Dayu Dara Permata: Senior Vice President of GO-JEK

Posted on February 9, 2018 | by angin

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Dayu Dara Permata. I am the Senior Vice President of GO-JEK, and co-founder of GO-LIFE which is the lifestyle division of GO-JEK.

What was the inspiration behind the GO-LIFE division?

Back in 2015, GO-JEK had just launched its mobile application which had 3 services – transportation for 2-wheels, logistics for 2-wheels and food delivery. Nadiem [Makarim] reached out to me and asked if i wanted to join his team with this application called GO-JEK. At the time, it was a really small startup – with only about 12 people in the management team in a very small office.

I asked him, “Why do you want me to join?” to which he shared with me his vision for GO-JEK – as a tool to empower the informal sector through technology and user-centered design, which is done by providing a platform for users and service providers. Nadiem started with transportation services and logistics which he believes to be the backbone of the business. But on top of this backbone, he believed that you could build layers and layers of services, which is how GO-LIFE came about.

We are harboring the opportunities in the market – the skills and talent out there, the service providers who struggle to find customers, who make barely enough money to make a living yet at the same time, are very productive and skillful. While on the supply side, there are inflexible working hours, with some people working away from their families for 8-10 hours, even when there are no customers. And on the demand side, you see all these customers struggling to find service providers, who are also limited by operating hours. At certain hours, everyone has to queue, and then other times it is idle. It’s simply inflexible.

These inefficiencies in the market means there is an opportunity to aggregate. So that’s how the idea came about. When Nadiem reached out to me he had no idea what kinds of services were going to be launched, so I had to figure that out. I pulled my best friend in to be co-founder, and pushed for these 3 new services (on-demand beauty, massage and cleaning services) because I am an avid user of these services. Nadiem always told me that when you invent something, make sure it also solves your problems and that you’re passionate about it. So then if things don’t go well, at least you’ve solved your own problems.

Where do you see GO-JEK going in the next few years?

GO-JEK now has become a one-stop app for urban needs. Three years ago when I first joined the company, we were just starting with transportation and logistics services. Now that backbone is very strong, and any services can really be built on top of it. We are the largest transportation network in Indonesia with around 1 million drivers, whether it be 2-wheel or 4-wheel. We are the largest logistics network in Indonesia, the largest cashless payment network and the most diverse in terms of the services we provide – transportation, logistics, food, retail, shopping, lifestyle, to professional services and payment – you name it.

Where is GO-JEK going next? When you want to grow a business there are only 3 things you can do: Firstly, you can diversify your services. We’ve just started to do that, and we are not even halfway done yet! In the next coming years, we will continue to diversify our services.

Secondly, extensifying or expanding to other regions. Indonesia has more than 300 cities, more than 100,000 populations. Now we are in 75 cities. There are still 200+ cities to expand to just in Indonesia. The opportunities are even more immense outside of Indonesia.

Last but not least – intensifying. For every service that we’ve already launched, one of the other features is to make things more efficient and more effective, and to provide more uses and solve more pinpoints.

Being a woman who is also quite young, have you ever felt undermined because of that?

Ever since I started my career, I have always had that feeling of being inexperienced and very young, particularly being a woman in a male dominated industry. So when I first jumped into the workforce, I started working as a corporate strategy analyst in a company where I was the youngest, the most clueless, etc. So you always have to establish yourself. How you do that is by working to the best of your ability, continue to learn and never stop. Step up in your role in every opportunity. If you’re given a small role, go beyond that scope and prove that you can do it and next thing you know – they give you more than your initial scope, and before you know it you are leading the team and responsible for a major deliverable and exposed to top management and shareholders. So that’s what happened in my first year working as a corporate strategy analyst.

Then, I was a consultant at McKinsey. I was also the youngest there in every team setup. I had to work with clients with more than 20 years experience in that particular field and you have to advise them. Of course you will also be undermined. The things we hear from time to time from clients, like “Oh my socks are older than you!” or “What are you doing here? You’re the same age as my daughter!” These were very common. You will always get undermined if you are young and inexperienced, if there’s someone more senior than you and you’re also working on something you’ve never done before. The key is to establish yourself, do the best to your capability and scope, go beyond that scope and prove that you can.

What are the most challenging aspects of your work? How do you stay motivated?

The biggest challenge for me as a leader is to manage people and to lead. In my life, I’ve read probably more than 100 books on leadership, and have been exposed to a lot of coaches who are good leaders. So I thought I knew a lot about leadership. I never led until I joined GO-JEK, because at McKinsey I was an analyst and mostly interacted with researchers who I didn’t have to manage. When I hired my first 60 members at GO-JEK, I realized I didn’t know how to lead despite all those books I had read. That is the most challenging part of being a leader – to lead, and how you manage these human beings with feelings and emotions – today they could be happy, tomorrow they could cry. When you give them guidance, some of them get it and become easily motivated, while others continue to be clueless.

