Thach
Cambodia Leadership Review
As Founder of Wowee Advertising & Events and Urban Home KH, Chenda Thach has built a reputation as one of Cambodia’s emerging entrepreneurs, successfully expanding across the events, marketing, and home furnishing sectors.
Her entrepreneurial journey has been shaped by resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous learning. From building brands and managing high-profile events to launching a new venture serving Cambodia’s growing property market, Chenda believes that long-term success is built on strong teams, trusted relationships, and a willingness to embrace change.
In this edition of 50 Khmer Women Voices 2026, Chenda reflects on the lessons she has learned as an entrepreneur, the evolution of Cambodia’s events and marketing industry, emerging opportunities in the property and lifestyle sectors, the growing role of women in business, and her advice for the next generation of Cambodian founders.
Building Businesses Across Multiple Industries
CLR: You have successfully launched businesses in both the events and home furnishing sectors. What inspired your entrepreneurial journey, and what lessons have you learned from building companies across different industries?
Chenda: My journey has been shaped by both my upbringing and ambition. Growing up, I watched my parents work incredibly hard to support the family. They ran small businesses and did whatever was necessary to make ends meet. It was not glamorous, and it certainly was not easy, but they showed me the value of resilience, determination, and believing that hard work can create opportunity.
There was a period when my mother became ill and was unable to work – at that time, my sister and I left school and entered the workforce. It was a challenging and uncertain time, but it reinforced the mindset I had already seen in my parents: when things become difficult, you focus on what needs to be done and keep moving forward.
While these experiences are not uncommon in Cambodia, they are what shaped me as a business owner. They taught me not to be afraid of hard work, uncertainty, or taking risks. I believe these are qualities that every entrepreneur must embrace.
Looking back, those experiences played a significant role in shaping both my mindset and my entrepreneurial journey.
The launch of Urban Home KH came from a very practical experience.
As a property owner, I recently furnished my condominium unit and quickly realised that while furniture was available in Cambodia, finding the right furniture package was not easy. I wanted furniture that was attractive, durable, and suitable for the type of tenants active in today’s condominium market, particularly expatriates and international residents.
What I found was that many owners faced the same challenge. They wanted a simple solution that would help their property stand out and achieve stronger rental returns, but sourcing and coordinating everything themselves could be time-consuming.
After completing my own unit, neighbours and other property owners started asking where I had sourced the furniture and whether I could help them do the same.
That experience showed me a growing opportunity within Cambodia’s property and lifestyle sectors. As more condominium developments are completed and urban living continues to evolve, demand is increasing for quality furnishing solutions that are affordable, modern and urban, Urban Home KH grew organically from solving a real problem, and I believe that approach will continue to create opportunities as Cambodia’s urban communities expand.
The Evolution of Cambodia’s Events Industry
CLR: Since founding Wowee Advertising & Events in 2022, you have worked with some of Cambodia’s leading brands. How have you seen the events, marketing, and brand activation industry evolve as Cambodia’s private sector continues to grow?
Chenda: One of the biggest changes I have seen in recent years has been the shift in how companies approach marketing and events.
Following a strong growth period post covid, many brands became more active and ambitious with their marketing activities. More recently, however, the economic environment has led companies to become increasingly focused on budget efficiency and value.
Today, brands are taking a more measured approach to spending, with longer decision-making processes and greater scrutiny around where marketing dollars are allocated. There is a stronger focus on maximising budgets, ensuring activities align with business objectives, and achieving the best possible return on investment.
This has encouraged agencies and service providers to be more strategic, accountable, and results-focused than ever before.
However, the most noticeable change has been the increase in expectations around quality.
The benchmark is no longer simply what is considered good within Cambodia. Clients expect the same level of creativity, professionalism, and execution they would receive in Singapore or elsewhere in the region, and we take great pride in being able to deliver to that standard.
In fact, one of the most rewarding things in Wowee has been the opportunity to support local brands at events outside of Cambodia. For us, that is a strong vote of confidence, not only in Wowee, but in the capability of Cambodian agencies more broadly.
When I first started in the industry, most corporate events relied almost exclusively on local performers and entertainment. Today, it is increasingly common for major brands to consider regional talent and international acts as part of their events and activations.
While this has created more competition, it has also had a very positive impact on the local industry. Cambodian performers and creatives have continued to raise their standards and become increasingly competitive at a regional level.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that no matter how hard you work as a founder, you cannot build a successful business alone.
I learnt this the hard way when I lost a few key members a year into starting Wowee, I found myself almost building from scratch.
That experience forced me to think differently about leadership. It is not enough to hire good people and pay them every month. You need to understand what motivates them, what they want from their careers, and how you can help them grow.
Women in Entrepreneurship
CLR: More Cambodian women are starting businesses and pursuing leadership roles than ever before. From your experience as a founder, what opportunities and challenges do women entrepreneurs face in Cambodia today?
Chenda: Historically, most business leaders and company owners have been men, which may have created challenges for women seeking leadership positions or access to business networks. People naturally gravitate towards mentoring and working with those who have backgrounds similar to their own.
That said, I was fortunate to have leaders who believed in me and trusted me with leadership opportunities, and in my experience success is usually determined by relationships and the ability to deliver results.
Today, I don’t really see Cambodia as a male-versus-female business environment. We are seeing more women take on leadership roles across both the private and public sectors.
In government, leaders such as Chea Serey, Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia, and Cham Nimul, Minister of Commerce, are excellent examples. Their success is positive for Cambodia and reflects the growing contribution women are making to the country’s future.
Opportunities in Cambodia’s Property and Lifestyle Markets
CLR: With the launch of Urban Home KH, you have entered Cambodia’s growing home furnishing and property services market. What opportunities do you see emerging from Cambodia’s urban development and changing consumer lifestyles?
Chenda: They can provide guidance, challenge your thinking, help you avoid mistakes, and open doors that may otherwise take years to unlock.
Looking back, the common theme across many of my biggest successes and challenges has been people. The right team can help a business grow beyond what you thought possible, and the right mentors can help you avoid mistakes that might otherwise take years to learn from.
For me, being a founder is not about building a business alone. It starts with having a strong idea, but the true success comes from having great people onboard, learning from them, and growing together.
Looking back, the quality of the people around me has had a greater impact on my success than any individual business idea.
Advice for Future Women Founders
CLR: What advice would you give to young Cambodian women who are interested in launching their own businesses and building successful brands in Cambodia?
Chenda: My advice to young Cambodian women who want to start a business is to be confident enough to begin, but humble enough to ask for help.
Like many entrepreneurs, I started largely on my own, and in the beginning I felt like I needed to solve every problem myself.
Looking back, one of the best decisions I made was surrounding myself with people who had already built successful businesses and were willing to share their experience.
Mentors and strategic shareholders can contribute far more than just money (investment).
Explore the complete Cambodia Leadership Review – 50 Khmer Women Voices 2026 featuring exclusive interviews with Cambodia’s Top 50 Khmer Women leaders. Discover their journeys, leadership lessons, and vision for the Kingdom’s future.
