PAVING THE WAY FOR OTHERS

HARMIN KAUR, FOUNDER AND CHAIRPERSON OF WOMEN VENTURE ASIA, REVEALS WHY SHE LEFT A CUSHY BANKING JOB TO LAUNCH A NON-PROFIT FEMALE NETWORK AIMED AT NARROWING THE GENDER GAP IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

- KAREN TEE

It’s not uncommon for foodies to seek out reservations at Michelin-starred tables simply for bragging rights on the ‘Gram. Harmin Kaur, however, does not. She calls herself a lover of gastronomy, and for good reason.

“I love the joie de vivre of the whole experience,” says Harmin, who founded and chairs Women Venture Asia, a nonprofit female-centric organisation focused on building an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.

A lover of French gastronomy, she has dined at top spots in France, including Restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris and Le Coquillage in Cancale, as well as Odette and La Dame De Pic in Singapore. “Rather than saying, ‘I’ve eaten at this place or that place’, it’s about the chefs’ entrepreneurial journeys,” she says. “They did not create a world-class restaurant overnight. Their restaurants became brand names or earned Michelin stars because of years of pushing the boundaries, and I love understanding that journey.”

The former executive director at Goldman Sachs’ Consumer and Wealth Management Division, where she covered high-net-worth individuals and families in South-east Asia, draws inspiration from this grit and tenacity at this point in her life.

As she reflects on her gourmet adventures, she says, “Running a restaurant is one of the hardest forms of entrepreneurship. It inspires me to see how restaurateurs and chefs keep pushing to succeed when the odds are against them.”

NARROWING THE GAP

After 12 years at the bank, she stepped down from her role in June this year to pursue her passion for advocating for women’s economic empowerment — a cause she has always held close to the heart.