/ CEO King Coffee Le Hoang Diep Thao: Building a post-Covid-19 entrepreneurial community for women

CEO King Coffee Le Hoang Diep Thao: Building a post-Covid-19 entrepreneurial community for women

17-12-2023 16:53:00

That's a community where sisters support and bond with each other to progress and create valuable contributions for families and society.

Implemented cohesively across both online and offline platforms with the business model on the WE4.0 App (Women Enterprise) and franchising small coffee shops under WEHome Café, a part of the Women Can Do project initiated by Ms. Le Hoang Diep Thao, CEO of TNI King Coffee. This initiative is drawing the interest of numerous women nationwide. Targeting women who aspire to become business owners, the project aims to enable entrepreneurship based on abilities without requiring excessive capital.

Bringing the fishing rod to women

Encountering us during busy days of meetings both domestically and internationally, even amidst working through lunchtime, CEO Lê Hoàng Diệp Thảo’s openness and sincerity shine through her face—a woman who has weathered the storms of marriage yet remains vibrant and charismatic.

Mrs. Thao mentioned that Women Can Do offers two models for women to participate in, including the distribution partner model (WE) and the small café franchising model (WEHome Café).

Upon registering as a member of the Women Can Do program through the WE 4.0 mobile application, women can engage in business, trading, as well as access information, advice, place orders, and conduct transactions. This management software is considered an entrepreneurial catalyst for women. Furthermore, for those aspiring to own a café but have limited financial resources, the WEHome Café small café franchising model provides an opportunity for women to become proprietors.

At present, the project has garnered considerable interest from many women who have downloaded the WE4.0 app, started selling on this platform, and acquired the WE Home Café vehicle for business purposes.

Choosing the right time

For many years, Mrs. Thảo has met and encountered numerous disadvantaged women who lacked financial autonomy, especially women in rural areas. 'There was a time when I discussed with the former Vice President Trương Mỹ Hoa about supporting women. I proposed many ideas and received tremendous support from the Vice President, but there were too many things that took me away before I could execute them. By the beginning of 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic and the social distancing period, I began planning and implementing this project, believing wholeheartedly that it would spread through women.

Therefore, upon submission, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union swiftly endorsed and supported the implementation of Project 939 - 'Supporting Women's Entrepreneurship during 2017-2025' initiated by the Prime Minister.

According to Mrs. Lê Hoàng Diệp Thảo, the advantage of this model is that women can utilize their spare time to conduct business on the app, thereby increasing their income. WE4.0 acts as an online 'general store' specifically designed for women. Here, everything from transactions to purchases is readily available, eliminating concerns about infrastructure such as warehouses, storefronts, display cabinets, and so on once a successful transaction is made, women can earn profits without worrying about those physical aspects.

With WEHome Café, women can become owners with just 33.5 million Vietnamese dong. The Women Can Do program will transfer the coffee vehicle and provide essential equipment for setting up a small café. If there's a lack of capital, through the Women's Union, women can access loans and pay in installments. This business model can help women recoup their investment in just 2.5 months. Importantly, upon participation, women receive comprehensive support packages tailored for small and micro-businesses, ranging from basic financial training, barista guidance, to data handling through the POS system by experts from TNI King Coffee.

What Women Can Do brings to women goes beyond merely operating a model; it teaches them how to manage and own a business in the near future if they wish. It imparts skills in inventory management, financial management, relationship management, customer communication, and more.

"In times as challenging as these, not only men but also women, who often hold the key role in families, need to muster more determination. The love for family and children will empower women to be resilient, courageous, and tolerant amidst any storm. It forms the foundation for women to showcase their remarkable qualities," shared Mrs. Thảo.

Economic recovery support solutions post COVID-19

In phase one, the project will deploy the general store and small café franchising model. In phase two, the WE4.0 app will expand its unique range of products, especially prioritizing Vietnamese agricultural products to enter the global market. Particularly, in phase three, WE4.0 will upgrade to become a comprehensive store encompassing multiple industries and products, aptly called the 'women's world,' where women can shop, conduct business, make payments, research, network, and learn without needing to go elsewhere.

With this flexible goal and model, Women Can Do is being rolled out for global franchising, starting with the Philippines, Indonesia, and some Middle Eastern countries.

"Today, we might only be able to hug a cat, who knows tomorrow we might learn how to control an elephant. But to achieve that, we have to stand up and find a cat to hug, step by step," Mrs. Thao expressed candidly.

Mrs. Thảo believes that a woman must stand firm to take care of others. Because when they do, they'll be confident, eager to learn, enhance their knowledge, and be more tolerant for themselves and their families. 'Don't sit idle, don't lean on others. If we cherish any moment in life that the universe gives us to do something meaningful and useful, we must encourage each other, work based on our abilities, and create value for ourselves. More importantly, with the Women Can Do project, I aspire to build a community where women support each other, unite together, not walking alone. Creating value for women means creating beautiful value for society,' Mrs. Thảo shared

The Women Can Do 4.0 ecosystem is a place where women share experiences, knowledge, and learn from each other. Through collaboration with the Vietnam Women's Union, the project aims to connect approximately 18 million women who are union members across all 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam. The goal is to support 100,000 startups, enabling the establishment of 100,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) shortly after the COVID-19 crisis, contributing to economic recovery and enhancing the position of women in both family and society.