My teams grew quickly from 60 to 150. So, feel like my biggest challenge everyday is how to manage people, how to develop them so that they can be the next leaders, and hopefully be my successors. I think leading is like giving birth, you can read hundreds of books on how to give birth, you don’t know how it feels and what it takes until you are the one actually doing it. So I think it’s just about practice and try to be a better version of the leader everyday. Because everyone is a work in progress. I don’t think anyone is perfect, it’s always contextual and situational. You can be a good leader for a certain company or organization, then you take on a different role and have to start all over again. So that’s the challenge.

How do you motivate yourself on tough days?

First of all, when you do something, make sure it’s something you’re passionate about. You’re not only in it for the money, but that you’re in for a good cause. Because there needs to be a purpose to do well, but also to do good. If you have that, then everyday will feel lighter. There are also challenges everyday that sometimes takes problem solving. How I get through my day is by reminding myself what I am here for. That means taking a step back to re-prioritise and understand what matters the most. Is it worth fighting for? You need to choose your battles. You can’t be stressed out about too many things. Understand what you can control and forget what you cannot control, because if you think about it all the time, it will just make you very unhappy. So, understand what’s within your scope, what you can control, and then solve it.

Do you have a female role model who has impacted your life?

I look up to Cheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook). I think she is very inspiring in the way that she is a great leader – a great leader for herself, for her team, for change and for causes that she believes in. At the time, she was in her thirties, in a senior role working as the United States Secretary of the Treasury. Then, Mark [Zuckerburg] came to her asking her to join his online social networking company. She decided to take a chance and trust in Mark, someone who was 15 years younger than her. She has that audacity, fearlessness but also humility. She inspires a lot of people.

If you could tell young girls in the world any message, what would it be?

I have this mental model I call B.R.A.V.E. ‘B’ stands for believe in yourself, if you can or believe you cannot you will be right either way. So whenever I do something, I believe I can. If you have the mindset that you can’t do it, you’re already halfway to failure.

‘R’ is role model success – which is important if you want to be successful as a female leader. Everyone wants to be successful. but there are many definitions of success. My success means something very different to someone else’s success. Make sure you know what success means to you – that could mean leading a team of a thousand people or to be like someone, whether that person be Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates or Jokowi. Once you have a goal in mind, the journey can be zig-zag or sideways but at least you know you’re going there.

‘A’ stands for attain rational distance. Sometimes when women think they want to drop out of the workforce, it can be short-sighted, focused on the short-term, or purely fueled by emotions. If you want to be a successful leader, you always need to attain rational distance whenever you make a decision. Whatever decision you make will affect you and your future. If you make decisions, ask yourself the question – Will my family and friends be happy about it? In ten days or ten months, will I be happy about it? If the answer is no, then probably don’t make that decision or at least postpone it until you are more rational.

‘V’ is view failures as a learning. As an entrepreneur and a leader, most times than not you will fail at the first time you try. The success rate of startups is 10% which means if you try 10 times, you will succeed at least once. If you bump into failures, don’t feel like this is the end of everything. Just think of it as part of your learning curve. As I go on and make mistakes, I learn to do better. Then, at some point my performance will outdo my failures and I will be a high-performing leader and individual. So, view failures as the cost of learning.

‘E’ is expand possibilities. A lot of female leaders think they have to choose between career or family, love life or professional life, and being successful at work or at home. That is exactly what will happen if you think that way. You will only succeed in one of these areas because that is your mindset. Expanding possibilities is about believing that you will achieve everything, not at the same time, but at the right time. There might be a time where I will want to settle down and have kids. That means that in the next 9 months, I will have this hormonal turmoil and might not be my best self all the time, but it’s ok because it’s an investment. Once you have given birth, maybe your priorities will shift to make sure that your kids are well-looked after and you become a responsible mother. But after that, you can basically run again and continue your marathon. Believe that you can be successful in everything that you do, be ready to pass in and out of your career and family until you find the right balance. Just be brave.

