Women Leading
the Way Breakfast
Additional Activity – Not included in Delegate registration | Guests tickets can be purchased
Date and Time: Friday, 23 May 2025 at 7:00am – 8:15am
Venue: Panthers Precinct, 123 Mulgoa Rd, Penrith, 2750 (across the road from conference venue)
Speaker: Uppma Virdi, Owner and Founder, Chai Walli
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Ticket Price: AUD$80 incl GST per ticket (for Delegates and Guests), includes a plated breakfast
Did you know that around 50% of the upcoming generation of family business leaders are women?*
The Women Leading the Way Breakfast shines a spotlight on trailblazing women who are breaking new ground, highlighting their successes and the powerful ways they are shaping the future of leadership. Open to all genders, it’s an invitation to learn from and celebrate the diverse perspectives and accomplishments of women in business.
This year, we welcome Uppma Virdi to share her story. Uppma is a multidisciplinary entrepreneur with expertise in business, law, community development, and the arts. As a first-generation Indian Australian migrant, Uppma navigated three distinct worlds: the world her parents and community expected of her, the Australian world that often didn’t understand her culture, and her own world, which continuously encouraged her to challenge societal norms.
Just as her legal career at a disruptive startup was on the rise, Uppma made the bold decision to pursue her passion and launch her own business, Chai Walli, to preserve the cultural heritage of Indian teas and spices and share her grandfather's Ayurvedic blends with the world. Starting your own business isn’t easy, let alone being a woman of colour. There are many cultural nuances existing in South Asian communities, such as being a lawyer or a doctor are the epitomes of success. But what happens when you challenge the norms? Uppma weaved her way through many societal expectations and questioned the status quo.
Her dedication to cultural preservation through chai has earned her widespread recognition. She was named to Forbes 30 Under 30, received the Indian Australian Business Community Awards' Business Woman of the Year, and was featured as The Project Woman to Watch on Channel 10. Additionally, she was awarded as a Woman of Honour by Sydney’s Inner West Council on International Women’s Day and a mural of her was commissioned in Newtown in celebration of her achievements.
Join Uppma as she shares powerful insights on managing expectations and the importance of self-awareness in empowering yourself to pursue your passions and dreams. Her candid reflections provide a unique perspective on the cross-cultural challenges many face, as well as the realities of building a business and navigating career transitions in today’s world.
*FBA, KPMG, University of Adelaide Family Business Survey 2018, p4
SPEAKER
Uppma Virdi
Owner and Founder, Chai Walli
Uppma Virdi
Owner and Founder, Chai Walli
ALL SOCIAL EVENTS
Explore all the social events on offer at this year’s Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific, crafted to help facilitate meaningful connections and to have a great time. Every event is an invitation to engage, network, and have fun with like-minded family business peers in a friendly, inspiring setting. These events promise to elevate your conference experience in unforgettable ways.