- Visiting a lab in the Hong Kong Science Park, a miserable girl says: ‘I don’t stand a chance here. The I&T sector doesn’t have many opportunities for women’
- Her friend retorts: ‘Have you met Anushka?’
Anuska Purohit believes in bringing purpose to a project and finds the I&T sector extremely welcoming to everyone. Photo: HandoutAnushka Purohit is the CEO and co-founder of lifestyle product brand Breer. Based in the Hong Kong Science Park, the company upcycles unsold bread to make craft beer in a range of “edgy” flavours such as pineapple bun. In this way, Breer combines aspects of a chill lifestyle with doing social good by promoting sustainability. What could be cooler?
Many think Anushka is a force of nature. From that eureka moment when she and her co-founders hit on the idea of using bread to brew beer, she has inspired everyone around her. She guided them from the initial experiments through the planning, design and production phases and then the marketing and promotion.
She is motivated by a vision and determination to make Breer a long-term success and the chance to put leftover food to good use.
Diverse teams spark impact through game-changing innovation
“We make food waste come alive,” she says. “I can still remember the day when we first collected six kilograms of bread and watched as it was turned into beer, instead of going to the landfill.”
Anushka has also experienced first-hand the exciting vibe and diversity of the Hong Kong Science Park where women enjoy equal opportunities. “I hope I am a great example showing that the Hong Kong I&T industry is not just for men,” she says. “It’s all about bringing your purpose to the project.”
Her views mirror those of the growing number of women working in the sector with the power to represent different viewpoints. “I hope more women will see that Hong Kong’s I&T sector is extremely welcoming,” she says. “There is so much space for everyone to carve out their own niche.”
“Be mad – always be making a difference”
As part of a fast-expanding I&T ecosystem, the Hong Kong Science Park attracts people from a diverse mix of cultures and is a place where global talent can thrive. “Walking between the buildings, you realise this is a melting pot of cultures,” Anushka says. “We come from different countries, but we share the same aspiration, which is to make a difference.”
Having grown up locally, Anushka went on to graduate in Electronic and Computer Engineering at HKUST and is optimistic about the future. “I’m an Indian and a Hongkonger,” she says. “I have encountered many cultural references and turned them into creative ideas, like the pineapple bun-flavoured beer, which is an homage to Hong Kong.”
I&T companies need diversity to create dynamic teams
She emphasises too that the I&T sector goes well beyond the cryptocurrencies or cutting-edge biotech solutions that the public tends to hear about. “It welcomes great ideas and focuses on impact for social good,” Anushka says, recalling a social innovation competition where her team was up against others with brilliant ideas for machine learning and AI. “At no time did I feel our project converting unsold bread into beer was inferior by comparison. And we won the grand prize!”
Make a difference and kick-start your I&T career through the HK I&T Career Expo until April 17!