Elisabeth Kurniawan: Founder of The Shonet

Posted on February 2, 2018 | by angin

Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Elisabeth. Currently I’m running The Shonet, which is a shopping network that connects brands and readers through interactive content. We position ourselves as a social commerce that combines content and commerce. There are a lot of e-commerce and media outlets, but there needs to be a coherence between both. So that’s why The Shonet exists.
Where did you get the idea for that?
In Indonesia, there is a need for credibility in a platform. We are targeting millennials and females who are seeking advice from industry experts, and care about who writes the content. Especially now with a lot of printed media shifting to online, and a lot of what’s online is often mainstream and viral. There is a need to go back to our roots and make sure that credibility is there.
Fashion is quite interesting because it’s quite heavily dominated by women. Is it the same dynamic in Indonesia as it is in the States, being a woman in fashion?
I think in the States, there are also men in fashion. It’s funny, people study fashion to be in the fashion world. But actually in the retail/fashion business, most of my colleagues were ex-bankers actually; they used to work for Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, etc. But for people who study fashion, everyone has to start from internships. I think there is a huge difference in the fashion world versus the actual job. Even in fashion there’s a requirement that we need to be on top of everything, cater to small details, grab coffees, run errands. Those are the things that are included during internships. Whereas in Indonesia, people see internship as different aspects. Actually, those coffee runs – if an intern doesn’t mind grabbing coffee, we can tell that they don’t mind to do the dirty work.
How do you see yourself shaping the Indonesian fashion scene? Because everything seems so set in States, it seems like Indonesia is quite the environment to change things and move around. It’s very dynamic. How do you think you can shake things up?
I am not a big fan of the culture in the fashion industry back then because there was a lot of seniority. I wish it was more of a flat structure. Everyone can have an opinion and doesn’t have to be afraid to speak up about their ideas. I love the culture of tech companies, and bringing that to the fashion industry is important. The reason why companies like Google, Facebook, and Netflix are so successful is because of the open culture. They are very open to ideas. In fashion, it is very hierarchical. Whereas in tech, you can ask anyone anything. I want to change this in Indonesia. Our company is focused on fashion, lifestyle and beauty, and enabled by tech. We are incorporating a culture where its open and receptive to ideas. But we still have the persistency and quality of the fashion industry. So it’s a mix of both.
In the West, fashion can be seen as empowering women by giving them more choices. But there’s also self-image – a lot of people criticise fashion for having adverse effects on girls’ self-esteem. It’s difficult to say whether its empowering or not, especially because a lot of the fashion powerhouses are run by men in the States and in Europe. What’s your opinion on that? And how can fashion in Indonesia be empowering?
Especially with the growth of women leaders in this country, it’s about promoting gender equality and the idea that women can lead as well. If we see the statistics, a lot of women have lower salary than men, regardless of position and whether women can perform as well. But by having more women in leadership positions, we can minimize those scenarios and start making a difference. Being in the role, we are able to structure things based on performance rather than gender. These gender biases are happening in Indonesia. However, this country is starting to see more women leaders. These are sensitive topics, but they are real. These things are possible to be changed as long as the leader wants to change it.
Is there gender bias in an industry like fashion that is dominated by women?
Yes, even in fashion. That’s why everyone is promoting the idea of women’s empowerment. At first, I thought that gender biases were only prevalent in the banking industry which is very male dominated. But no, I’m actually quite surprised.
Have you had any major setbacks in climbing up the ladder?
I did back in the days. Because I wasn’t a US citizen, I was a foreigner. I used to have a dream of making it in the States and being better than average. Having that mentality has pushed me to perform better. The part of the challenge is that when it comes to foreigners, it’s a question of “Can you be better than everyone else?” That was in the early stages of my career, but I was very persistent to make a difference. Once my boss saw that, he started to put trust in me which then opened up to more opportunities. I climbed up the ladder from there.
You have to try twice as hard as a foreigner?
Exactly. And do the things that nobody wants to do. Once i had to run after a FedEx truck because of a delivery that we had to make sure came on time. There was another time when I had to deliver 20 cappuccinos to an office, back and forth from Starbucks in the middle of a snowstorm. I literally had to do that — these things that are unseen in the industry.
Wow, that’s crazy! Do you have any advice for young girls trying to break into the fashion industry?
Persistence, stop complaining and having a positive mind. Especially in the moments where you struggle the most, remember to just be positive. Just be open about criticisms and setbacks. Always thrive to be better. It’s hard for people to take criticism sometimes, especially millennials. Just never give up, which mean you have to see a lot of positives in criticism. That’s where I’ve been able to grow the most – through criticism. Don’t give up easily.
What do you tell yourself on those days where you want to give up?
I just keep focused on why I do what I do. If i give up right now, the things that I did and the people that believed in it – it will all be for nothing. There are a lot of things that give you the urge to give up, but I just keep pressing forward.
What’s the best thing you love about your work?
We bring good impacts, we know we have a vision to bring back the credibility and to appreciate people. Sometime, companies in Indonesia don’t focus on the people, but highlight the brand more. That’s why we aspire to make that change. We aspire to empower through community where we showcase the people, and the people that will make a proper publications and bring impacts in the industry landscape in Indonesia, especially people who are passionate about fashion and beauty; have been in the field it for a long time. It’s about creating their legacy in digital world and empowering things that matter. That’s part of our vision.

