Vanessa Ong
Founder, Gernise Global and Mamashop.sg

If ever there was a list of overachieving working mums, the name Vanessa Ong would most definitely fall near the top of the register. The multihyphenate among multihyphenates manages not one, but two companies in radically different fields – while also raising a pair of twins.

There’s Gernise Global, which has dealt in the distribution of plastics for over a decade, and Mamashop, an eco-friendly corporate gift brand. That somehow still isn’t enough to fill Ong’s plate though, since she also splits the rest of her time between Mumpreneurs-Go-Places, a community-driven entrepreneurship platform for fellow working mothers she co-founded, and serving as a district councillor for the North West Community Development Council.

She explains of her dizzying schedule, “At the heart of everything I do is one mission: to create meaningful impact and bring people together for a greater cause. I love being a connector, to bring like-minded people together to do good.”

“I’ve always believed we don’t need to be rich or famous to give back. We just need to start where we are, start small, share our resources and do the best we can,” she adds.

Sometimes, that means knowing when to ease off the gas and take a breather. Ong finds time between the blocks on her stuffed calendar for quiet moments with the family, reflection and self-care (though me-time for the go-getter includes the recent completion of her first half-marathon).

Her mantra? “‘We work for a cause, not applause’. This has been my compass – especially when the journey gets tough or when no one is watching,” she says. “To all the women out there juggling dreams, diapers, deadlines, or doubts – you’re not alone. Your efforts, seen or unseen, are worthy. Keep showing up. Keep walking your path.”

Photography MICKY WONG; Art Direction AUDREY CHAN; Fashion Styling JACQUIE ANG; Clothes, Jewellery & Watches LOUIS VUITTON; Hair ANN LIN; Make-up SOPHIA CHIA

Source: Prestige