Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational women from games and tech. For this edition we talked to Ella (Yi Xiu) Wang, Student, Performer and Generation She Ambassador. Read more about Ella in this interview:

Hi Ella! In your opinion, what defines a Social Entrepreneur?

To me, a social entrepreneur is an individual who takes a bold step to address and create social or cultural change. As a social entrepreneur, I don’t measure my success by capital gains or profit, but by social impact. My work isn’t only about the paychecks, but about the people, the connections, and the social change. Every performance I do and every event I take part in, I try to add value to my audience’s lives and make the performance as memorable as possible.

Furthermore, I strongly believe that anyone who is taking action to address topics, such as diversity and women empowerment, has the potential to be a social entrepreneur. Once you choose a topic you are full-heartedly passionate about, everything else comes easily. You don’t need start-up capital or a team of like-minded individuals: you just need a passion and a burning desire for social change and improvement.

Could you share some insights from your work as Generation She Ambassador?

A few months ago, I had the extraordinary opportunity to be a Generation She Ambassador for the From IRL To URL event. This event featured empowering and inspiring speakers, and I had the chance to promote female empowerment along with female mentorship through their VIP ticket promotions. I also created various promotional videos and designs alongside the marketing and ambassador team.

My favourite aspect of it was meeting and learning from other Gen She Ambassadors from across the globe. It was wonderful to connect and learn from other high school social entrepreneurs just like myself and to hear their stories. It really opened up my perspective, and just made me more passionate about female empowerment and gender equality as a whole.

How do you find inspiration in both traditional music and modern technologies?

Music expresses emotions that words can never describe. As an immigrant who struggled with English as a second language, it was my form of communication. Despite everything, traditional music had always been the link between my heritage and the present moment. It was my inspiration and a symbol of improvement, empowerment, and growth.

I had been doing only instrumental performances (no backtracks), until about 8 years ago. That was when modernized covers were in. I was astonished the first time I performed with backtracks: it made me realize that traditional pieces could blend beautifully with modern technology that enhances the effects and emotions. It allowed me to hold on to my past while looking into the future of possibilities. Technology also inspired me to look outside the box and find new ways to spread the impact as a social entrepreneur. Technology is an excellent tool for communication and expression. As a musician and an advocate for gender equality, I certainly believe that technology could be a game-changing tool in the way modern social entrepreneurship plays out.

Thank you for your time, Ella!

Ella’s links: Facebook │ Instagram │ LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Sophie Brügmann