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The 4th APEC Women Connect “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition Announces 2023 Winners, Celebrates Women Empowerment

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BEIJING, Feb. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The fourth annual APEC Women Connect “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition came to a successful close on January 19th, 2024, wrapping up a successful four-month season of building up and empowering a new batch of over 1,300 aspiring women entrepreneurs and influencers who represent the entire gamut from nano- to mega-sized platforms.

 

 

Co-hosted by cross-border e-commerce company DHgate, social commerce platform MyyShop, and women empowerment organizations The Inner Mountain Foundation and APEC Women Connect, the “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition invited women e-tailers to show off their social commerce capabilities through competitive challenges focused on boosting their product sales and social awareness. Participants also learned about the many facets of social commerce (such as social media marketing) through exclusive e-learning sessions with key mentors from partner organizations. Participants of this year’s competition hailed from countries including (but not limited to) the US, Puerto Rico, Nigeria, India, China, Canada, Australia, Spain, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam and the UK.

The competition concluded with the fourth “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition Awards Ceremony, held online on the afternoon of Friday, January 19th, 2024. The ceremony kicked off with inaugural remarks by Julia Torreblanca, the APEC Business Advisory Council Chair for 2024, as well as a keynote speech by DHGATE Group Founder, Chairperson and CEO Diane Wang. The ceremony proceeded with two panel discussions, two showcase presentations and the presentation of three types of prestigious awards to 23 winners.

“When we intentionally introduce digital empowerment to women and SMEs, we unlock a powerful force for positive change,” Torreblanca said. “Supporting women entrepreneurs and SMEs with the right skills and access to technology not only strengthens their individual capabilities but also contributes to the overall growth of the SME sector. This symbiotic relationship creates a ripple effect, fostering economic empowerment at both the individual and community levels.”

Diane Wang expanded on this sentiment in her keynote speech: “Having been a part of the tech industry for three decades, I have seen how technology and digital tools, especially for women, can be transformative. The digital economy has significantly lowered the barriers to entrepreneurship, enabling women from various backgrounds to pursue their dreams. This equal opportunity is a game-changer.

“To further amplify this impact, I have initiated several projects aimed at empowering women in the digital economy, including training programs and global entrepreneurship competitions,” Diane said. “Our projects have reached over 100,000 women across 51 countries, showcasing the untapped potential of women worldwide waiting to be realized through digital empowerment.”

23 Entrepreneurs Commended for Inspirational Business and Personal Growth

Three “AWC Her Power Queen” World Champions were rewarded for the competition, representing the participants who had the highest sales quantity and social media engagement and most unique story angles. 20 awards were also granted in two “Rising Star” categories this year, representing the “Best Inner Mountain Power Queens” and the “Best MyyShop Influencer Queens” of the competition, selected according to similar criteria.

The fourth “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition marks the first time the Inner Mountain award has been granted. Developed in partnership with The Inner Mountain Foundation, a newly launched organization focused on promoting women empowerment around the world, this award recognizes the participants who made the most progress at finding and realizing their inner strength during the event period.

The Inner Mountain Foundation fosters a community of like-minded women who can lead, nurture, and inspire those around them — starting with themselves — by providing access to various entrepreneurial resources, mentorship, training, information, support, recognition, and even funding for women-owned businesses.

“AWC Her Power Queen” Award Winners

–       World Champion: Sabrina Eshaq (@nnarrgiss)
–       World Champion: Ericka Sutton (@itsme234girl)
–       World Champion: Tiffany James (@tiiffxny)

“Best MyyShop Influencer Queen” Award Winners

1st Place: Nusaiba Labaran (@nusaeba21)2nd Place: Dakota Ackerman (@dak.bby)3rd Place: Deanna Anderson (@deannaay)4th to 10th Place, in no particular order: @suzyd03, @cxozyt, @annekoii, @ka1ese, @ersmakeup, @dulcessweetworld, @evilhiccup

“Best Inner Mountain Power Queen” Award Winners

1st Place: Lizette Baldeo (@lizettebaldeo)2nd Place: Lilly Burke (@lillybuurke)3rd Place: Damaris Sucely Mayorga Pineda (@damarispineda3)4th to 10th Place, in no particular order: @Quynh Tran, @Karen Lê, @Pagie Trần, @allisonlitt, @dawnlewinsky, @in..your..dreams, @caelielangston

Every winner was not only recognized for their achievements but also received a cash prize and exclusive gifts from the competition’s brand partners (including MySmile, a California-based oral hygiene specialist.)

