27 Moms Who Rock Hong Kong In 2023

Chrisie Wong

About Chrisie

In 2016, Chrisie left her banking career and founded DreamCare - now an award-winning and leading childcare solutions agency in Hong Kong that specializes in Mandarin-speaking nannies and early child childhood educators, popular among the expat community. A mom of three, Chrisie is also a certified Positive Discipline Parent & Classroom Educator as well as a sleep coach.

Top tips for a work-life balance

I usually start the day with meditation and set daily priorities - I end the day with gratitude and thanks. Find the time on a regular basis to engage in an activity that will allow you to relax and recharge. Try to let go of mom guilt and and accept the fact that achieving a perfect work-life balance is an unrealistic expectation. Embrace flexibility and adaptability, and understand that some days will be more challenging than others. Take the time to cuddle your kids.

Favorite things to do in Hong Kong with the kids

All my three kids love animals. We often would go to Fish Street and check out the different animals there. Otherwise, we go to Big Wave Bay, our favorite beach, for breakfast and a morning swim at the weekend. We also enjoy cycling around Tai Mei Tuk.

Diana Wu David

About Diana

Diana is the founder of Future Proof Lab, a work futurist, and best-selling author of Future Proof: Reinventing Work in the Age of Acceleration. The book explains how to adopt more agile mindsets and practices to prepare for success in a fast-changing world across a 100-year life. Future Proof helps companies and individuals who are grappling with the chaos of workplace change.  She’s appeared on TEDx and in The Oprah Magazine, Harvard Business Review, and TimeOut.

Top Tips For A Work-Life Balance

"Say no, have uninterrupted thinking time, only check email 1-2x per day"

Favorite Things To Do In Hong Kong With The Kids

"We love to visit Yakiniku for Japanese bbq so that the kids can cook their own food. And Ten Feet Tall for foot massage and toasties!"

Rosalind Bei

About Rosalind

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Rosalind founded Parachute after the birth of her first child. She had a hard time hiring postnatal help, namely Chinese confinement nannies. So she decided to leverage her previous tech experience and build her own platform that connects expecting and new parents with postnatal professionals. Her mission is to make postnatal assistance more accessible and transparent than ever, so those anxiety-ridden, sleep-deprived early parenting days can be filled with more cuddles, confidence and peace.

Top Tips For A Work-Life Balance

• Don't be afraid to ask for help!
• Set clear boundaries and say no
• Prioritize yourself and remember that you have to be happy in order to be a good parent and leader

Favorite Outing With The Kids In Hong Kong

Alia Eyres

About Alia

Alia was born and raised in Hong Kong. She grew up volunteering at Mother’s Choice, a local charity co-founded by her parents. In 2012, Alia left behind her corporate law career to become CEO of the charity that serves the many babies and children without families and pregnant teenagers in the city. Alia is passionate about children and family – she and her husband have seven children, six boys and one girl!

Top tips for a work-life balance

“Protect how you start and end your day. I start my day with uplifting music only (NO news or work emails!), breakfast with my children, a workout in the gym, and then prayer/journaling time at a coffee shop. I end my day with a hot bath and take time to speak out loud what I am thankful for. No matter what difficult news I receive or challenges I have to face during the day, if I can start and end well, it enables me to get better rest.”

Favorite thing to do in Hong Kong with the kids

“My favorite thing to do with my kids is swim, play and BBQ at our local Chung Hom Kok Beach. Then when we come home, we play music loudly and do silly dances in the living room. Those are the best days!”

Dervla Louli Musgrave

Neelam Daswani

About Neelam

Neelam has been running the successful boutique PR firm, purebuzz, for over 18 years. Neelam is an IIN certified Health Coach and has worked with over 120 clients on their bio-individual needs to successfully reach their health goals.  She is also a mom to a teenage son, Tahir.

Top Tip For A Healthy Work-Life Balance

“I am very conscious about not overscheduling my week as I find it very difficult to take time out and get anything done when I do. I try to not be out 2 nights in a row and limit dinners to 2-3 times per week. I also take a mid-afternoon break, where I switch everything off to meditate or take a power nap. It makes me a happier, nicer mom, and I am definitely more focused and productive. Self-care is my number one tip – I have no guilt when it comes to putting myself first!”

Favorite Things To Do With The Kids

“My son is the love of my life and my favorite travel companion! We LOVE traveling together, exploring sites and cities, whilst eating our way all over the world. More recently, we spend Sundays hiking and getting lost, then grabbing brunch. We also love playing Rummington and of course, he loves it when there’s money involved and he makes a cash load. His favorite thing to do is to put me to bed, as I tend to retire or at least get in bed earlier than him. It gives him great pleasure to hug and tuck me in.”

