Age: 37
Job Title: Co-owner, Paris Jewellers
Chau Lui grew up watching her mom run a 400 square-foot-jewellery store. At 18, Lui decided she wanted to learn everything she could about the company. She didn’t take a title; instead she took time to try every position within the business. Eventually, she became a co-owner. But she knew following in her mom’s footsteps wouldn’t be easy.
“It was male-dominated when I started. I worked really hard and did not take on a title for a long time because I wanted to prove myself,” says Lui.
It worked. Paris Jewellers went from having 10 stores at the time to 23 stores, while employing over 200 people — 90 per cent of whom are female. Chau co-owns the company with her sister, Trang, and they are dedicated to giving back to the community that supports them.
The company has partnered with several non-profits including Mamas for Mamas, where 100 per cent of proceeds from the sale of two custom necklaces goes towards the organizations that help mothers in crisis. In 2018, Paris Jewellers designed a necklace and gave all the proceeds raised to local women-focused charities chosen by managers in each city. At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, the company donated a portion of online sales to support those in need. And this fall, the company will also donate a portion of proceeds to Make-A-Wish Canada for its holiday campaign.
“I have two daughters and my sister has two daughters. I want to create this world where they don’t have to feel like they have to work so much harder just because they’re women.”
This article appears in the November 2020 issue of Edify
