ART DIRECTion CLEMENTINUS LIEM PHOTOGRAPHy MICKY WONG videography Matthew teo PHOTOGRAPHy assistance weng bay HAIR SEAN ANG/FAC3INC using keune make-up cindy goh using dior location JW Marriott Hotel South Beach

Visit prestigeonline.com to watch our personalities recount their successes and missteps

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Seeking out unique business opportunities, promoting the arts, pushing scientific frontiers, defending the under-represented, and preserving culture and heritage — we present the movers and shakers and the dream makers to watch. by zara zhuang, alethia tiang, gemma koh, low shi ping and praise poh

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Jeffery Sung, 38 Making property transactions transparent Pooja Nansi, 35 Saying it with poetry Jeffery Sung wears two hats — other than that of senior director at DBS Bank, where Embracing creative work for Pooja Nansi he leads a team of private bankers to help involves “a kind of surrender to uncertainty”, UHNW individuals manage their wealth, and it is this ambiguity that adds beauty he’s also one of four co-founders of start-up to the world she conjures up with words. online property platform, HugProperty. The 2016 Young Artist Award winner and “We need a trustworthy property poet was recently appointed by the Poetry investment portal. There are too many dodgy Festival as Singapore’s inaugural Youth Poet self-serving agents giving weak and often Ambassador (YPA) from 2017 to 2018, during biased advice. The good ones are having a which she will run six public programmes. hard time standing out from the crowd,” “I would like to tear down the myths he says. surrounding poetry, namely that it is difficult, So when DBS launched its start-up inaccessible and irrelevant to the modern accelerator programme and encouraged condition. The issues that are close to my employees to participate, he was quick to heart are helping young people talk about share his idea for HugProperty. It received diversity with empathy. There is a huge support from the bank, as well as investment pressure to conform in terms of physical from His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Qawi appearances and conventional paths to of Brunei Darussalam. Since going live in success in our society, and I would like August 2016, HugProperty has attracted for young people to be more accepting of thousands of users. It also emerged the top themselves and of their differences,” she says. DBS employee-led team and received a Her poetry collection Love Is An Empty seed grant from the bank. Barstool recently celebrated its fourth print With HugProperty, Sung aims to eliminate run. She remarks, “It’s absolutely crazy that the negative connotations that come with this little collection has sold 3,000 copies transacting property: “We want to help make and counting, when successful print runs of the experience hassle-free, transparent poetry in places like London and New York and efficient.” are usually in the small hundreds.” She is now partnering Australian playwright Jessica Bellamy on a two-woman ETHAN KOH, 31 show that features hip-hop music as the main Bagging luxury theme, and working on her new book. On the latter, she teases, “You can expect Indian food He grew up in Serangoon, beside Heng Connecting with the next generation and a very Singaporean collection.” Long, a tannery owned by his family for four Product innovation is key when it comes generations. But when it came to carving to standing out and making a statement. out a niche for himself, Ethan Koh decided Effective communication of the brand to move down the value chain. Using reptile philosophy and the “why” aspect behind skins, he creates exquisite, bespoke bags for every creation is paramount. For him, the likes of Elizabeth Hurley and Princess luxury is not just a status symbol but goes Beatrice, and that are stocked in Harrods and deeper into the meaning it formulates, the Saks Fifth Avenue. With production capped connection it encourages, and the diverse at less than 1,500 pieces a year, it is hard to cultural conversations it can lead to. believe that his eponymous brand was only established in 2011. Fuelling the fire Koh finds motivation in the love and Heng Long’s imprint passion for creation. He likens every Heritage and tradition are just as important creative moment to therapy for the soul: “It as reinvention. Growing up in the family is a medium of expression and an extension tannery, and being constantly surrounded by of who I am as a person, which is always the beautiful colours and creativity made him changing and evolving.” Nothing gives him realise that “inspiration is everywhere”. It also greater satisfaction and joy than when he

Sung wears the Master Ultra Thin developed his ability to visualise ideas and sees his lovely creations on their just-as- Reserve de Marche from Jaeger-LeCoultre bring them to fruition. beautiful collectors.

