(Back row, from fourth left) Leow, Chow and Wong with award recipients at HERTrade Expo 2025. — Photos: CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
Two-day Penang event for entrepreneurs to showcase brands, network between M’sian and Chinese businesses, draws over 5,000 visitors
The HERTrade Expo 2025 in Penang for women entrepreneurs attracted around 5,000 visitors over two days.
“This is the first year we’re organising the expo under the theme ‘Where Women Build the Future’,” said Penang Elite Womenpreneurs Association (Pewa) president Rehneel Leow.
The event at Setia SPICE Arena brought together 121 women-led businesses from Malaysia and China, fostering collaboration, innovation and empowerment.
It was an opportunity to showcase brands and enhance personal growth and networking.
The women represented the manufacturing, food and beverage, beauty, technology, automotive and property sectors.
Leow emphasised that the expo’s core mission included corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives like supporting schools and single mothers, reflecting Pewa’s broader commitment to social development.
“Our objective is not only to help women grow their business but also to empower communities.”
A kebaya fashion show by Kenny Loh Couture during the expo.
The expo raised RM20,000 for four local schools: the Penang Chinese Girls School, SJK (C) Hu Yew Seah, SMK Berapit and SMJK Chung Hwa Confucian.
Leow said following the success of the expo, they were planning to hold another one in the future.
The expo also promoted greater awareness about environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.
“Sustainability is crucial for entrepreneurship. As entrepreneurs, we cannot just focus on profit; we have to care about our communities while protecting the environment at the same time,” she added.
During the event, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and state tourism and creative economy chairman Wong Hon Wai presented 18 awards to the businesswomen.
“Women are not just participants in the economy, they are helping to shape its direction and define its future,” said Chow.
He praised Pewa for organising the event, citing a Statistics on Women Empowerment 2024 report by the Statistics Department of Malaysia that revealed there were 219,015 women-owned establishments in 2022, representing 20.1% of all registered businesses and a steady increase from 187,265 since 2015.
He said that in Penang, women continue to stand at the forefront of change, driving progress in entrepreneurship, technology and the creative industries.
Aligned with the Penang2030 vision, he said the state government remained steadfast in its mission to build an inclusive and equitable economy, ensuring that everyone – regardless of gender – would have equal access to education, digital opportunities and a sustainable pathway to success.
Chow said initiatives like the Penang Women Entrepreneurs’ Mentoring Programme and PENMentor had played a pivotal role in empowering women with mentorship, professional skills and business guidance.