Fena Evans: Program Manager of Bali WISE

Posted on February 2, 2018 | by angin

Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Fena Evans. At the moment, I’m working with ROLE Foundation – an NGO based in Bali – on a women’s empowerment program called Bali WISE. Bali is for Bali the island, WISE for “Women in Indonesia Skills Education.” What we do is provide free education in hospitality for young women ages 18-25 who cannot afford higher education.
Because the girls are from poor families, it is difficult for them to be in school and not working. That’s why we try to provide them with skills and education so that later on they can get a job and support their families. 80% of graduates receive employment and a salary after finishing the program. 70-80% of that salary goes back to their families; for instance, they use their salaries to get their siblings into school.
Why did you choose this path?
The first reason is that I don’t come from a rich family. For me to be able to finish school, I really had to fight for that. And I was lucky enough that I could graduate from my college. Seeing other people who really, really want to go to university, but cannot afford it — it personally hurts my heart. I was in that situation, too. At a point, my mom was not able to afford my education, but I made it through anyway. I was so grateful.
When I was studying hospitality in Bandung, I did my six-months internship in Bali. When I was in Bali, I found ROLE Foundation on Facebook. I sent a message to them if I could have a look at their program. They said yeah, come have a look. The founder, Mike, reached out and showed me around, so I felt like I should do something. I said Mike, I really want to do something but I don’t have the skills (having just started college). I said, “I don’t have skills but I can cook, I can create a menu.” So I started working at the kitchen at Bali WISE. After awhile, I began an internship there.
In my last year of college in 2014 where things got a little difficult. Mike was telling me that ROLE would have to choose between its environmental and women’s empowerment programs due to limited resources. He was thinking of choosing the environmental program and giving up the women’s empowerment program. I said, “Look at those people who you’ve already helped. Look at what difference you’ve already made. If you close Bali WISE down, what happens to those people? What happens to those women?” At first, he said he could not. I said, “Look Mike, I‘ve been studying hospitality for 6 years and will be graduating soon. Once I graduate, I can help run the program, but in the meantime please wait.” And he said, “OK, it’s all yours. Knock yourself out. You can do whatever you want.” And I said “What?!” (laughs).
Can you talk to us about the gender gap in Indonesia? What challenges exist for women?
Let’s talk about women in Bali. I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but if you are poor and have both a daughter and a son, it is likely that you will send your son to school rather than your daughter. Many people here still have that thinking, that once your daughter is 17 they are ready to get married. And once they get married they will be taken by another family and leave the house. So there is no need to invest in the girl. Education in Indonesia is compulsory for 9 years, or until the equivalent of junior high school. However, while boys meet this requirement and attend for 9.18 years, girls attend for only 7.33 years. In the much less affluent Regency of Karangasem, which is prioritized by the Bali WISE program for recruiting, the literacy rate of men is 88.71% while that of women is only 76.53%
It is common in the workplace, too – women and men may hold the same position, but it is likely that the men will get a higher salary than the women because people believe that men are the providers. In terms of economic development and earnings, women make up 45.46% of the labor force, but women’s earnings make up only 36.39% of the total. This would indicate that women are paid less than men or that a few number of women work in higher level or management positions.
I once had a lady who came to Bali WISE. Her daughter was enjoying our program. I asked her, “Why didn’t you continue their studies?” The mother said, “You know, it is very disappointing to have two daughters.” At that time, I thought, “oh no, I asked the wrong question.” Because those girls were 17 and when they hear that from their mother, can you imagine how this could affect their self confidence? I told her, “Well you have two beautiful young ladies here, and I don’t think it’s something you need to be disappointed in.” But in Balinese culture, having boys is generally preferable to having girls. And it has been demonstrated that once girls and young women have no option and enter the unskilled labor pool, they are trapped in the well- known downward spiral of poverty with little chance of advancement.
Any tips for young women who would like to follow in your footsteps and make an impact?
Just do it. It might seem very difficult sometimes. But people out there need people like us. Because we’re women – we have the same dream, the same vision to help other women. And there’s nothing as beautiful than helping other women. You just keep going and keep doing.
And keep going no matter what people say. A lot of my friends thought I was crazy. I’m working at a non-profit; there is no money. Others, they’ve become managers. They have a lot of money but they’re missing something. It’s not about the money – it’s about making a difference in someone’s life. To see the transformation in one girl – it is really priceless. I don’t know how to describe that. It’s just really, really worth it, no matter how painful it is. So my advice for other women? Just do it because it’s worth it.
How do you deal with negativity or haters? People who doubt your success?
I just tell them, “I don’t care about what you say, I’ll just do it anyway.” Because what I’m doing is not about money. I tell them I’ll be a lot more happy if I can make other people’s’ lives happier. I don’t care what people say about me or what they think. I’m just going to do it. This is why I’m here, and I like what I do. I believe in what I do and I keep telling my students this as well – success isn’t just money, it’s about being happy. So how I deal is I don’t take what people think too seriously.
It’s harder to deal with myself actually. Because many times I want to give up. This is really tough – running a women’s foundation that I started when I was 19. I’m 25 now. It is a challenge for myself. Many of my students, they are almost the same age as me. This is really a big responsibility. Many times I ask myself, “Why am I doing this?” Sometimes I feel tired or I feel down. But every time I want to give up, one of my graduates will send me a text and say, “Hey Ms. Fena, thank you so much for Bali WISE because without it I wouldn’t be where I am today.” I don’t know how everytime I’m thinking of giving up this happens. To keep myself motivated, sometimes it’s hard but that’s how life is – nothing is easy, right?
Any tips on fundraising specifically for women’s causes?
Network with other women as much as possible. There are so many women’s organizations out there, so many foundations that want to help other women. In terms of fundraising, we do a lot of fundraising events, grant proposals, and local partnerships.
Who are your female role models?
Actually I don’t have any role models. I don’t really think like “I want to be like xyz.” (laughs)
What’s a message you’d like to send to women out there who want to make an impact?
If you want to empower others, it doesn’t mean that you need to give a lot of money or whatever. Rather, be kind. That is empowering. Encourage others to pursue their dreams. It’s one of the most empowering things you can do for other people. Empowerment can be a small act. Do a small act that will empower other women. Maybe it means being kinder to other people. It doesn’t have to be really big. But to be kind to other people is one of the most empowering acts you can do. Small acts of kindness can make a huge difference to someone else’s life.