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Meryl Koh, 34 Practicing law like a role model Henry Chan, 32 Giving your cash back Going into law school, Meryl Koh had a bright-eyed view of the prestige Building on the idea that no one would say that came with being a lawyer. But no to a good discount, Henry Chan co- it was when she volunteered at established ShopBack, an online cashback Redfern Legal Centre in Sydney, platform, in 2014. It offers users a percentage which provides legal aid for the less of monetary return for purchases from privileged, that she began to see the affiliated sites such as Lazada, AliExpress, profession as her calling. and FoodPanda. Today, ShopBack has A decade later, Koh is now a litigator expanded beyond Singapore and is present in and director of intellectual property , the , , and dispute resolution at Drew & and . It has more than three million Napier. In her role, the University of users from the world over. New South Wales graduate mainly With a strategy that focuses on sustained handles patents, trademarks and growth over profits, ShopBack has grown copyright disputes, while also working fourfold in the last 12 months. “Our focus is with a team on general, civil and still on exponential growth and we expect commercial litigation. The facts and ourselves to be profitable in the next two to details that affect the solutions and three years,” says Chan. outcomes of cases continue to drive Although the potential of e-commerce her interest and passion for law, says is immense, finding experienced talent to Koh, who is described as a “great join a young start-up has been challenging strategist” by The Asia Pacific Legal especially since Singaporeans tend to be 500. She has worked with numerous risk-averse. Nevertheless, he is very grateful clients, such as IIa Technologies, for his “strong and concerted team” of over Novartis, Azen Manufacturing and 120 staff, which fittingly consists mainly of Sanofi Aventis. millennials with an average age of 29. The mother of two is also on the While he is thankful for the supportive volunteer list for the Criminal Legal ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs Aid Scheme (CLAS), where she in Singapore, he acknowledges that its represents accused persons in non- market size will always be a constraint. He capital criminal matters on a pro bono explains, “Unlike our neighbouring countries, basis. Her career involves challenges our market is small. If you keep within the such as long hours but what keeps Koh borders, there is only so much you can going is her family — she hopes to be maximise. Going global is the way to truly a role model for her children. “I want to scale an e-commerce business.” DIVIAN NAIR, 30 show my daughter and son that even Fostering Singaporean Identity when you have to juggle a family and you have a lot of commitments, you Founder of self-initiated national campaign a space in their minds for what a national can still pursue your career.” “We Are Majulah”, Divian Nair reveals that identity should be, relative to them,” he says. he defined his identity as a Singaporean “To me, being a Singaporean embodies only after travelling to close to 20 countries. the indomitable spirit of our forefathers to His concept of “belonging and home” was persevere together, despite all odds.” solidified through his interaction with people After the success of their first ground- from different cultures. up initiative “The Good Word Project”, It led him to launch the provocative video which draws on advice from everyday I Will Not Die for Singapore in February Singaporeans, Nair and his team are testing 2016, which has since garnered over and developing another initiative “Majulah 530,000 views. Eraser Cup”. “We started the project to combat He shares, “It is an old Singaporean game apathy, generate discourse and promote that centres on eraser fighting. We hope participation in being an active citizen. to use it as a refreshing corporate activity, All in all, just by the number of shares and as well as to bring it to schools as an

Koh wears the Rendez-Vous Ivy views, regardless of whether people agreed alternative way to promote national identity from Jaeger-LeCoultre with our proposition, they had carved out through the tie-in of trivia questions.”

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Danny Tan, 34 Furnishing homes at a click of Elizabeth Tan, 32 a mouse Ensuring business is a shoe-in

Become a rival of IKEA in five years Elizabeth Tan believes a woman can never — that’s how HipVan CEO and co- have enough shoes. Of course, you might founder Danny Tan motivates his say she is biased, since Tan is the managing team. Launched in 2013, the online director of Heatwave, her family’s footwear furniture start-up retails more than company that she joined eight years ago 3,000 products on its Singapore and rebranded. Under her charge, the site alone (there are Malaysian and business has grown to 53 stores, including US editions too), with over 200,000 nine in Singapore, and others across website views a month to give its countries such as Indonesia, Myanmar and wares plenty of attention. Saudi Arabia. Discovering a dearth of quality “We are incredibly fortunate to have met affordable furniture for his own home like-minded partners who believe in us. We in 2012 and armed with an expertise work very closely with them to find out the in tech (he established the social local market needs and create products to mobile app Found at age 26), Tan set suit them. Besides that, we focus on sharing out to resolve his own problem with our vision of ‘empowering daily journeys’ a solution that went on to secure $5 through our branding,” Tan says. million in funding from Golden Gate Beyond retailing shoes that make great Ventures in 2015. He also launched “all-day companions”, she also makes it bricks-and-mortar stores at The a point to give back in markets where the Cathay, Millenia Walk and Suntec City. brand is present. She says it is an integral Having grown up in a modest part of her identity because she aspires three-bedroom apartment, Tan counts to make a positive impact on the human creating restful living spaces as his condition, “It doesn’t matter what we sell. vision. “Having an environment that It is my fundamental belief that business inspires you when you go home has should be a force for doing good and I strive a [profound] effect on your life,” he to make a difference in the lives of our says. “We are driven by this belief that customers, employees and anyone we cross as many people as possible should be paths with.” able to enjoy that.” Kevin Martens Wong, 25 Reviving a dying language

He chanced upon Kristang while sixth (and latest at time of print) has 162. researching endangered regional Wong has also developed games, languages for a linguistics magazine he activities and materials from scratch to edits. Most would have dismissed it but forward the spread of Kristang, including Eurasian-Chinese undergraduate Kevin an online dictionary and a 30-year Martens Wong felt compelled to revitalise Revitalisation Plan. “We do all of this for the 500-year-old heritage language of free, because we recognise that no one the Portuguese-Eurasian community in should own the language, and no one Singapore. should fight over who gets to profit from “Language death is happening at an the language.” unprecedented rate, and every language In May, he organised Singapore’s first lost is a loss for humanity,” he says. Kristang Language Festival, which drew Deciding to be its personal champion, 1,400. “The response was overwhelming he spent two months learning the basics of and moving, not just from the public, but the language in 2015, before founding non- from the community themselves too. It’s profit Kodrah Kristang last year to teach it. very heartening to see so many people

Tan wears the Master Geographic The response exceeded his expectations. interested in the broader issues of language from Jaeger-LeCoultre The first intake had only 14 students but the preservation and revitalisation.”

