Rising Giants: Recent Episodes
Max Thornton & Dominic Kalousek
Cambodia's #1 ranked podcast in the Business & Entrepreneurship Genre!
Chatting with the boldest and most inspiring entrepreneurs and investors in the highest potential markets of Southeast Asia.
On this week’s episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Raksa Neth. Raksa is one of Cambodia's leading content creators, as well as being a fashion model and digital marketer at Seekers Spirits. She also has recently expanded her career into the Philippines.
Raksa focuses on building an authentic brand by keeping as many of the core functions in-house. She edits, directs and creates all of her content, as well as managing all her client communications directly.
We dive into what it is like to be a full-time content creator in 2024 and how influencer marketing is evolving in Southeast Asia today. We also discuss the differences between the content creator space in Phnom Penh and Manila.
Raksa: https://www.instagram.com/raksa_neth_
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On this week’s episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Sou Sethey, Co-Founder and CEO, Jalat Logistics!
Join us as we dive into a riveting conversation with Ti, the CEO and co-founder of Jalat Logistics, who shares his inspiring journey of building a last-mile logistics powerhouse in Cambodia. In the episode, Ti discusses how his UK experience fueled his entrepreneurial spirit and the innovative strategies behind their success, including mobile warehousing and B2B e-commerce delivery.
Ti also reveals the challenges they overcame, the critical role of driver culture, and the tech-driven transparency that sets Jalat apart. Plus, he also provides valuable insights on leadership, mentorship, and the ambitious goals that drive their expansion plans.
Jalat Logistics: https://www.jalatlogistics.info
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In this week's episode, we sit down with Twwo Jaruthassanakul, the Investment Manager and Southeast Asia Lead at Seedstars. Twwo shares his deep insights into the Southeast Asia startup ecosystem, detailing his journey from finance and investment management to venture capital with Seedstars.
He delves into the company's current investment strategy, emphasizing the importance of commitment, long-term thinking, and collaboration in building successful startups. Twwo also highlights Seedstars' impact-focused approach and the critical role of support within the ecosystem.
Be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a rating on one of our channels, whether that be TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn or instagram to help share the stories of innovative companies in Southeast Asia.
Seedstars: https://www.seedstars.com
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On this week’s episode of Rising Giants we have Alywin Oh, the Founder and Lead Trainer at Brighton Academy Asia, where Max leads the conversation discussing his journey from being a pastor in Singapore to starting Brighton Academy Asia in Cambodia.
Brighton Academy focuses on developing the leadership and communication skills of young people in universities and high schools. The academy has expanded beyond Cambodia to the Philippines and Thailand, partnering with universities and private companies. They provide free trainings and also connect students with internship and job opportunities.
Brighton Academy: https://www.facebook.com/brightonacademypp
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Lawrence of CBRE joins us on Rising Giants this week. Lawrence has had a decade long career in emerging market real estate, with experience in Mongolia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia, asset types ranging from commercial real estate, industrial, hospitality and residential property.
Lawrence currently oversees CBRE in Cambodia. CBRE are one of the largest commercial real estate service providers globally. We discuss the dynamics at play in Cambodia's real estate market and how it compares to the region in terms of development.
CBRE: https://www.cbre.com.kh
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Samir of GoWabi joins us on Rising Giants this week. GoWabi is the leading B2C and B2B application to find and book health, wellness, fitness and beauty services from over 10,000 providers in Thailand. They also offer a SaaS / CRM tool integrated with POS for optimizing and managing salons, spas, clinics or studios.
Samir previously worked with Rocket Internet, Lazada and Ensogo. He has a strong passion for internet start-ups with 10+ years experience building and developing ecommerce platforms across Southeast Asia in Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand focusing on retail and marketplace models.
GoWabi: https://www.gowabi.com/
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Welcome to Rising Giants with your hosts Max Thornton and Dominic Kalousek, where we explore the world of innovation and entrepreneurship in Cambodia and Southeaset Asia.
On this weeks episode we have the pleasure of speaking with Khin Wathann Oo, Lead Program Coordinator of Cnai Accelerator in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Cnai Accelerator is Cambodia's leading gender-smart accelerator helping nurture and encourage founders to grow impactful startups in Cambodia.
Inclusively designed, each year Cnai 's program leverages online diagnostics and resources, a leading global curriculum from Village Capital, and up to three rounds of direct, structured support to startup founders alongside increasing amounts of capital.
Cnai Accelerator: https://www.cnaiaccelerator.com/
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Welcome to Rising Giants with your hosts Max Thornton and Dominic Kalousek, where we explore the world of innovation and entrepreneurship in Cambodia and Southeaset Asia.
On this week's episode we have Vanda Horn. Vanda is the Co-Founder and CEO of Solo Landscapes, an adventure tour operator for explorers and nature lovers who share the same desire to get out of their own comfort zone and to reconnect with themselves.
Besides running tours, Solo Landscapes is committed to supporting the training of local guides in waste management practices and hosting skills.
Solo Landscapes: https://linktr.ee/sololandscapes
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Welcome to Rising Giants with your hosts Max Thornton and Dominic Kalousek, where we explore the world of innovation and entrepreneurship in Cambodia and the Southeaset Asia region.
On this week's episode we have Lucinda Revell. Lucinda is the co-founder of Boost Capital, a company dedicated to leveraging innovative technology to broaden access to digital financial services, particularly for the underbanked.
Through Boost's cutting-edge technology, entrepreneurs now have the ability to apply for loans via chat in just 5-10 minutes, without the need for app downloads, and with the flexibility to do so from any location and at any time.
Lucinda's role at Boost extends beyond co-founding; she leads the charge in enhancing user experience and overseeing the implementation and management of banking partner systems.
Before her journey with Boost, Lucinda served as the Chief Corporate Development Officer of Soma Group, one of Cambodia’s leading local conglomerate comprised of 10 subsidiary companies across five business divisions (Infrastructure, Trading, Agriculture, Education, and Hospitality & Real Estate).
Be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review on our channel as it helps us continue to grow within the region and world. We hope you enjoy the episode.
Boost Capital: https://www.boostkh.com/
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Welcome back to Rising Giants with your hosts Max Thornton and Dominic Kalousek, where we explore the world of innovation and entrepreneurship in Cambodia and the Southeaset Asia region.
On the episode today we have Louis-Alban Batard-Dupre, Co-Founder & CEO of Yindii.Louis is a seasoned social entrepreneur and sustainability expert with over a decade of experience nurturing startups across Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. His latest venture, Yindii, is a game-changer in the food retail industry. By bridging the gap between retailers, food businesses, and consumers, Yindii tackles one of humanity's greatest challenges: food waste and its detrimental effects on climate change.
Yindii's innovative platform not only benefits food businesses by minimizing losses and boosting revenues but also empowers consumers with access to affordable, high-quality meals. Moreover, it champions environmental sustainability by significantly reducing food waste and its ecological footprint.
Currently operating in Thailand and Hong Kong, with Singapore soon to follow, Yindii has ambitious plans for expansion into additional markets in the near future. Join Louis as he shares his journey and vision for a more sustainable future through Yindii.
Be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review on our channel as it helps us continue to grow within the region and world. We hope you enjoy the episode.
Yindii: https://www.yindii.co/
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Today on Rising Giants, we're excited to introduce Ee Ling Lim, the Co-Founder of Smarter Me and Executive Director of Market Launch at 500 Global.
Ee Ling heads up 500 Global's Market Launch Team, overseeing the development and implementation of startup programs for 500 and its partners all over the world, from Egypt and Canada, to Japan and Taiwan. In her role, she works with various ecosystem stakeholders - Governments, corporations, foundations, startups - to accelerate their innovation journey.
Ee Ling is also the Co-Founder of Smarter Me and Young Founders Summit, a platform which aims to make entrepreneurial mindset and skillset accessible to Generation Zs globally. Nurturing Gen Zs’ changemaker heartset, combined with digital-first innovation, to unleash a future world that is inclusive, accessible, and sustainable.
500 Global: https://500.co/
Smarter Me: https://www.smarterme.sg/
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Today on Rising Giants, we're excited to introduce Surasit Sachdev, the CEO and Co-Founder of Hungry Hub. A born entrepreneur, he has always been a problem solver. For him, trying new food and eating at new restaurants is a hobby. His passion for technology together with the reservation problems he experienced led him to the creation of Hungry Hub.
Hungry Hub is N.1 restaurant reservation app in Thailand. Surasit leads a team of up to 100 people, helping over 1,000 restaraunt brands generate over $50 million in new revenue. Hungry Hub has so raised $2m+ in funding so far and is looking to scale further and expand beyond Thailand in 2024.
Hungry Hub: https://web.hungryhub.com/
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Today on Rising Giants, we're excited to introduce Richard Armstrong, a Venture Partner at TA Ventures in Southeast Asia. His primary role involves scouting for promising ventures within emerging markets, with a keen focus on consumer technology and marketplaces. With five years of hands-on experience in startups and venture capital, Richard brings invaluable insights as a two-time founder himself. Moreover, his extensive background in creator and media domains enriches his perspective.
Richard's influence extends beyond his role at TA Ventures; he's also an Angel Investor in over 70 companies globally, supporting founders through effective go-to-market and marketing strategies.
