HER MISSION SPOKE TO MY SOUL

“It felt like a beautiful alignment — a force of good that brought us together.”

In the world of impact entrepreneurship, one connection can change everything. A shared conversation, a moment of understanding, and suddenly a door swings open to new possibilities. This is the magic of the Cartier Women’s Initiative — a global network of passionate changemakers who uplift, motivate and propel each other forward.

We have dedicated this blog series to showcasing these special connections and their far-reaching impact. This third installment tells the story of 2023 fellow Mint Lim and Toto Deng, two kindred spirits whose connection at a dinner went on to change the course of Mint’s business forever.

An immediate spark of connection

“It felt like a beautiful alignment — a force of good that brought us together,” Mint begins. The location was Singapore’s iconic Temasek Shophouse; the moment was a fireside chat co-organized by Cartier and Tatler in August 2023. In an intimate setting surrounded by greenery bursting with life, Mint described her work revolutionizing early childhood literacy through the School of Concepts, her impact-driven business on a mission to make quality education accessible to children from all walks of life, whatever their learning needs.

One powerful truth hit home for Toto: in every classroom, at least one in five children learn differently and can be left behind their peers. These children aren’t less capable, but they are not being taught in a way that fits their unique abilities. She shares, “That was me growing up. I know how lonely and frustrating that path can feel. What School of Concepts does is flip the system — they honor the child, not the method, using relatable, character-driven learning to help children unlock their potential in a way that suits them best.”

As an entrepreneur herself and the founder of SheIsDAO, Toto is passionate about empowerment and equal opportunities. SheIsDAO leverages blockchain technology to eliminate gender disparities and help users monetize their social media content.

As well as feeling an instant connection with the School of Concepts mission, Toto was also struck by Mint’s drive. “I saw a woman leader who leads from the heart, but with the clarity of someone who knows exactly where she’s going. She’s someone who makes you want to rise higher, dream bigger and move with purpose.”

Planting the seeds of impact

When Toto left the event that night, she couldn’t stop thinking about Mint and the School of Concepts. “Her mission? It spoke to my soul.”

The next step was a coffee meeting where the synergy was striking. Mint describes, “The connection was instant. It was as though the mission had introduced us before we had even officially met.”

Toto continues, “I began speaking to my partners and clients — including the president of Lumine — and they resonated with the mission too. We decided to co-host a proof-of-concept pop-up at Lumine, one of Japan’s most celebrated retail spaces. That marked the beginning of something much bigger — where education meets everyday life, where learning becomes a shared experience across cultures.”

Mint recalls a moment of clarity in Japan, watching sakura trees blossoming under the Tokyo sky, where she realized that this partnership would be life-altering — not only for her, but for the millions of young learners that she and Toto share such a fierce commitment to.

A deepening partnership

She explains, “We started with an idea and followed the thread with our hearts. From pop-ups to playbooks, we are now building something far bigger — a system that transforms retail into spaces of learning, and a fundraising strategy supported by major retail players who believe in what we’re doing. It’s a partnership shaped by courage, creativity and care — and we’re only just getting started.”

“I hope that School of Concepts will one day do for every child what the CWI community has done for me — fuel dreams, offer belonging and gift the confidence to keep going. We want every child to feel seen, heard and excited to learn. Education should not be a privilege — it should be a right. It should be a given.”

Toto concurs, “I saw in the School of Concepts a tool that could reshape education, and in Mint, a leader who could change lives. Our shared belief that business can — and should — be a force for good made it easy to stand beside her. It wasn’t just a business — it was a movement I wanted to be part of.”

A vision that moves beyond classrooms

What began as a spark over dinner has now ignited a bold campaign: to bring education into spaces where families already gather — retail environments.

“Why wait for education to come to the child,” Mint expressed, “when we can bring it into their everyday world?” Toto completes the vision. Together, Toto and Mint are now launching a global initiative to embed interactive literacy and learning zones within lifestyle spaces, starting with a flagship proof-of-concept through retail partners in Tokyo.

Their goal? To onboard more changemakers, corporate champions, impact investors and philanthropists to join their quest to scale this model across Asia — transforming everyday environments into joyful, inclusive spaces of learning for every child.

This is more than a campaign — it is a movement to rewrite where and how learning happens, where stores turn into story havens, making learning visible — everywhere.

The heartbeat of the Cartier Women’s Initiative

Becoming a Cartier Women’s Initiative fellow is an incredible moment that catalyzes new opportunities and opens new doors. However, what makes it truly unique is what happens beyond the Awards Ceremony and the buzz of the announcement — entering a close-knit, lifelong community of supportive, inspiring impact entrepreneurs. Mint and Toto’s story illustrates this beautifully.

“The CWI community has changed my life,” Mint concludes. “It is where I was assured that my identities as a mother, a founder, a friend and a changemaker are not conflicting identities — but celebrated ones. I’ve found a tribe of women who uplift each other, who lead with heart and who never let you forget why you started. The support from fellows, jury members and the extended Cartier family has helped me stand taller, speak louder and believe even more deeply in our mission. This is what it looks like when business is a force for good — it feels safe, it feels human, it feels right.”

If you are interested in joining the CWI community of 500+ active members, apply now!

Applications for the 2026 edition of the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards are open until 2pm CEST, June 24, 2025.