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Choo Yilin, 36 Showing Asian pride through jade

As with many of her generation, Choo Yilin grew up believing the West was superior to the East. But, over time, she began to see the Asian culture as rich and meaningful, lory and that we should be “fiercely proud of who we are” — a mindset she is determined to share with others. “It is better to grow into our own versions of Asian women that are on a quest to embrace all aspects of their selves, which will inevitably encompass our histories and Lucas Ng, 28 JASMINE SER, 27 QIN YUNQUAN, 28 heritage,” she says. Speed skater Shooting specialist Self-defence instructor It is no surprise then, that she uses her eponynous jewellery brand, known for its beautiful jade pieces woven with intricate Known for The captain of the Singapore Short At age 16, Ser won a 10m Air Qin teaches the vulnerable — metal work, as a platform to help spread the Track Speed Skating National Rifle team silver at the 2006 including children, abused women, Sporting G story of Southeast Asian heritage. “Choo Team led the squad to the sport’s Asian Games. She was awarded and the elderly — self-defence Yilin Jewellery has always been about SEA Games debut in August. Ng our nation’s top sporting honour, techniques. For this, she became celebrating jade, a hugely significant Asian won golds in his individual events at Sportswoman of the Year, in 2011 the world’s first martial artist to win icon. Our collective hope for the work that the Tri-Series SEA Short Track Cup and 2015. The petite two-time The Queen’s Young Leaders Award. we do is to bring jade to a global audience, in 2016 and the MapleZ SEA Short Olympian is aiming to score again She received her award from Queen beyond the Asian diaspora,” she explains. Track Trophy in 2017. at the 2020 Games. Elizabeth II in June. With that mantra so prevalent in her jewellery, the brand was chosen as one of the seven featured at the Singapore Design How did you “As a kid, I was interested in ice “When I entered secondary school, “I was 19 when I went for a free trial. Now showcase in New York in August. get into the skating and followed winter games my sister Adrienne, who was in Sec I weighed 43kg and am 1.62m tall, Organised by the Singapore Tourism Board sport? on TV. In 2010, I attended the 4, was the president of its shooting so you can imagine how impressed and Asia Society, the initiative aimed to trials to select the pioneer batch of club. I saw her filling up the cabinet I was when I was able to take down promote Singapore culture in the US. national speed skaters. By the end with medals, and wondered when someone double my weight and of the three-day camp, I’d fallen in my turn would come. I decided to much taller.” (Visit prestigeonline. love with the adrenaline rush and try it out. Soon, we were shooting com and find out how Qin began energy of the sport.” the same scores.” her journey of helping others.)

What was a “My first overseas training stint “It’s a challenge when you don’t do “I was in pain from a bad knee injury challenge in China was one of its coldest- well, and get dejected because the but carried on teaching while on you faced and ever winters at -30 degrees C. results do not reflect your effort. crutches. After lots of rehabilitation, how did you Two months later, I returned to The easiest way out of a setback I recovered to represent Singapore overcome it? Singapore and had to adjust to a is to stay positive, and think about as a national wrestler, and came swing of almost 60 degrees C. It where you want to be in the future. in second. If we can transcend took a while to acclimatise and re- It has allowed me to continue hardship, we are likely to emerge acclimatise. My body is now well- improving not just in my shooting, stronger. This is what we call conditioned for winter countries.” but also my whole well-being.” ‘warrior spirit’.”

What is your “Competing internationally “I had food poisoning before last “We teach students to manage pre-fight alongside some of the world’s year’s Olympic qualifying trials, fear, and notice pre-attack cues

t Pok top skaters has opened my eyes so I watch what I eat when I am and predatory behaviour — so they n ritual? to the different pregame rituals, overseas. The night before a don’t freeze in a violent encounter.

: Vic Se from touching the ice to putting on competition, I try to get up to 10 I focus on the present. It helps to equipment a certain way. I don’t hours of sleep, although I had less control your breathing to slow the

rtrait have a fixed ritual but I mentally sleep when I was an undergrad, heart rate, and induce relaxation

G P o visualise the race and the strategies studying while competing. A few even in the demanding moment S N Choo wears the Rendez-Vous Moon I have to focus on before getting hours before a competition, you will prior to a competition or an CA

Medium from Jaeger-LeCoultre LU onto the ice.” also notice me speaking less.” unsafe situation.”

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Lawrence Holmefjord- Nicholas Goh, 37 Sarabi, 26 Deciphering languages Spreading the love of music Nicholas Goh started Verztec Consulting On top of overseeing Aureus Academy in 2000 to design websites for companies. — a music school with 90 teachers Now a global content consulting firm and 2,800 students across seven with offices in nine cities, including locations in Singapore — co-founder Korea, London, New York, Tokyo and Lawrence Holmefjord-Sarabi still finds Yangon, Verztec launched a Cloud-based four hours every day for his piano. The translation platform, SwiftTranslate, which concert pianist from Yong Siew Toh allows users to upload documents to be Conservatory of Music stepped away translated 24/7, further establishing its from performance so he could offer authority as a leading language services music curricula that seek to engage provider. students with lessons adapted to suit their abilities and interests. Tell us more about Swifttranslate. “It’s hugely inspiring that kids are Everything is managed and assigned getting a good education because of intelligently by the Cloud-based system this idea,” Holmefjord-Sarabi says. to available professional translators in “We hope to grow tens of thousands relevant time zones. Hence, projects get of students and contribute to building done fast and with good quality under 24 a strong musical foundation in them. hours. Moving forward, we aim to enhance That’s way more than I would ever SwiftTranslate to be complemented with have done as a solo performer.” AI Machine Translation to churn out more A seven-figure investment deal put work in lesser time. together by a student’s parent in 2014 boosted Aureus’ enrolment tenfold What are Verztec Consulting’s top business by 2016. Now the school is venturing goals in the next few years? into concerts with its Aureus Great We are looking to set up two to three Artist Series. It is also launching an offices in California, Los Angeles and e-commerce platform to offer 3,500 maybe San Francisco. We need to create titles to 82 countries. In the bag, multiple touch points globally to be closer too, is a five-year partnership with to our customers, and feel the heartbeat NAFA for internship and employment Karen Tan, 36 of the market trends. We are seeking opportunities. Look out as well for six Seeing opportunity where others see rubbish growth potential and opportunities in Asia, new branches come end of 2018. looking into possibly upward integrate our offerings. We also aim to grow our team by Through her creative consultancy Pocket Then, Banksy was a local street artist doing at least 50 percent in the next Projects, Karen Tan retains the soul of his rats on our doorstep, and the running joke two years, and be among the but breathes new life into old buildings was your bike could get stolen and you’d buy world’s top 10 companies and neighbourhoods. Her most notable it back the next day at the street market. That in the language services assignments include The Projector, an indie urban fabric provided the space and ideas for industry in the next five art house cinema that was re-built using two creatives, students, subcultures and artists. years. As such, we are disused movie halls. looking at acquisitions in The route she took to accumulate the skills An old building is…like a comfortable couch, various parts of the world. needed to tackle “non-bog standard projects” on which society layers on memories. included a year studying architecture Demolishing the physical space yanks that If you could be proficient before switching to The London School of rug out from underneath, which could leave in one other language Economics and Political Science, followed residents feeling disconnected. It is these besides English and by working in real estate investment banking very personal associations that allow people Mandarin, what and at a boutique developer in London. to feel at home. would it be? “There is method in this madness,” she quips. It would be We are less interested in…being hip or Japanese as I trendy but more keen on doing meaningful have always Holmefjord-Sarabi wears the My interest in working with old buildings… Master Ultra Thin Small Second and dodgy areas was shaped by living in projects that contribute to the local context, loved the cuisine from Jaeger-LeCoultre Shoreditch, London, in the early 2000s. or question the status quo. and culture.

