Guangzhou, Feb. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Onion Group co-founder and Chinese business innovator Mio Ho is expanding her entrepreneurial repertoire by introducing her fashion brand, Sylph, alongside her ventures into sexual wellness with Sexrose and Soulove into Europe.
A prominent advocate for women entrepreneurs, Ho brings to the table over ten years of expertise in finance, IPOs, and mergers and acquisitions within the consumer and new technology sectors.
Then, Ho made a major, perhaps unexpected, foray by using her expertise in investment management and capital operations to focus on fashion and sexual wellness. She founded fashion brand Sylph along with sexual wellness marques Sexrose and Soulove to shatter stereotypes and break down barriers. And now, she’s bringing her entire portfolio of companies to Europe.
“You have to move beyond your comfort zone to pioneer new trends in how brands operate,” said Ho. “My background in market, production, and sales gave me the tools to make strong judgment calls and steer my company towards the expectations of investors.”
A woman-first mindset Ho has based her career on committing to gender equality and progressive thinking in both the workplace and at home. Through Onion Group and her new projects, she wants to offer professional support for women, but also advocate for their sexual and mental well-being. As a woman working in the male-dominated investment banking industry, Ho said she often ran into stereotypes that created unnecessary barriers. That's what inspired her to think about empowering fellow women and encouraging them to consider what they’re capable of.
“There was this one time at Onion Global that really opened my eyes,” Ho explained. “We brought on a young woman who’d had trouble finding work because she had a disability. The woman learned the ins and outs of business through our platform and before long was marketing goods online.”
Despite being in a wheelchair, Ho’s new employee was soon running her own show and supporting herself financially.
“That made me see how I could help women be independent and tap into their own power.”
With that feel-good example in mind, Ho discovered her inspiration for Sylph, founded on the idea of making looking and feeling good possible for all women. The brand is about fashion that's not too pricey but still top quality.
“I believe fashion should make you feel happy and confident, no matter who you are,” Ho said.
But yet, she wanted to do more. She also wanted women to fully enjoy their personal lives. That’s where Sexrose and Soulove came in. The pair of sexual wellness brands go beyond fashion to encourage women to feel confident and happy in their own skin. A big part of that, Ho said, is women being able to understand their own sexuality as something that's for themselves, not just to please someone else.
Ho believes it's important to spread the word about sexual education and understanding, especially in an age of female empowerment. Ho confidently confesses to her goal of “shaking up the old ways,” and encouraging women to “embrace what they really want.”
Guided by passion Inspired by former General Electric CEO Jack Welch's passion-driven business approach, Ho is determined to make a significant impact in Europe, leveraging her expertise and innovative brands to create a more empowered, sustainable, and inclusive future for women.
She pursued an executive MBA degree at Beijing’s prestigious Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, where she focused on creating organizational resilience, then shared these insights with her teams to foster a dynamic work culture.
In Europe, Ho hopes to extend her Chinese-based companies’ values beyond fashion, sexual wellness, and workplace empowerment. As an example, Sylph’s mission includes advocating for public welfare and environmental values by prioritizing eco-friendly materials in packaging. Every Sylph product also aligns with European sustainability initiatives, carrying a message of environmental conservation and allowing every customer to participate in protecting the planet.
Sexrose and Soulove allude to global sustainability in their own unique ways, Ho said, with rose-logo-inspired adult products. She believes the delicate yet vibrant image of a rose represents the inner sensuality blossoming in humanity. It also symbolizes strength, resilience, and the beauty of diversity, she said.
