Lessons in Intentional Leadership: Susli on Breaking Barriers From Within

Editor’s Note: Susli Lie is a jury member of the Trailblazing MSMe’s Award category at the 2025 Wedu Women’s Leadership Awards. In this interview Susli reflects on her leadership journey and provides insights on how identity shapes vision, how structural barriers can be dismantled through diverse leadership, and why the courage to take risks often matters more than perfect readiness.

Q: You’ve built a career at the intersection of finance, development, and technology- fields where women are still underrepresented. What inspired your path?

I didn’t set out with a grand plan to work in these domains, but looking back, the through line has always been about solving meaningful problems, especially in emerging markets like Indonesia where I grew up.

Early in my career, I was fortunate to gain a strong foundation in financial systems through consulting, which gave me a technical lens. But over time, I felt the pull to get closer to operations and impact. That led me to work on development finance projects with development financial institutions (DFIs) such as ADB and IFC, where I saw firsthand the structural barriers that people face— lack of access to education or finance, for example.

That experience, combined with my own identity as a Southeast Asian woman and a first-generation university graduate who had access to global opportunities, made me realise I wanted to help build systems that made those same opportunities available to others.

Q: How has your identity shaped your leadership journey?

My identity, broadly defined, has definitely influenced how I move through the world and through my career. As a woman, and also as a mother, I have been encouraged and privileged to have a seat at the table in industries where women are still relatively underrepresented (though improving). Whether it’s co founding a startup or now backing founders at Monk’s Hill Ventures, I hope to model the possibility and advantage of diverse teams. The path hasn’t always been linear, but it’s been deeply intentional. And I’ve learned that sometimes the best way to drive change is not to wait for permission, but to build from the inside out.

“Sometimes the best way to drive change is not to wait for permission, but to build from the inside out.”

Q: How do systemic biases or structural inequalities show up in the investment process for women-led MSMEs, and what steps can institutions take to close those gaps?

In venture investing, systemic bias doesn’t begin at the investment committee stage, it starts much earlier, at the top of the funnel. We simply don’t see enough women-led companies coming through. One hypothesis is that many opt out before they even enter the process. Some of that could be due to self-selection, driven by confidence gaps or social perceptions around who “belongs” in the venture space. But much of it is structural, a lack of access to the right networks, knowledge brokers, or social capital that help founders navigate the funding landscape.

“Many women-led companies opt out even before they enter the process.”

For women-led companies, the ratio between top-of-funnel exposure and the overall pool is already skewed. We have to be intentional about changing that. It’s not just about who gets funded, it’s about who gets seen. That means working closely with ecosystem partners, accelerators, and founder communities to expand the discovery pipeline, and tracking representation diligently. More importantly, it requires us to question the default assumptions built into how we source, evaluate, and support founders. If we want better outcomes, we need to design a more inclusive discovery mechanism.

Q: You lead ESG efforts within your firm. What does meaningful accountability look like for gender equity in investment decision-making today—and how should it evolve?

At Monk’s Hill Ventures, we believe in backing the best teams, full stop. This means we simply focus on investing in founder quality, executional excellence, and market potential. But we also recognise that the playing field hasn’t historically been level.

Today, around one-third of our companies are founded or co-founded by women, a ratio that emerged not from enforced allocation, but from a deliberate effort to invest in great teams, which should look more gender balanced over time. We also work closely with our portfolio companies to collect similar data and ensure there are no structural biases against hiring the best talent.

“All-women-led startups made up just 5.2% of total deal volume in Southeast Asia in 2024.”

Internally, our conviction in diversity is reflected in our own team: two-thirds of our firm are women, and that mix of perspectives informs how we evaluate deals and support founders. Research has shown that diverse teams make better decisions, and our experience reinforces that.

While Southeast Asia has made progress—especially with newer firms and founders—we’re still far from parity. For example, all-women-led startups made up just 5.2% of total deal volume in Southeast Asia in 2024, while all-male-founded teams accounted for over 70%. So while we don’t believe in forced allocation, we do believe in building systems that surface the best talent—regardless of background—and in doing so, help shift the baseline of what’s considered “normal” in venture.

“By building systems that surface the best talent – regardless of background- we help shift the baseline of what’s considered normal in venture.”

Q: What advice would you give to young women in Southeast Asia who want to start or grow their own enterprise but face limited access to funding or networks?

My advice is to start building relationships early, long before you’re raising capital or facing a runway crunch. Find entrepreneurs, operators, or investors you admire and look for ways to genuinely connect. You would be surprised at how often advice turns into an introduction or an investment. Don’t underestimate the power of weak ties, people outside your immediate circle can open doors you didn’t even know existed.

“It’s not about covering every base yourself; it’s about assembling a team that collectively sees further than any one individual could.”

Also, don’t feel like you have to do it all on your own. Some of the best founding teams I’ve seen are made up of people who complement each other, not just in skill sets, but in the networks they can access. If you know where your strengths lie, and where you need support, you’ll be in a better position to find the right co-founder. It’s not about covering every base yourself; it’s about assembling a team that collectively sees further than any one individual could. And yes, stepping out of your comfort zone is part of the job, but growth always starts there.

Q: If you could go back to the start of your career and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

If I could go back to the start of my career, I’d tell myself to take more risks. I used to think I needed to master everything before making a big move, that I had to earn the right to start something, or wait for the perfect moment. But at some point, the learning wheels have to come off. The truth is, most of us are more ready than we think.

One thing I’ve found helpful over the years is to imagine myself 10 or 20 years down the line and ask: would I regret not doing this? That frame has helped me make some of the most pivotal decisions in my life, from moving across continents, to starting a company, to stepping into Venture Capital. The worst thing that can happen if you don’t take a chance on something you believe in is that it simply won’t exist.

For many of us, the safety net is there: a job, a skill set, a way to start again. But the regret of not trying? That tends to stick longer. Ultimately, it’s about being honest with yourself about what you can and cannot live without.

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