When Megha Singh talks about Launchpad, the membership-based community she now leads across Southeast Asia, she is certain of her investment in an idea she has watched grow from its earliest sketch into a regional movement.
Launchpad began in 2021 as an initiative under Honeycombers, a lifestyle media company. Ms Megha was part of the founding team, helping build a network for small business owners in the early stages of entrepreneurship.The community grew to nearly 200 members in Singapore, and last year, when Honeycombers’ founder decided to step away, she approached Ms Megha to take over. The decision, she said, was immediate. “Launchpad always felt like my own baby.”
The company is now expanding across Southeast Asia. It has acquired a similar community in Kuala Lumpur and plans to launch in Manila in early 2026, with more cities under consideration.
A career that took shape unexpectedly
Ms Megha did not initially plan to become an entrepreneur. With a background in marketing and communications, she expected a more traditional career path. But after moving to Singapore in 2011 and having her first child two years later, she began seeking meaningful work and financial independence.
In 2015, she founded her first business, a coaching and consulting firm that has now reached its 10-year milestone.
The early years were difficult. “I had no friends, no network and not much capital,” she recalled. Singapore made starting a business easy, but finding clients was another challenge. That changed when she joined the CRIB (Creating Responsible and Innovative Businesses) Society, a women’s entrepreneurship network. It was her first experience of how a community could accelerate business growth, provide support and create a sense of belonging.
“I finally felt that I was no longer alone in my journey,” she said. Now at 43, Ms Megha describes her entrepreneurial journey as “both the hardest and the most fulfilling” chapter of her life. It brought her financial independence and purpose. Launchpad, she said, reflects those priorities, promoting what she calls “kind” entrepreneurship – her belief that founders can build strong, scalable businesses without cut-throat competition or personal burnout.
Members are encouraged to adopt sustainable practices, prioritise fair pay, reduce environmental impact, and reject the culture of overwork. “Growth can happen in a collaborative rather than a competitive way,” Ms Megha said.
She noted that progress for women in business has been uneven. “The truth is, while many things have changed for the better for the female entrepreneur today, many barriers and blocks remain – on an institutional level, in terms of people’s perception as well as the mindset of the female founder herself.”
Her own journey required what she calls “a lot of learning and healing work,” particularly around money. “Money is the lifeblood of a business,” she said, and she now works with other female founders, through Launchpad and individually, to help them address the internal and external obstacles that hold them back. Her goal, she said, is to ensure they “reach their full potential.”
Looking ahead, Ms Megha envisions Launchpad in cities across Asia – Hong Kong, Jakarta, Bangkok, Dubai, and potentially India – forming a connected ecosystem of founders. Wherever Launchpad expands, she said, its mission will remain the same: to create an environment where entrepreneurs support one another and where kindness is treated as a strategic advantage instead of an afterthought.
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27 Nov 2025 14:05
