Jessie Wong
Jessie Wong is a Wellington-based entrepreneur and founder of luxury leather goods brand Yu Mei. She set up Yu Mei after winning an AMP scholarship while completing her studies in Fashion Design at Otago Polytechnic, allowing her to invest in the specialised machinery required to craft leather goods. Wong grew the brand, picking up 32 stockists in 18 months following successful showings during Yu Mei’s first two appearances at New Zealand Fashion Week. Five years on, Yu Mei has grown to a diverse team of 13, with a permanent design studio, flagship store, and second store at Commercial Bay. Under the guidance of her female business mentor, Wong, recently named a finalist for the NZ Women of Influence awards, has scaled her business, securing a world-class manufacturing facility to realise plans for international expansion. With a large network and community of successful fellow entrepreneurs, Wong is a woman in business with an impressive strategic outlook and determination.
