Anja Juliah Abu Bakar, Founder of Athena Holdings Sdn Bhd - Womenpreneur Asia Episode 12 with Krista Goon

Anja Juliah Abu Bakar is the founder of Athena Holdings Sdn Bhd (formerly Blubear Holdings Sdn Bhd), a Malaysian social enterprise that sells washable cloth pads and other earth-friendly products.  Her journey as an entrepreneur has many twists and turns, some hilarious and others quite heartbreaking. But Anja never gives up. She is one determined woman. She was so determined that she decided to go to Paris to pitch someone she didn't even know. In this interview, she also talks about what it means to be a social enterprise and what shifted the balance for her in her entrepreneurial life.  The idea behind Anja's business is about reducing period poverty issues while educating women and girls on safe and earth-friendly menstrual hygiene practices. Having one's period shouldn't be the reason why rural girls drop out of school and lose out on education. This is where Anja's products come in to enable girls to reach their full potential.  Initially, her business arose out of a curiosity to earn an income but eventually, she made a mission out of the business although she could not sew!