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The vice president of the Jane Andie Ang, 32 Goodall Institute (Singapore) became Protecting primates with acquainted with primates when she was Dian Rasid, 32 a passion gifted a wild monkey as a pet at age 10. But seeing it chained up in a city Fashioning modest threads apartment got to her; she approached As chairperson of the Raffles’ Banded ACRES five years later to help repatriate Twenty thousand — that is the number of Langur Working Group, Andie Ang it to Africa. “I enjoy what monkeys have orders Rosevalley has had as of July 2017. spends her work day in the central given me. I hope I can give back by It’s a significant number considering the catchment area — on the lookout for sharing their stories with people who e-commerce store occupies the niche of the elusive black-and-white monkeys, want to help them,” she shares. modest fashion. Orders have come from a native to Singapore and southern around the region as well as and Malaysia that was discovered by even UK. And running the show is Dian Stamford Raffles in 1822. Rasid, who came up with the idea in 2014. The primatologist with a PhD in “I was able to see the upcoming Biological Anthropology from the consumer trends and the booming industry University of Colorado Boulder has of modest fashion in the region. I also made it her mission to study endangered just had a baby boy in December 2013, monkey species in the region and collect and wanted to spend time with him while data on their populations and biology. All pursuing my dream,” she says. this can contribute to their conservation To date, Rosevalley has collaborated in the face of construction and growth. with more than 100 brands from across “Development is needed in a highly Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. It has urbanised area — it’s unavoidable — but also successfully organised events, such we can do it in a sustainable way that as the very first Singapore Modest Fashion benefits both humans and wildlife,” Weekend, and the CelebFest bazaar, which Ang says. was attended by more than 50 stars. On its site, you’ll also see a range of quality products — ranging from the hijab to dresses and fragrances — designed by celebrities. Ever by her side is her husband and business partner, who she describes as her “biggest supporter and critic”. Together, the pair want to grow Rosevalley internationally, with more events supporting local and regional designers and celebrities.

Lai Chang Wen, 30 Removing the hassle of parcel delivery

Their unmistakable red vans ply the roads technology should be leveraged as an enabler all over Singapore and five other Southeast of differentiated services. Scale is such an Asian countries including Thailand and important driver of cost that the focus should Malaysia. Started in 2014, Ninja Van was be on providing a winning service to gain co-founded by Lai Chang Wen, who is also volume. Optimising comes later.” its CEO. Last year, the logistics company Technology was his best friend when hit jackpot when it raised $30 million in its it came to taking the business outside of latest funding round. As further affirmation Singapore. It allowed Ninja Van to adapt of its success, one of its investors is B to the various countries quickly, allowing Capital Group, a venture capital firm efficient yet localised control of its fleet. established by Facebook co-founder Ultimately, Lai wants to be the smartest and Eduardo Saverin. friendliest end-to-end logistics provider in Lai’s achievement is even more remarkable Southeast Asia, “We envision a day where when you find out his background is in anyone can make an e-purchase and have it

Ang wears the Rendez-Vous Day & finance rather than logistics. But he has delivered, enabled by Ninja Van technology Night Medium from Jaeger-LeCoultre not let it handicap him, “I’ve learnt that and infrastructure.”

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John Tan, 35 Building a pipeline of future leaders

He is a venture capitalist who has invested E NOT in more than 70 tech start-ups across multiple verticals including travel, transport

and fashion. But at heart, John Tan is an H T entrepreneur. His current focus is Saturday Kids, a digital literacy school for children he started five years ago. Through it, he hopes to nurture the next generation of DJ KoFlow, 36 Jasmine Sokko, 21 Alvin Tan, 37 Singaporeans who will use their skills to Turntablist Singer-songwriter Opera singer and vocal coach “build great companies”.