TAV: https://taventures.vc/
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Today on Rising Giants we have Amanda Cua, she is the Founder and CEO of BackScoop, a media startup focused on Southeast Asian startups and tech. It started with their first product, a free daily newsletter that makes it fun and easy to stay informed with everything Southeast Asian business and startups in minutes.
Launched in late 2021, BackScoop is read by thousands of SEA’s top founders, execs, VCs and startup operators. Born and raised in the Philippines, Amanda is 22 years old and was previously the first employee at Y Combinator-backed edtech Avion School.
Key Points From The Show:
- Zero to One building the n.1 startup newsletter in Southeast Asia
- The growth of the Philippines and regional startup ecosystems
- Learnings from launching One More Scoop podcast in 2023!
BackScoop: https://www.backscoop.com/
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants we are with Sophorth Khuon, CEO and Co-Founder of Morakot Technology. Morakot's core specialty is providing cloud-based core banking platforms for microfinance institutions and banks, having achieved market leadership in Cambodia, now expanding across Southeast Asia. They also recently launched Mora BNPL, Cambodia's first Buy Now, Pay Later platform.
Key Points From The Show:
- The pathway for expanding Morakot into Indonesia and the Philippines in 2024!
- What it is like communicating the new BNPL concept to consumers in Cambodia
- The art of being able to both sell and build a great product
Morakot: https://www.morakot.it/
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants we are with Casino Apte, Co-Founder of Gamlytics. Gamlytics is an esports analytics and management platform, they provide esports teams with tools to streamline daily operations as well as advanced data analytics to improve player performance, optimize strategy, and sharpen team composition.
Key Points From The Show:
- 'Moneyballing esports': bringing esports statistics into the 21st century
- Building teams in a global industry: Bangkok, Santiago and Los Angeles!
- Why assembling a cult like atmosphere is a key ingredient of startup success
Check out Gamlytics here: https://www.gamlytics.gg/
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants we have the pleasure of speaking with Sotha Veng, Founder & CEO of PlasGate. PlasGate is the largest and first cloud SMS, IP, Voice and OTT gateway in Cambodia authorized by Smart, Cellcard and Metfone. They provide an end to end B2B solution so businesses can set new communication standards with customers.
Key Points From The Show:
- Building a new sector from scratch and earning trust from customers
- How convincing people to share your vision is the key reason for startup success
- Why you shouldn't always look at startups with rose-tinted glasses
Check out PlasGate here: https://www.plasgate.com/
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants we have the pleasure of speaking with Harprem Doowa, Founder of Eazy Digital. Eazy builds platforms for insurance companies helping them digitize at affordable prices. Harprem previously Co-Founded and exited various startups including Frank (insurtech), Orami/Moxy (lifestyle products), WhatsNew Thailand, Petloft and Fluffi (pet products).
Key Points From The Show:
- Lessons from a serial entrepreneur in Southeast Asia having Co-Founded 5+ startups!
- Making insurance easier and innovating an industry drowning in paperwork!
- Why having straightforward people that don't skirt around problems is make or break at a startup
Check out Eazy Digital here: https://www.eazydigital.io/
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants we have the pleasure of speaking with Thomas Schings, GM of RGX, where he is building the first licensed Digital Asset Exchange in Cambodia. Thomas also spent five years as Head of Research at The Association of Banks in Cambodia, supporting the Cambodian banking sector to reach international best standards.
Key Points From The Show:
- Is there any inherent value in memecoins like Dogecoin?
- How RGX is looking to differentiate itself from other CEXs
- Why Cambodia is well positioned to be a hub for digital asset adoption over the long term
Check out RGX here: https://www.rgxtrade.com/
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants we have the pleasure of speaking with Sopheakmonkol Sok, Co-Founder and CEO of Codingate. Codingate is one of the original pioneers in the tech space in Cambodia, having built some of the leading applications in the country and transitioned many leading businesses to a digital future. They now embark on a new chapter that is product centric!
Key Points From The Show:
- What makes a great founder: execution, not ideas!
- Launching GateMaster AI: making AI more user friendly and accessible for business
- Transitioning Codingate from services to products
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants we have the pleasure of speaking with Harrison White, Founder & Editor of Cambodia Investment Review and long time partner of RG. CIR is Cambodia’s #1 local news outlet dedicated to Cambodian investment news in the English language, publishing the latest business and investment news.
Key Points From The Show:
- How to build a media company in the 21st century!
- Their new business vertical launch: CIR Recruitment
- The impact of AI on the newsroom
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants we have the pleasure of speaking with Stephen Higgins, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Mekong Strategic Capital! Stephen has more than two decades of experience in banking and financial services, communications, leadership, and strategy. At Mekong Strategic Capital he specialises in financial services and renewable energy, and has advised on some of the largest transactions in Cambodia in recent years.
Key Points From The Show:
- Perception vs Reality in Cambodia
- Future short-term and long-term economic outlook of Cambodia
- Founding and building Mekong Strategic Capital: One of Cambodia's leading Venture Capital Funds
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants we have the pleasure of hosting Yulia Khouri on the show. Yulia is the Founder & CEO of Animal Mama, one of Cambodia's most prominent veterinary hospitals, as well as Home of Heroes, the first retirement home in the world for de-mining dogs.
Key Points From The Show:
- Yulia's story of building one of the most successful veterinary hospitals in Cambodia alongside the overall development of the veterinary sector
- The impact of the Home of Heroes providing a well deserved retirement for de-mining dogs
- Founder Insights: finding balance between business and passion
To support Home of Heroes, please see the following link to learn more! Link: https://www.facebook.com/homeoftheheroes/
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants we have the pleasure of speaking with Gabriele Faja, CEO of Soundskool Music and Producer of Madama Butterfly Opera.
Gabi was born in Italy and grew up in a home with parents that were both classical musicians where he grew a passion for music at an early age. He then attended the Royal College of Music in London where he graduated in classical music performance and began his journey as a founder in the world of music. His journey led him to Cambodia with his brother and in 2011 he founded Soundskool Music. Since then, Gabi has taken on different roles including Director of Production for Madama Butterfly Opera.
Key Points From the Show:
- Discussing Gabi's passion for music and his journey moving from London to Cambodia
- First Mover Founder: Building Soundskool and the challenges faced as a founder in the music and retail space
- Bringing the opera to Cambodia: What's in store with the production of Madama Butterfly
Purchase your tickets today for Madama Butterfly Opera on December 10th, 2023 at the Koh Pich Theatre in Phnom Penh using the following link!: https://www.madama-butterfly.org/tickets/
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We are welcoming Lydet on Rising Giants this week. He is the founder of Tech for Kids Academy, that provides a new learning pathway for students to apply their knowledge in technological innovation, offering short courses in IoT, Coding, Robotics, AI and Entrepreneurship.
He is also the President of The British Chevening Alumni Association of Cambodia, a network of Cambodian recipients of British Chevening Fellowships and Scholarships provided through the British Embassy in Cambodia.
Key Points From The Show:
- How being part of Chevening influenced Lydet's trajectory into entrepreneurship
- Becoming a serial founder; embarking both failure and success along the way
- How Tech for Kids is forging a new path for students in Cambodia to fully embrace a technological future
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Join us this week as we have the pleasure of speaking with Christophe Forsinetti, Co-Founder of OBOR Capital and Investment Director of Leap Philanthropy. Christophe has over 18 years of investment experience in emerging markets, and has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the region, as well as the geopolitical and socio-economic factors that influence them. Entering into Cambodia's market in the early 2010's, he has a great perspective on how the country's startup space has developed over the past nearly 15 years and a deep understanding of what it takes for companies to succeed in developing markets.
Key Points From The Show:
- Deep dive into Christophe's background from growing up in Africa at an early age and starting his career in Silicon Valley
- What it was like being one of the earliest VC's in Cambodia's ecosystem
- Key learnings about the what it takes to be an investor in a developing market
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This week on Rising Giants we have Socheat, the cofounder of one of Cambodia's leading healthteach companies, Pethyoeung, having recently set up their parent company, Pymed, in Dallas, Texas, USA, now entering a period of focused expansion beyond Cambodia.
Pethyoeung is the largest cloud-based Hospital Management Software Platform created to advance the healthcare ecosystem in Cambodia and ASEAN nations through securing medical records, patient data and smoothening hospital operating processes and is also integrated with a premier healthcare marketplace to help improving the pathway to access to healthcare of people anywhere, anytime conveniently.
Key Points From The Episode:
- How COVID accelerated healthtech in Cambodia
- Why unlocking healthcare data is a key driver of future prosperity
- "Better to die in an ocean than a pond": pushing forward on global expansion
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On this episode of Rising Giants, we welcome Senior Startup Development Specialist at Techo Startup Center Vantharith Oum to discuss his experience living and studying in Korea, his early work at Paragon University, and his first startup experience with Watershed Ventures.
He shares his plans to support early startup businesses in Cambodia through joining Techo Startup Center, where he plays a pivotal role in continuing to foster startup activity and the adoption of technology across different sectors in the country, as well as coving the importance of impact investing. Lastly, we discuss the importance of user behavior, context, motivation, fear, and inspiration when creating a product, and some of the core values that he lives by.
