It’s lonely at the top. This may sound like borderline narcissism to some, but Yolanda Lee — who previously held senior positions at hyper-scaled start-ups Deliveroo, Uber and Rocket Internet GmBH — claims it’s a real occurrence.
“I found it incredibly easy to give back, mentor younger women or speak on a panel, but it was very hard to actually connect with other women who were in the same boat as me,” says the founder and CEO of women’s networking group, Uncommon.
In a bid to facilitate open and honest sharing among females beyond professional settings, Lee began hosting a dinner series. At the height of the pandemic in 2021, it morphed into Uncommon, which promotes peer-based learning through workshops, community gatherings with accomplished speakers and events focused on mental well-being.
“We realised the importance of community when it was taken away from us; when we couldn’t see our loved ones and the people who formed our support system,” shares the 34-year-old.
Born in Toronto, Canada, to immigrant parents from Trinadad, Lee’s early role model was her mother.
“I really admired how she never waited for permission to take up space. She never knew people who sent their kids to the schools that I went to or who went for the jobs that she did, but there was just such an incredible drive and vision for herself outside of her own realm of possibility,” recalls Lee with unbridled adoration.
Later, while working for tech unicorns in West and Sub-Saharan Africa, Lee embodied those same qualities.
“I was in my mid-twenties, a young polite Canadian woman with little experience and running some of the largest teams I’ve led in my career. Many did not take me seriously, but I learned to believe in my myself, build trust with my team and partners and deliver results because that’s what mattered.”
As the only woman at a multi-national firm, she faced disparagement despite outperforming others. “I remember my boss, the CEO, attributing that success — which really was bought on by a lot of hard work, cancelled vacations, and working weekends — to the fact that I was very charming.”
Having overcome those slights, Lee channeled her diverse experience into developing a safe space tailored to the needs of women in senior leadership positions. Importantly, “delivered at the right moments in their career”.
Lee hopes to take Uncommon into the future with technology through machine learning and expand its network — to see how it can support women and underrepresented groups.
As we speak, Lee is in the midst of preparing for a book club launch and Uncommon’s latest onboarding of new members. These are women who have been vetted by Lee and her team based on their strength, length and impact of their career, and importantly “that she can give as much as she can receive”.
“We take data from their onboarding form, understand their goals, life stage and what they are looking to do in their careers, and match them with a personal advisory board,” explains Lee. Each board is led by an industry-specific coach or expert.
These groups meet every month, defining their goals and understanding what success means to them.
Uncommon has several of such kick-offs a year, but this one has them doubling their member base, an affirmation that Lee’s mission to create a third space between home and work where women can share, learn and lead, fulfils the needs of the hour.
Photography: Mun Kong
Styling: Chia Wei Choong
Hair & Makeup: Aung Apichai from Artistry Studio, using Tom Ford and Kevin Murphy