Empowering Women Through Digital Literacy E-Learning

The awards ceremony featured two panel discussions focused on educational topics. The first panel was about the importance of enhancing one’s digital skills, and was presented by Microsoft China Senior Program Manager Melinda Ma, along with DHGATE Group’s Vice President of Global Business Development Justin Hu and Vice President of Logistics Supply Chain Shawn Liu.

The second panel, called “Empower Women Inner Light”, invited Lean In China co-founder Leiya Lei, International Association of Women President Megan Bozzuto and the SHERO Initiative co-founder Rita Chao to discuss the overarching theme of the “Her Power” competition: women’s empowerment in entrepreneurship.

Two “My Journey to Digital Proficiency” showcase presentations highlighted three success stories from two ongoing programs in the China chapter of The Inner Mountain Foundation. The first story came from the organization’s pioneering “Women Going Global” program, which targets female entrepreneurs and business leaders in cross-border industries, and was presented by The Inner Mountain Foundation member Qiuling Zhuang. Two more case studies from the foundation’s “Sailing Youth” course, designed by DHgate for university students majoring in cross-border e-commerce and business, were presented by Andrea Qi and Chanunthida Chumchong.

These presentations built on the content of the “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition itself, which was highly focused on cross-disciplinary e-learning courses related to improving social commerce skills such as cross-border e-commerce, how to boost sales on social media, novel shopping experience strategies, cultivating a sales persona and securing financing. All of the learning content was designed specifically with Gen Z in mind, to further empower young entrepreneurs from any background.

The competition’s 22 e-learning sessions were all uploaded to Youtube for contestants and all other interested parties to review the content at their leisure. The courses were delivered by a wide array of mentors from partner organizations, including Snapchat, Flyway, Bonjour Girls, Y.O.U Beauty and NETEASE, among many others. A few examples of course titles include “How to Become a Great Product Manager”, “Build Digital Ad Creatives with High Revenue Potential in the New Digital Era”, and “Women Empowerment Self-Discovery Story Sharing”.

This year’s partnership with The Inner Mountain Foundation also brought a new focus on personal growth and inspirational motivation. “To achieve this, we’ve provided numerous experience programs focused on tapping one ‘s inner strength, networking platforms for sharing and inspiring, and most importantly, a decentralized mechanism for realizing companionship within our community,” Diane Wang said in her keynote. “We’ve successfully created a safe space where women can lead, nurture and inspire each other, through the strength they uncover within after discovering and climbing their Inner Mountains.”

In addition to the people mentioned above, other attendees of this year’s “Her Power” Entrepreneurship Competition Awards Ceremony included:

Danning Zhang, from HEBE GroupSteffi Sun, from Quadrant LabRui & Francisico, winners of the third “Her Power” competitionTom Tran & Phuong Hoang, winners of the third “Her Power” competition

About APEC Women Connect

Founded in 2016, APEC Women Connect is an APEC-endorsed program initiated by Ms. Diane Wang, the China Representative on the APEC Business Advisory Council, Chair of the APEC Women Leadership Forum, Co-Chair of WiBAC of B20 Indonesia, and Founder, Chairperson and CEO of DHgate.com. APEC Women Connect aims to empower women, especially young women, to realize entrepreneurship via digital solutions through inspirational sharing, practical learning, effective recognition, and awards. APEC Women Connect has been included in the annual recommendation to the APEC Economic Leaders for three consecutive years. It has also been included in the annual recommendation to G20 Leaders by B20 for two consecutive years.

About DHgate

Founded in 2004, DHgate has become the leading B2B cross-border e-commerce marketplace in China, boasting over 34 million live listings annually. Through their global operations and offices, including in the USA and UK, DHgate reaches millions of people with trusted products and services. As of December 31, 2022, DHgate served more than 59.6 million registered buyers from 225 countries and regions, connecting them to over 2.54 million sellers in China and other countries.

For more information, please visit DHgate.com and follow @DHgate.com.

About MyyShop

MyyShop is a pioneering social commerce platform launched by DHGATE Group that provides an effortless selling experience on social media. The platform aims to empower different types of creators—from nano to mega-influencers—to turn their social media influence and passion for content creation into thriving online businesses. Equipped with MyyShop’s social commerce and online store creation toolkit and resources, creators can quickly identify viral or in-demand products, leverage MyyShop’s AI-powered product recommendations based on shoppers’ interests and sales trends, build a customized online shopfront and earn commission through social commerce sales. Creators can also efficiently create their own personalized product lines through MyyShop’s centralized platform and extensive network of verified cross-border suppliers and manufacturers.

