Our Circle event, Scale Up – A Plan for Working ON (Not IN) Your Business will be held on Wednesday, 4th September 2019.
Learn about the resources you can use to expand your business, locally and abroad and when and how to invest in growth. The following experts will join us and share their knowledge:
Elaine Tsang, Garage Society
Born in Hong Kong, Elaine received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Anbor. She is an investment banker turned serial entrepreneur. All her ventures have been successful and she is respected as an outstanding female entrepreneur in the region.
Elaine began her career in Jardine Fleming Investment Management. In 2000, she founded European Gourmet Ltd., a premium confectionery
import company, which has grown to become one of the biggest premium confectionery distributors in the Greater China region.
In 2010, she entered the real estate industry and was invited to become a co-founder at the Hive, the first co-working spaces in Hong Kong. Elaine then founded Garage Society in 2014, a co-work operator that has gone on to become a leader in the space in Asia. Garage Society currently has 10 locations throughout Asia with further expansion in the works.The company has been profitable since 2015 and its turnover is expected to reach over US$50M by 2020.
Being a pioneer in the co-working space industry in Asia, Elaine does not see the business as a pure real estate play, but rather a profitable means to limitless business opportunities. In the past 4 years, Garage Society has not only been focusing on building its profitable co-working / real estate business; it has also devoted resources in the development of various community orientated initiatives, including Garage Academy where events, internship and hiring takes place, Garage Capital Partners where investments are made, as well as Garage Gives Back where CSR happens.
Kate Lorenz, Ark Relocation/Dwellworks
Having spent her entire life abroad, Kate is part of the 3rd Culture Kid phenomenon. Originally born in the UK she moved to Saudi Arabia at 6 weeks old and then Malawi before spending her formative teenage years in Manama, Bahrain. After A-Levels Kate relocated to England to study and completed her BA in history and politics at Warwick University. Upon graduation she moved with her now husband to Shanghai to pursue a career in corporate HR training.
In 2005 Kate used her experience as an “expat for life” to set up a relocation and housing agency in Shanghai to assist other expatriates with their relocation to mainland China and Hong Kong. Ark started with 3 team members; an admin; a realtor and Kate wearing all hats. Ark Relocation now has offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong and overseas the assignments of over 650 expatriate families per year to over 20 destinations in the mainland and Hong Kong. Kate manages a team of 30+ full-time staff and over 45 part-time expatriate consultants across the country.
In 2018 Ark Relocation was successfully acquired by the world leader of the Destination Services’ field. Kate has stayed on as the Managing Director.
In addition, since 2010 Kate has been conducting cross cultural training and coaching through several of the world’s leading Cross Cultural Training companies in both China and Hong Kong. During this time, she has trained and coached senior executives from the FMCG, luxury, legal, government, banking, car manufacturing and retail industry. Her training programs are based on her own experience as an expat and profit from her in-depth knowledge of managing and leading a mixed team of Chinese and expatriate staff.
Kate also mentors mid-to-senior executives on managing and implementing change in China. Kate is a certified Executive Coach working with many entrepreneurs and those seeking new opportunities whether in the corporate or self-employed world.
Kate Lorenz is British and spends her time between Hong Kong and Shanghai with her German husband and 2 young daughters.
Kim Leitzes, ParkLU
Kim Leitzes is the CEO & FOUNDER of PARKLU, a platform connecting brands around the world with social media influencers (KOLs) in China. Kim discovered the effectiveness of influencer engagement in China when she moved to Shanghai in 2010 and started a shopping blog on Weibo. Realizing the rapid growth of China’s influencer ecosystem, she brought together data, technology and community know-how to help brands and influencers find the perfect fit.
PARKLU’s influencer marketing platform and services enable over 1,000 brands and agency users for KOL analytics, influencer identification and campaign management.
Prior to founding PARKLU, Kim worked at high-end women’s retailer Bill Blass New York as VP Strategy and at Macklowe Asset Management, investing exclusively in consumer and retail companies. Kim is a first-time entrepreneur and graduated from The Wharton School.
