Prestige Women of Power 2025: Grace Cheng on Support for Family Caregivers
Grace Cheng from the Faculty of Social Sciences (FOSS) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) was honoured as Prestige Women of Power in 2025, a distinction that celebrates women leaders driving transformative change across Asia.
Grace Cheng, a Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSocSc) alumna in Sociology, has emerged as a leading social innovator tackling one of Hong Kong’s most pressing challenges: family caregiver support. Raised by her grandparents, she developed an early appreciation for intergenerational relationships and the realities of ageing, and these insights later shaped both her career and her mission. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was simultaneously managing work and caring for her ageing grandparents, an experience that revealed the immense pressures on working caregivers, particularly women who often sacrifice professional advancement for unpaid care.
In 2023, Grace founded Agewhale, a social enterprise named a “Top Innovator” by the World Economic Forum’s UpLink platform. The enterprise is dedicated to transforming caregiving and ageing support. Agewhale delivers personalised care navigation for families, workplace caregiver support for companies, and public education on ageing.
With HKEX Foundation support, it launched Hong Kong’s first comprehensive workplace caregiver programme in partnership with 20 major employers, earning outstanding feedback.
Through corporate talks, public events, and a TEDxTinHauWomen talk viewed by around 30,000 people, Grace raises awareness about the importance of planning for ageing. “My overarching aspiration is that we can all age well with dignity, recognising that ageing is universal – everyone will either become a caregiver, require care or both,” she says. “I envision transforming how society prepares for and supports this inevitable journey.”
Agewhale currently employs female former caregivers as professional care coordinators. By recognising caregiving experience as a valuable professional qualification, she has opened new career opportunities for women transitioning back into the workforce.
Grace Cheng’s journey demonstrates how a rigorous Social Sciences education, combined with authentic commitment to social problems and unwavering resilience, can catalyse systemic change. As Hong Kong faces ageing challenges affecting millions of families, her work continues to pioneer innovative solutions that honour both the dignity of older persons and the wellbeing of those who care for them.