6 inspiring business women in Singapore

From healing and coaching to corporate reinvention and conscious product design, these six founders, business women and female entrepreneurs are forging new paths – guided by purpose, resilience and a deep commitment to helping others thrive. Whether it’s through energy work, executive coaching or return-to-work support, running Myla Beach Villa in Sri Lanka, or offering holistic healthcare at Karelia Health, each woman featured here has turned a personal shift into a professional calling, inspiring other women in business along the way.

We chat to six female entrepreneurs forging new paths in Singapore

# Dr Miina Öhman, Karelia Health

After 25 years as a physician-scientist focused on obesity, diabetes and heart disease, Dr Miina Öhman left academia to apply her expertise in a practical, patient-focused setting. Through Karelia Health and her work in lifestyle medicine, she helps individuals improve their health using evidence-based, holistic strategies.

Give us an insight into where your business story began.

I realised how much I missed nature – my childhood sanctuary growing up in Finland – and how it shaped my early values and instincts. That connection, long buried under years of academic work and urban life, resurfaced during the pandemic. It reminded me of my original motivation for becoming a doctor: to help people truly heal, not just manage symptoms. That sense of purpose guided every step towards founding Karelia Health.

When and why did you start Karelia Health?

My passion for lifestyle medicine – and the founding of Karelia Health – was born during the COVID lockdown. The “pressure and containment”, a classic recipe for transformation, gave me space for honest reflection about how I wanted to live the second half of my life.

After 25 years in academia, I wanted to apply my knowledge in a real human context. I founded Karelia Health in 2023, consulting private clients, startups and healthcare entities to help raise their health IQ in lifestyle medicine. I also give talks to both professionals and the public.

Was there a specific moment or need that inspired you to take the leap?

Yes. A call from a headhunter in 2021 led me to train internationally and become board-certified in lifestyle medicine. I met a kindred spirit in Singapore in 2023, and together we founded the Singaporean Society of Lifestyle Medicine, where I now serve as President.

How have you reinvented yourself through your business journey?

Karelia Health represents both a return to my roots and a full professional reinvention – bringing decades of research into real-world healing.

linkedin.com/in/miina-ohman | karelia.health

# Yun (Fanny) Chen, The Coaching Wave

Launched in 2024, The Coaching Wave is about more than goal-setting – it’s about transformation. Whether it’s clarity, confidence, courage or commitment, Yun helps others lead change with intention and purpose.

Give us an insight into where your business story began.

Coaching, to me, is about awakening the leader within every person – whether they’re navigating a career change, exploring a boardroom decision, creating a new venture or pausing at life’s crossroads.

After over 17 years leading cross-functional teams through global banking transformations – and working as an internal executive coach since 2021 – I saw how often brilliance gets buried under doubt, fear or systems that don’t nurture it. This is why I launched The Coaching Wave: to create spaces where professionals and entrepreneurs don’t just adapt to change but lead it – with purpose, growth, joy and their whole selves. Coaching became my way to offer holistic, tailored, actionable strategies that help people thrive from within.

The past year or so has been one of the most turbulent periods in our generation – but also a time for rebirth. Deepening my spiritual practice – mindfulness, meditation, journalling and travel – brought clarity and confidence that coaching is the wave I’m meant to ride. I see it as my calling to help more people reach their highest potential.

Was there a specific moment or need that inspired you to take the leap?

There wasn’t a single moment, but rather a recurring one: every time I witnessed an “aha” from a client. That energy shift is deeply fulfilling – it nurtures my own growth. Friends say I’m glowing, and I believe it’s because coaching aligns with my purpose. Helping even one person rewrite their story makes the leap worth it.

How have you reinvented yourself through your business journey?

Though still in its early stages, I now have a clear vision for the next decade: to collaborate globally with like-minded leaders and support transformation across individuals, organisations and communities. Launching The Coaching Wave has taught me to release fear, build resilience, and turn challenges into opportunities. I’m not just a coach – I’m living proof that reinvention is possible.

hello@thecoachingwave.com | thecoachingwave.com

# Angel Eshen

Healer, coach and grief care practitioner, Angel combines Reiki, Intention Tapping, and heartfelt writing to support others through emotional and spiritual transitions. A certified Intention Tapping and Usui Reiki practitioner, she creates nurturing spaces for healing, growth and reconnection.

Give us an insight into where your business story began.

I grew up in Singapore in a modest household – an environment that taught me resilience and responsibility. For nearly 20 years, I was a devoted Buddhist, immersing myself in the teachings and attending many meditation retreats.

Professionally, I spent much of my career as a financial advisor – a role that challenged me to step beyond my introversion and confront the emotional narratives I held around money, worth, and identity.

My deeper transformation began when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. That experience cracked something open in me and set me on a path of inner work that changed the course of my life.

When and why did you start your business?

I officially started my healing and coaching practice in 2023, after years of personal transformation and training. By then, both of my parents had passed on, and I was emerging from a season of deep grief.

I had experienced firsthand the profound impact of Intention Tapping and Reiki, and felt deeply aligned with both. This gave rise to a sincere desire: to share what had helped me, and to create a compassionate, grounded space for others – especially those moving through grief, transition, or emotional overwhelm – to feel seen, supported and empowered.

Was there a moment that inspired you to take the leap?

Yes. On a spiritual pilgrimage in India, I heard a clear whisper from within: “What if the work you’ve done to heal yourself is already medicine for many?” It was the nudge I needed.

How have you reinvented yourself through your business journey?