Ibu Shinta Kamdani: CEO of Sintesa Group and Co-Founder of ANGIN

Posted on February 2, 2018 | by angin

From Indonesia Tatler Website: //www.indonesiatatler.com/society/shinta-kamdani-on-being-indonesia-s-influential-business-leader

Shinta Kamdani On Being Indonesia’s Influential Business Leader

Shinta Kamdani, CEO of Sintesa Group, sits down with Indonesia Tatler to talk about her journey to become one of Indonesia’s most influential business leaders.

The journey to get to where she is has been a long and arduous one. Knowing all along that she would one day be handed the reins of the family business started by her grandfather, Shinta Kamdani had to do everything in her power and more to prove to herself and her parents that she had what it took to lead the company.

Despite being born into a family of entrepreneurs, the third generation heir of the family business started her illustrious career at the very bottom. And proved to them she did. Today, Shinta is the CEO of Sintesa Group, a conglomerate of 17 distinct companies, unified under one banner by Shinta herself.
The family business started as a rubber plantation in 1919 established by Shinta’s grandfather, Oey Kim Tjiang. It then shifted its focus to trading in 1959 when her father, Johnny Widjaja, took over. At that point, it was only a matter of time before Shinta would be handed over the reins. Shinta remembered the times during her primary school years when she would help out at her father’s office, even if it was in the smallest capacity. It was when she was 13 that Shinta got her first experience of trading: selling books door-to-door. Through the successes and failures of the experience, Shinta was determined to push on and gather as much knowledge and experience as possible. No school vacation since then had gone by without Shinta doing some form of work. The trend continued on to her university days, where she would intern at various companies during term breaks.
Having garnered experience at various companies, Shinta immediately began her career at the family business, as a promotion and marketing staff at one of the subsidiaries focusing on consumer products. Despite being the owner’s daughter, she did not receive any form of special treatments. It took years of hard work and putting in plenty of extra effort before she got her first promotion. Shinta was extremely proud of this promotion as years of hard work had finally paid off. No one could take it away from her as she had done it all by her own two hands.

The biggest breakthrough for Shinta came a few years later when she proposed the concept of unifying the numerous independently operating companies under one holding company. Her time in the company had made her able to view its operations from a different perspective, thus identifying the areas which needed improvement. She had finally risen through the ranks and made it into a leadership role.
Today, Sintesa Group is led by a professional management team, with Shinta as its leader. As CEO, Shinta states that the three most important roles for her as CEO are to provide a vision for the future, and to serve and empower the employees. Shinta understands very well that under the new structure, the people working for, and with the company, are the most important components for success.
She learned from a young age to always put her feet on the ground and never to take things for granted. “You have to appreciate the little things. It is important to know that at any time, all our material possessions could be taken away. Always remember who you are, and where you came from,” said Shinta. Passion and discipline are the other two guiding principles that have gotten Shinta to where she is today. It is of utmost importance to love what you do, and to have the self-discipline to always give a hundred per cent. “I may not be the best at something, but I will always give it my best,” said Shinta.
Being in Shinta’s position comes with its own set of challenges and pressure. When she is met with particularly difficult challenges, Shinta likes to take time off alone. It is during this personal time free from distractions that she is able to find solutions, even to the toughest trials. When asked what it is specifically that she does during this time, Shinta had a succinct answer that needed no further explanation: “I dance.”
Outside of the family’s business, Shinta cares a great deal about the environment and the future of entrepreneurs in Indonesia. Shinta is an ardent supporter of the country’s thriving startup scene, and is always looking to help young and aspiring entrepreneurs achieve their goals. She is the founder ANGIN, GEPI, and IBCSD, and is the Vice-Chair of WWF Indonesia. ANGIN has become Indonesia’s largest network of angel investors, with a focus on funding and mentoring startups in Indonesia, while GEPI connects local entrepreneurs with global developments and investment prospects. The IBCSD is an association of companies committed to promoting sustainable development through sustainable economic growth, ecological balance and social progress.
Success can be difficult to define and is different from one individual to the other. With her multitude of responsibilities, Shinta sees success as being able to achieve a balancing act, and to have all aspects of her life exist in harmony. With so much on her plate, Shinta believes that the best way to find balance is to bring others along and share in the success. “An individual can only do so much, but together we can do so much more,” said Shinta.
While there is so much more that Shinta can share, it would be impossible to fit them all within these pages. In closing, Shinta emphasised once again the significance of never giving up, and to never be afraid of failure.
“In all that I do, if I never give up, if I continue fighting, then I will definitely make it. It pays to be daring, and to never give up. I have failed many times, and it is only because I choose to keep fighting that I am where I am today.”
This story appears in the January 2018 issue of Indonesia Tatler, for the full story, grab the copy at your nearest newsstands, or subscribe here.
[Text by: Kevin Sjahrial; Photographer: Heri N. Heryanto]