People make the business In June, KoFlow (real name Wayne The surreal vocals of the electronic The award-winning baritone Known for T HE RIG His single most important criteria when Liu) told his inspiring story — of artist — who never reveals her real trained in San Francisco on a investing in a business is how highly he going from gang involvement to name and face — were sought out scholarship. He co-directed thinks of the founder: “Great founders trump boundary-pushing turntable by New York producer Lucien after The LKY Musical in 2015. Tan great ideas any day. They have grit, smarts instrumentalist — via a hip-hop her debut single 1057 shot to No was named Best Singaporean at and charisma, and are good people to begin act during his performance at the 1 on Spotify Singapore’s Viral 50 Singapore Lyric Opera’s Vocal with. Niceness is underrated.” Esplanade Concert Hall. chart in late 2016. Competition in 2016.

The education system needs fixing He doesn’t believe rote learning prepares What “In the 1990s, every “I couldn’t relate to a lot of “When I was four, my family kids for the future. “Knowing how to apply sparked your skateboarding video had hip- musical content that circulated brought me to church on knowledge does. Technology is disrupting interest in hop booming in the background. around heartbreak, drugs, sex Christmas Eve. Everyone was so many industries that we need to prepare what you do? The boom bap beats captivated and money. So I started writing holding candles and singing our kids for a future where most jobs that we me and rap helped improve my my own, venting about (even hymns and carols. That was know of today no longer exist when they are English. When I was 18, I worked more boring content like) how when I fell in love with the voice.” ready to enter the workforce.” in a nightclub, where I filled in for rigid my society is. I’m a child of (Visit prestigeonline.com for the other roles including the DJ.” the Internet generation, a Google- story on how Alvin Tan ended up Classes that transform kids into trained musician.” studying voice.) self-motivated learners Saturday Kids makes it fun for the students to create. They learn to programme a game What has “As a DJ, you entertain thousands “In Porcupine, the line ‘loneliness “I recently heard a singer in or an animation, invent an electronics Sun Sheau Huei, 37 inspired or of people every week. Every is a crowded word’ came from Thailand who has studied for less gadget, or build a robot. As he sums up, “We Telling stories through moving images moved you individual in the club has a story; misreading a newspaper headline than a year, singing healthily like want them to learn how to learn.” recently? some go to dance away their when I was dozing off in class. a 19-year-old should, without A producer-cum-director at Threesixzero life unfold before strangers, let alone in worries, sorrows and pain. We DJs ‘Loneliness’ might mean ‘isolated’, pretence. She was communicating Productions, Sun Sheau Huei knew front of a camera. The other challenge is are the ones taking that away from but it is packed with alphabets with all her heart and soul.” from a young age that she wanted to do to ensure I fulfil my responsibility towards them for a couple hours each time. — like how we try to express the something creative with her life, and that a my audience as well as those I profile, That keeps me going.” experience, no?” monotonous nine-to-five job was definitely especially those in vulnerable positions,” not for her. “I guess I was looking for an she shares. adventure and along the way, I found Determined to do good work with share a “I don’t really like clubbing. “Most people don’t get why I am “If you hear opera singing at night my purpose. I experienced the impact her creativity, she is deeply encouraged little known Clubbing is not my thing. But hiding. Keeping a low profile at Shenton Way, it is probably me of storytelling when I started working in that her television programme, Death fact about concerts and live gigs inspire me.” allows me to experience life singing at the balcony of my office television and found true meaning in what I is our Business, landed a Silver World yourself. without being concerned about building. The sound bouncing do,” she says. Medal at the New York Festival 2017. “It what people think. As a musician, off the neighbouring buildings Specialising in the production of is heartening to know that our series has I focus on the music instead of the is quite cool! My favourite place factual programmes, most of what she achieved what it set out to do: Make death, more peripheral and out-of-point to practise at is Lower Peirce does involves documenting real people. a subject of great pertinence, a little less aspects that come with being Reservoir.” “Gaining access to their lives is one of the of a taboo. I hope production budgets for a musician.” most challenging aspects of my work. Not local television will increase to enable the everyone is comfortable to let his or her industry to do better work!”

