The JESSICA Company Hong Kong Junior Squash Open
Can hardly believe we are almost in the fourth quarter of 2026!
This autumn, our theme is sustainability and Hong Kong local IP. As a 26-year-old home-grown brand, JESSICA takes pride in growing beyond our borders while staying true to our mission of empowering women and youth.
This year marked our third consecutive year sponsoring The Hong Kong Junior Squash Open. People may wonder why a media and community company would take such an interest in a junior sporting competition. For us, the connection has always been natural. Sport develops qualities we value: confidence, discipline, resilience and the handling pressure — essential life skills that extend far beyond the court.
Bringing together 770 players from 19 countries and regions taking part, the tournament showcased some of the most promising young squash players globally. Watching them, I was struck by how much happens on and off the court: the dedication behind hours of practice; staying focused through setbacks; finding confidence to fight back; handling both winning and losing, and friendships developed over years of competing together.
For those who may not know, we also sponsor a women's and girls' squash squad, with five teams competing across different divisions of the local Hong Kong Squash League, putting our belief in sport into practice and creating opportunities for women and girls to compete and develop.
My thanks to the Squash Association of Hong Kong, China, for another very well organised tournament. We look forward to building a signature, sustainable — in every sense —international junior squash event together.
A big shout-out to Juliana Lam, founder of our apparel partner INNOTIER, for her support. It always makes me smile to see players training and competing in our tournament tees. Produced sustainably with INNOTIER's patented silver-ion technology, these tees combine thoughtful design with high performance, becoming mementos of their time in Hong Kong.
Many people work behind the scenes to make a tournament of this scale possible. A scoreboard captures a single match, not the preparation, setbacks, fight or friendships behind it.
Congratulations to all the players — I look forward to seeing everyone back on court next year.
Trailblazers Awards 2026
Every year, one of my favourite parts of the Trailblazers Awards is discovering the stories behind the women we honour.
This year's theme, Transform Beyond, felt particularly fitting. Our 2026 Trailblazers come from very different worlds, from education and healthcare to sport, fashion and philanthropy, but each has found her own way to move beyond the expected.
There is never one type of Trailblazer. Some have built something entirely new. Some have reframed established fields. Many have used their position to open doors for others. What I find interesting are the qualities behind the achievement: curiosity, determination and the willingness to keep moving, even when the next step is not obvious.
Speaking to them reminds me that polished success rarely tells the whole story. Behind it are years of decisions, risks, disappointments and unexpected turns. That is what I enjoy about these conversations: they allow us to look beyond titles and understand the person and journey behind it.
I am very pleased to share some of their stories in JESSICA this autumn.
A Drop of Gold
This summer, I had the opportunity to spend time with women from our JESSICA Most Successful Women community: Zoie Lam, Christine Ip, Jeanne Lim, Cecilia Ho, Celina Chin, Ida Lam, Grace Chan, Mandy Pao and Carey Cheung.
Some were planned catch-ups, some were conversations around JES Network, while others were simply opportunities to reconnect — and, in Carey's case, a lot of girl chatter about Stray Kids. Q3 has also been an interesting period for JES Network as we brought community together around focused conversations, including fireside chats exploring art and capital, and personal versus executive persona. I enjoy these smaller formats — there is usually as much to learn from the exchange between participants as from the speaker on stage.
Away from a stage, there is more room for the conversations that do not necessarily make it into a profile: new directions, changing priorities, challenges, and the experiences that continue to shape us. Almost every exchange leaves a lasting impression.
That inspired A Drop of Gold, a collection of thoughts and perspectives that emerged from these summer meetings. Not every meeting was an interview, and not every conversation was intended for publication. But each was a reminder of the relationships built through JESSICA and JES Network. Awards and events may bring us together, but the connections in between build a community.
Looking Into Q4
And then there is Q4. I will be training hard with my forum mates because we have signed up for HYROX in January. It is a fairly ambitious goal — which is probably exactly why I signed up. There is no other way to dream than to dream big. So, here's to the last quarter of 2026, and to setting ourselves a few goals that make us slightly anxious, excited and determined.