Nuniek Tirta: angel investor, founder of StartupLokal, mother, and wife

Posted on January 21, 2018 | by angin

ANGIN Women’s Spotlight series seeks to showcase a diverse array of inspiring women leaders and their stories and experiences in order to shed light on the unique experiences of women in business. We hope that both men and women can gain from these shared experiences, that these stories can inspire change, and that other young girls are motivated to become leaders as well.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m Nuniek Tirta. I’m a digital nomad – meaning I work from everywhere. Along with my husband who is also the co-founder of Tiket.com, I initiated StartupLokal. It is currently the biggest startup community in Indonesia, and has been running since April 2010. We do monthly meetups where we gather startup enthusiasts every month; about 100-200 people usually come these. That’s our non-profit organisation. Apart from that, I’m also a PR marketing and community consultant for some companies, and my husband and I have made investments in 7 companies so far. I’m also a mother of two, and currently also finishing my studies in Masters of Psychological Counselling in Jakarta.
How do you juggle all of this – being an entrepreneur, an angel investor, a mother, and a wife?
I have a support system which is my family at home. I delegate my weaknesses, so that I can focus on doing what I’m good at. If I spend one hour with a client, I am focused on them. My advice on multitasking? Focus on your priorities first and also focus on what you are doing at hand. For instance, right now we are doing an interview and I am focused on that. If I spend one hour with a client, I am focused on them.
Do you have advice for young mothers who want to balance their career and their family?
Everyone has their own system of balancing. For me, I do it based on time. For example, weekends is for family. Me and my husband, we allocate at least one night a week to dating. Even though we have been married for 11 years, we are still dating regularly. We think that the relationship between husband and wife can have a huge impact on the relationship with your children. Many people don’t think so and ignore this while focusing entirely on the children. But for us, it’s very important to keep our relationship healthy, so that the relationship with our children is also healthy.
In terms of women and juggling home life and work life, do you think there are more women moving into the workforce after university? Is there is a trend moving towards that?
Yes of course. Maybe if we go back several years ago, many women were staying home to nurture their kids. There’s a statistic that more and more women are going out and looking for a job – an upward trend for working women. Improved gender equality that has opened up the opportunity for women to have the same opportunities as men to go into the workforce. In some rural areas, maybe there is still pressure to stay at home. But here in the big city, there is none of that.
What was your experience like being female in the startup ecosystem and building a startup organisation?
It’s kind of a privilege actually, to be female, because we have less competitors right? So when women are on a certain level, they tend to highlight us because we’re women.
What are your tips on leveraging being female and the strengths associated with being female for someone who wants to go down your path?
I think being a women…we have so many plus points compared to men. For instance, we have instinct. It’s either a blessing or a curse, I don’t know. But I often use it for business dealings, which my husband cannot — maybe because he doesn’t have the gift of instinct (laughs). I can generally sense what deals are not right, and so I don’t go for it. If you want to follow up, go ahead but I don’t. Usually my instinct works.
Do you have a story of a particular time where you used your instinct?
So often. For example, sometimes we get approached by people and for some unexplainable reason, I just don’t have a good feeling about that person. I just tell my husband. Other people who we meet for the first time — not only one or two, but four different people talked about this person who ends up with a bad reputation. And then that’s it, you know? That’s my instinct, but I can’t explain it, right? Then my husband decided not to continue to, you know.
So you guys work as a team?
Yeah, we work as a team.
How do you perceive these gender and women’s empowerment initiatives in Indonesia? Do you think it’s just buzz or a trend, or do you think it’s something that will last for a long time?
