As the daughter of famed Chinese businessman David Tang, who founded everything from Shanghai Tang to China Club, Victoria Tang has big footsteps to follow. Well, she’s hitting the mark on all counts, making strides in both entrepreneurship and philanthropy — two of her father’s great loves. Tang launched her own creative agency, Thirty30 Creative, with husband Christopher Owen, and was just named President of the Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association earlier this year. Here, we chat with Tang, who shares start-up advice and why HKDSA is a cause close to her heart.

Most exciting part about owning your own business…
It’s great to have the chance to work on a variety of creative projects. One day we might be shooting a K-pop star in our studio for a fashion brand and the next we are working on branding and design projects for clients like Duddell’s Hong Kong and their newly opened restaurant in London. I’m motivated by collaborating on interesting projects with people who value powerful images and beautiful design.

And the most challenging part…
Convincing clients to take a risk and really push the boundaries of how to showcase their brand to a new audience, while staying true to the brand DNA. For a lot of brands, it’s easier to look back at what worked before, and not face the challenge of what will work in the future.

My advice to would-be entrepreneurs…
Teamwork and collaboration are the keys to success. You win together and you lose together but, most importantly, you need everyone pulling in the same direction and motivated to keep learning and exploring ways to develop their talents.

I embrace ambition by…
Having a strong work ethic. I’m very committed to delivering work that stands up to scrutiny from clients and an outside audience. If you are ambitious, you know there are no shortcuts to gaining respect in your chosen industry.

The woman who inspires me to embrace ambition the most is…
I find Tracey Emin inspirational in a number of ways; she’s taken positive and negative life experiences and turned them into amazing art and is never shy to challenge her audience. I admire her bravery, her creativity and her productivity and she’s an example of how, by being true to yourself, you can generate great success.

I became involved with HKDSA because…
My father was involved with Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association for over two decades and it’s a charity my family has been committed to for a long time. After my father passed away I was invited to take on his position as President and I am very motivated to shine a spotlight on the amazing work HKDSA does to support people living with Down syndrome as well as their families and carers in Hong Kong. It’s my mission to change perceptions and do my bit to make Hong Kong a more inclusive society for those who are living in difficult circumstances.

Most memorable moment with HKDSA…
Last month HKDSA participated in a Guinness World Record-breaking event, the largest ever African Drumming Ensemble with over 1,000 participants (including many of our members). The African drumming enabled our members to be expressive and, in turn, become more confident interacting with society. They learnt Djembe drum rhythms to a very high standard and the energy of the event was incredible. It was a wonderful demonstration of the talents and positivity of our members and the community that supports them.

One stereotype about Down syndrome I’d like to correct…
The Down syndrome condition is broad — some people are mildly affected and others severely. We must start treating those with Down syndrome as individuals and identify their own talents and provide opportunities for them to explore and develop hobbies and build personal relationships.

Giving back is important because…
We all have a responsibility to create a caring, supportive environment for our neighbors and community. Everyone is dealing with a private struggle and if we all do our bit, whether it’s giving time or money to a cause we believe in, or supporting in other ways, we can genuinely improve someone’s circumstances — what could be more important than that?