/ Meet Hong Kong activist and heiress Emily Lam-Ho: the founder of green initiatives 8Shades and EcoDrive says ‘having prominent parents is a double-edged sword’

Dec 23, 2022

Emily Lam-Ho’s new sustainability content platform 8Shades partnered with high jewellery brand Chaumet, while EcoDrive fights the city’s dependence on single-use plastic. Photo: Handout

XXIV 2022

Emily Lam-Ho may be carving her own way as a green activist, but she’s still bogged down with comparisons to her famous parents, Lai Sun Development chairman Peter Lam and actress Lynn Hsieh

The Hong Kong heiress married venture capitalist Kent Ho, son of former Sing Tao chairman Charles Ho, and is CEO of Empact28, an investment platform supporting female-led start-ups

“Having prominent parents is a double-edged sword,” says Emily Lam-Ho. “People do constantly compare me, but I think it’s important not to compare myself because they succeeded in their own right, whereas I’m paving my own road.”

Lam-Ho’s parents – and her husband’s parents – are all prominent figures in various key Hong Kong industries. She is the daughter of Lai Sun Development chairman Peter Lam and actress-turned-painter Lynn Hsieh. Her husband Kent Ho – himself the founder of venture capitalist fund S28 Capital – is the son of former Sing Tao chairman and Grand Bauhinia Medal recipient Charles Ho.

I love my designer brands – what girl doesn’t? But it’s about finding a balance and I hope to pull the two worlds together

Emily Lam-Ho