Sarah Keates

About Sarah

Sarah was born and raised in the UK and lived in Hong Kong 2012-2022. She now split her time between the UK and Hong Kong. She founded and runs a communications and PR agency, WOI – they started as specialists for the private jet sector and became industry agnostic in 2019. They now serve clients across 15 different industries. Her brand changes fairly regularly as she learns and grows. At the basis of the business (and her life) is a commitment to radical honesty, respect, resilience, and grit.

Tips To Achieve Better Work-Life Balance

"Be all in or all out on whatever you do. This creates richer experiences and stronger results. It also avoids wasting precious time. So, when working, give it your all. When playing, resting, or investing time in important people and experiences – do the same. High-contrast living is what works for me."

Favorite Things To Do In Hong Kong With The Kids

"Simple things – beach days, pool days, foot massages, kayaking to secret beaches, BBQs, and eating all the noodles, dumplings and sushi."

Nicole Denholder

About Nicole

Her focus and passion is working with women and their money through her businesses Next Chapter Raise and Sophia. She assists women and companies on how women can use external capital to grow their business faster or acquire financial education to increase their personal wealth.

Top tips for a work-life balance

"Firstly, I think balance can constantly change depending on our family needs or business goals. So it's important to define what balance means to you right now and in the immediate future, then try to focus on achieving that. Secondly, I try to give full attention to what I am doing whether that is working, with my family or with friends as this helps me ensure I give the best of myself in the moment."

Favorite things to do in Hong Kong with the kids

"We recently got a Goldendoodle, Izzy, which the whole family has fallen in love with.  So our current favorite activity is walking the dog together and exploring new areas of Hong Kong."

Claire Yates

A Eurasian mother of two, Claire started The Lion Rock Press in 2013, specializing in Hong Kong-themed gifts and stationery. She also co-founded NGO EcoDrive Hong Kong, which raises awareness of single-use plastic. Be sure to check out her anti-single-use plastic song in collaboration with Baby Shark, and follow their Enough Plastic campaign which launched this month!

Barbie Szeman

Barbie is the founder of Little Nature Wanderlust and is also a mother to a 2.5-year-old boy. After her son was born, she decided to shift her focus toward parenting and decided not to return to work. When the pandemic hit, she saw many children and parents struggling with learning and socialization. She also wanted to share her professional experience and knowledge on how she supports her child with other parents. She aimed to build a community where parents could share their ups and downs and support one another, leading her to start her playgroup in October of 2020. The goal is to offer a safe and nurturing environment where children can learn, explore and have fun while providing parents with the support they need to navigate the challenges of raising a child.

Linda Morrison

Jen Cooper

About Jen

Jen is a British-born mum to a 2-year-old girl. She’s an educator with over a decade’s experience, and in 2022 she opened Little baby and toddler classes with a strong focus on motor development. Her sessions are carefully designed for babies and children in 6 different age groups from birth to 4 years. Incorporating yoga, nurturing touch, stories, baby sign language songs and sensory play experiences, the classes are an engaging and enjoyable way to introduce babies and young children to the joy of movement. She is quickly growing a following amongst the new moms of Hong Kong, who like her approachable, friendly manner and creative classes.

Tips To Achieve Better Work-Life Balance

“I’m always working on improving my work-life balance. It’s a struggle for every working Mom, and especially for those who have their own business! I have a set schedule that I try to stick to each week – it’s designed to leave time and space to take my daughter to swimming lessons, enjoy some playdates and coffees with other moms and spend all important family time together on Sundays. I am learning that I need to leave my phone at home to stay in the moment when I’m with my family.”

Favorite Things To Do In Hong Kong With The Kids

“We’re so fortunate in Hong Kong to have a wealth of fabulous play spaces for our children. We’re lucky enough to live close to Victoria Park and find ourselves there daily! My girl enjoys making new friends there, enjoying the grassy areas and the pleasures of nature. When it’s too hot or rainy to be outside, we love going to indoor playrooms such as the one at Hong Kong central library or Baumhaus.”

Pooja Daryanani

About Pooja

Pooja is the founder and director of Belachica by Adkidz. She hadn’t set out to start a business and then the idea came to her when she had been searching for a special gift for her daughter’s 8th birthday. She wanted to get her something fun and colorful that expressed her unique, sassy personality, something age-appropriate and of good quality. Finding something like that in Hong Kong which was also affordable proved difficult. Thus, the idea for Belachica was born. The brand caters to young tween girls who want to embrace their sassiness!

