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Her residency was dedicated to sharing insights on fostering a resilient, growth-oriented culture to support a dynamic and scalable startup ecosystem. Through a series of workshops, mentoring sessions, and strategic meetings, Michelle worked to instill a long-term, collaborative approach that emphasizes trust, communication, and openness within the Cambodian entrepreneurial community.
Throughout her residency, Michelle engaged in targeted meetings with key players across Cambodia’s entrepreneurial landscape. Early in her week, she met with the team at Impact Hub Phnom Penh to discuss the Unipreneur learning platform, aimed at youth and educational programs. Michelle also shared insights on education and youth strategy, providing advice based on her extensive experience in Silicon Valley. Her following meetings with Khmer Enterprise and the Techo Startup Center focused on exchanging ideas about successful government-backed initiatives from other countries and exploring ways to foster similar successes within Cambodia. These discussions laid the groundwork for potential collaborations, with a shared vision for strengthening Cambodia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In a fireside chat co-hosted with Startup Grind Cambodia at The Desk Flagship, Michelle empowered founders by sharing practical advice on innovation, resilience, and leveraging technology to drive growth. This was followed by a "Masterclass for Mentor Training" at Khmer Enterprise, where Michelle delved into the mindset and culture of Silicon Valley, providing Cambodian mentors with valuable insights on guiding startups through the challenges of scaling and competing globally. This masterclass empowered ESOs with new strategies to better support startups, reinforcing a long-term, growth-focused approach.
Participants in Michelle’s sessions expressed appreciation for her practical, real-world insights. Michelle’s residency extended beyond Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, where she engaged with regional entrepreneurial support organizations. She conducted a meeting with professors and mentors from the Unipreneur Program, sharing her experiences on fostering an entrepreneurial mindset inspired by Silicon Valley. She then led a hands-on workshop with local SMEs at Biolab, offering practical, global insights on business scaling and expansion tailored to Cambodia's unique context. This session provided attendees with actionable advice on navigating the challenges of growth, especially for businesses seeking to expand both locally and internationally.
In Siem Reap, Michelle also conducted a masterclass for mentors and ESOs, organized with the Inclusive Mentoring Network for Entrepreneurs (IMNEt), focusing on cultivating a resilient and adaptable mindset among mentors that works effectively within a nascent startup ecosystem. This session helped reinforce the principles and practices of Silicon Valley’s approach to entrepreneurship, giving participants tools to nurture innovation, collaboration, and agility within their teams.
Her residency concluded with a session at Enterprise Vision Academy, where she shared insights on program development and exchanged ideas for strengthening entrepreneurial training. This final engagement underscored her commitment to supporting educational institutions that play a critical role in building a strong foundation for Cambodia’s startup ecosystem.
Reflecting on her time in Cambodia, Michelle emphasized the importance of building trust within the ecosystem, noting, “I’ve seen incredibly smart Entrepreneur Support Organizations in Cambodia, particularly in Phnom Penh, who are deeply attuned to the startup ecosystem’s needs. Entrepreneurs here are also focused on building companies that can compete globally. Culturally, there’s a need for more open trust and communication between entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial support organizations. By fostering this trust from the start, we can move faster and more efficiently.”
Michelle’s residency helped in equipping local stakeholders with insights, and a forward-thinking mindset as well as with the tools and confidence to help startups thrive, aligning with the overall goal of the Strengthen Entrepreneurship and Innovation initiative to empower local entrepreneurial ecosystems.
The Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) program, of the Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei), is funded by Khmer Enterprise (KE), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and co-implemented by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact.