In early June, a World Café discussion was arranged in Vaasa as part of the RE-FEM project, bringing together women entrepreneurs and supporters of inclusive development. One of the participants was Trang Pham, an international business student with a strong interest in digital innovation and women’s empowerment. We had the opportunity to speak with her about her experiences from the event and beyond.
Trang first heard about the World Café through a mentor and former colleague, and she was immediately inspired to join. “Anna is such an energetic woman and truly passionate about supporting female entrepreneurship,” Trang shared. “That energy made me want to take part.”
She especially appreciated the networking and openness of the event: “It was a great opportunity to meet inspiring people and listen to their insights,” she said. Among the topics discussed, Trang was most drawn to AI and digital transformation in rural areas. She emphasized the importance of building digital literacy among women:
“In many rural regions, women fear job loss or feel excluded due to lack of digital skills. We need more intensive digital education and awareness-raising to help them feel confident and thrive.”
One key insight Trang took from the event was the role of mentorship and peer support. She reflected on how men often have easy access to mentors through existing networks, while women may struggle to find the same guidance.
“Mentorship isn’t just a benefit – it’s a strategy. We need structured mentorship and peer-to-peer learning platforms to help women grow.”
Trang also saw the World Café format as something that should be replicated more widely:
“Events like this create safe, inclusive spaces where we can listen, share, and learn from each other. It’s something that can be valuable not only in Finland, but globally.”
Looking ahead, she expressed a desire to help build communities around the RE-FEM project – possibly even co-developing a platform where women entrepreneurs could share business ideas and support one another. Trang is also involved in discussions around integrating gamified AI tools in marketing and education, with the goal of making these innovations accessible to women in diverse contexts.
Her enthusiasm and vision remind us that empowering women entrepreneurs takes more than one tool – it takes community, dialogue, learning, and visibility.