VILO: Strengthening Brand Ethos and Inclusive Growth
Grounding Purpose
Since 2017, Vilo Creamery Pte. Ltd (VILO) has grown from a single gelato boutique to 36 outlets across 15 cities, serving over 35,000 customers each month with more than 62 flavours. Beyond its expansion, Vilo is defined by its ethos of inclusion and empowerment, embedding women’s participation across its workforce and supply chain. This blend of growth and purpose has established Vilo as a respected local brand and a model for socially conscious enterprises in Southeast Asia.
“Partnering with women-led suppliers is both a strategic business decision and a reflection of Vilo’s commitment to quality and community values. Since 2022, Vilo has sourced high-quality, locally produced food from women suppliers, who bring deep market knowledge and a meticulous approach to their craft. These partnerships have contributed to over 49% of Vilo’s revenue, providing a compelling business case for investing in women-led enterprises as reliable and value-adding partners. We provide ongoing feedback on their products to support their growth, and they remain consistently open to learning and improving. This has fostered a mutually empowering relationship that strengthens both our businesses.”
Jennike Veronika, Co-Founder and co-CEO, Vilo Defining the Opportunity
Despite rapid growth, Vilo’s distinctive guiding philosophy and stories of women-led suppliers were under-communicated. Without a structured branding strategy and internal alignment, the company risked under-leveraging its social impact and purpose-driven differentiators in the market.
Refining Strategy
In 2024, ADI supported Vilo through its investment in Sweef Capital, a Singapore-headquartered private equity firm providing growth capital to businesses showcasing the potential of women across Asia-Pacific. This support enabled Vilo to evolve from a rapidly scaling business into a purpose-driven brand. The technical assistance focused on:
- Training management teams in brand positioning, narrative building, and values-based communication
- Developing a customer experience and service culture handbook to align brand identity across operations
- Integrating stories of women-led suppliers to strengthen authenticity and inclusion
Through this collaboration, Vilo refined its brand narrative and strengthened alignment between purpose, product, and people.
Amplifying Impact
Vilo’s inclusive business model demonstrates how impact and enterprise can mutually reinforce each other.
Key outcomes include:
- Women comprising nearly 70% of full-time staff and over 50% of part-time staff.
- Partnerships with women-led suppliers generating AUD 1.03 million in income.
- Women-led enterprises contributing to more than 49 % of total company revenue.
- Sunday Markets providing rent-free retail platforms that boost local visibility and engagement.
These initiatives illustrate a business deeply rooted in community and designed to scale growth alongside opportunity.
Sustaining Inclusion
Vilo’s partnership with ADI demonstrates how targeted technical assistance can amplify both commercial performance and social value. By grounding its strategy in inclusion and authenticity, and leveraging ADI’s support in narrative framing, management training, and brand alignment, Vilo transformed its values into a competitive advantage.
This approach shows that embedding purpose into operations and brand identity not only strengthens market distinction but also sustains growth, impact, and women’s economic empowerment over time.
Follow Vilo’s journey from boutique gelato to inclusive growth leaders and explore the full story on ADI’s website.