Key Points From The Episode:
- The Impact Of International Experience
- Challenges and Opportunities in the Cambodian Startup Ecosystem
- Value-Based Decision-Making and Vantharith's three core values
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We are welcoming back Jolyda Sou to Rising Giants. Jolyda is a Fulbright scholar and multidisciplinary professional in financial management and investment (PFM, corporate finance, venture capital, tech startups) plus project management and social advocacy developed through working and traveling in 25+ countries. Jolyda recently launched Prestige Consulting, a professional service firm specializing in helping businesses with financial management, marketing, and staff training.
3 Key Points From The Show:
- Fresh ideas for tech startup acceleration in Cambodia
- Making money online; easier said than done!
- Adapting management styles with Millenials vs. Gen Zs
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Kicking off our 101st episode of Rising Giants, Max and Dom get together to reflect on key learnings from the first 100 episodes over the past 3 years of hosting the channel. While many things are covered, we first and foremost want to say thank you to each of the guests who have come on the show and spent their valuable time with us - it has been a huge pleasure to learn from each of you and cover the amazing contributions you are making to the Cambodian ecosystem. We are excited for the next 100+ episodes to come over the coming years and hope you enjoy this one!
Key Points From The Show:
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Max and Dom’s key takeaways after 100 episodes of Rising Giants
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Consistency Is Key: The importance of accountability and motivation when it comes to achieving success
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What’s in store for the future of Rising Giants
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We are welcoming back Rithy Thul to Rising Giants to mark our 100th episode release! In the last two years Rithy has been busy building and supporting the next wave of grassroots tech innovation in the country focused mostly on KOOMPI (computers) and Selendra (web 3).
SmallWorld Ventures has been at the forefront of building the startup community in Cambodia providing a collaborative space for entrepreneurs to thrive. Since inception they have made 10+ seed equity investments into promising startups and have also built an internal team of technicians engaged in research and development projects with an aim to spin off new ventures.
3 Key Points From The Show:
- Finding a balance between building and selling as a founder
- Making technology more accessible in schools across Cambodia
- The impact of VIPASSANA meditation on Rithy’s work and life outlook
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Shivam Tripathi is joining Rising Giants this week! Shivam started his career at J.P. Morgan in Mumbai, he then discovered his passion for entrepreneurship and began his journey into Cambodia in 2013. During his time in Cambodia, he co-led the creation of OBOR Capital, a leading investment firm in the country and went on to be a Co-Founder of Camboticket, Cambodia's pioneering travel ticketing platform, whereby he was recognised as Forbes Asia 30U30. In 2022 Shivam began a new entrepreneurial journey in Bangalore as the Co-Founder of newme, a real-time fashion company serving Gen Z across India and South East Asia.
3 Key Points From The Show:
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The importance of persistence and playing the long term game when entering a new market as a founder
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Translating the lessons learned as a founder and investor in Cambodia to his next chapter with newme in India
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The key ingredients needed when building a startup that will stand the test of time
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants, Max Thornton and Dom Kalousek welcome Thierry Tea, CEO at Negocia Capital and VP at OCIC Group. Thierry shares his journey of being inspired by his parents and grandparents who were entrepreneurs in Cambodia in the 1960s and 70s, and his 10 years in the corporate world before taking a sabbatical to start his own entrepreneurial journey. He is now working to redevelop the district of Koh Pich and to help develop local talents and put Cambodia on the map as a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Key Points From The Show:
- Thierry's early career in the Aviation industry and how that success led to his transition into the Cambodian startup space
- The development of Koh Pich and a vision for a new future
- The importance of investing in education for impactful change
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants we are excited to host Siriwat Chhem, Director, Asian Vision Institute, Startup Advisor. In the episode, Siriwat discusses the implications of the digital economy and the use of AI in society, and his approach to learning which includes a diverse range of sources as he shares his journey of becoming a tech educator, and his insights on the differences in technology adoption between Italy and Cambodia. Upon returning back to Cambodia, he has made a huge impact by advising in the startup space with some of the up and coming tech companies. We also dive into exciting interpersonal questions like how the importance of controlling our reactions will help lead to a more positive approach to life.
Key points from the show:
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Cambodia potential to leapfrog other countries in terms of technology adoption
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The Implications of the Digital Economy and the Use of AI in Society
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The Importance of Focusing On Being Human And Creative
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On this episode of the podcast, Max Thornton and Dom Kalousek are joined by Socheata Bun to discuss the influencer marketing industry in Cambodia. They talk about Socheata's journey in the marketing space, the competitive nature of the beverage industry, and the income earned by influencers. They also discuss the 'Beyond The Games' campaign, the key trends impacting digital influencers in 2023, and the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.
Key Points From The Episode:
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The Journey of a Digital Marketer: Socheata Bun
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Exploring the Influencer Marketing Industry in Cambodia
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One Direction: Uniting Cambodia Through the 'Beyond The Games' Campaign and the Power of Influencers
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This week on Rising Giants we have Sopheak Chheng, he is the Founder of Rean Thort and Host of the most popular Cambodia podcast, Rean Podcast, having hosted many of the top influencers in the country across music, film, gaming, sport etc. Rean Thort started out in 2014 as the 'The First Free Photography & Video Tutorials in Khmer Language in Cambodia', but since then has grown to close to 500k YouTube subscribers with a wide array of content.
3 key points from the show:
- Gimbal for Gear; sacrifices made along the way to achieve success
- His unique approach to podcasting that puts guests at ease
- How to lean into your vision of the future
Check out Rean Thort channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@reanthort
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We are welcoming Richard Yim back on RG to a deep-dive into the topic of artificial intelligence (AI)!
Richard is a leading technology entrepreneur in Cambodia, the Founder & CEO of Quantum, having been recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia and ASEAN Top 40 Under 40. Quantum is a metal fabrication manufacturer that helps companies launch new products more efficiently. They also launched their own products including Q-Motor electric scooter and are exploring further product rollouts in hydroponics and EVs.
3 key topics we discuss on the podcast:
- The non-obvious sectors AI could impact in the future
- Could AI be the great human capital equalizer globally?
- Bootleggers and Baptists; how disruption divides opinion
Learn more about Quantum: http://www.quantumkh.com/
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On this week’s episode of Rising Giants, Max Thornton and Dom Kalousek interview Ley Kamthong, a successful entrepreneur and CEO of CheckinMe. Thong shares his journey of going abroad for university and work, how that inspired him to build his startups CheckinMe & PAPA Deliver, and how he focuses on understanding how to scale a business. CheckinMe is a SaaS business that automates the workplace via a attendance recoding solution through QR code mobile technology, with plans for future product rollouts.
Key Points Of The Show:
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How Ley Kamthong's entrepreneurial journey leads to Co-Founding Check-in Me
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Unbreakable: Building team to align with your goals
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The importance of building networks, learning tech (AI!), and having open-mindedness
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Best Advice: Grow business's with multiple mentors
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants, we have Lida Loem, Co-Founder & Head of Learning Design (Techincal Advisor) of SHE Investments. A Co-Founder of SHE, Lida has been co-designing and leading the delivery of SHE Incubator, Accelerator, Financial Literacy, and Investment Readiness Programs with hundreds of women each year since March 2015. With over 10 years’ experience in Facilitation and Training, Lida is also a certified BDS Counsellor with UNIDO under CAPFish Project. Shortlisted as a final nominee for Mentor of the Year in the 2020 Women of the Future SE Asia Awards, alongside multiple other national and international awards and nominations, Lida is one of Cambodia’s most influential and experienced coaches and facilitators, specializing in women’s leadership and economic empowerment.
Key Points From The Show:
- How SHE Investments Is Helping Bridge The Gender Gap For Cambodian Women Entrepreneurs
- Women in Tech: Preparing For Hyper Growth
- Startup Education: SHE Investments Digital Literacy Support
- The impact of KOTRA-Riel how its revolutionizing rural businesses
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On this week's episode of the podcast, Abby Kuba shares her experience as a key figure in the preparation of the Southeast Asia games and the Azipan Parra games. She talks about the challenges she faced, including dealing with different country protocols and researching historical meanings of sports.
Key Points from the Show:
Cambodia’s Historical Moment: Highlights From The 32nd Southeast Asia & 12th ASEAN Para Games 🇰🇭
Behind The Scenes: The Successes and Challenges of Hosting the Games 🎬
Cambodia’s Unexpected 4th Place Finish at the Games and the Countries Sport's Movement 🏃🏽♀️
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Tune in this week as we have the pleasure of having Jeremy Au, VC, Monk's Hill Ventures, Founder, BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast
3 key topics to dive into:
- Spreading the news of Cambodia's Startup Ecosystem to Singapore VCs! 🌏
- Keep Startups Weird; what does it mean to be a founder in SEA? 😜
- The Categories of Startup Builders in Cambodia & SEA 🦾
Join us on this episode of the podcast as we explore the importance of stability, education, and ecosystem enablers in building successful startup cultures in Southeast Asia. We also discuss the impact of GDP per capita and the internet on cultural homogenization across different countries, as well as the challenges and opportunities for startups in Cambodia, a country with a young and educated population.