Supporting others has deepened my own healing. It’s taught me patience, compassion and trust – especially when holding space for grief and transitions. I’ve returned to the heart, bringing all parts of me into service.

angeleshen.com | IG @angel_eshen

# Ophelia Luhur, Arcaza Riezelina

Ophelia Luhur’s fine jewellery line, Arcaza Riezelina, blends energy work with design. Founded out of Ophelia’s personal passion for collecting and designing meaningful jewellery, it uses ethically sourced natural gemstones and gold, with an emphasis on enhancing the wearer’s energetic field.

Give us an insight into where your business story began.

My interest in natural crystals and their spiritual benefits began when I was a teenager. I still keep the books I read back then. But at the time, I felt the need to embrace “normalcy” – go to school, complete my education, and get a proper job upon graduation.

Looking back now, I realise that even throughout my studies and work life, my passion for the spiritual realms and my love for gemstones never faded. After graduating, I worked as a stockbroker by day, and in the evenings I would attend jewellery design, metal smithing and gemology courses. At the same time, I was drawn to the spiritual arts – joining meditation, psychic development, Reiki, angel healing and unicorn healing classes.

When and why did you start your business?

I left my job when I had my first child, and by the time I had my fifth, COVID hit. That moment really made me pause – life felt short and unpredictable. I knew I wanted to live without regrets and finally pursue my passion wholeheartedly.

Was there a specific moment or need that inspired you to take the leap?

Yes – becoming a mother and then living through the pandemic made it clear to me that I wanted to live more authentically. That period gave me the clarity and courage to honour the spiritual calling I had felt all along.

How have you reinvented yourself through your business journey?

Over time, I realised I wasn’t just designing and selling jewellery. My business evolved into something much more intentional. Today, I incorporate blessings into my gemstones – channelling angelic and unicorn light energies – and I truly believe these natural materials from the Earth carry unique vibrational qualities that can bring real benefits to the wearer.

arcazariezelina.com

# Sara Pantry, Return Ready

As a senior leader at LinkedIn and the founder of Return Ready, Sara is redefining return-to-work support, making sure women feel seen, supported and able to keep building the careers they love.

Give us an insight into where your business story began.

I know firsthand how deeply motherhood can shake your sense of self. Honestly, I started Return Ready because mamas around me were struggling with the same thing I was: that huge, often overlooked transition of going back to work. I wanted to offer something so simple yet so needed – real one-on-one support for mums at a time that changes us emotionally, mentally and socially, not just physically.

When and why did you start your business?

I launched Return Ready in May as a grassroots, volunteer-led peer-to-peer mentoring program. It’s designed to support mamas gearing up to return after parental leave, because that’s one of the biggest shifts in a woman’s entire career, and there was almost nothing out there to help.

Was there a specific moment or need that inspired you to take the leap?

We prepare women endlessly for pregnancy and birth, but barely touch on what comes after. Yet that’s so often where careers stall. Nearly 43 percent of highly qualified women leave the workforce after having children, and more than 75 percent of those who return feel sidelined or overlooked. It’s not just personal; it shows how many talented women we’re losing because we’ve made it too hard to stay.

How have you reinvented yourself through your business journey?

This has become exactly what I once wished I had. Through Return Ready, we pair mamas getting ready to return with amazing volunteer “Mumentors” who’ve already navigated this transition. It’s not a replacement for HR or therapy, it’s human-to-human support: holding space, sharing honest experiences, and simply being there in someone’s corner.

If you’re preparing to return, or if you’ve already navigated it and want to pay it forward, you can sign up on our website as a mentee or a “Mumentor”. The ripple effect starts here!

sara@sarapantry.com | sarapantry.com/return-ready

# Visha Yogeswaran, Myla Beach Villa

Visha is the co-owner of Myla Beach Villa, a boutique oceanfront retreat set on a coconut-lined stretch of coastline in Rathgama, just 10 minutes from Sri Lanka’s UNESCO-listed Galle Fort.

Give us an insight into where your business story began.

My journey began with a deep connection to Sri Lanka – my heritage, my roots – and a lifelong passion for mindful, soulful design. While living in Singapore, my family and I often escaped to the island’s south coast to soak in its natural beauty, warmth and slower rhythm of life. Over time, the idea of creating a sanctuary of our own – a space that captured the island’s essence – took hold.

When and why did you start your business?

The vision for Myla Beach Villa was born in 2011 from a desire to create something deeply meaningful. We visited many villas in the region and, while many were architecturally stunning, they lacked a certain soul – a connection to the land, its people, and true restoration. I imagined a sanctuary that embraced the essence of Sri Lanka – where traditional architecture, warm local hospitality, nourishing cuisine and the island’s natural beauty came together in an atmosphere of refined, understated luxury.

That vision became a reality when we came across a breathtaking stretch of beachfront near Galle. The moment we stepped onto the land, with its sweeping ocean views and the rhythmic sound of waves, we felt its energy. We knew instantly: this was where Myla Beach Villa would come to life.

Was there a specific moment or need that inspired you to take the leap?

It wasn’t a single moment, but rather a growing pull – a sense that something was missing in the holiday villa space. We wanted to offer more than the polished, conventional luxury that’s widely available in Asia. Our goal was to create a place that encouraged real connection – a home for families and friends seeking not just rest, but a deeper sense of presence, wellness and belonging. Myla Beach Villa was our answer to that call: a place designed to restore, inspire and connect.

How have you reinvented yourself through your business journey?

Transitioning from law into design and hospitality has been a transformative journey for me. Myla Beach Villa has grounded me spiritually and professionally, teaching me resilience, grace and patience. Most of all, it’s brought me a deep sense of joy – to share this soulful space with like-minded travellers seeking meaning, wellness and the true magic of Sri Lanka.

mylabeachvilla@gmail.com | mylabeachvilla.com

This article on business women and female entrepreneurs first appeared in the August 2025 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy!

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