Podcast: SmartBuyGlasses Spills the Secrets of Successful eCommerce

What a fab Web Wednesday social mixer we had this month! An honest speaker with a good story to share, a live auction for designer sun glasses and loads of laughs! If you missed the occasion, you can capture the gist of it by listening to this podcast of the interview with David Menning, Co-Founder and CEO of SmartBuyGlasses.

Podcast: StyleByAsia talks Culture Curation

Listen to Sandra Smedhall tell us about her new start-up, StyleByAsia. Recorded at Web Wednesday Hong Kong on 7th May, 2014. [Apologies for the slightly mad intro, but I had to involve the dowser in the conversation].



Sandra's team also filmed the interview, an edited version of which they posted to the Style By Asia channel on YouTube.

SmartBuyGlasses at Web Wednesday HK (V85)

Come join the Asian Digerati for our 85th social mixer!

We've invited David Menning, Founder and CEO of SmartBuyGlasses, one of the world's leading online designer eyewear retailers with operations in the US, Canada and Italy. Naturally, they are all over the social media - find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.

David will share the story of how he started his business from his bedroom in Sydney with one partner in Stockholm and the other in Shanghai, and how they grew into an ecommerce empire of:

+ 40 websites in 15 different languages
+ Attracting over 30 million visitors per year
+ Selling over 100,000 glasses online across 180 brands.. the world's largest range
+ 160 staff across EU, APAC, Americas

Under their "buy one, give one" policy, the company has generously donated US$1.5M worth of prescription glasses to the third world. (This works out at 50,000 glasses donated).

In support of their charity, we will host a LIVE AUCTION that night for brand new designer glasses (sample sale).

Doors open at 6:30pm with the interview starting at 7:15pm on Wednesday 11th June, 2014 at Insiders - Hong Kong, 1/F, 17 Fenwick Street in Wanchai (Jaffe Road crossing).

Sign up via our groups on Facebook or Meetup.

The entrance fee of HK$100 includes a complimentary drink and the opportunity to mix with fellow entrepreneurs, masters of ecommerce, digital marketers, investors, bloggers and social media folk.

Style by Asia at Web Wednesday (V84)

Mark your diaries for our next social mixer on 7th May at Club 18 with Sandra Smedhall, Founder & Managing Director of Style by Asia.

Style by Asia is a web community based in Hong Kong, gathering individual bloggers who all are connected to the "style space" in one way or another; be it fashion, design (interior and industrial), architecture, photography, graphic design and all kinds of art - basically anything visual which serves as an inspiration to people! Follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Sign up on Facebook or MeetUp.

Silicon Dragon Breathes fire into Hong Kong's Startup Scene

For a third year in a row, Rebecca Fannin (@rfannin), author, journalist and interviewer of technology start-ups all across world, brings her conference for venture capitalists and budding entrepreneurs, "Silicon Dragon", to Hong Kong on April 15th, 2014 in Cyberport.

Web Wednesday members are begin offered 20% off the registration fee. When booking your tickets on Eventbrite here, don't forget to enter promo code, "SiliconDragonHKpartner", to enjoy the discount. It's worth it!

We were lucky enough to have Rebecca take the hot seat at a previous Web Wednesday gathering back in April last year. Listen to the full interview below:



Last year, I had the pleasure of interviewing the lovely Vicky Wu, Co-Founder of Zaozao, who then moved her business HQ to New York and is thriving in the Big Apple. She also graced the stage at Web Wednesday and you can hear the interview below:



This year, I will be interviewing Ilissa Howard, Co-founder of Milk and Honey Shoes, where women design their own stilettos and pumps with the click of a mouse. The are getting plenty of press and were recently covered in the New York Times.

You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Google Plus. (No Chinese aspirations as yet!).

If you're still not convinced, here is the full rundown for the event this Tuesday...

Registration & Networking: 4PM

Welcome Remarks: 4:30PM
Rebecca Fannin, Founder/Author/Journalist, Silicon Dragon
Susie Ho, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (ICT)
Herman Lam, CEO, HK Cyberport

Keynote Talks: 4:45-5:15PM
Zach Smith, Founder, Makerbot, 3D printing, (New York, Shenzhen)
Ron Cao, Managing Partner, Lightspeed China, (investor in Bitcoin exchange BTC China), Beijing

Tech Chats: 5:15-6:15PM
Elsa Chan, Co-Founder, Jetlun, cleantech (Silicon Valley, Hong Kong)
Jonathan Buford, Founder, Makible, 3D printing (Hong Kong)
Rex Sham, Co-founder, Insight Robotics, robotics technology (Hong Kong, Pearl River Delta)
Patrick Leung, Co-founder, eNano Health, biomedical nanotechnology (Hong Kong)
Ilissa Howard, Co-founder, Milk and Honey Shoes, fashion (Hong Kong, global

VC / Dealmaker Panel: 6:30-7:30PM
Edith Yeung, Partner, Right Ventures  (Silicon Valley)
Jack Jia, Partner, GSR Ventures   (Silicon Valley, China)
Mae Wong, Venture Adviser, Focus Ventures  (Silicon Valley, China)
Cyril Ebersweiler, Venture Partner, SOS Ventures and founder, HAXLR8R  (Shenzhen, Bay Area)
Felix Lam, Managing Director, Red Chapel Advisors  (Hong Kong, Southeast Asia)
Patrick Loofbourrow, Partner, Cooley (China)
Tytus Michalski, Managing Director, Fresco Capital Advisors (Hong Kong, Silicon Valley)
Xing Liu, Managing Director, Sequoia Capital China (Hong Kong, China)

Cocktail reception, dinner and networking 7:30PM

Moderators: Casey Lau, StartupsHK; Egidio Zarrella, KPMG; Morgan Lewis, Nest Investments; Napoleon Biggs, Bolei Digital / Web Wednesday; Rebecca Fannin, Silicon Dragon

Battle of the Apps VI - Hong Kong Startups

[NOTE: EVENT POSTPONED UNTIL 23RD JULY, 2014]

Calling all entr-app-reneurs!

As a continuation of our popular "Battle of the Apps" series, we are once again inviting app creators, developers and publishers to compete in a live contest in the heart of Hong Kong's entertainment area.

Networking will start at 6:30pm, with the battle from 7:15pm on 16th April 2014 [postponed to 23rd July, 2014] at Club 18, 18-20 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong.

All apps welcome, be it on iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows, Chrome or Symbian (TV, tablet or smartphone).

Submit your app via this web form.

Each contestant will have 5 minutes to present their creation, followed by questions from the floor. Due to time limitations, there will be a maximum of 10 contestants.

At the end of the evening, the audience will vote with their fingers (old fashioned, analogue stickers!).

The most popular app will win great prizes and a full interview slot at a future Web Wednesday Social Mixer with all the associated promotional benefits.

Sign up to see who else is coming via Facebook or MeetUp.

Do help spread the word so that we can attract a wide range of contestants. Use hashtag "#battleofapps".

Bring your game!(To borrow from the HK Rugby 7s which only has one app, "HK7sBestFan", created by Cathay Pacific).

Podcast - Bitcoin, Cryptomex and ANXBTC

Want to learn the real story behind Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies?

Listen to our podcast of the recent interview with two crypto-currency entrepreneurs:

Ken Lo, CEO of ANXBTC Bitcoin Exchange and Dave Shin, Founder of Cryptomex.

Hosted by Napoleon Biggs at Web Wednesday Hong Kong at Club 18, Central Hong Kong on 19th March, 2014. Multimedia editing by the talented folk at Radio Chinwag.