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On this episode of the podcast, we delve into the world of e-commerce in Cambodia with VTENH's CEO Sirivudh Sarin. In the episode, we discover how VTENH is using AI to predict customer behavior and improve product recommendations, as well as the impact of social commerce on the industry. We also explore the competitive landscape of e-commerce in Cambodia and VTENH's unique culture and management style that emphasizes clarity of direction and the importance of every team member's role.
In the episode we dive into:
- The impact of A.I. in E-Commerce
- Focusing on growth, not the competition
- Cambodia leapfrogging Web 2.0 adoption
- How to build a strong and unique work culture
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This week on Rising Giants we welcome Tong Hour (Key) and PingAnn Oung, the Co-Founders of Attire Lounge, the first sartorial gentlemen's style consultant house in Cambodia with a variety of ready-to-wear collections including sartorial, groom, and office wears available in-house.
What we dive into in the episode:
- Building A Team That Embodies Your Brand 🧱
- Bake Bread Before You Start a Baking Business! 🥖
- Intersections Between Failing Small And Bootstrapping 🥾
- Feel Good Fashion And How This Can Positively Impact Your Identity 👔
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Welcome back to Rising Giant, Hosted by Max Thornton and Dominic Kalousek, speaking with the leading entrepreneurs, investors, and creatives in Cambodia’s vibrant startup scene to learn what it takes to be a Rising Giant.
On this week’s episode, we will be releasing the last of our panel discussions on our podcast channel, with this week’s debate “Finding Your Place in the startup space. You will hear from leading Cambodian entrepreneurs, including:
🗣 Bill Chea of Startup Grind (Moderator)
💸 Lida Loem of SHE Investments
📚 Leap Sok of SALATECH PTE. LTD
🏥 Vorleak Oun of Hospicare
🌱 Parth Borkotoky of Azaylla
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If you missed our first annual Start-Up & Innovation Festival held in Phnom Penh in April 2023, don't worry - we've got you covered! Tune in digitally right now and listen to some of the most influential minds in the startup founder scene in Cambodia:
💸The Best ways to raise startup funding in Cambodia - panel 4
- Max Thornton - Rising Giants (moderator)
- Vireak Chea - PillTech
- Jolyda Sou - Prestige Consulting
- Chankiriroth Sim - BhanJi
- Buntongyi Nit - MeetDoctor
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If you missed our first annual Start-Up & Innovation Festival held in Phnom Penh in April 2023, don't worry - we've got you covered! Tune in digitally right now and listen to some of the most influential minds in the creative industry in Cambodia:
🎤Cambodia’s expanding creator economy - panel 3
- Penhleak Chan - Raintree Development (moderator)
- Sopheak Chheng - Rean Podcast
- Sok Visal - KlapYaHandz
- Chy Sila - Sabay
- Pzee Youk - 8TEEN Communication
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If you missed our first annual Start-Up & Innovation Festival held in Phnom Penh in April 2023, don't worry - we've got you covered! Tune in digitally right now and listen to some of the most influential minds in the startup founder scene in Cambodia:
🦾The most important trends impacting startups in Cambodia - panel 2
- Richard Yim - Quantum (moderator)
- Daneth Reasmey - Tenbox
- Langda Chea - BookMeBus
- Sopheakmonkol Sok - Codingate
- Daniel Pacheco - Samai Distillery
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Welcome back to this week's episode of Rising Giants, where we are thrilled to share some exciting news with you. If you missed the first annual Start-Up & Innovation Festival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, don't worry - we've got you covered! We will be releasing all 5 panel discussions on our podcast channel, starting with "The Key Issues Impacting Venture Capital in Southeast Asia." In this episode, you will hear from leading Cambodian investors, including:
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Bora Kem (Mekong Strategic Capital)
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Frédéric H. Proulx (Haystack Fund)
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Tean Ly (Seeva Capital)
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Chhor Sophanak (IG International Group)
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as well as special guests: Jeremy Au (Monk Hill Ventures and BRAVE Podcast) and Ollie Forsyth (Antler)
During the discussion, the panel covered a range of important topics, including the current state of early stage investing in Southeast Asia, the investment climate in the region, and the challenges facing Cambodian startup growth and scalability. The panel also discussed the Cambodian startup scene and its potential for growth in the future. By listening to this episode, you will gain valuable insights into the world of venture capital in Southeast Asia and learn about the key issues impacting the region's startup ecosystem.
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KESORRR is a Cambodian singer, songwriter, and creative entrepreneur. Before embarking on her solo career KESORRR was the lead vocalist in SmallWorld SmallBand, a contemporary musician group, one of the leading bands in Cambodia, a unique showcase of this generation’s talent of Cambodia. Kesorrr is also a co-founder of PlerngKob, (“The Sacred Fire” in English), a creative house of dynamic young groups passionate about the arts, music, and film.
KESORRR recently released 'Let It Go' to mark her new era as a her own artist, check out the song here: https://songwhip.com/kesorrr/letitgoWhat we dive into:
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Her spark for embarking on her career in music: finding that one thing that makes you focus and live out your passion!
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The inspiration behind her new song 'Let It Go'; a commentary on how abuse impacts woman in Cambodian society
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Advice for embarking on the unknown: 'everything happens for a reason, a goodbye is not a goodbye, goodbye is the new hello'
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Welcome back to this week's episode of Rising Giants where we have the pleasure of speaking with Pisey Khun, CEO and Co-Founder of Workingna - Cambodia's leading automated hiring platform in Cambodia helping connect employers and job searchers all in one place. Through Workingna, the company offers employers less stress and guesswork in the hiring process by providing a one-stop automation and analytics platform featuring data-driven recruitment and assessment tools, while also offering job applicants empowerment and branding tools to successfully present their credentials to prospective employers.
Since inception in 2019, the company has over 100K users and worked with hundreds of companies to find employees. We really enjoy this episode listening to Pisey's remarkable journey of leaving her comfortable full time job early in her career to pursue a passion, which we hope will inspire others who are in the same situation.
Key points in the show:
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Pisey's career journey and perspective on how she left the comfort of her full time position to pursue her entrepreneurship goals
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How Workingna became a market leader is supporting businesses in sourcing talent and helping employees on their job search
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"The importance of feedback loops": how Pisey created a strong work culture of open communication across all levels of management
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Teaser for our upcoming Startup & Innovation Festival on April 8 in Phnom Penh! Hear in person from Bora Kem (Mekong Strategic Capital), Sopheak Chheng (Rean Podcast), Kounila Keo (Mekhala), Chy Sila (Sabay), Sok Visal (KlapYaHandz), Richard Yim (Quantum) and many more!
🗓 Saturday, 8th April 2023
🕛 Doors open at 12 - 8pm
📍 Factory Phnom Penh
🎟 Tickets:
• Student: $10
• General: $20
All F&B included in ticket cost!
🎁 Lucky draw worth $500!
📜 Event Agenda:
• 12pm - Guest arrival & networking
• 12:30 - Debate: the key issues impacting venture capital in Southeast Asia
• 1:30 - Debate: the most important trends impacting startups in Cambodia
• 2:30 - Networking break & arcade games
• 3 - Cambodia’s expanding creator economy
• 3:45 - The best ways to raise startup funding in Cambodia
• 4:30 - Finding your place in the startup space
• 5:15 - Lucky draw for everyone who asked speakers questions (KOOMPI Ministation & TRIBE staycation)
• 5:30-8pm - Networking with free drinks and finger food
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Welcome back to this weeks episode of Rising Giants where we have Chandara Tuy, CEO of Wonderpass on the show. Wonderpass is the leading smart ticketing and technology provider founded in 2019 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and backed by Canadian venture capital firm, Haystack Fund. The company features two distinct platforms - "LIVE" a smart ticketing app and wearable tech for music, sports, events and attractions, and "Campus", a financial launchpad for University students.
In the episode, we dive into,
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How Wonderpass has revolutionized the digital ticketing in Cambodia
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"Path To CEO": Chandara's journey from leaving his master's program at university to joining Wonderpass as a Product Development Manager and then CEO.
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How having a great mentor helped Chandara build a successful work culture
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Leap joins us today on Rising Giants, he is one of Cambodia's top tech founders, running one of the leading Ed-Tech startups in the country!
Through Sala, highschool students in Cambodia can seek advice and guidance, and do the test to find out what might be their best fit major and professional career be. Students can easily access the information, compare, and seek for best offers from each college provider. Moreover, students can receive valuable information and networking to make study an enjoyable experience while connecting them to the right opportunities for their future career.
What we dive into:
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Why the art of developing your business is all about working on yourself and becoming 1% better everyday
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How SALA helps high school students navigate the university landscape confidently
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CEO's are humans also, they can make mistakes, it is part of the learning curve
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Welcome back everyone and thank you for joining us for another episode of Rising Giants with your hosts Max Thornton and Dom Kalousek, where we talk with the leading entrepreneurs, investors, and creatives in Cambodia’s vibrant startup scene to learn what it means to be a Rising Giant.
On this weeks episode, we have the huge pleasure of speaking with Daniel Pacheco, Co-Founder and CEO of Samai Distillery in Phnom Penh. Daniel is originally from Venezuela but moved to Cambodia on a project bringing renewable energy to rural school in 2009. What started off as a summer trip turned into longer time and in 2014 Daniel Co-Founded Samai, Cambodia’s first premium rum manufacturer and distillery in the country.