Tips To Achieve Better Work-Life Balance

"My daily routine is pretty simple. Once the kids leave for school, I sit down and meditate followed by yoga. I also try to meet my sister and/or some close friends for lunch a few times a week. If the weather is pleasant, an evening stroll is a must! My day is never complete without my fix of watching some Modern Family with the family before bed."

Favorite Things To Do In Hong Kong With The Kids
"The weekends are always busy since we have a lot of family here. We love exploring new restaurants and catching up, especially the kids with their cousins and grandparents. When the weather is a bit cooler, we love hiking with the family - our favorite trails are Lion’s Rock and Dragon’s Back. During COVID we discovered the TKO promenade. We love walking there or renting bikes to ride."

Mansi Shah-Kothari

About Mansi

After starting her career in the corporate world, and then co-founding and running an event styling and planning company 4 years ago, Mansi decided to take a break and become a full-time mom to her two kids. That was when she re-discovered her passion for art, particularly calligraphy and engraving, from which Kolligraphy was born, now a luxury calligraphy and hand engraving studio. She provides services for large corporate companies and individual personal orders. When she's not in the studio, you can find her baking cookies or exploring Hong Kong with her husband and kids.

Top tip for a Healthy Work-Life Balance

"I've always struggled with switching off, but moving into a separate studio space has really helped, as most of my work requires me to be physically in the studio. With the exception of the peak holiday season, I make it a point to avoid working on the weekend so that we can maximize time with the kids and as a family. I find that an active day away from work and emails always helps, and I can start the next week re-charged."

Favorite Things To Do With The Kids

"Covid forced us to explore more of Hong Kong, making us fall in love with the city and what it offers. We love being outdoors and trying new adventures with the kids - whether that's hiking, snorkeling, kayaking or just hanging out at the beach, waterfront or club. We're so thankful that our kids love the water and outdoors as much as we do!"

Ayelen Alcover

About Ayelen

Ayelen is an Argentinian photographer and has been living in Hong Kong for the last 12 years. She is a mom of three and photography became her passion almost eight years ago and she founded Ayelen Alcover Photography. She specializes in capturing love in a relaxing, stress-free, and calm environment, giving as a result candid and artistic images that her clients love.

Top tip for a Healthy Work-Life Balance

"To be honest, I don't really believe this balance exists; some weeks you can enjoy more personal and family time while others, you will need to focus more on work! That being said, top tips for a kind of balance are: set the right expectations, go with the flow when unexpected things happen, and try to be set on the days you will devote to work and days for family/personal time."

Favorite Things To Do With The Kids

"Being outdoors with the kids, connecting with nature, going to the beach, exploring new hikes and parks or simply wandering around new neighborhoods are our favorite activities as a family."

Stephanie Cuvelier

About Stephanie

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Stephanie was brought up between two cultures with a Belgian father and Hong Kong Chinese mother. She founded Calibrate Studios, a boutique personal training studio that aims to provide guidance, support and education on the importance of exercise and nutrition for sustainable lifestyle change. She believes that health is wealth, and that leading by example is key. Stephanie is currently an HSBC Wellness Ambassador, as well as a Lululemon Ambassador. Steph is a former professional rugby sevens athlete and also a former national representative for Hong Kong netball.

Top tips for a work-life balance

"The first thing is to carve out time for yourself and make sure to prioritize it in your calendar! The endless to-do list will always be there - I find that I have to schedule some quiet/solo time for myself is essential! Otherwise maintain a healthy diet, exercise, move often, and always be realistic. Set yourself realistic targets but also allow for flexibility, as things don't always go to plan!"

Favorite things to do in Hong Kong with the kids

"Going for waterfront strolls, hiking up to the various peaks of Hong Kong are favorites. As a family, we lead a very active lifestyle, and do everything together, go to the gym, walk, swim, and eat whole foods! Hong Kong is a beautiful city with a variety of activities to do - beaches, mountains, city life... the list is endless. You just have to venture out and explore."

Ina Lau

About Ina

Ina was born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She lives in Sai Kung, her early childhood neighborhood, and enjoys hiking, kayaking, chilling on the beach, and being in nature with friends! She first started her career in the beauty & health industry in 2000 and always enjoyed helping women to feel good about themselves. In 2018, Ina traveled to Bali for a traditional Jamu Postnatal treatment training course. Belly & Bloom® was created a few months later. Her business involves helping postpartum women reshape their waistlines and is holistic healing for them to connect body, mind, and soul, to take a deep breath and relax.

