NICOLA MILLS
Founder & Director
Sunny Balcony
A Decade of Connection, Growth, and Shared Leadership with EY Winning Women
Last week, I had the opportunity to return to a place that holds deep meaning for me—not a location, but a community.
The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ Asia-Pacific Conference celebrated its 10th anniversary this year in Jakarta. I was proud to attend not as a new participant, but as an alumna of the inaugural 2015 cohort. A full decade since I first joined the program, this milestone gave me a moment to reflect—not just on my own journey, but on the extraordinary network of women who have shaped this ecosystem since its beginning.
When I was selected in 2015, the program was still finding its shape. It already had ambition and vision—but what it’s become today is more than any of us expected. The 2025 conference brought together more than 100 alumnae, global EY leaders, and 24 newly selected founders from across the region. Together, we represented billions in revenue, tens of thousands of jobs created—and perhaps most importantly—a shared commitment to building businesses that create impact, not just income.
“Growth doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in community.”
A Room That Feels Like Home
There’s something incredibly grounding about being in a room full of women who understand what it means to build, scale, and lead from scratch. Across borders and industries, there’s a deep commonality in our stories—even when our sectors are wildly different. Some come from health-tech, others from logistics or retail, but the heart of it is the same: resilience, vision, and care.
Being back among this group, I felt equal parts nostalgia and inspiration. I reconnected with women I first met a decade ago—many of whom have since taken their companies public, launched second or third ventures, or become mentors and investors themselves. I also met incredible new founders, including those in the Class of 2025, who brought fresh energy and ideas that reminded me just how far the movement has come.
Mentorship That Multiplies
The beauty of this program isn’t just the access to experts and insight—it’s the culture of generosity. Women openly sharing stories, strategies, and sometimes scars. One session that stood out focused on “The Talent Shift”, where we explored how team structure, leadership style, and adaptability have become competitive advantages.
As someone who leads a portfolio of businesses under Sunny Balcony, I found myself thinking about how our “Supported Start-Up” model reflects many of the principles discussed: trust, autonomy, and structured support that enables people to lead like owners. It’s always validating when what you’re building aligns so closely with global best practice.
A 10-Year Perspective
Being part of the original cohort gave me a chance to reflect on how much has changed—not just in my own business journey, but in the broader conversation around women in entrepreneurship.
In 2015, I had experienced great success, but I was still early in building the Sunny Balcony vision. Back then, I was just starting to mentor and invest in others—now, through Impactiv, I get to actively support the next generation of founders with capital, capability, and community.
Today, our group includes a broad range of ventures in recruitment, energy, angel investing, grants & incentives and more. But the values haven’t changed. People first. Purpose-driven. Long-term thinking. These are still the cornerstones.
Looking Ahead with Gratitude
The EY Winning Women Conference confirmed one of my strongest beliefs. That growth doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in community. It happens when we lift each other up, share what we’ve learned, and make space for others to lead.
I left Jakarta full of energy—not just for what’s ahead at Sunny Balcony, but for how we can use our platform to give back. To mentor more. To invest more. And to keep showing that success is better when it’s shared.
— Nicola Mills