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Brian Chua, 36 Sharing good food six stores around Singapore, with plans to open more. Tay also wants to take the brand As an undergrad at the University of to Malaysia and UK. Sydney, Brian Chua attempted beer- battered fish and chips, made roti prata Singapore is going through a retail slump. that was “so-so,” and perfected a stir- Does it not deter you from opening new fried pasta. He’s since taken lessons in stores? A physical shop allows customers cooking ramen but is arguably better to collectively recall the brand online and known as the visionary who brought offline. It helps them to understand the Tsuta, the world’s only Michelin-starred items better and make informed purchase ramen restaurant, to Singapore. (It decisions. We see the online and offline recently earned a Bib Gourmand channels as a convergence, rather than as award.) two separate entities. Through them, our goal “My gut feeling based on my to help Naiise and the partners we represent experience working with Tim Ho Wan Dennis Tay, 32 reach out to a wider audience. was that [Tsuta] had great potential,” Curating a marketplace for explains the vice president of Hersing local designers What criteria must be met before Naiise Corporation. After flying to Japan agrees to distribute a designer’s products? to taste Chef Yuki Onishi’s complex Originality, uniqueness and how it can chicken, clam and fish broths, Chua Inspired by his business partners who were improve lives. We believe that design betters set out to create a prototype of his award-winning Singaporean designers, the lives of others, and consciously select ramen to test reproducibility. Nearly Dennis Tay decided to start Naiise as an items that do so. Christel Quek, 27 200 queued outside Tsuta’s Pacific online store in 2013 with an initial investment Innovating digital consumption Plaza premises on its opening day, of $3,000. Last year, the company recorded what from Naiise do you constantly buy? and the crowds haven’t abated since. revenues of $5 million. Tay’s hunch was All-natural laundry detergent from Outlets in Taiwan and Hong Kong correct: People want well-designed items Happyganics. We have been repurchasing At the age of 18, Christel Quek took a leap of have opened their doors to a rousing that are priced affordably. Today, Naiise has their products at Naiise for my newborn. faith and broke her government scholarship reception. Shanghai, Los Angeles bond to pursue her passion in social media and New York might get their own marketing. Looking back, the Vice President outposts by 2018, in line with Chua’s of Asia Pacific at Brandwatch, a social strategy to cover markets where good media intelligence firm, reveals, “I owe it to ramen is unavailable. “The concepts to excite younger generations of female [Robert] Frost for my fearlessness, whose we carry should be affordable. My scientists to chart out important paths in quote, ‘Freedom lies in being bold’, is deeply father likes to say that our customers traditional and emerging sciences,” ingrained in every fibre of my being. To me, should not have to be rich to eat the she says. failing quickly, and fast, is infinitely better best,” Chua says. Shao is an assistant professor at NUS than fearing failure, and not doing anything and a Joint Investigator at the Institute of at all. My family has also been incredibly Molecular and Cell Biology at A*STAR. Her supportive of my decision.” research focuses on creating innovative Working closely with enterprises such as technologies to enable better, non-invasive , Samsung, and 3M in the region, Quek detection and monitoring of diseases. is constantly in meetings or on the road. As “We work on two complementary areas. such, she makes it a point to reserve quiet Firstly, discovering of new circulating time for introspection in the morning before biomarkers, that is, biological indicators in her day truly begins. She also finds it helpful blood, urine, saliva, to achieve non-invasive to read widely as she believes social media is detection. Secondly, developing integrated more about understanding people and how biosensors to translate these discoveries we interact with technology. She attributes into clinical applications,” she explains. her intuition in the field to her strong desire Shao Huilin, 32 The end result is to provide a new for knowledge. Crusading against disease avenue for monitoring the efficacy of A firm believer that change is the only treatments, making it possible to design constant in life, Quek neither celebrates Last year, Shao Huilin beat 40 other treatment regimens according to the victories nor dwells on challenging times. applicants to become one of two recipients body’s response in real-time. Clinical trials “Success is never final as good work is of the L’Oréal Singapore For Women In are being conducted for Shao’s research never finished, and failure is never a waste Science National Fellowship. “I am deeply and she is developing several versions of since there is always a lesson to learn. I like

Chua wears the Master Chronograph honoured and privileged to have the the technology both for use by doctors and to do my best within the present, and look from Jaeger-LeCoultre opportunity to share my experience, and the layperson. to tomorrow as an inspiration for today.”

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Gina Heng, 37 Sharing financial know-how Quek Siu Rui, 29 Reinventing classified ads Gina Heng wants to empower Asian women to take charge of their wealth and Quek Siu Rui may be of the Snapchat destiny: The CEO of private investment generation. But unlike the fleeting nature firm Marvelstone Group noticed women of its messages, he’s proven that he and often put themselves after their families. — the mobile-based (and now also “Many young women are educated and online) marketplace he co-founded — are well-travelled,” she says. “But they don’t here to stay. have a strong grasp of finances, so I Quek faced pressure from his family when want to be able to explain finance and he dropped out during his honours year at investment [to them] with a simple, clear NUS to work on Carousell full-time in 2012. approach,” she says. The business admin and entrepreneurship Heng founded Miss Kaya, her wealth student had graduated as Valedictorian management platform for women and “a Reserve, and made it to the Dean’s List twice. passion project” early this year to wide Quek and his two partners were fired up acclaim. The platform’s robo-advisor by the year they spent as interns in start- capability leverages algorithms and ups in Silicon Valley, part of the university’s market data tailored to each user’s goals, overseas programme. Annoyed that they to curate and present the best solutions didn’t have an easy avenue to sell off and products to its audience. Miss Kaya mountains of old but still usable items, Quek is currently only available to accredited and his friends created an app that allowed investors, but Heng plans to expand the users to intuitively list an item for sale in 30 service to retail customers and across seconds. Their next goal is to reduce this Asia and beyond in 2018. time to 3 seconds with AI. Last November, Marvelstone Carousell has expanded to seven markets, established Lattice80, a two-storey including Philippines, Australia and Hong 30,000-sq-ft FinTech hub on Robinson Kong, with over 80 million items listed and Road that caters to start-ups. “In business over 32 million items sold as of Q2 2017. there are always changes, especially in the Over 137 items are listed per minute, and start-up space,” Heng explains. “[The best about 50 percent of first-time listers have lesson I’ve learnt is] being able to make made at least one sale. the switch when required and having the In March 2016, Quek and his chief courage to follow through your decisions.” technology officer Lucas Ngoo made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, which honours Asian movers and shakers in consumer tech. Lee Haoming, 29 Bridging the creative community

The co-founder of Artbox Asia and Head of The team is already working on Artbox Strategy at Invade, a creative retail-space Taipei, the second stop in the Artbox Asia activation and event management company, Tour, which will be held at the end of this year. Lee Haoming is no stranger to challenges. Lee lets on that consumers can expect to see In April, he successfully launched creative significant changes to the layout, as well as market Artbox Singapore, the first stop customised local twists such as Taiwanese in the Artbox Asia Tour, despite a tight night market games and creative street food. deadline and budget. Desiring to empower the creative Describing the journey as bittersweet, Lee community and entrepreneurs, Invade also remarks that it was a huge accomplishment wants to open a first-of-its-kind “co-making as he and his team had only less than working hub”, MOX, at Katong Point this three months to work on the project, from year. “I have plans to work with different conceptualising to organising. “Artbox co-making spaces in Asia in the horizon, so Singapore would not be possible without that the creative community will have the a dedicated and talented team, especially opportunity to work with regional talent. This

Heng wears the Rendez-Vous Day & [fellow co-founder] Kent Teo, who believed neatly ties in with Invade’s goal of bringing Night Large from Jaeger-LeCoultre in me to lead this project,” he adds. Asia’s creative communities closer.”

