I attended a grand lunch at Hotel Royal where Rama Bijapurkar, Market Strategy Consultant from India shared her views on social entrepreneurship. Rama is a very dynamic and articulate speaker; she really introduced me to some new ideas that had never crossed my mind before.

Even though I have a Computer Engineering degree, I didn’t think much about how poor people could use technology so easily. Well you don’t need to be literate to use an ATM, laptop or a cellphone in India… The country is changing very fast and technology is making a huge impact on people at the lowest income lowels (vegetable sellers, tailors, masseurs, etc). C.K. Prahalad in his book Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid refers to how some companies are focusing on profit making by eradicating poverty. Companies can profit from the masses and also enable the people at the bottom of the economic pyramid to improve their economic condition.

Necessity is the mother of invention. NGOs have a lot of innovation as the need is severe and passion to deliver is strong. They however do not have the scale and don’t know how to commercialize their innovation. If private sector could help in this area we can create new possibilities. According to Rama the poor are very innovative as they have to think creatively in order to survive. With mentoring, support and coaching we can develop social entrepreneurs and develop market mechanisms that support a new world.

In the midst of the packed schedule organised by the Forum for the Chinese Delegation, I managed to catch Huang Hung, CEO of China Interactive Media Group (CIMG), for a few minutes to get her thoughts on the Women’s Forum, the activities of the Chinese Delegation and the entrepreneurship landscape in China.

This is not the first time Hung has attended the Women’s Forum. She believes that the Forum plays a critical role in bringing forward women’s point of view. It encourages women leadership to express their views on a wide range of issues, from business and politics to social responsibility and the alleviation of poverty. In addition, the Women’s Forum differs from other women’s conferences because it does not shy away from “feminity”, as evidenced by the beauty and fashion lounges in the Discovery Hall. In her mind, women leaders should be free to express their feminity should they wish to, and should not feel the need to look like a man. In this regard, I believe that “feminity” is regularly associated with “weakness”, and unfortunately this association is often formed by women themselves.

On the events organised for the Chinese delegation, she highlighted two in particular. First, she enjoyed the address given by Laurence Parisot, Chairman of the CEO Council in France. The session gave the delegation a glimpse of how other countries perceive China: the pros and the cons. The political and regulatory risks discussed were also particularly useful for members of the Chinese Government present in the delegation. Second, the session on “How to build an international brand”, led by Cartier, Chanel and Remy Martin, was particularly relevant, as more Chinese companies are eager to graduate from being the “factory of the world” and to move onto building its international brand identity.

As one of China’s most prominent women in publishing, Hung described China as one of the most exciting places in the world right now for entrepreneurship. The size and growth of the market mean that “a lot is possible”. On the downside, she understands that the current infrastructure and regulatory environment in China can be difficult for young companies. Entrepreneurs often find it difficult to find cheap financing, legal and accounting services, amongst others. So, a word of advice for all the budding entrepreneurs in China? Hung summarises it in one concise word: ”Persistence”.

Rebecca Wei, the first woman Partner elected in McKinsey’s Greater China Office and leader of the McKinsey Women Initiative in Asia-Pacific, certainly fits the bill to answer that question. Rebecca began by highlighting the differences between the values of women in different regions of China. In China, family responsibilities are central to the discussion – there is a strong sense of obligation for women to fulfil the “role of the daughter”. In Taiwan, the norm is for many women to stay home after marriage. In Hong Kong, women have the most independence, financially and personally, and “look for the meaning of life”.

Having said that, Rebecca believes that professional women seeks two common things: mentorship and work-life balance. The McKinsey Women Initiative addresses the former by ensuring that every woman has a mentor and by building a community spirit in the work place. “Women need to have a sense of belonging [more than men]; women want to have friends to talk to after a bad day at work”. On keeping mothers in the workforce, McKinsey has a flexible programme which can be designed to reduce working hours or to minimise business travel. Importantly, she highlighted that women on maternity leave cannot be “left on the platform”, and should be ensured that they are able to integrate fully when they return.

According to Rebecca, the McKinsey’s Greater China office has not lost a single woman due to maternity in the last five years. Whether that is driven by the intrinsic character of the McKinsey women or by the Firm’s flexible programme (or, perhaps, both), that is an impressive stat and certainly a step in the right direction.