Some of the key points from the show include:
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Diving into Daniel’s background and where his passion for rum all started
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The secrets behind Samai’s success: how the team created the locally made premium product and are now distributing to different countries around the globe
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Talking about future plans of raising funds and the importance of making sure there is alignment with investors
If you haven’t already, please follow us on instagram and tie Tok @risinggiantsfm so see short form reels highlights moments from the episode, as well as check out our linktree to learn more about our partners and newsletter.
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Welcome Kiriroth, the Founder & CEO of BanhJi to Rising Giants, he is one most well known FinTech entrepreneurs in Cambodia being at the forefront of bringing tech solutions to the finance industry. BanhJi is an award-winning inclusive FinTech startup providing MSMEs with a financial platform and applications that are fully connected with the payment and financing ecosystem to enable smart decisions, inclusive access to financial services, and innovative access to working capital financing.
What we dive into:
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The importance of not having analysis paralysis at the early-stage of founding a startup AKA 'don't think too much'
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'Why free is not a business model'; the importance of evolving your business models as the facts change
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How to deal with stress as an entrepreneur; go for a long drive!
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
Welcome back to our 75th episode with Bill Chea. He is an entrepreneur and community builder, having been involved with bringing initiatives such as TEDx, Ignite, and Startup Grind to Cambodia. Always having been an entrepreneur since high school, we love this episode as we dive into his experiences creating these communities and helping launch the startup scene in the country. Among other things, he is the co-founder and managing director at OMOHUB Innovation and has over a decade of working experience in event management, supply chain, leadership, marketing and business development.
Key takeaways from the episode:
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The playbook on how to build a startup focused community, regardless of the country
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The number ways someone can get involved in the startup space without being a founder
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Which of the startup sectors are the most exciting in 2023 for Cambodia
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
Welcome back to this week's episode of Rising Giants where we welcome Joshua Jones, CEO of Three Corner Coffee, a social enterprise, which aims to produce and promote 100% Cambodian coffee products with international standards of hygiene and quality, giving Cambodians the ability to compete in today’s and tomorrow’s global economy. Three Corner Coffee Roaster currently sources its Cambodian Robusta coffee from both the Khmer and indigenous growers in Mondulkiri Province and is one of Cambodia’s leading coffee producers today.
We dive into:
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How Josh likes his coffee and the Cambodia Coffee Boom! How Cambodia's coffee industry kicked off and where it is today
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3 Corner Coffee's startup story and how they have built one of the best local brands working with indigenous growers in the Mondulkiri Province
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What does the future of coffee hold in Cambodia in the coming years
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On this week's episode we have the pleasure of speaking with Allen Dodgson Tan, who recently released one of the most up to date and fascinating guidebooks on how to understand Cambodia in the 2020's, as a foreign entrepreneur, investor or manager; Essential Cambodia.
Allen is an executive leader in Cambodia with deep experience setting up new companies, organizations and initiatives (e.g. WorldBridge, OOCTANE, Bluebell, Mekong Future Initiative etc.). He specializes in bringing concepts from ideas through start-up and operational sustainability and provides strategic advice and consultancy to companies on Cambodian market entry strategy, helping businesses find core value and build strong operational capabilities. Allen also served as the President (Chairman of the Board) of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia from 2018 to 2020.
What we dive into in the episode:
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Allen's varied experience founding startups, writing a book and leading a Chamber of Commerce
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Intangible Cambodia, feel the vibe: Cambodia's positive energy and spirit
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The importance of not spinning your wheels in mud!
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This week we are welcoming Cheryl back on Rising Giants now she has taken on a new role in the impact investing and venture building space joining the team at Platform Impact.
Platform Impact provides organizations with strategy and management advisory services to plan, set up, launch and implement their own Impact Driven Enterprises in Cambodia and Southeast Asia. This is done through creating new business models based on the principles of inclusivity & sustainability, and building new market knowledge at the Bottom of the Pyramid.
What we dive into in the episode:
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Opportunity for agro-processing exports to reach over 10% of GDP e.g. peanuts, coffee etc.
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Why ESG investing is just the appetizer before the main course of diving into impact investing!
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How to overcome anxiety at work; take a step into using guided meditation apps like Calm
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Rising Giants moderated a panel at ANGKOR 500 Turn Up 'What Do Investors Look For In A Startup?' on December 2, 2022 at the American University of Phnom Penh.
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Moderator - Max Thornton, Co-Founder & Co-Host, Rising Giants
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Panelist - Christophe Forsinetti, Founder & Chairman, OBOR Capital
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Panelist - Vannarath Vicheth, Investment Director, OBOR Capital
Event info: a one-day in-person event in Phnom Penh, Cambodia designed for local and international leaders in the venture capital industry and leaders in corporations to obtain the latest business insights and to learn about innovations and exciting growth opportunities in Cambodia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Panel discussions with key regional leaders, and a startup battle showcasing Cambodia-based startups with exciting potential.
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Welcome back to this week's special episode where we have the pleasure of speaking with Laura Mam, Co-Founder & CEO of Baramey Production! Laura was born in San Jose, California to Cambodian refugee parents where she grew up in a household of talented musicians and singers that influenced her passion for music. After graduating in 2008 from University of California, Berkley, she kick started her music career with her song "Pka Proheam Rik Popreay " (meaning "morning flower is beautifully blossoming") that became an overnight sensation. In 2016, Laura and her mother created Baramey Production, their own production company dedicated to supporting upcoming artists and boosting original talent and the original music movement.
Among her many accomplishments, Laura is attributed to being one of the pioneers of the “Khmer Original Music Movement”, won an Arts and Culture prize from the Women of the Future Awards South East Asia in 2018, and recently had one of Baramey Production's artists VannDa reach 100 million views for his song "Time To Rise". We hope you enjoy the episode and listen through its entirety as Laura shares a ton of incredible insight on the transformation of the music industry in Cambodia and how there are lots of opportunities for creatives and artists to take their work to the global level.
In the episode, we dive into:
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Laura's early life growing up in the Bay Area, where her passion for music started and going viral with her song "Pka Proheam Rik Popreay"
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Laura's journey coming back to Cambodia creating Baramey Production and her impact as a pioneer in the Original Music Movement in the country
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How Laura is taking Cambodian music to the global stage and guiding the next generation of artists through educating them on the industry
Time To Rise on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2YaY0GFs5UEME7uZWmkORE
Laura's Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/laura_mam_how_music_revolution_changes_cambodia_narrative
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants, we have the pleasure of speaking with Chy Sila, Co-Founder and Director at Khmer Fresh Milk and CEO of Sabay Digital! In this round 2 interview, we talk with Sila about his recent study tour to one of the world’s leading tech startup centers Israel (with Rising Giants Langda Chea, Vireak Chea, and other Cambodian entrepreneurs) where they discussed the importance of more collaboration between the two startup ecosystems. We also take the time to dive into one of Sila's passions, learning about the recent business developments at Kirisu farms and the logistics of raising dairy cows in Cambodia.
In the episode, we get into:
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Sila's recent trip is Israel with Cambodian entrepreneurs learning about how to bridge the gap between Cambodia and Israel
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How Khmer Fresh Milk (Kirisu Farm) has grown since inception and the exciting developments on the horizon for the company
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Advice for the younger generation of Cambodians who are looking to dive into entrepreneurship
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
Tharoth Sam is joining today on Rising Giants to discuss her fascinating life story of becoming one of Cambodia's top martial artists and carving out a new role for woman in a sport that has traditionally been male-dominated.
What we dive into:
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Tharoth's early struggles and tests to becoming Cambodia's first and now most well known female martial artist
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Combining her love of martial arts and acting into one to mark her next stage in her career
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Her recent starring in Shotgun Wedding with Jennifer Lopez, being released on Amazon Prime Video in 2023!
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
Welcome back to this week's episode of Rising Giants where we have the opportunity to host Jennifer Lin, CEO of Choice Accelerator in Phnom Penh. As one of the few commercial accelerators actively investing in Cambodia, Choice Accelerator strives to support entrepreneurs and startups in Cambodia through capital funding, customized and one-on-one mentorship sessions, strategic connection referrals, and co-working space. Jennifer completed her MBA at the University of Oxford and is also an investor herself, focusing on early-stage companies who are making an impact.
In the episode, we dive into:
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Jennifer's career in Taiwan and how she became an early stage investor.
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Deep dive into Choice Accelerator: How Jennifer is combining equity investment with mentoring Cambodian-based startup founders
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Founder Toolbox: What are the characteristics founders should have to succeed
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
We are excited to have Vireak back on Rising Giants to discuss the recent growth of PillTech and it's latest funding round of $500k, just announced last week! PillTech works to improve Cambodia’s pharmaceutical distribution networks by creating a platform to help improve medication safety and reducing counterfeit drug available in the market.
What we dive into this time:
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Vireak's plan to scale PillTech to the next level having successfully closed this funding round
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Strategies for raising capital from local and international investors; start early!
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How leveraging the ecosystem and creating win-win partnerships is key to startup success
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
Today on Rising Giants we have the pleasure of chatting to Rottnak, the CEO of DreamTeam, Cambodia's first influencer focused marketing agency that provide marketing, talent management and production services, currently working with more than 100 influencers in Cambodia that generate more than 500 million views on Facebook and YouTube a month!
