, a C200 Reachout forum was held at Tsinghua University in the School of Economics and Management. More than 30 female entrepreneurs attended from around the world and across all industries.

C200 was founded in 1986 by successful female entrepreneurs from the US, South America, Europe and Asia.

With more than 400 members, they create an annual income of $200 billion and offer jobs to 2.5 million people.

Membership is by invitation only, drawn from the highest ranks of female executives in successful private and public companies.

C200 is now cooperating with top MBA programs across the globe to fund outstanding students to develop their own businesses.

During the Reachout seminar, C200 members also shared with students how to balance careers and family lives.

"For women, you have to work very hard during the daytime and after you go home, then take care of the family," said Noel Harwerth, deputy chairwoman of Sumitomo Mitsu Bank Europe.

"If you want to build your network, you have to reach out to different areas through playing sports, appreciating arts, participating in community affairs, and so on."

"Men do this naturally but women have to do it on purpose," she added.

Next on the topic list was a discussion on the discrimination suffered from male competitors.

"No one expects women to be successful, so when you are, it surprises them," said Marsha Serlin, CEO of United Scrap Metal.

"You can achieve a lot when others are not watching you. Don't be annoyed about male pride, just take advantage of it."