Renowned gifting and florist business owner, BloomThis co-founder Penny Choo was presented with ASEAN Most Outstanding Women Entrepreneur Award 2022 by ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs’ Network (AWEN) in conjunction with the ASEAN Women CEO Summit 2022 which was held at the Hotel Sultan, Gelora Jakarta, Indonesia on September 30th, 2022.
The AWEN Award 2022 aims to show appreciation for the women entrepreneurs within the ASEAN member countries who have made significant contributions both to their respective industries and in advancing women’s participation at all levels of economic activity. The ceremony brings together awardees from 10-member countries of the ASEAN region, to recognize their well-deserved achievements.
“I am truly honored to receive this award, as it shows that hard work and resilience do pay off. I’m sure every female entrepreneur knows what it feels like having to struggle on a daily basis just to keep their business going. I faced those challenges myself and I am grateful for all the lessons that I have learned along the way that has led me here today, standing proudly among other awardees who are also on the top of their game,” Penny expressed.
For Penny, BloomThis’ humble beginning started off when the company was established in April 2015, with only two employees (Penny and her husband, Giden Lim), setting up base in their home. With continuous determination and hard work, they successfully pioneered the concept of subscription flowers, allowing customers to have affordable and fresh new blooms delivered to them on a weekly basis.
Currently, the company operates within a well-equipped factory, spanning over 40,000 sq ft and has made a name for itself as the market leader in online flower gifting across the country, with a presence in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru, and even Singapore.
While the company still does subscription flowers, BloomThis has since expanded its product offerings to cover cakes, ice cream, hampers and a variety of gifts with on-demand gifting taking the bulk of the business operations. With the award, Penny has achieved another milestone in her career and for BloomThis, further solidifying its place on the market.
ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs’ Network (AWEN)
Being a network of businesswomen in ASEAN, AWEN was established to give the growing number of women business leaders and entrepreneurs within ASEAN the means to exchange knowledge and experience, network among each other, and promote initiatives that promote gender equality and the creation of a favorable environment for women-led enterprises in the region.
Therefore, the AWEN CEO Summit gathers women entrepreneurs across the region to discuss topics and issues relating to entrepreneurship and leadership through engaging talks and forums. Business matching activities were also among the key agenda for participants of the main event, allowing the participants to leverage AWEN’s strong network and opportunities for cross-border collaborations.
Nadira Yusoff, Focal Point of AWEN, Malaysia said “I would like to congratulate Penny for earning this award not only for herself and BloomThis, but also for all women business owners in Malaysia. Her contribution to the nation’s and ASEAN’seconomy has not gone unnoticed and I hope that more Malaysian women leaders will rise up to the occasion and make the nation proud by also succeeding in their own respective industries.”
AWEN strives to continue working together with engagement groups, experts, and women entrepreneurs in ASEAN, allowing them to share lessons and experiences as well as promising practices and ideas that can be used by women entrepreneurs to aid them in their journey of penetrating the ASEAN market in various industries, while also strengthening trade activities within the region.