What we dive into:
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Why influencer focused marketing is quickly becoming the most efficient form of brand visibility in Cambodia!
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Why uniqueness, creativity and authenticity, not followers are the key characteristics of a premium influencer
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The key to building a successful startup team; find people that have a clear intention to grow and learn
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - monthly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
This week on Rising Giants we have Daneth Reasmey, she is the CEO and Co-Founder of Tenbox a recent startup in Cambodia that is looking to transform the B2B wholesale grocery space through the creation of an all-in-one ecommerce supply chain platform. The goal is to make product trading as easy as ordering your lunch and help store owners source anything they need in one place, by connecting brands with store owners and enabling automated efficient supply solutions.
What we dive into in the episode:
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Starting Tenbox in the middle of the pandemic and how the team overcame initial challenges
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Recruiting people to an early-stage startup by passionately selling your idea and vision
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Attracting investors that can add value to the business and help scale up in their sector
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - monthly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
Welcome back to this week's episode of Rising Giants where we have the pleasure of speaking with VP of Technology and Innovation and Managing Director Sophanak Chhor of IG Venture. IG is currently one of the most active groups in the startup scene working with early stage ventures by providing resources to help scale the business through their venture building model alongside the capital invested in the business. They are also focused on 3 main areas of infrastructure within the Financial, Logistics, and Healthcare industries. In addition, we really enjoyed talking about Phanak's journey of becoming an entrepreneur after starting off his career with a background of a programmer.
In the episode we dive into:
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Sophanak's growth journey of becoming an entrepreneur after starting off his career as a programmer
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How IG International is making a huge splash in the early stage investment scene in Cambodia by through their Venture building model
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On the look out: Which sectors IG are focused on in deploying future capital
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - monthly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
On this week's episode of Rising Giants we have the pleasure of speaking with Vorleak Oun of Hospicare - Cambodia’s first at home health care business focused on providing the core services of nursing care, care assessments, home nursing procedures, home physiotherapy, and home medical services. Having started the business in 2019, Vorleak has her eyes set on growing Hospicare within Cambodia by providing high quality care to all of her users. Currently, she is seeking to raise seed stage capital as she focuses on hiring more nurses to her team and building out operations as they currently stand.
In the episode, we dive into:
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The history of Hospicare and how Vorleak and her Co-Founder started the business
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How Hospicare is building in parallel with the cultural shift of home elderly care in Cambodia
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Founder's Passion Vorleak's perspective on solving a key problem in society today
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
Rising Giants Newsletter - monthly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news!
Welcome back to this week's episode of Rising Giants where we have the opportunity to speak with Ratana Phurik-Callebaut, private sector and investment specialist in Cambodia. With over 20 years of experience in international trade and investment she has held many director positions most recently joining ACLEDA Bank and for launching the Cambodia Community of Investment Professionals with the support of the CFA institute . She has incredible perspectives on her view of educating and retaining top talent within the finance industry in the country and a "glass half full" outlook on the Cambodia startup ecosystem and we really enjoyed this conversation from start to finish.
We dive into:
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Ratana's early life leaving Cambodia from France and returning back in the early 2000's
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How she dove head first into Cambodia's finance sector and her experience launching the Cambodia Community of Investment Professionals in 2018
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Which investment sectors Ratana is most excited about and the future outlook of Cambodia's startup ecosystem
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - monthly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
A special unique episode to mark our 60th release, we are reviewing the most recommended book so far on the podcast, Zero to One by Peter Thiel. We loved spending time to learn about these ideas that have had such a big impact on our guests, we hope you enjoy tuning into this! ZT1 blurb: "the great secret of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create. Thiel begins with the contrarian premise that we live in an age of technological stagnation, even if we’re too distracted by shiny mobile devices to notice. Progress can be achieved in any industry or area of business. It comes from the most important skill that every leader must master: learning to think for yourself. Doing what someone else already knows how to do takes the world from 1 to n, adding more of something familiar. But when you do something new, you go from 0 to 1."
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Rising Giants Newsletter - monthly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news!
On this weeks episode of Rising Giants, we are excited to share our round 2 interview with previous guest Pablo Caprile. He has helped iCare Benefits recently raise a $15M impact facility from Singapore based investor HeliCap which is the largest raise to date by a non-bank Cambodian startup in the ecosystem. In addition, Pablo has been working on fundraising and rolling out the product launch for Brixie - a digital real estate tokenization platform which aims to make real estate investment accessible for everyone around the world.
In the episode, we dive into:
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Helicap's $15M investment into iCare Benefits and what it was like choosing the right investment partner
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An update on Brixie's recent seed stage raise and the status of the business's product rollout
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What advice Pablo would give to entrepreneurs looking to build a new business
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - monthly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
Welcome back to this week's episode of Rising Giants where we have the huge pleasure of having Dr. Ben Li, Founder & Chairman of Urban Village & Factory Phnom Penh, on the show!
Dr. Ben Li is one of Asia's most influential and youngest entrepreneurs with over 15 years of global business experience. Dr. Li studied law in the UK and he is also a Certified Chartered Accountant in Hong Kong. He is the Founder & Chairman of Urban Village, the largest Hong Kong-standard condominium project in Cambodia and Factory Phnom Penh, the biggest creative art hub in Southeast Asia, providing co-working space, art exhibition studios, catering & entertainment services and more. Currently, there are over 100 startups and 300 artists that work with The Factory.
He is also a CFO of Goldfame Group, a multinational conglomerate and a leading global top five knitwear manufacturer. Goldfame has been the largest factory operator in Cambodia since 1996, producing for major brands such as Zara, Uniqlo, Marks & Spencer, Superdry, C&A, etc. To date, the Group has invested in various sectors, including garment, forestry, insurance, printing, microfinance, furniture and real estate.
In the episode, we dive into:
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Dr. Ben's current business involvements and how he moved into the tech/entrepreneurship space
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The genesis of founding of Urban Village & Factory Phnom Penh and how he is creating a high impact space for startups and creatives
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Which sectors Dr. Ben is most excited about for new investment in Cambodia
On this week's episode of Rising Giants we have the pleasure of speaking with Richard Yim, Co-founder and CEO of Demine Robotics, a company that is building technology to clear landmines and IEDs. He is also the founder of Quantum Engineering and Manufacturing, was listed on Forbes 30 under 30, and among his other accomplishments sits on the advisory board for the National Council for Science Technology and Innovation. Richard is also leading the charge of electrification in Cambodia - through battery storage, electric vehicles, and renewable energy - and how he is focusing on strategies to retain top talent in Cambodia through creating job opportunities at Quantum.
On the episode we dive into:
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Richard's journey as an entrepreneur from flipping stickers in the classroom at age 7 to attending Waterloo and Founding Demine Robotics
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The importance of retaining great talent in Cambodia in the fields of STEM and Science; and Richards strategy to do so through founding Quantum Engineering and providing opportunities for young talent in these fields
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Richard's view on how Cambodia will be able to reach upper-middle income status by 2030 and the push for electrification in the country
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - monthly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
This week on the podcast we have Tom Edwards, the Co-Founder & Director of Mad Monkey Hostels. Tom left behind the life of investment banking in Liverpool, arriving in Cambodia in 2011 and soon after meeting his cofounders spontaneously and jumping into entrepreneurship by setting up the first Mad Monkey Hostel in Phnom Penh in 2012. Since then the company has opened 2 more hostels in Cambodia and 10+ hostels all over the region: Laos, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Australia. Further to this, the group was able to weather the pandemic and secure $4.6m in private equity investment in March 2022, marking a foundational point for its next period of growth.
What we get into in the podcast:
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The origin story of Mad Monkey: the meeting of the cofounders by chance in Phnom Penh a decade ago
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Mad Monkey’s unique approach to 21st century Gen Z travel: “Explore with a purpose, Travel deeper, Live fully, Go Mad!”
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Perspectives for how the hostel travel sector will lead the rebound in international travel in post-pandemic Asia
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - monthly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
On this week's episode of Rising Giants, we have the pleasure of speaking with Ben Jeffreys from ATEC, one of Cambodia's most successful startups to have expanded into Southeast Asia. ATEC provides sustainable, affordable and accessible clean cooking products for all Base of Pyramid households through the sales of their two flagship on-grid and off-grid products, ATECBiodigester and eCook induction stoves. 👨🏽🌾🧑🏽🍳
In the episode, we dive into:
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How Ben was able to lean into the challenges of building a startup in frontier markets during a time when survival was "week to week", especially in the early days.
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Finding product market fit and how he scaled his startup to other countries within the region.
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Raising early stage capital in a frontier market and Ben's experience of navigation the fundraising waters.
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - monthly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
On this week's episode of Rising Giants we have the pleasure of speaking with Vichet In - one of Cambodia's most successful entrepreneurs, having started local e-commerce site Little Digital, digital media company Mediaload, and now Groupin. Vichet has also led a successful expansion of his businesses into Myanmar (Myanmarload) and Malaysia (Groupin), while fundraising for one of the largest rounds in Cambodian history.
In the episode, we dive into:
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How Vichet's serial entrepreneur career started with Little Digital (L192.com) and how that led to founding Khmerload - one of Cambodia's most successful digital media companies.
