Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by Lazada and was produced by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No member of the news and editorial team participated in the production of this piece.

For this year’s International Women’s Day, Lazada is kicking off women’s month by recognizing some of the platform’s successful and inspiring female entrepreneurs. Now in its second year, Lazada Forward Women Awards is back to put the spotlight on the outstanding women-led merchants in the platform. The awarding ceremony was held at Lazada’s Flagship and Singapore Headquarters last March 8.

From last year’s six winners across three categories, Lazada has expanded the recognition to a total of 12 winners and six runners up. Six winners and six runners up from across six categories including newly added ones: Rising Star, Bricks to Clicks, and Social Star Award, and another six Lazada Forward Woman of the Year awardees. 

Three Filipina entrepreneurs made the cut. Monalisa Gao, owner of Lucky HR, is the Lazada Forward Woman of the Year awardee from the Philippines. Lucky HR is one of Lazada’s pioneer consumer electronics stores and continues to be one of its top sellers today. From managing 15 physical consumer electronics stores almost a decade ago, Gao is now operating Lucky HR completely online with a 1,000 sqm warehouse.

“Since starting Lucky HR in 2013, I would have never thought that I would reach this level of success. There have been many different challenges in this journey, but since going online and partnering with Lazada, I have witnessed positive growth and the ability to scale the business,” said Gao. 

“Thank you Lazada for continuing to support and guide [our business] to the right path, and for recognizing the leaps and bounds we made since onboarding. It truly is an honor to win this award, and our team will continue to look at this as an inspiration to do what we do and to keep on going.” 

Another Philippine winner is Elyse Janina Juan of Papemelroti. She received the Bricks to Clicks award for helping Papemelroti expand its presence from brick and mortar stores in malls to online in Lazada. The family-owned stationery business suffered when the pandemic hit. But when they took Papemelroti to Lazada early in 2020 – Juan being 8 months pregnant then notwithstanding – they were able to continue operating the beloved store that their grandmother started 55 years ago.

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Evan Marie Maderazo, owner of Sundals, a proudly-Filipino footwear brand, was selected as a runner up for the Inspiring Award.

Meet all of the Lazada Forward Women Awards 2022 winners from across Southeast Asia:

The Lazada Forward Women Awards, which started in 2021, is a testament to Lazada’s commitment to supporting and recognizing women entrepreneurs who have entrusted their livelihood to the e-commerce platform. They also vow to continue to provide them with the tools they need to reach more customers and scale their business.

“It is incredible to witness the remarkable achievements of women sellers across Southeast Asia’s digital commerce ecosystem. Our Lazada sellers have continued to innovate and adapt their businesses to the eCommerce environment, cater to their customers and enhance product offerings,” said Raymond Yang, chief operating officer of Lazada Group. “We are proud to journey alongside these winners and create a world that is diverse and inclusive.” – Rappler.com