It’s funny you know, because 20 years ago I wrote a paper on gender equality. At that time, there were so many issues, especially in Indonesia. For example, women employees, didn’t get covered for the family, while men got covered for the whole family. Not even single mothers got covered. Those were the kind of gender equality issues at the time, but right now we have already achieved so much of the same. So when you talk about the movement, as long as there is still imbalance of equality, there will also be a movement fighting against it. But maybe the intensity of the movement is downgrading compared to the past.
What do you think other countries can learn from Indonesia when it comes to gender equality?
Indonesia once had a woman president. America hasn’t yet, at least for now. Apart from that, Indonesian women in general have the independence to choose whether they want to work or stay at home, which is different from Japan. My friend, who is marrying a Japanese, always says in Japanese culture when you become a mother you stay as a mother, but sometimes they forget to become a housewife. Can you see the difference? That is also one important point that I always tell my friends and others who come to me for counselling. That when once you become a mother, you don’t forget your rule as a housewife. Because the typical thing is that once you have a baby and the baby cries, and at the same time your husband is calling you for help, they will first run to the baby, because the baby can’t do anything, the husband can do his own thing. While in fact, the role must be balanced. My role as a housewife is number one, then after that as a mother. Back to my principle, if my relationship with my spouse is good, then my relationship with my children will also be good. It cannot be the other way around.
Who are some female role models that you have?
I think in terms of startups, Ibu Shinta has played a very good role in connecting more women in the startup industry. In terms of international figures, my role model is Michelle Obama – she is an excellent example of someone who can be successful yet supportive to her husband. Because I believe that behind a good leader, there is good female support. I think she’s very elegant and brainy.
As an angel investor, what do you look for in your startups? And what do you look for in a startup that tries to empower women?
From experience, the first thing I see is not the idea or the business, but the person: the founder who has a big vision for the startup. Right now, I invest in seven startups; we previously invested in nine startups, but two failed. From that we learned that a very good idea is not enough, and how you run it is much more important. When the founder has a big vision, they don’t give up. So what I look for when I choose to invest in something is a founder with a big vision.
I also tend to vary my portfolio. Right now, I invest in media, AI, web and also in film. I tend to do several things. Some might say that’s not focused, but rather than focusing on the field I’m focused on nurturing the startups that I invest in. I don’t just put money in them but I also open my network to them.In terms of investing in women founders, I invested in one female founder who owns three companies. It’s not actually about whether she is a woman or not — when we see that she has a good vision and that she knows the route to reach her goals, she is investable.
Where do you see the indonesian startup scene in 10 years? Where do you see the growth?
I think in 10 years, the startup scene will really take off. We’ve seen a lot of predictions, especially as GDP per capita rises…so I think it’s about time. There is already a good ecosystem for startups to grow in Indonesia. It will empower more and more people to go into this area, and then directly or indirectly, it will support both the Indonesian and the global economy.
When we first started, even the term startup is not familiar; those who had startups didn’t even know that they had a startup. They were not familiar with it. StartupLokal’s first event was attended by William Tanuwijaya, the co-founder of Tokopedia, and also Leon [Alpha Edison]. There were 33 people who were founders of startups, who are now becoming somebody. So you never know, that was 7 years, almost 8 years ago. I can see in 10 years we’re only going to get bigger.
Just to wrap up, if you had one thing to tell the world, what would you like to tell people right now?
Delegate your weakness, focus on what you’re good at, and find a mentor.