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Key lessons learned speaking with investors and his playbook of successfully scaling Mediaload and Groupin across Southeast Asia.
- What Vichet looks for in successful founders and how Groupin Corp, a leading startup in Cambodia in terms of funding, is launching Dream Team Startup Program - a startup incubation program intended to produce the next promising startup founders.
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - monthly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
Hal Bosher joins us this week, having had a fascinating career so far in the emerging market investment scene in Southeast Asia. Hal currently serves as the Board Director at Delta Capital Myanmar, the largest private equity fund for the country with $100m+ AUM. Prior to Delta, Hal worked with the IFC and World Bank, before having an opportunity to relocate to Myanmar and join Yoma Bank in 2012 (one of Myanmar's largest private banks), where he served as CEO until 2019. In his time at Yoma he also co-founded Wave Money (JV between Yoma Bank and Telenor), which is Myanmar's largest payment network for mobile transactions.
What we get into in the episode:
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Hal's original spark for wanting to get engaged with investment in Southeast Asia and the impetus for Myanmar
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His experience co-founding and leading two market leading firms in payments and private equity investment
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How the investment/entrepreneurial landscape looks like in Myanmar looks today and expectations the years ahead
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - monthly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged daily!
On this week's episode of Rising Giants, we have Jolyda Sou on the show to talk about her journey and dive deep into the growing startup ecosystem in Cambodia. In this short conversation we cover a variety of topics related to Cambodian startups, such as financial management, preparing for investment readiness, criteria investors use when screening investment opportunities, and her overall perspective on which sectors she's most excited about over the next couple years.
In the episode, we dive into:
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Jolyda's career journey and what she has learned becoming an investment professional within the frontier market space
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The importance of financial management and what Cambodian startups can do to implement good practices
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What Cambodian startups can do to better prepare for raising capital and the importance of networking
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
Welcome back to our newest episode of Rising Giants with a very special guest, Tomas Pokorny. Tomas has had a very successful career, personally taking on many different challenges early on starting as an aviation engineer, working in many diverse environments around the world, and ultimately landing in Cambodia founding his own ventures and becoming CEO of Pi-Pay - one of Cambodia's most successful e-payment services & payment infrastructure providers that focuses on merchant payments and users and data engagement. He is passionate about the fintech industry and is one of the hardest working individuals we have had the pleasure of speaking with to date.
Today, Tomas is currently a Board Director at Cambodia Association of Finance and Technology (CAFT), an organization that connects communities across various business verticals with finance and technology industry (fintech) and to support and drive towards digitalization of the Cambodian economy. In addition, he is currently Co-Founder and Group CEO of Brixie - a fintech investment startup that is working to provide opportunities for users to own real estate through the tokenization of these assets.
In the episode, we dive into:
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Tomas's early career success and what is was like building and leading Pi-Pay, one of Cambodia's most successful e-payment service providers
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What Tomas is currently working on - Brixie, a fintech investment startup that is working to provide opportunities for users to own real estate through tokenization of these assets
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"Learning how to say no" - how Tomas balances work and life as a successful CEO and startup founder in Cambodia
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
Today on the show we have a very special guest to mark our 50th episode of Rising Giants. Kay Woo is the founder of MVLChain, TADA and Onion Mobility. TADA, which is powered by MVLChain, is Southeast Asia’s first blockchain-based zero-commission ride-hailing service having launched in Singapore and Cambodia. They closed a $5m Series A investment at the end of 2019 to further strengthen their position as innovators in the mobility sector in Southeast Asia, led by South Korean VC firm, SV Investment, alongside two of the largest car parts manufacturers, Central and SIMWON Inc. Onion Mobility, a new venture of MVL/TADA, was recently launched in Cambodia marking the first electric tuk-tuks to be made available in the market.
What we dive into:
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Kay's ambitious goals to see Onion Mobility sell 10,000 e-tuk tuks and 20,000 e-motorbikes in the market by 2023
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How TADA is competing with Grab and PassApp in Cambodia, by offering zero-commission rides
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Why Kay sees Cambodia as a perfect launchpad market for Southeast Asia: young demographics, technology adoption, consumer flexibility etc.
See here - Onion Mobility Website
Check out - TADA - Taxi, Cab, Ride Hailing
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
Welcome back to this week's episode of Rising Giants where we have the pleasure of interviewing Roxana Gheorghe - General Manager at TRIBE Hotel located in Phnom Penh! Roxana has had a successful career working within the hospitality industry, growing through the ranks where she is now leading operations of the first TRIBE hotel debut in Asia under the Accor Hospitality group.
This 260 room TRIBE Hotel will be located in One Phnom Penh Square and will feature rooftop restaurant and bar Hemisphere, as well as an outdoor saltwater pool overlooking the Mekong River. In addition, they offer an incredible co-working space for adventures and digital nomads to post up when visiting the Kingdom.
In the episode, we dive into:
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Roxana's illustrious career working globally in the hospitality industry, leading her to becoming General Manager of TRIBE Hotel.
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A deep dive into the debut of the Phnom Penh TRIBE hotel location, including all of the exciting offerings it will provide to its guests.
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The importance of human capital and how Roxana is growing her team through guidance and confidence.
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
In this week's episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Jamie Raine - Co-Founder and CEO of Indriya and Director of Strategic Partnerships at Wildcats! Jamie was born in Indonesia and moved to Phnom Penh to pursue his career in the startup world which included going viral as a music artist and utilizing that opportunity to grow Indriya - a company which provides integrated technological solutions to companies across the Southeast Asian markets. Jamie is also Director of Strategic Partnerships at Wildcats.io, the world’s first Actuator for Innovation, working with companies and organizations to solve their biggest innovation problems by seeking out budding entrepreneurs, consumers, and adjacent experts through their open innovation platform.
In the episode we dive into:
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How family influenced Jamie's decision to come to Cambodia and dive into the startup scene.
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Jamie's story of going viral through Cambodia's music scene and how he pivoted that to creating Indriya.
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Building trust: how starting small and being genuine with clients builds the foundation of a successful business.
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
Welcome back to this week's episode of Rising Giants where we have the huge pleasure of speaking with Sok Visal, Founder/Director/and Producer of KlapYaHandz and 802 Films. Visal has been recognized as playing a huge part in the rebirth of Cambodia’s music and film industries having many accomplishments on both as a music and film producer over the past 20 years, founding Cambodia's first Hip Hop, Alternative Music Label KlapyaHandz as well as 802 Film Productions and Mekong Movies to name a few. With so much to discuss about everything Visal has done for the music and film industry in Cambodia, this was hands down one of our favorite episodes learning not only about the past but the exciting developments he has planned for the future.
In the episode, as we dive into:
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Visal’s early life, discussing his time growing up in France and the US before returning to Cambodia in 1993.
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What it took to build a market when there was none in both the music and film industry during the 2000’s.
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How Visal is giving back to the industry by teaching the next generation of Cambodians who have the same fire of passion and determination to be successful in both film and music.
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
Today on the show, Chata joins us. Having grown up in Cambodia, as well as working and living abroad in the USA and Singapore, Chata returned to Cambodia in 2020, where she increasingly grew a passion for entrepreneurship. Chata co-founded Missy Fit in 2021, Cambodia's first women only gym, that aims to create a safe and enabling space for women to work on their fitness lifestyles under the slogan, 'At Missy we believe in progress not perfection, Work on you, For you'
What we dive into in the episode:
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Chata's experience in the USA / Singapore, and how this set the foundation for her entrepreneurial aspirations in Cambodia
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Some of the challenges of starting up a physical business; construction, importing equipment, hiring staff etc.
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Chata's plans for growing the business in 2022 by expanding into new verticals such as online training and app engagement
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
Welcome back to this week's episode of Rising Giants where we have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Buntongyi Nit, Founder and CEO of MeetDoctor. Dr. Tong is a young Cambodian doctor and entrepreneur who has inspired many and created MeetDoctor with the vision and goal of making healthcare accessible to everyone in Cambodia, from urban areas to the most remote locations in Cambodia, while also improving the quality of treatment by connecting with doctors and hospitals from abroad.
MeetDoctor is Cambodia's first digital doctor consultation service, offering a telemedicine solution for patients who need primary care attention and navigation to their specific health needs. The company is also one of Cambodia's most recent tech startups to receive Pre-Seed investment from IG Group!
What we dive into:
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Kicking off the episode talking with Dr. Tong about mental health and how he is working on normalizing discussion around it.
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Dr. Tong's 4 year journey of growing MeetDoctor from being an Angkor500 graduate in 2018 to raising pre-seed investment from IG Group.
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"A thousand steps begins with step one", how Dr. Tong talks to us about his challenges of growing a health tech company in Cambodia and developing his team.
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
Zoë Ng is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Raintree. Raintree is an award-winning creative workspace in Phnom Penh, co-founded by our guest Zoë NG and Cambodian architect Hok Kang. With its unique community-focused and design-conscious approach, they’ve become a hub for creatives, entrepreneurs, technologists, young people, and professionals to come together through events, programs, and independent research projects.
Zoë is from Malaysia and spent her early professional career in the UK before moving to Cambodia over 10 years ago. She began her career as a strategy consultant at McKinsey and Google, covering multiple sectors including Media, Telecomms, and Education. She serves on multiple startup and non-profits advisory boards including Teach For Cambodia and SADIF (Smart Axiata Digital Innovation Fund) and is passionate about entrepreneurship, employability, and the future of work.