Top tips for a work-life balance

"I love taking a power nap in the afternoon to refresh my mind and to recharge. I work flexible hours, usually schedule all postnatal treatments before 3pm, and work on my computer after a nap. To achieve a more balanced & active lifestyle, I like to do Yoga, hiking, swimming, and exploring different hidden islands in Hong Kong."

Favorite thing to do in Hong Kong with the kids

"Explore its natural playground! I like to spend time in nature with my kids, my favorite place is Hoi Ha Wan, a protected area in Sai Kung, just a 30-min ride from Sai Kung Town. It is best for snorkeling & Kayaking! There's a large variety of marine life with various fish, starfish, sea cucumbers, coral & more!"

Hema Mirpuri

Lina Treece

About Lina

Her belief and the motto of Luscious Picnics is that there is always a reason to celebrate. Her passion is to bring people together and create beautiful memories in a gorgeous outdoor setting.  Luscious Picnics has allowed her to turn her passion into a business.

Top tips for a work-life balance

• • Enjoy what you do
  • Know your value
  • Practice self-care
  •  Have fun!

Favorite things to do in Hong Kong with the kids

"We are definitely a beach family! If we are not setting up a beach party, we are enjoying our beautiful beaches with our girls on our days off!"

Alexa Bui

Arti Mirchandani

About Arti

A true Hong Konger, Arti was born and lived here most of her life. She studied Fine Art in Melbourne, and after returning from university in 2002, she joined the family business, Bookazine. She’s been running it with her sister, Shonee and mom, Nisha since 2003 when her dad passed away. It was always her dad's vision to make Bookazine a community store and a place for the whole family to enjoy and Arti was instrumental in making this one of the company's core values. When Arti became a mom, she really increased the product offering into the stores adding educational toys and gifts. She says, “my daughter was very “on-trend” so I had an insight on what to buy and sell”. In 2015, she opened Partytime, after she struggled with organizing her daughter’s Birthday party while working full-time and being a single mum.

Top tips for a work-life balance

"Get your daily dose of “Me” time. For me, this usually consists of a spin or boxing class in the morning to start the day off energized. Or a run or yoga after work to destress. I love being in nature, so my Saturdays are usually spent hiking with a friend but more recently, I’ve been attending a painting class that has been really therapeutic."

Favorite things to do in Hong Kong with the kids

"I have a 14-year-old daughter who usually doesn’t want to do anything with me unless she “needs” to buy a new wardrobe or half of Sephora. We do have a Thursday ritual, though, where we have a late lunch after school at Pici in Causeway Bay on our way to her Maths class, and it’s one of the rare occasions she talks and shares with me!"  

Shea Stanley

About Shea

As a new mom in Hong Kong, Shea longed for a resource offering fun, insider tips for parents in Asia. In 2011, she founded Little Steps Asia, the leading website and weekly e-newsletter dedicated to delivering the inside scoop to parents on what to do, buy, and discover in Asia and beyond. Shea lives in Clearwater Bay with her two children (ages 11 and 13). She enjoys an active lifestyle full of hiking, paddle boarding, yoga, and of course exploring the best of Hong Kong (and traveling too!). She also loves learning new skills for work, life, and parenting.

Top Tips For A Work-Life Balance

"Sleep - it is totally underrated and the key to my balance. I also have a morning ritual (which is mostly routine) that always jump-starts my day just right - exercise, coffee, and me-time. Little Steps operates on a flexible schedule which allows for a balance of work/home life as we make our own schedule around what makes us the most productive given all the wild life demands. Every day is different!"

Favorite Things To Do With The Kids

"We are always exploring Hong Kong! One of my favorite places is Cheung Chau Island.  We did a sleepover birthday party there recently with pizza on the beach.  It was perfect!  I also enjoyed finally running Hong Kong's Mini Great Wall.  For dining, we are regulars at the alfresco restaurants in TKO and I am personally loving the new Lohas Park Bridge Loop for biking or running."

Lucy Jackson

About Lucy

Lucy is the co-founder of Lightfoot Travel and they plan tailor-made holidays around the world.  Everything they do is completely bespoke, depending on their discerning guests' requirements - from family-friendly villas in Asia, African safaris and adventures around Latin America. Lucy has lived and worked in Asia for over a decade and has recently returned from a few years living in Bali, where her family of 3 young boys (aged 6, 4 and 2) had fun exploring the islands of Indonesia while fuelling her photographer husband's creativity and her belief in sustainable living."

