CB Q&A: Alicent Wong, WoC Founders Network: “We are a network of ambitious, unapologetic women committed to building powerful tables that transform communities and industries”
As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, Campaign Brief is shining a light on the women driving change, creativity, and innovation in the industry. One of those women is Alicent (Ali) Wong, Founder of The Women of Colour Founders Network. After a successful career in marketing and entrepreneurship, Ali launched the platform in 2022 to amplify the voices and stories of Women of Colour (WoC) Founders globally. What started as a passion project has since evolved into a thriving network, fostering connections, support, and opportunities for WoC in business. In this exclusive Q&A with CB, Ali shares the defining moments that led to the creation of the platform, her personal journey as a migrant woman in business, and the steps the industry must take to better support WoC in leadership.
You had an incredibly successful career in marketing and entrepreneurship before launching The Women of Colour Founders Network. What was the defining moment that made you realise this platform needed to exist? And can you tell us more about the Network and its mission?
Ali: I was incredibly fortunate to have been selected as one of the 35 participants in the very first cohort of the Anyone Can Program spearheaded by the Founder of The Creative Co-Operative, Priyanka Ashraf back in 2022. The Anyone Can program at that time, was an 8 week pre-accelerator program created specifically for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women with a business idea or in early-startup stages of their business. The program aims to provide a safe and inclusive space to help women entrepreneurs develop their ideas, gain skills, connect with other founders and mentors, and access relevant tools and networks.
During that 8-week intensive, I learnt so much from some of the best CALD female founders in the country and formed deep bonds with my peers in the cohort. We shared our business journeys as WoC founders, the challenges, adversities and our successes. We lifted one another during those weeks whilst learning together (albeit virtually) and shared from our personal experiences. It was then that I realised that there needs to be a way where I can amplify the voices and share the stores of these incredibly inspiring women.
I then took the opportunity one weekend when my husband was away in Sydney to build the website after putting my daughters to bed. Though I’m by no means a website developer, I do know my way around putting together a simple, templated WordPress site!
It was on that evening back in Nov 2022 that the Network was birthed. I then reached out to a few peers whom I’ve formed close bonds with in the cohort to announce that I’ve started a storytelling platform that I’ve called ‘The Women of Colour Founders Network’ and that I hope to interview them for a story. It was a resounding ‘yes please!’ from all whom I’ve approached and the feedback that I received was ‘This is so much needed and what a fantastic initiative!’.
Since then, the Network has been growing organically from strength to strength. I’ve had over 100 conversations (and growing) with WoC Founders and authors from all over the world so I’m extremely proud to say that we’re now a global platform.
You’ve spoken about overcoming fear and insecurity as a migrant woman in business. How did your personal journey shape the mission and purpose of The Women of Colour Founders Network?
Ali: My personal journey was and still is very much a spiritual one. Having grown up with a constant need for validation from my parents, peers, managers, ex-es (you name it!) and in a society where success was measured on material wealth, it was really hard for me to come to terms that nothing that I did was ever going to please someone else. I liken it to giving a child a lolly. The child would always come back for more if you don’t draw your boundaries by saying ‘No’.
So as a young migrant woman trying to create a dream life and career in Australia, it became incredibly frustrating for me to feel like I have to keep saying ‘yes’ to someone else’s demands of me and still not getting the pay rises or promotions that I was promised or being treated fairly.
As I learnt to stand on my own two feet after countless experiences that left me high and dry, I very soon realised that if I wanted to craft the life and career of my desires, I had to start putting myself first and not the demands of others. Self-love and respect then became integral to me. That was when I stopped trying to become accepted by ‘people pleasing’ and learnt to accept who I am truly to reclaim my voice and my personal power.
My spiritual awakening and personal journey solidify the mission and purpose for The WoC Founders Network as we work with women of colour who have worked hard, made bold moves, and set their sights on something greater—but know there’s still more waiting for them. We are a network of ambitious, unapologetic women committed to building powerful tables that transform communities and industries.
