Akina Ho is a free thinker. With 20 years of experience in change management, digital transformation and innovative technologies, Akina is one of the most authoritative thought leaders in Asia on web3, the Metaverse, NFTs, proptech and emerging technologies.
She is a respected international guest speaker and panelist, with appearances on Bloomberg and Fox International. This visionary has received numerous awards for her leadership, digital transformation and innovation, social innovation and proptech.
Having built and successfully exited several startups in Silicon Valley and Hong Kong, you can believe Akina when she talks about the transformative power of the digital revolution of web3. “The Metaverse is a 3D immersive world where everyone can interact – without boundaries on the chain or off the chain.”
Akina believes that the Metaverse can enhance business, boost scientific research, trials and medical studies, and change how we live and use physical spaces to ensure we use natural resources smarter. But Akina is adamant that people could achieve far more extraordinary feats with web3 if only they changed their mindset and think out of the box.
“Mindset is one of the biggest barriers to mass adoption of web3 and the Metaverse,” Akina shares. The Metaverse and web space provide new ways to learn, process, interact and create. She says that all websites in the future will be Metaverses, but not all will be built on the blockchain as that will depend on its offerings, such as crypto and pay-to-earn elements. The evolution of the internet from web2 to web3 will provide a platform for live, physical interactions in the future. Still, the normalizing of web3 will be established by the younger generations growing up with the technology.
Another obstacle to mass adoption of web3 and the Metaverse, according to Akina, are technology limitations currently underlying the space. “Web3 is not yet ready to fully support people and creators’ expectations of what the Metaverse should be as we are all so spoiled by web2’s 2D technology and current user-friendly experience.”
This leads to the next obstacle: education and experience. Experienced and talented people are scarce in this space; over time, more and more technology builders will be able to develop even more web3 tools to create the Metaverse of their dreams. For now, while the technology is in its infancy, web3 and the Metaverse are somewhat limited in scope.
As one of the core leaders in AllStarsWomen DAO, she also takes up the Global Head of Business Consultancy and Head of the Asia-Pacific Chapter to foster the vision of AllStarsWomen as a leading & profitable global investment DAO that supports female lead projects. She passionately supports the female founders, believers and investors in the global AllStarsWomen DAO community, helping to encourage and support their projects with her global business consultancy team of experts in investment, finance, legal, marketing, networking and human resources. AllStarsWomen DAO has about 30% male founders and executives that supports and believes in female entrance into web3. Akina supports closing the gender gap in the tech space and building an inclusive web3 through AllStarWomen and DAO’s initiatives, pushing forward access to the resources women need to thrive in their careers and the Metaverse.
She is a board member of the Hong Kong PropTech Association (HKPTA) and BEETc. Akina was the Head of Digital Transformation and Innovation at Great Eagle Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong-based global real estate company engaged in property investment, property development, retail space and hotel operations across Asia Pacific, North America and Europe. Here, Akina has also built a startup in the web3 1 2 space, creating a marketplace for curated experiences and products in the Metaverse. She was part of the Investment Committee that evaluated startups in cutting-edge technology and disruptive business models across different industries. At Great Eagle, she’s pushed for more significant IoT deployment, drone technology, chatbots, ERP, HR and other transformation projects that have resulted in her receiving awards such as the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards 2019.
Asked what inspired her to participate in web3, Akina says: “The space allows anyone to create, find funds and build something real – but this reality is more difficult for women to find support and for opportunities to shine. According to BCG Research in April 2022, less than 5-percent of female founders are funded globally, and many non-Western entrepreneurs are even afraid to dream of becoming entrepreneurs. More and more Gen Z people are doing that through technology and new business structures (such as DAOs). This excites me as I can help open doors to such possibilities.”
The legacy Akina wants to leave is one in which she has inspired and supported women who really want to build something special in the web3 space and be in a position to provide assistance to help those dreamers make an impact in the world on their own terms.
Having said that, for women who really want to get into the Metaverse and web3 to take advantage of the limitless opportunities presented by this space, Akina advises: “Reading and watching doesn’t teach you much. You have to roll up your sleeves and get involved. Open a MetaMask wallet, buy your first NFT, and buy some crypto. Join a community or DAO to experience the differences in culture from web2 versus web3; learn to merge your web2 experiences into web3: find possibilities and ideas to grow in the space. This whole web3 space is about allowing anyone to ‘experiment’ with new ways of building your own monetary system (cryptocurrency), your own digital assets (NFTs), your own community or company (DAO) without all the legal structures at the beginning, and your own world without limits from reality to create and build (Metaverse) something more immersive. Believe it or not, when most of these technology are more advanced and massly adopted, new ways of communication, collaborating, scientific research, surgery, medical trials, etc will also transform. I hope I will still be alive to see that transformation!”
Her parting words regarding web3 and the Metaverse: “I have always loved new technology and how it can transform and grow businesses in exponential leaps. I entered the web3 space by volunteering blindly to moderate a panel on Metaverse and NFTs for Hong Kong Cyperport from a new found friend. Now, I cannot stop learning and participating in the space.”