Top tips for a work-life balance

• "HELP - Be happy to take all offers of help whether with childcare or in the house. I couldn’t survive without some key individual’s support and care. Sanity saving too!
• ORGANISATION - I’m planning within an inch of my life which is a survival mechanism with 3 children, however, I do try and take those unplanned moments in my stride, something I’ve definitely learnt from Covid times!
• SURROUND YOURSELF WITH GOOD PEOPLE - This might be your partner but also for me is the Lightfoot team who have always been my solace when the balance has been uneven - I feel extremely lucky to work with incredibly kind souls."

Favorite things to do in Hong Kong with the kids

"Getting into nature amongst the trails and exploring the lesser-known islands of Hong Kong. Such beauty lies amongst the cityscape."

Leith Stewart

About Leith

Leith is an Australian who has called Hong Kong home for the last 14 years. She lives in Happy Valley with her husband and daughter. In 2019, Leith opened Young Folk Therapy, a children's therapy center in Mong Kok, offering counseling and occupational and speech therapy services. She believes 'you can't be what you can't see' and wants to show her daughter that owning a company is incredibly hard work; women can now work and be the boss.

Favorite Outings

The Stewart family has an active lifestyle and loves walking or scooting along the harbor from Happy Valley to Kennedy Town to be rewarded with a delicious breakfast at Catch. Isla is sports-crazy and plays netball every Saturday for the Hong Kong Cricket Club. Junk trips are high on their agenda for days filled with sun, sea, and fresh air while appreciating the beauty of Hong Kong.

Travel Dreams

Leith would do [almost] anything to swim along the Gold Coast in Queensland. She grew up on the beach and can’t wait to spend time on the coast when they head home. Leith finds the seaside joyful and calming, she tries to replicate her childhood for her daughter, and that includes lashings of ice cream and barbeques the Aussie way.

Vicki Chuard

About Vicki

Vicki is passionate about enabling parents to make more natural and sustainable choices for themselves and their little ones. For the best part of a decade, Vicki has been part of the growing trend of reusable diapers. Her brand, Just Peachy, makes cloth diapering easier to adopt for beginners. Summer 2022 will see the launch of gorgeous, eco-friendly kid's undergarments, a slow fashion alternative for sustainably-minded families.

Favorite Outings

Vicki and her family love the great outdoors. You'll find her and the kids happily feeding animals, picking strawberries at the Tai Tong Eco Park, and enjoying ferry rides to South Lantau Beach to enjoy the wild buffaloes, sun, sand, clear water, and yummy food. As a family, they love to get out and about on the traditional junks; as the kids get older, they are obsessed with banana rides and other water sports.

Travel Dreams

The Chuard family loves Hawaii, the perfect blend of American and Asian life, the year-round surf, magical whale sightings, divine coffee, and delicious food. Closer-haul, they happily enjoy Thailand for its gorgeous beaches and fantastic cuisine. They also love to ski in the French Alps.

Brenda Wilson

About Brenda

Brenda has lived in Hong Kong for 17 years. After a decade, she founded Swoon Soirees, an online store that ensures every celebratory tea, dinner, or event is super-stylish. Brenda has a self-confessed obsession with pretty paper goods. She endlessly trawls the internet for the latest trends finding unique goods and working with women-owned studios. She volunteers at the Booster Club Spirit Committee for an international school, leads an enthusiast group of Girl Scouts, and plays tennis in her spare time.

Favorite Outings

Brenda enjoys hiking with her daughter; they love the exercise and amazing views that refresh their souls. Most roads lead back to art. Brenda and her daughter never tire of wandering the narrow streets of Hong Kong in search of hidden art, haberdashery, or stationery shops that are filled with things they didn't know they needed.

Travel Dreams

Brenda is originally from California, and they can’t wait to go back to reconnect with their family, relish the amazing weather and appreciate the casual coastal vibe. They are also looking forward to being tourists in Asia again.

Utah Lee

About Utah

Utah has promoted Nike health and fitness for over two decades with her signature fun and high-energy fitness classes. Her background is in fashion and jewelry design. Her keen eye has landed her various creative projects where she has directed and produced exciting brand campaigns. She is endlessly passionate about bringing awareness back to the earth by reducing, reusing, recycling, and restyling. When she’s not working, she loves to spend time with her family and dogs and does regular beach clean-ups with them in tow. Utah embraces life, having fun, and helping various charitable organizations spread love and kindness.

Favorite Outings

Utah loves anything outdoorsy and needs no excuse to hike Hong Kong's hills, walk the beautiful beaches, and take part in clean-up days. As long as she's with her family and dogs, she's happy.

Travel Dreams

Although it's close to home, Penfold Park is a firm favorite with the family. The animal-friendly park is perfect for lazy days with the kids and the dogs, Yogi and K-Pop.