Lara Vu, Mila’s Keeper: Strengthening Voice, Confidence, and Growth Through Trailblazers

Strategic pitch coaching, community support, and visibility empower a woman founder to grow revenue, deepen partnerships, and lead with authenticity.

Impact Snapshot

Industry: Consumer Products/Parenting Solutions
Region: California
Support: Pitch coaching, mentorship, funding, and founder community
Program: Trailblazers: Women Innovators Pitch Competition (2023)
Result: $10,000 prize, increased revenue, new partnerships, and expanded brand visibility

Overview

About one year after launching Mila’s Keeper, founder Lara Vu had proven her concept and was beginning to see traction—but like many early-stage entrepreneurs, she was navigating the complexities of building a business alone.

Managing product development, operations, marketing, and strategy as a solo founder made it difficult to determine where to focus her energy for sustainable growth. In 2023, Lara joined CalAsian Chamber’s Trailblazers: Women Innovators Pitch Competition, where mentorship and storytelling coaching helped her strengthen her voice as a founder and scale her business with greater confidence.

The Challenge

When Lara applied to Trailblazers, she was:

• Managing every aspect of Mila’s Keeper independently
• Seeking clarity on how to prioritize growth
• Looking to refine her pitch and brand messaging
• Navigating entrepreneurship without a strong founder community

While she felt proud of the business she was building and confident in her identity as an Asian American entrepreneur, she wanted to connect with a community that celebrated and uplifted women founders like her.

CalAsian Chamber’s Support

Through Trailblazers, Lara received:

• Professional pitch coaching and storytelling refinement
• Mentorship and real-time feedback
• Exposure to business leaders and community supporters
• A network of women founders invested in each other’s success

The pitch coaching proved especially transformative. Although Lara had pitched Mila’s Keeper before—even earning recognition in its prototype stage—the Trailblazers experience encouraged her to go deeper.

She was guided to connect more personally to the “why” behind her business. Instead of leading with features and data alone, she began to center her lived experience and emotional connection to her mission, supporting moms and families.

The Outcome

Winning Trailblazers resulted in a $10,000 prize, providing critical capital at a meaningful growth stage. The funding helped Lara further invest in Mila’s Keeper while validating her business model and vision.

Since participating in the competition, Lara has:

• Experienced revenue growth
• Formed new partnerships
• Expanded her professional network
• Increased visibility for Mila’s Keeper
• Strengthened her confidence as both founder and leader

Beyond financial outcomes, the experience helped her reconnect with her purpose and see herself not just as a business owner, but as a leader in her space.

One defining moment came backstage before pitching. Nervous and anticipating competition, Lara instead found warmth and encouragement. What could have felt competitive instead felt collaborative—women cheering each other on, rooting for shared success.

That sense of camaraderie continues to shape her entrepreneurial journey.

Why This Matters

Lara’s story reflects the power of CalAsian Chamber’s Trailblazers program to do more than award prize money—it builds confidence, community, and leadership capacity among women entrepreneurs.

Trailblazers strengthens voice and visibility for founders who often build in isolation, equipping them with storytelling tools, strategic mentorship, and a network that continues long after the competition ends.

By investing in women innovators like Lara, CalAsian advances inclusive economic growth and ensures diverse founders are positioned not only to compete—but to lead.

In Lara’s Words (Quotes Preserved Exactly)

“The pitching and storytelling coach was phenomenal… She encouraged me to connect more personally to the ‘why’ behind the business, which completely changed how I approach pitching.”

“I now lead with emotion, authenticity, and lived experience, not just facts and features.”

“Trailblazers reminded me why I started in the first place.”

“Even though it was technically a competition, it didn’t feel like one—it felt like camaraderie.”

“Trailblazers was an empowering, community-driven experience that strengthened my voice, my confidence, and my belief in what I’m building.”