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

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

You can also catch some of Felena’s footage of the Thailand trip on her Instagram – Quick Highlights, Mushroom Mom’s & Photos.

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 Fatin Jamjuree

Fatin is a Program Coordinator at The Network of Civic Women for Peace (Civic Women) in Pattani, Thailand. In her role, she works to empower women who have lost family members due to the ongoing conflict, as well as other vulnerable women who face social and economic challenges. Her work focuses on strengthening their resilience through economic empowerment, helping them gain skills, resources, and opportunities that enable them to rebuild their lives, support their families, and participate more actively in their communities.

About UN Women 

UN Women has played a significant role in supporting the establishment of the Women’s Empowerment and Learning Center (WE Center), which now operates in eight locations across Thailand. These centers serve as safe and inclusive spaces designed to enhance the capacity of women at the community level. They function as learning hubs where women can access skill-building workshops, livelihood training, and social support. In addition, the centers showcase local products and serve as platforms that promote local women entrepreneurs, allowing them to gain market visibility and strengthen their economic independence. Through these initiatives, the WE Centers contribute to building more resilient communities and advancing gender equality across the country.

About the YSEALI reverse exchange program, through the American Councils 

Felena’s visit focused on learning from the region’s social enterprise, exploring their experiences in creating and sustaining initiatives that empower women. Felena met with single mothers to understand their livelihoods and mushroom-farming practices, and connected with the office staff to discuss community engagement and potential collaboration.

Key objectives included identifying strengths, weaknesses, and empowerment opportunities; enhancing business and marketing capacity; and building basic financial management skills for budgeting and sustainability. The program also centered on strengthening peer mentorship, confidence, and leadership among single mothers. In addition, Felena explored how upcycling initiatives and locally made products supported community development, job creation, and broader brand visibility.