What advice do you have for women of colour navigating the challenges of working in the male-dominated world of advertising and marketing?
Ali: My biggest piece of advice is to speak up and stand firm. It wasn’t easy for me as I was indoctrinated at a young age that speaking up was rude and disrespectful, particularly when you’re speaking to someone older or with seniority at school and at work.
But if you don’t, you will get swallowed and overlooked in this industry. Unfortunately, it can be a case of ‘who’s the loudest in the room’. If you have a good idea or perspective, don’t be afraid to voice it. Remember that if you’re scared of judgment, everyone else in the room is already judging you or afraid of being judged themselves, so what is there to lose? The same applies if you’re treated unfairly or poorly, speak up. Find someone in your organisation whom you feel safe with and get allies by your side.
I would also highly recommend finding a female mentor or mentors who have vast experience in the industry for someone you can lean on for support outside of the workplace. Having someone who’s not connected to your workplace can provide an unbiased perspective and give you ways of handling tough situations.
I wished that I had a mentor by my side when I was navigating difficult times in the workplace!
The industry often struggles with genuine representation. From your perspective, what are the biggest gaps when it comes to supporting women of colour in creative leadership roles? What meaningful steps do you think agencies and brands need to take?
Ali: The biggest gaps from my perspective is the lack of recognition and general bias that women of colour don’t have what it takes to become successful leaders. I believe that WoC have a lot to give when it comes to leadership as we’ve had to learn how to rise up from adversities, cultural, societal pressures and intergenerational trauma. We also bring a more global view and perspective, and new ways of thinking and doing just because of our different cultural heritages. This makes us more resilient to setbacks, more focused and committed to the work and goals that we set out to do and achieve.
I think brands and agencies should look beyond skin colour and truly look at what WoC can bring to the table without any preconceived bias. Before placing a WoC into a leadership role, ensure that you’re setting her up for success. Invest in her journey by providing the training, support and giving her the space to shine. Show genuine interest when she brings ideas to the table, and give her the tools and resources she needs to bring those ideas to life. Celebrate her and her team’s achievements, allow her space to learn and grow into the role, never stifle simply because you think she’s incapable when she is fully capable.
Remember that if she succeeds, your agency and brand succeeds.
Since launching in 2022, the network has gained momentum and support. What has been the most rewarding moment for you so far?
Ali: It’s hard to pinpoint one moment! But I can wholeheartedly say that the most rewarding moment for me is looking back at all of the amazing conversations, collaborations and opportunities that have opened up not for me personally, but for the women who are a part of the Network. It makes my day when I see these women collaborating on their businesses together, championing and supporting one another! It truly is such a beautiful space of sisterhood and camaraderie.
I’ve learnt so much from so many women so far, and I feel that with every conversation I have, the more excited I get with so much energy to expand on what we’ve already built so that we can connect with and serve more WoC founders all over the world.
What are you excited about this year? Have you got any other projects you’re working on?
Ali: This year is a year of ‘evolution, connection and growth’ for The WoC Founders Network. The most exciting announcement is that I now have a co-founder on board, Emmagness Ruzvidzo who is a very dear friend, digital marketing powerhouse and personal brand strategist. Em and I met about 2 years ago and we’ve never stopped chatting about working together ever since! I was incredibly stoked when she said ‘Yes!’ to being my Co-Founder earlier this year as I know we’ll do incredible things together.
In addition, we’re launching a bespoke framework that is targeted towards WoC in leadership that encompasses personal branding and mindset mastery. Em and I have been working on this for the last 8 months or so and we’re now ready to share it with the world!
We’ll be launching our first ‘Purpose and Identify’ Masterclass on the 31st March and our first group Workshop in May. There will also be online courses created for WoC in mind that will be launched over the coming months plus more in-person events in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne so watch this space!’
Click here to register for the ‘Purpose and Identify’ online workshop on Monday, March 31.
Learn more about The WoC Founders Network:
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewocfoundersnetwork/
On Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-women-of-colour-founders-network/
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