For more information, please visit MyyShop.com and follow @MyyShopOfficial.

About The Inner Mountain Foundation

The Inner Mountain Foundation promotes the empowerment of women through education, community, and outreach. We are led by our Founder and Chairperson Diane Wang, who first articulated the principles of Inner Mountain Thinking in her 2024 book, The Inner Mountain. As a global foundation and women’s empowerment community, we invest in impact-making educational resources that we seek to make as broadly accessible as possible. Our goal is to focus the work of the Inner Mountain on the soft skills training that we believe helps equip women to be their greatest, most empowered selves across their most wholly integrated life (connecting the self with work, family, community, and legacy).

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SOURCE DHGATE Group

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Canton Fair Buyers Alliance Launched as the 140th Edition Opens

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October 18, 2026

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On October 15, the Canton Fair Buyers Alliance was officially launched at the Canton Fair Complex, marking a significant milestone as the fair celebrates the 70th anniversary of its founding.

More than 140 overseas buyers attended the launch ceremony, highlighting the fair’s enduring role as a bridge connecting global commerce with China’s export sector.

Speaking at the ceremony, Luís Vilariça, CEO of Joinco, Import & Export, Ltd., discussed his company’s long-standing relationship with the Canton Fair. Drawing on years of participation, he reflected on the growth opportunities created through cooperation with Chinese suppliers and highlighted the fair’s role in supporting international business development and global trade exchanges.

The ceremony also featured a joint declaration by alliance members. Representatives from five member companies read the statement in their respective native languages, underscoring the international character of the new organization. Additional members sent video congratulatory messages, joining the celebration and witnessing the official launch of the alliance.

The Canton Fair Buyers Alliance represents one of the fair’s key service innovations. Designed primarily for Fortune Global 500 companies, buyers from the world’s top 250 retailers and leading sourcing enterprises across a diverse range of markets, the alliance aims to offer members a platform for information sharing and resource coordination. The first cohort of alliance members includes 58 companies from 32 countries and regions across 5 continents. Through the alliance, members will gain access to a range of priority benefits spanning four major areas: services, events, resources and information.

 For more convenient attendance, please click here for pre-registration:

https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

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SOURCE Canton Fair

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Bioethanol from human hair – Indian start-up’s solution to rising prices of grains and sugar

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October 18, 2026

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GUJARAT, India, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In what could be called the beginning of the 5G (fifth-generation) of bioethanol or non-cellulosic bioethanol or non-sugar-based biofuels, an Indian start-up, Techofest Global, based out of Gujarat, has developed its own, indigenous, and patented technology for the production of bioethanol from waste human hair. Such processes would significantly reduce the employment of sugars, grains, and agricultural residues, which form the classical first- and second-generation bioethanol feedstocks. As a result, the rising fuel-vs.-food/fodder debate is anticipated to reduce, and instead, ethanol produced from municipal/industrial waste, after trials, can supplement the current supply being used as blends with presently retailed fossil fuels (E20, E27, etc.). 

As stated by Dr. Ravi, the founder-CEO of Techofest Global, the strategic priority and the USP of the start-up is industrial symbiosis, which, typically, involves an ecosystem of up-cycling/valorising the effluents of an industry, thereby creating a value-chain for residues often lacking an end-of-life. With more than three decades of experience in designing customized nuclear fusion reactors for international programmes, such as ITER, JET/UKAEA and SST-1, Dr. Ravi, a seasoned mechanical engineer, spearheads the start-up’s patented technologies’ scale-up and commercialization.

Two biochemical engineers, Dr. Navnit – the former CTO, and Dr. Kabilan – the former CEO of Biomakerz, Chennai, are the brains behind the current technology/process portfolio of the joint-venture between Techofest Global and Biomakerz. They have been working on biorefineries’ process intensification for more than a decade. “Having foreseen the fuel-vs-fodder/food competition as early as the year 2015, we began developing techno-economically feasible and viable in-vitro metabolically-engineered bioprocesses for scaling-up ethanol production from municipal waste streams between 2019–2021”, says Navnit. After developing operational technologies for international biofuel organizations, serving process engineer roles with certain biorefineries-related OMC R&D’s of India, Dr. Navnit, presently works for a premier academic institution.