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Vikna Rajah, 37 Setting the bar for young Bjorn Low, 36 lawyers Planting seeds for the future

In an alternate universe, Vikna Rajah Singapore imports 90 percent of its food may have been an accountant, since but if Bjorn Low had it his way, that figure accountancy was his first degree. But while will soon decrease. Low is the co-founder of he enjoyed its intellectual discipline and Edible Garden City, which started in 2012 clarity, a discussion with his university and has grown to over 50 food gardens. groupmates for a mooting competition From them come plants such as calendula, revealed his passion for litigation and legal tonkin jasmine and mint, which it supplies strategy. It spurred him to pursue a Bachelor to the F&B and beauty industries. “We hope of Law at the University of Bristol. that through our work, we can foodscape Currently a partner at Rajah & Tann the entire Singapore, turn our garden city Singapore, he leads the firm’s tax, trust into an edible one, increase Singapore’s food and private client practice, handling cases production capacity, and create a closed- on tax disputes and criminal tax evasion, loop urban farming system that will lead the as well as succession planning needs way for urban farming globally,” he says. for multigenerational trusts. His hard But Edible is no ordinary business either. work and passion paid off, culminating Low has positioned it as social enterprise, in The Asia Legal Awards’ Private Client employing those with disabilities since its Lawyer of the Year in 2017, beating out inception. It works with the Pathlight School competition from China and India. His firm to educate autistic students on organic also won the Singapore Tax Disputes and gardening skills. “Individuals with Autism Litigation Firm of the Year by International Spectrum Disorder (ASD) find solace in Tax Review in May. repetitive tasks — something that agriculture Rajah also sits on the Board of Directors provides. Working with plants also allows for Beyond Social Services, a charity that them to benefit from forms of horticulture supports children and youths from less therapy,” he explains. privileged backgrounds to break away Edible recently received a $200,000 from the poverty cycle. grant from the Singapore Centre For Social Having achieved such recognition, Enterprise and Low intends to double the what’s next for Rajah? “To work together number of staff with ASD to 20 in the next with my partners to consolidate Rajah two years. “It is possible for businesses to & Tann’s position as the leading firm in make a social impact, as well as be healthy Southeast Asia; to grow its Tax, Trust and profitable. This is how I see the business and Private Client practice even further; world will slowly shift towards.” and to help groom the next generation of partners,” he says. Amanda Lee Koe, 29 Spreading the art of the written word

The youngest-ever winner of the 2014 This year has been extremely busy yet Singapore Literature Prize for English fulfilling for this spirited writer. Besides Fiction, Amanda Lee Koe, is as colourful and globetrotting to various literary festivals, witty in real life as her award-winning short- and promoting the German edition of her story collection Ministry of Moral Panic, book, Lee is also putting the final touches which also won the 2016 Singapore Book to the debut long-form that she has been Award for Best Fiction. working on. On the success of her book, she admits, “I am textually in my third trimester and “Although I am grateful for the titles, I don’t alternating between excitement about think winning really changes very much the names and vague dread of what happens greater scheme of things. I would be happy when it gets legs and goes out into the enough if it brought a few more readers to world. I really become a recluse when I am the book. Hopefully readers connect with working on long form. [It is about] keeping the stories because they see puzzle pieces of the real world out of the enclosed universe

Rajah wears the Master Ultra themselves and parts of society that are not of the work for as long as possible, so that I Thin Moon from Jaeger-LeCoultre as often examined under a fictive lens.” can keep on working.”

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Charlotte Lim, 34 Empowering jobseekers for stem cell-derived retinal pigmented Gavin Tan, 37 epithelium cell replacement therapy for Saving sight, changing lives the treatment of eye diseases here. Spotting a gap in the labour market

