The Backbone of YWLC: Driving Impact Through Partnerships, Storytelling, and Strategy
- Young Women's Leadership Connection
- Nov 29, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 30, 2025
Behind every seamless YWLC event or initiative lies a team of dedicated individuals working tirelessly behind the scenes to bring ideas to life.
This month, we spoke with the Directors of our Corporate Function subcommittees namely, Kathleen Koh (Branding & Communications), Dayna Lee (Partnerships), and Samantha Halim (Strategy & Data Insights), to uncover how their teams form the backbone of YWLC’s day to day operations.
From shaping YWLC’s brand voice and building meaningful partnerships, to driving strategic alignment and advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) goals, these leaders share how their subcommittees collectively strengthen YWLC’s influence, create impact, and ensure every initiative is delivered with purpose and heart.
How does your subcommittee’s work strategically contribute to enhancing YWLC’s influence (both internally and externally) and better serving its members?
Dayna: Internally: Partnerships are the bridge that makes our programmes stronger and more meaningful. By bringing in partners whose values align with YWLC’s mission, we enrich our members’ experiences and create new learning opportunities.
Externally: Every collaboration with corporate and community partners shines a light on YWLC’s work. These partnerships foster cross-sector learning, spark conversations, and give our members exposure to diverse perspectives and opportunities.
Kathleen: The Branding and Communications subcommittee plays a key role in connecting YWLC’s members and amplifying the work of our other subcommittees. We focus on making sure information about events and programmes is timely and accessible so that both new and long-time members make the most of what YWLC offers. The last thing we want is for someone to miss out on a great opportunity to partake in an event or programme because they didn’t hear about it in time, hence, a big part of what we do is working on improving how we communicate upcoming initiatives and sharing key takeaways from past ones to keep members engaged and informed.
Beyond keeping members connected, I also see Branding & Comms as the voice of YWLC. Through storytelling and member features, we aim to highlight the heart of what YWLC stands for, from mentorship and leadership development to our social impact work. By sharing these stories, we hope to strengthen YWLC’s influence and inspire more women (be it potential members, mentors or partners) to be part of this community that grows, leads, and gives back together.
Samantha: The Strategy & Data Insights subcommittee leads strategic planning, thought leadership, DEI and governance for YWLC as an entire organisation. My vision would be for it to serve as the go-to think tank for YWLC’s policies, guidelines and initiatives, which are necessary as we continue to scale our community to greater heights.
To highlight, key YWLC-wide events that are organised by the subcommittee include our annual Townhall, and Diversity in Womanhood (DIW). Keep a lookout for these programmes in 2026! At Townhall, we share YWLC’s vision, initiatives and updates along with fostering a strong sense of community as we gather members together. DIW is an important platform aimed at having conversations around DEI issues impacting women, with past events focused on topics such as allyship, privilege, unconscious bias, etc, as we seek to raise awareness and catalyse impact.
Director of Partnerships - Dayna
Partnerships play a huge role in bringing YWLC’s initiatives to life, from building long-term collaborations with our community and corporate partners to amplifying our impact. What’s your vision for partnerships this term, and why do you think these partnerships create meaningful value for YWLC and our initiatives?
Dayna: Our goal is to build a strategic and intentional partnerships ecosystem that reflects who our members are and the values we stand for.
This year, we’re refining our partner industries mix, focusing on sectors our members are in while also engaging industries and communities that are underrepresented.
We want partners who share YWLC’s belief in empowering women leaders and driving purposeful impact. Partnerships aren’t just transactional; they’re transformational. The right collaborations expand YWLC’s reach, strengthen our influence, and ensure our work remains meaningful and sustainable.
Director of Branding & Communications - Kathleen
YWLC’s strong thought leadership and messaging are key to inspiring connection and elevating our brand both within our community and beyond. Why is this important to amplify this, and how will the Branding & Communications subcommittee focus on achieving this during the term?
Kathleen: Strong thought leadership and consistent messaging are essential for YWLC because they help us tell a clear story of who we are, what we stand for, and how we make an impact. Amplifying this not only strengthens our brand identity but also builds trust and connection within our community. This allows members, mentors, and partners to feel more aligned with our mission and values.
This term, the Branding and Communications subcommittee will focus on sharpening how YWLC presents itself across all platforms, starting with our website. We want it to be more intuitive, visually engaging, and easy to navigate so that anyone, whether a new member, mentor, or potential partner, can quickly understand what YWLC does and identify the opportunities available. Beyond that, we also hope to create a more personal touch through our podcasts, giving members and non-members a chance to hear authentic conversations and feel the essence of the YWLC community. Through these efforts, we aim to make our storytelling not just informative but inspiring and inclusive.
Director of Strategy & Data Insights - Samantha
What’s one innovation or improvement you’re excited to bring to YWLC’s operations this term?
Samantha: We are looking at creating a structured volunteer training framework, for a smooth experience to onboard new volunteers in our YWLC subcommittees, as we have new members joining all the time who are excited to be engaged with our community through giving back. This would serve as guidance, including best practices in different areas such as event planning and marketing representation.
Behind the Scenes: Looking Ahead with Purpose
As we look ahead, how do you envision your subcommittee’s efforts this term on shaping YWLC’s influence and furthering our mission to serve and empower leaders?
Dayna: Our team focuses on three key areas:
Partnerships Strategy & Data: Analyse our ecosystem to keep our approach robust, relevant, and future-ready.
Corporate Partner Relations: Work with event teams to match the right partners with each initiative for maximum impact for members and partners.
Business Development: Curate vendors and partners that reflect YWLC’s values. This includes halal-certified or Muslim-owned vendors, local female-owned businesses, sustainability-focused partners, and venues that cater to mothers and children.
Beyond regular programmes, we also support flagship events like International Women’s Day (IWD) and Partners’ Night, ensuring these initiatives showcase YWLC’s mission and bring together a vibrant network of partners.
Kathleen: This term, our focus will be on deepening that influence through more authentic storytelling and accessible communication. From refreshing our website to make information easier to navigate, to sharing meaningful stories through podcasts and social platforms, we want every interaction with YWLC, whether online or in person, to feel connected, inspiring, and purposeful. Ultimately, our goal is to build a strong, unified brand presence that not only informs but also empowers our members to lead with confidence and contribute to a community that drives positive change.
Samantha: For this term, a key focus would be on creating sustainable policies for the organisation, besides our flagship events held.
Firstly, this includes formulating a consistent and clear DEI policy, as a strategic roadmap across multiple areas, which is crucial for us to create a genuinely inclusive environment that drives long-term impact and resilience as a community.
Secondly, we seek to explore forward-looking areas such as providing actionable recommendations across subcommittees, which would be data-driven, and developing thought leadership for YWLC’s brand in the broader Singapore community.