An on-going fermentation trial at the Techofest Global-Biomakerz JV’s R&D facility

Techofest Global has developed and tested, in its R&D JV’s pilot-facility of ~100-L, 3 innovative and cost-effective technologies, such as 5G ethanol production using human hair, used cooking oil (UCO), and enriched bio-methane production from disposed sanitary napkins.

“With massive CapEx and OpEx, 2G ethanol technology is facing a major commercialization bottleneck, owing to competition with food/livestock fodder, requirement of a cost-intensive pre-treatment procedure, and the requirement of cellulolytic cocktails, which have a poor recycle efficiency. The proprietary 5G SAFE process developed for the start-up circumvents the mentioned constraints, and instead, utilizes a single-stage saccharification followed by fermentation, and records over 85–90% biocatalyst recovery. Likewise, the proprietary SIM process for bio-methane production, exclusively developed for the start-up, is 2x faster with improved intermittent feeding cycles and continuous gas harvest”, says Navnit.

“With on-going pre-commercialization trials, the proprietary ethanol and bio-methane processes of ours are soon being commercialized”, says Ms. Bhumika, the co-founder and the corporate advisor of the start-up. Furthermore, Mr. Ronak pilots the organization’s global market entry and commercialization frontier.

Techofest Global’s veteran Principal Technology Advisors include: Dr VS Tripathi, former Joint Director, DRDE Gwalior, Dr B S Munjal, former Director, Structures and Thermal group, SAC/ISRO, Academician and Advisor CIKS-Dharohar, GTU, and Dr AV Santhanababu, former Scientist at Satish Dhawan Space Centre. With on-going R&D activities, Dr. Munjal says, “the start-up is striving to provide a unique solution along the lines of the Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat Vision 2047”.

Media Contact: www.techofestglobal.com; e-mail: info@techofestglobal.com; contact person: The PR team of Techofest Global.

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As AI Speeds Up Marketing, Louisville’s RedTag Bets on Strategy

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10 hours ago

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October 17, 2026

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Independent agency unveils new brand and website, and co-hosts Louisville’s PROOF AI Workshop

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — RedTag, an independent Louisville-based marketing agency, this month unveiled new positioning, marking its evolution from a digital performance agency into a strategy-first marketing partner. The move comes as AI makes execution faster than ever, and RedTag is betting that strategy, not speed, is what will set businesses apart. Clients can now choose from outcome-based programs that best fit their marketing needs. 

“Clients don’t come to us needing more tactics. They come to us needing a path,” said Russ Renbarger, founder and CEO of RedTag. “Our new brand says out loud what our work has shown for years: We start with strategy and build everything on that foundation.”

RedTag built its reputation on high-performing paid digital campaigns. Over the years, the agency expanded into strategy, creative, video production and website development, giving clients one partner for the full scope of their marketing. Most recently, a team of automation specialists has integrated AI across the agency to speed up production and analysis, guided by an internal AI policy that keeps people accountable for quality. The time AI saves goes back into strategy: knowing what to say, who to say it to and why.

“Our best client relationships have always been partnerships, where we’re in the room when the big decisions get made,” said Alison Conway, chief client officer at RedTag. “This evolution is about bringing that strategic partnership to every client.”

On Oct. 14, RedTag co-hosted the PROOF AI Workshop with Slingshot, Vsimple and Advanced Business Solutions. The hands-on event gave Louisville business leaders practical experience applying AI to their own work. RedTag led the event’s AI in Marketing and Branding track, with four sessions ranging from AI search optimization to a playbook for adopting AI across an organization.

“AI can produce hundreds of ads in an afternoon, but it can’t tell you which one your brand actually needs and why,” Renbarger said. “The faster the tools get, the more valuable human-led strategy becomes.”

RedTag was named the agency of record for the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 2025. Its client list includes PGA of America, Castle & Key Distillery, Bourbon Barrel Foods, ShopCaterpillar and American Beverage Marketers. Since 2023, RedTag’s work has received two Emmy Awards and more than 35 ADDY and AIGA awards. The agency is a four-time Louisville Business First Fast 50 honoree and was named one of the 2026 Best Places to Work in Kentucky.

To learn more about its outcome-based programs, visit RedTag Programs

About RedTag

RedTag is an independent, strategy-first marketing agency based in Louisville, Kentucky. Established in 2008, the agency starts every engagement by understanding the goal before recommending tactics. With a foundation rooted in discovery, RedTag delivers full-scale marketing campaigns built around each client’s business goals. RedTag serves organizations across hospitality, sports, agriculture, government, retail and consumer packaged goods. Learn more at redtag.agency.

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SOURCE RED TAG LLC

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