with its “lack of precise and up-to-date A consultant in the Vitreo-Retinal What are some memorable cases you information”, says Charlotte Lim, is what Department of the Singapore National have worked on? spurred her and business partner Ang Wee Eye Centre, Gavin Tan has a strong I sub-specialise in paediatric retina Tiong to launch JobTech last November. An desire to “fix things”. It explains his surgery, so the most memorable and artificial intelligence and big data analytics decision to be a subspecialist in Vitreo- emotional cases are always the engine, JobTech tracks thousands of Retinal surgery, as it ranks among babies. Nothing is more satisfying than postings every day to provide efficient job the most interesting and complicated treating a baby who has retinopathy matching unique to an individual’s career intraocular procedures. Outside of the of prematurity or other retinal profile. Within eight months, it accumulated clinic, he spends time on research as he disease, and seeing them grow up a a database of about 3,500 users. believes it will improve patient care in few years later to have good vision. In fact, so confident is JobTech in its small incremental steps in the long run; The fact that the prognosis is often technology that it issued a challenge and maybe even lead to paradigm shifts guarded also makes the successes so to Google — which was accepted — in with major discoveries. He has won much more rewarding. March to see which can match jobseekers the SingHealth Outstanding Clinician with their dream jobs more accurately. Research and Ministry of Health What is your one tip for healthy eyes? Its newest feature, My Dream Job, which Transition awards. It is critical to keep the whole body launched in August, supposedly helps healthy to maintain good vision. Having jobseekers snag the perfect job with just Tell us more about your research. a healthy diet rich in vegetables, Sharon Yee, 37 one upload of their resume. Using semantic My main area of research is in diabetic vitamins and antioxidants will help Helping kids with life- fingerprinting, “our technology will reveal eye disease, which is the major cause to prevent diabetes and protect threatening illness the day’s top five job openings that best of blindness in working-age adults your eyes from age-related macular match your skills. No need to put in worldwide. I am also working with degeneration, which is a major cause of At age 28, Yee became one of the youngest keywords; it’s all automatic,” Lim explains. collaborators to develop methods blindness in our population. directors at a leading private bank. She is While the platform is available only currently a Team Head and Director at a in Singapore, data scanning has gone similar establishment. regional to encompass Malaysia and Outside of work, Yee is treasurer on the Indonesia. “We have a three-year board of Ladies First, a non-profit society goal to make JobTech available How is Fundnel different? she co-founded with friends this year. Their to the whole of Southeast Asia,” Fundnel curates deals based on financial objective is “to make positive changes to the explains the mother-of-one. Not markers, business fundamentals and an lives of women”. bad for a chemical engineering understanding of local and regional investors’ Beneficiaries include Arc’s Children graduate who jokes about being interests. Our picture of the regional Centre for kids with life-threatening illness a “tech idiot”. investment ecosystem comes from our or cancer, from low income families. “We collection of private company data, which help ease the stress of their mothers who are gives us an aggregate view of the type and struggling with finances, medical bills, child size of transactions. care and emotional support.” Such kids are unable to go to mainstream childcare centres Why SMEs? as they may get an infection. There’s a Many SMEs are no longer seeking an IPO as personal motivation, the mother of two boys significant financial resources are required, shares. “I went through an emotional journey Chua Khai Lin, 29 combined with the inevitable involvement losing a young family member to cancer.” Making a difference to SMEs of many external parties. This does not alter Last Christmas, Yee organised a party the reality that these companies have capital for the youngsters at Arc’s. Through her It takes one to know one. As the co-founder raising requirements even if they aren’t suited extensive network, she roped in donors, and CFO of equity crowdfunding platform for life on a public exchange. sponsors and volunteers for the event. “The Fundnel, and a former JP Morgan investment support was overwhelming. It is unbelievable banker, Chua Khai Lin runs a start-up and you received a provisional Capital Markets that there are so many big-hearted people SME that aspires to make a difference to Services (CMS) licence from MAS. who want to give back but don’t know how.” fellow SMEs. In 2016, its second year of It empowers us to market the equity Kids who attended the party were thrilled business, it facilitated US$44 million of fund- crowdfunding platform and deal in securities as it was the first time they had been to one raising for businesses, completing 15 deals under Singapore’s Securities and Futures Act since falling ill. “Seeing the tears of joy of

Lim wears the Rendez-Vous Moon valued at $49 million in Singapore, Indonesia, (CAP.289). This allows us to push forward parents watching their kids having such fun Medium from Jaeger-LeCoultre Malaysia and India. with existing as well as upcoming initiatives. was indescribable.”

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Jeffrey Liu, 32 Championing good health

An avid runner who clocks his miles every morning before heading to the office, Jeffrey Liu, co-founder and CEO of fitness subscription company GuavaPass, is reaping the fruits of his labour. Launched in 2015, the Singapore-based start-up now works with 1,000 studio partners across 10 cities, offering its 60,000-strong GuavaPass community a wide variety of well-curated fitness programmes. The company also introduced GuavaLabs, Singapore’s first- of-its-kind co-wellness space, at Downtown Gallery. Besides a diverse range of studio classes, the 5,000-sq-ft hybrid boutique fitness studio also offers a juice bar and retail space. what’s with the name? We wanted a name that represents a social community around healthy living and wellness. Guavas are especially healthy!

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs? Focus on what you love most because you will be spending days and nights on it. Be sure to find others who share this same philosophy as they will be the ones encouraging you on the good (and bad) days. Kathy Xu, 35 Banking on tourism to help save sharks

Winning a grant — awarded by the such as Wildlife Conservation Society, that Singapore International Foundation’s Young are tracking the data at Tanjung Luar. They Social Entrepreneurs Programme in 2013 are also trying to work with the Indonesian — thrust Xu into the spotlight as a saviour of government to enforce possible legislation sharks. To do her part in arresting declining and create alternatives. shark numbers from unsustainable fishing practices, she started The Dorsal Effect When invited to wedding dinners where to give Lombok fisherman an alternative shark fin soup will be served...I used to livelihood: Taking tourists to snorkel the reefs decline, but give an ang bao. But now friends off Tanjung Luar. would say, “There won’t be shark fin soup” While it’s “still a work in progress” to reel even before I ask. Once, a very dear friend, N G E PA E N

in sufficient tourists to grow this cause, Xu’s Chris, was getting married and he was torn I

mission has been recognised by charities like that his parents and in-laws were vehement OL

Rufford Small Grants Foundation in 2016. Xu that shark fin soup be served as a matter : CAR is also an adjunct lecturer at a polytechnic. of status. So I asked everybody who would

be sitting at our table if they minded an rtrait

Shark hunting is...a complex problem that alternative. Chris made special arrangements U P o would take a while to eradicate. But it helps for us to have chicken ginseng soup instead Y X ATH

that there are more marine-related NGOs, (I have since become vegetarian). K

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