Lights, Camera, and Action!!!

The WIPO Singapore Office was transformed into a film studio for a day as we had the incredible opportunity to interview three amazing women from ASEAN Member States who have excelled in their chosen fields.

The videos will be available soon featuring:

From Malaysia - ShiLi is an award winning singer and composer who has performed at numerous large events from the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix to National Day celebrations. She puts her creativity down to her cultural background and multilingual ability, and the way she and her duet partner combine to produce a smooth and unique sound. She attributes sleep as the secret to her success and also encourages young aspiring female creative artists to “be informed about IP in order to understand how to protect your work”.

From the Philippines - Ms. Wilhelmina Garcia, a designer and founder of Junk Not. Ms. Garcia saw the terrible impact rubbish, in particular soft plastics, was having on various areas of the Philippines and destroying the beautiful natural environment. She decided to do something about it and formed the social enterprise Junk Not. Under the scheme, communities collect soft plastics, clean them and then manually twine it to produce a type of fabric. Ms. Garcia then pays the community for the twine and uses it in her unique furniture designs which she protects using the design registration system. When she sells one of her designs, part of the sale price flows back to the local community.

From Singapore – Ms. Yvon Bock, Founder and CEO of Hegen.  A mother of four, Yvon designs innovative breastfeeding products to help empower mothers. Established in 2015, Hegen creates sustainable and practical breast feeding products. She invented the Express-Store-feed system that is patented and reimagines the milk bottle in a practical way. “IP is a very critical component for our business and market expansion”, said Ms. Bock. “Never underestimate the value of your intangible assets.”

From Viet Nam - Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong Lien, co-founder and CEO of Sao Thai Duong JSC. Ms. Lien is a pharmacist specializing in apothecary and finds inspiration from nature. Her research has led to wide range of innovative products and a number of granted patents, utility models and registered trademarks. Sao Thai Duong now has over 1,200 staff with a turnover of US$30 million. “Inventing a new product is similar to giving birth to a child! A lot of hard work, worrying and caring for their nourishment and growth. But also a process of love and great satisfaction,” said Ms. Lien. Her products have improved the lives of thousands of people not only in Viet Nam but all over the world.