Student Entrepreneur Veronica Liu:
Start-up Contest Wins Spark HKMU Student's Company Launch
In recent years the slasher or multi-hyphenate approach to careers has grown in popularity among the younger generation. Veronica Liu, a Year 3 student currently studying the Bachelor of Business Administration with Honours in Professional Accounting at Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU), has taken on multiple roles before graduation. She balances her studies with the responsibilities of running her own company.
“Studying at HKMU is a journey of constant self-challenge and exploration of possibilities. I have learnt lessons from setbacks and, step by step, figured out my way ahead,” she says. Over the past two years at university, participation in entrepreneurship competitions helped her clarify the business direction she wanted to pursue.
It all began with the HKMU Hackathon 2024 competition, which she describes as a highly demanding challenge. “We had only 24 hours to develop the entire business model, design it, write the business plan and then present at the end. The whole process was extremely tight. To finish the presentation materials, my teammates and I stayed up all night, still editing the PowerPoint at four or five in the morning.” She believes this high-pressure setting taught her how to work efficiently in limited time and drew out her creative potential. “It was a unique experience that put my abilities to the test and made me understand more clearly how to produce results under pressure.”
Following the competition theme of addressing population ageing, Veronica and her teammates came up with a project idea to support older workers. “We could act as a link between companies and their older staff, for example, helping employers that care about ageing issues to set up internal support teams and run activities, or training to promote inclusion.” Finally, the judging panel awarded the project high marks, and the team took first place.
HK$100k Win Funds Sex Education Venture
The win led to further opportunities. Veronica and her teammates advanced directly to the finals of another HKMU competition, MetroChallenge 2024. This time, they focused on the theme of menstrual education, addressing the lack of knowledge about females' physiological health across Asia through proposals to promote menstrual discs and related education. “We realised that regardless of gender, there is a very limited understanding of female physiology. Many people do not even know how to use a menstrual disc or tampon properly. Through this project, we aimed to help more people understand and accept these modern products, giving women greater choice.”
The competition was not smooth sailing. Heavy coursework reduced the team from five members to three. “With fewer team members, we had to take on much more work. We needed to write the business plan, create product models and prepare the pitch. Every part demanded a great deal of time and effort.” Their efforts paid off, nonetheless. The team won HK$100,000 in implementation funding. After the competition, they established Reassure Limited and adjusted the business focus. “Concentrating solely on menstrual products made the market too narrow and the risk too high, so we decided to broaden the scope to sex education by offering workshops for schools and communities that cover LGBTQ+ topics, sexual health knowledge and more. That refinement broadened our audience and matched market needs more closely.” The company has successfully arranged to deliver a sex education talk at a primary school.
Veronica believes that the real value of the two contests went far beyond the awards themselves. “The mentors had extensive entrepreneurship experience and specialist knowledge. They showed us how to refine a business plan, design effective PowerPoint slides and even warned us about copyright issues, matters we had never encountered before.”
Applying Accounting Knowledge in Practice
As an accounting student, Veronica fully applies her classroom learning to company operations. “We now have to prepare detailed financial statements on a regular basis, so I can use the financial techniques studied in lectures straight away in real projects. I now focus more on finance-related topics because this knowledge is very useful for entrepreneurship and company operations, allowing me to formulate better financial strategies.”
In addition to her own venture, Veronica also works with a tech firm that specialises in medical devices. Although the company's sector differs from her original entrepreneurial project, she believes this is a valuable learning opportunity. “The team consists of scientists and doctors who handle research and development, while I concentrate on business development, mainly liaising with venture capital firms and investment companies to advance commercialisation of projects.”
Looking ahead, Veronica stated that after graduation, she will decide whether to pursue entrepreneurship full-time, based on the progress of both companies. She regards starting a business as a way to realise personal value and encourages other HKMU students to join activities on and off campus. “HKMU offers plenty of entrepreneurship resources, such as competitions, training programmes and internship placements. Students should try different things to discover their interests and potential.” Veronica's journey shows how entrepreneurship offers a route to realising ambitions, as well as to self-discovery and the testing of personal limits. She proves through her actions that even students who dare to try can play a part in changing the world.
Veronica Liu
