Bitget, a cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, named Filipina blockchain leader Bea Llana as a Rising Female in Blockchain during the SEA Blockchain4Her awards ceremony held in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 15, 2024.
Llana is a commercial financial analyst for Sovrun, formerly BreederDAO, an NFT asset factory for blockchain games, and the Growth Lead of OpenVerse PH, a non-profit organization focused on fostering blockchain education and development in the Philippines.
Llana is a passionate advocate for women in technology and a dedicated community builder who has been instrumental in organizing various initiatives, such as “Devcon Manila: From Open-Source to Code,” which provided opportunities for aspiring developers to attend international conferences and connect with global experts.
Other SEA female leaders recognized by Bitget include Kyros Ventures and Coin68.com COO Jenny Nguyen from Vietnam, e27 Senior Business Development Executive Theresa Tjandrawinata from Indonesia, and Pudgy Penguins Head of Business Asia Cheryl Law from Malaysia. Meanwhile, INIT Capital Founder and CEO Tascha Punyaneramitdee from Thailand won the prestigious title of “Innovative Web3 Female Entrepreneur – SEA Edition.”
The ceremony celebrated female entrepreneurs making waves in the blockchain and Web3 sectors.
“Being a female entrepreneur is not everyone’s cup of tea. We’re first put against a patriarchal society and then into a male-dominated work culture. It takes everything to snap out of conventional thinking, but making your own mark is difficult, not impossible. With Blockchain4Her, we aim to provide exposure and support for female founders building the next-gen blockchain evolution. As we move towards a new year, we’re eager to amplify these efforts and engage with a broader Web3 audience,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget.
“Pitch n’ Slay” Competition Winners
Bitget also revealed the winners of the “Pitch n’ Slay” competition, offering them a unique platform to pitch their ideas, secure funding, and receive mentorship from top industry leaders.
The competition, which was part of Bitget’s $10 million Blockchain4Her program, drew over 50 applications from women-led startups across Southeast Asia. Eight finalists were selected to pitch their projects live in Bangkok, vying for a share of $10,000 in grant funding and a coveted opportunity to pitch to Foresight Ventures for up to $100,000 in seed funding.
In a dynamic and inspiring showcase of female-led ingenuity, Julija Bainiaksina, Founder of MiniMe, an AI agent-as-a-service startup, won the first prize. Second place was secured by Doris Hernandez, Co-Founder of Functor Network, an automatic layer for AI agents, while Anne Beh, Founder of Art3mis, an Oracle AI tarot card project, claimed third place.
The event also featured a powerhouse lineup of judges and speakers, including Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget; Cecilia Hsueh, Co-founder and CEO of Morph; Taya A., CEO of World of Women; Tess Hau, Founder of Tess Ventures; Min Xue, Partner at Foresight Ventures; and Agne Linge, Head of Growth at WeFi. Their expertise and mentorship added immense value to the participants, reaffirming the commitment to fostering women’s leadership in Web3.
The initiative underscores Bitget’s mission to empower women in a male-dominated industry by providing targeted funding, mentorship, and exposure. Winners of the Pitch n’ Slay competition also gained direct entry into the Blockchain4Her Accelerator Program and the final round of KillerWhales Season 3, further extending opportunities to scale their ideas.
Supported by an impressive network of partners—including Bitget Wallet, World of Women, Foresight Ventures, BeinCrypto, BlockchainReporter, Bitcoin.com News, SheFi, Crypto Girls Club, and more—Pitch n’ Slay demonstrated the power of collaboration in creating inclusive pathways for women in blockchain.
Blockchain4Her is part of Bitget’s ongoing commitment to driving diversity and inclusion in Web3, ensuring that women are at the forefront of the next phase of blockchain innovation.