Sara Dhewanto, Founder of duithape

Posted on December 10, 2017 | by angin

ANGIN Women’s Spotlight series seeks to showcase a diverse array of inspiring women leaders and their stories and experiences in order to shed light on the unique experiences of women in business. We hope that both men and women can gain from these shared experiences, that these stories can inspire change, and that other young girls are motivated to become leaders as well.
Tell me anything you want about your venture:
Basically, it is virtual banking for the unbanked. In Indonesia, 80% of Indonesians don’t have bank accounts which makes it extremely difficult for funds to flow freely. I found that to be a big issue in my previous jobs. It is completely necessary for Indonesians to be able to make remittances easily, to have cashless payments, to have access to basic financial services. So that’s why we’re doing it.
In your view, are there ways in which women could maybe benefit more from this service? How are women specifically affected by a lack of access to financial capital?
Basically, this app we have – the app is just the technology, but it’s based on communities. There’s the distribution side, where we have to work with a lot of agents. Anybody who has our app basically has a minutes (pulsa) store in their hand – without needing to own a physical store. This actually fits really well with women who stay at home. They would be able to not only provide a service but also obtain sources of additional income. This would enable, for example, women who are looking for a part-time job to have additional income without having to leave home. So actually it is very much fitting for women.
Can you speak of any challenges that you yourself faced as a woman entrepreneur?
Actually, I never looked at it that way. Until one of my investors said, “You’re a woman entrepreneur. Actually, there are a lot of investors specifically targeting women entrepreneurs. You should emphasize that”. So actually I didn’t even realize that there was anything different. For me, I didn’t even realize and I found out it is actually helpful.
I think one of the things that are more difficult in terms of being a woman is that sometimes when you’re being firm, people take that differently coming from a female versus a male. A male comes off as strong whereas if you’re a woman, you’re bitchy. I’ve been very fortunate actually to have my team. It’s a very good team, and I hope they don’t look at me that way. But I do get a sense that if a woman is firm, it is perceived more negatively rather than positive. And it’s very different for males, it is perceived more positively rather than negative.
In the past, you’ve managed to go quite far in ExxonMobil and the Millennium Challenge Account-Indonesia (MCA-I). Did you face any challenges in the corporate world? How did you deal with more patriarchal workplace environments?
I do think finance is more traditionally a women’s role in Indonesia. But you’re right, for CFO level there are a lot of males. I don’t know, I guess I didn’t really acknowledge it. Even in MCA-I, I had a 62 year old American & 61 year old Canadian reporting to me. And it wasn’t an issue. Maybe if it were a 62 year old Indonesian male, it would be more of an issue.
I think that in Indonesia it’s been — I hope it’s not just my case, but I think it’s been pretty good. I don’t really feel that much of a difference. Or maybe it’s because I haven’t realized it. A lot of the women I know chose to stop working because they wanted to do something else. With regards to pay equality, there is some truth to it. But in general, even though Indonesia is very patriarchal in terms of culture, I think here it’s pretty good [for women]. You get a lot of the same chances. For example at MCA-I, everyone who interviewed for CFO was interviewed at the same time, so I knew exactly who I was up against. And it was three males way older than me. One was a CEO at a bank, two were CFOs of big companies, and then there was, me. I wasn’t really expecting much, but I actually got the position. So hopefully it’s not just my line of thinking but that there are actually a lot of opportunities for women. For example in MCA-I, the previous CEO was male but he was replaced by a female.
Do you have any advice to give to young women who are aspiring to be entrepreneurs?
Look for the right husband. Seriously. Because for women, I never believed that you have to make a choice. That you have to either choose family or you choose your career. No, you can actually have both. But there’s one huge caveat: you’ve got to have the right spouse. And that’s very important because only the right spouse who has the right mindset will be able to support you along the way. My biggest cheerleader is my husband, so I’m very fortunate. If you don’t want to get married, though, don’t even worry. But if you do want to get married, that’s the key.
Number two, it is a very different kind of skillset that is necessary for working as an entrepreneur versus as an employee; I always did very well as an employee. But the complexities of being an entrepreneur are a lot harder. It’s not just about doing work. As an employee, you do your work and you do it well. And that’s enough. But as an entrepreneur, it’s a lot more complex. You’re suddenly in charge of feeding the families of your employees. If you don’t do well, they don’t eat. It includes them and their five kids (Yes, I actually have an employee that has five kids, and he’s the breadwinner, so I have them in the back of my mind).
You’re always looking at the big picture and looking at it to make sure you can survive. This is my passion and I really believe in what I’m doing, but it is super hard compared to just being an employee. So if you’re going to be an entrepreneur, make sure you have your finances set. Get some savings. Make sure you have something to live by, so you can survive. Just expect pain, because it’ll happen. But learn to be more lighthearted. Take it lightly. And remember why you’re doing it in the first place. If you’re going to be an entrepreneur, make sure it’s something you really believe in. Otherwise, it’s not worth it.
Do you have any tips with dealing with workplace discrimination, toxic masculinity, etc.?
Early in my career, yes. Later on, not so much. But early on, I was always perceived as a little girl, and some treated me more dismissively. Or, on the other hand I feel like there are some that think they can be handsy. You have to stand your ground as a woman.
But I think because I didn’t even think of it much, it really helps. I didn’t realize that because I am a woman, things should be different. I just acted professionally; how you perceive yourself and how you act tend to get the same reaction from other people. So I think it paid off that I didn’t realize I was supposed to be a woman with differences. I never really felt it. And at the end of the day, I think that’s one of the reasons why people never treated me that way. They just looked at me as a colleague. The one who was handsy was flirty the first two months; but after he got to know me, he never even tried. He was still really handsy with the other girls, but never with me. And I think that’s really the thing. It’s really important how you conduct and perceive yourself. You keep it professional and you make sure that is the way things are. And if that’s the way you conduct and see yourself, people will respond accordingly.

Amina Qonita, Founder of SNCTRY Health Bar

Posted on December 10, 2017 | by angin

Tag: women’s empowerment

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Elisabeth Kurniawan: Founder of The Shonet

Fena Evans: Program Manager of Bali WISE

Ibu Shinta Kamdani: CEO of Sintesa Group and Co-Founder of ANGIN

From Indonesia Tatler Website: //www.indonesiatatler.com/society/shinta-kamdani-on-being-indonesia-s-influential-business-leader

Shinta Kamdani On Being Indonesia’s Influential Business Leader

Shinta Kamdani, CEO of Sintesa Group, sits down with Indonesia Tatler to talk about her journey to become one of Indonesia’s most influential business leaders.

Nuniek Tirta: angel investor, founder of StartupLokal, mother, and wife

Amina Qonita, Founder of SNCTRY Health Bar

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