In honor of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025 Felena Hanson interviewed two amazing women from Thailand and Vietnam. Both are paving the way for the next generation of female entrepreneurs.

Both women were part of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Academic Fellows Program, and did an exchange with Hera Hub in previous months. Felena Hanson had the opportunity to visit each of them in their home country in November. 

The second interview in this series was with Khanh Huong (Cecillia) Le, Co-founder of IonTech, Vietnam

The first interview in this series was with Fatin Jamjuree, Program Coordinator at The Network of Civic Women for Peace

ABOUT Global Entrepreneurship Week 

GEW is a worldwide campaign that takes place every November, engaging entrepreneurs, innovators, start-ups, mentors, investors and communities across countries and continents. 

For 2025, the dates are November 17-23. 

Its core purpose is to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to start, grow or scale ventures by offering events, workshops, competitions and networking opportunities. 

The theme for Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025 is “Together We Build.” 

Theme highlights:

  • The power of collaboration and community in entrepreneurship. 
  • Building something greater through joint effort and shared purpose.
  • Emphasizing that startups, ecosystem-builders and support networks don’t act alone—progress comes from being connected and cooperative.

ABOUT Cecillia Le

Cecillia Le is a co-founder committed to responsible commerce. At Ion Technology Vietnam, she and her team are focused on one mission: ensuring the Vietnamese community has access to safe, high-quality, and eco-friendly household cleaning products.

Cecillia draws on a foundation of over eight years of experience in marketing, brand management, and business development, insights she gained after earning a Master’s degree in Marketing from Manchester Metropolitan University and a Bachelor’s in Finance and Accounting.

Beyond her role at Ion Technology, she is dedicated to supporting others. Cecillia contributes actively to programs that foster women’s entrepreneurship across Vietnam, believing that empowering fellow female founders is central to sustainable growth. Her work is guided by the hope of making a meaningful contribution- driving better practices in business and supporting social change. 

ABOUT Ion Technology

Ion Technology Vietnam Co., Ltd., established in 2023, is a pioneer in bringing environmentally friendly cleaning and washing technology to the Vietnamese market. The company is driven by a core commitment to innovation, continuously applying advanced technology to develop superior household cleaning solutions that are both highly effective and demonstrably safe for consumer health and the environment. 

Ion Technology Vietnam’s vision is to become the leading enterprise and symbol of the safe cleaning industry in Vietnam. Guided by the values of effectiveness and safety, their ultimate mission is to elevate the quality of life for the Vietnamese people, fostering a healthier lifestyle through rigorous product testing and sustainable business practices.

ABOUT Vietnam

Vietnam’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has emerged as one of the most dynamic in Southeast Asia, characterized by rapid digital adoption, a young and tech-savvy population, and significant government ambition. The pandemic cemented a powerful shift towards a digital economy. With an e-commerce market projected to reach $39 billion by 2025, Vietnam provides a fertile ground for innovation. While Vietnam consistently ranks 3rd in Southeast Asia for venture capital funding, the ecosystem faces a “scale-up gap”. While start-up formation is high, many ventures remain small. Ideas often lack the structured pathways, mature management expertise, and later-stage funding to become regional champions. 

This scale-up challenge is acutely felt by one of the economy’s most powerful forces: Vietnamese women. Vietnamese women are a formidable economic driver, leading more than 70% of established SMEs in the consumer sector. They are known for resilience, strong management and a community-focused approach. Despite this, a profound funding gap persists, and they often lack access to high-level networks necessary for growth. 

Bridging this structural funding gap, particularly for female-led ventures, represents the single greatest opportunity to unlock Vietnam’s full potential and transform local businesses into regional economic champions.