What we dive into:
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How Zoe found a product-market fit for Raintree, amidst a commercial real estate boom; focusing on both the hardware and software of the creative workspace
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"Don't be the person that invents the TV, be the person that invents the mount for the TV"; look to invest in foundational products & services such as low-cost private healthcare and private education
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Zoe's most important piece of entrepreneurial advice: "a quick decision is better than a postponed decision, you will always make bad decisions, so its a question of how you move and adapt quickly, to succeed in the long term"
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
Welcome back to this week's episode of Rising Giants where we have the huge pleasure of speaking with Langda Chea, founder and CEO of Bookmebus - one of Cambodia's most successful tech startup ups. BookMeBus is an on-demand transportation platform connecting national destinations and international countries in the Mekong, enabling domestic and foreign travelers to purchase bus, ferry and taxi tickets online with ease.
We love this episode as Langda shares with us his journey prior to founding Bookmebus us as well as his future outlook on Cambodia’s market and startup ecosystem.
What to dive into:
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How early life events and passion for technology molded Langda into his path to becoming an entrepreneur.
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Langda's journey to founding BookMeBus and the key challenges faced and overcome when growing the business in Cambodia's market.
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The importance of being a business leader and how playing "as many roles as possible to do whatever is necessary" for you to have sustained success of your business.
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
This week Parth joins us on RG. He runs Azaylla, which is one of the most recent startups in Cambodia to secure funding - from the VC impact firm Uberis Capital (see RG episode N.12 with Trisha of Uberis). Parth has been interested in agriculture from an early age, receiving an MS degree in Agricultural Economics from Universiti Putra Malaysia. He is originally from India and has been based out of Cambodia since 2017, working in the agritech space and founding Azaylla in 2019.
Azaylla is solving bottlenecks in the agricultural supply chain in Cambodia: at one end, they help farmers get better prices and ensure consistent demand and on the other end, they help retailers/buyers source fresh vegetables and fruits at competitive prices directly from farmers.
What we dive into:
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Growing up in an environment, where knowledge of agriculture was a key part of his upbringing and education
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Growing Azaylla into a investment-grade startup; tips for raising venture capital in Cambodia
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Parth's most import piece of advice: "the key to life is learning how to sell"
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
To kickoff 2022 we have a very special guest on the podcast, Rotanak Ros, AKA Chef Nak! Chef Nak is Cambodia's first female celebrity chef whose mission is to celebrate, develop and preserve the art of Cambodian (Khmer cuisine) and bring its unique flavors and rich culinary culture to the world's stage. As a passionate cook, successful entrepreneur, healthy lifestyle advocate, loving wife and mother of two, she shares her knowledge in the form of books, online cooking shows and tours. She is also in the process of creating Cambodia's first culinary center, located on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
What we dive into in the show:
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What is was like, embarking on a mission to rediscover forgotten recipes and flavors in Cambodia
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Building Cambodia's first culinary centre that will act as a repository and incubator for Khmer cuisine
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Redefining what Cambodia is known for beyond history and temples to the here and now of a rich culinary culture
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
Welcome back to the 40th episode of Rising Giants with your hosts Max Thornton and Dom Kalousek. After stepping away for a few weeks to rest and reflect, they decided to release a 2021 year in review for Rising Giants. In the discussion, Max and Dom look back on the past year, talking about what it was like to start a podcast in a frontier market which has never had one before, the challenges faced and lessons learned creating the now leading business & entrepreneurship podcast in the country, plans for 2022, and some of their favorite piece of advice shared by previous guests on the show. We hope you enjoy!
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
This week we welcome Hashim Alkaff onto Rising Giants. Hashim arrived in Cambodia in 2019 as the leader of Grab's business in the country as it went through a period of rapid growth in the market after working for the company in Singapore. In 2021 he took on a new challenge and began a role with Wing, where he is the Chief Business officer leading their new business unit 'Wing Mall', which is a q-commerce solution that looks to provide a countrywide logistics and e-commerce solution made accessible to all.
What we dive into:
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Hashim's advice for business leadership; 'the job of a CEO is to be everyone's assistant', 'there is no course or university degree that prepares you for general management'
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The competitiveness of the e-commerce/logistics market in the country; looking beyond urban areas to find new growth opportunities
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Hashim's key advice; 'fail, and fail often, failure is the best teacher, go out and experiment, don't get caught in the trap of analysis paralysis'
Rising Giants Linktree - all our links in one place!
Rising Giants Newsletter - bi-weekly Mekong region deal roundup and startup news.
Rising Giants Instagram - where we keep you engaged on the daily!
We are welcoming Melanie from Impact Hub on the show this week. Melanie arrived in Cambodia in 2015 when the incubation and startup ecosystem was very nascent in Cambodia. Since then she has risen to lead Impact Hub in Cambodia, the oldest and most prolific startup incubator in the country, where she is currently the director of entrepreneurship and innovation.
What we dive into:
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Melanie's unwavering passion for planting entrepreneurial seeds in the mind of youth and watering it on a regular basis to ignite their talents!
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The power of social entrepreneurship and social innovation to shape new economic models for society.
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Melanie's top advice; 'there are things you can control, and things you can't control, focus on what you can impact'
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Every 2 weeks we drop one of the most informational newsletters letters in the Mekong by recapping the most recent Rising Giants episodes, highlights of venture capital deals closing in the Southeast Asia, regional startup news to keep you up to speed with a fast moving world, thought provoking links we really liked, and even job opportunities for those located in Cambodia.
Rising Giants Newsletter
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On this week's episode of Rising Giants we have the pleasure of speaking with Tania Unsworth, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Seekers Spirits - Cambodia's first premium gin distillery. Having previously worked in the hospitality industry in Europe and Cambodia before switching over to spirits, Tania co-founded Seekers with her husband Marco with a dream of producing small batch spirits inspired by the Mekong Region. Since inception in 2018, Seekers has grown to become a household name in the country and recognized for their locally sourced, bold flavors in major spirit competitions around the world.
What we dive into:
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Tania's incredible journey transitioning from the hospitality industry to pursue her dream of creating a spirits distillery.
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How Tania and her husband built the core Seekers team from around the world, locally sourced their ingredients, and ultimately created the spirits Cambodians enjoy today.
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How the pandemic drove a strategic shift in the business focusing on both domestic and international audiences for their spirits.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Every 2 weeks we drop one of the most informational newsletters letters in the Mekong by recapping the most recent Rising Giants episodes, highlights of venture capital deals closing in the Southeast Asia, regional startup news to keep you up to speed with a fast moving world, thought provoking links we really liked, and even job opportunities for those located in Cambodia.
Rising Giants Newsletter
Rising Giants Website
Rising Giants Instagram
Today on the show we have Dr. Vireak Khloth Chea, who is the co-founder & CEO of PillTech, a certified pharmacist from California receiving his Doctor of Pharmacy from Pacific University Oregon School of Pharmacy. Pilltech is a digital marketplace connecting pharmaceutical suppliers to pharmacy owners in Cambodia. Pilltech is improving Cambodia's pharmaceutical distribution networks by creating a platform to help improve medication safety, reduce counterfeit drugs available in the market and grow efficiency in supply chain management.
What we dive into:
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Why pharmacy distribution needs a radical rethink in Cambodia; creating a model that reduces time spent on procurement from days to hours
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What is has been like raising a $300k funding rounding during COVID; methods for approaching this for local and regional investors
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'Don't try to compete against other people, try to compete against yourself'; drown out the competitive noise and focus on taking small steps, day in, day out to improve your business and realise your vision
Today on the show we have Jitka Markova, who is one of the key operators in the incubation space in Cambodia, leading 500 Global's incubation efforts in the country. 500 Global is a venture capital firm with more than $1.8 billion in assets under management that invests early in founders building fast-growing technology companies. Jitka is part of 500's Ecosystems Team, overseeing ANGKOR 500 programme in Cambodia, building partnerships with governments, enterprises, and other stakeholders in driving innovation and developing startup ecosystems through technology startups capacity building, mentoring and training.
What we dive into:
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Bringing a Silicon Valley style of venture development to Cambodia; the challenges when adapting this model
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Supercharging the next breed of tech startups in Cambodia; ideation incubator, business activation, and global accelerator
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"Did you do your best"; Jitka's most important advice to be self-motivated and accountable to your own standards
Thyda Thaung is the founder of Thaung Enterprise, running the largest salt farm in Cambodia both for domestic consumption and export, located in southern Cambodia, Kampot province. Thyda founded the enterprise to help bring together the local community and connect salt producers to local and international markets. Thyda is the winner of the 2018 Cambodia’s Young Women Entrepreneur Awards. She also won the second prize of the 2020 National Entrepreneurship Awards.
What we dive into:
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How Thyda built Thaung Enterprise into the market-leading company in the salt industry in Cambodia.
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Building a differentiated product; raw material vs. fully packaged and branded product, making production more efficient through tech deployment and negotiating relationships with unique export markets.
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Why discipline, having consistency in action, is the most important trait to have when pursuing your passions.
Thyda has also been selected as one of The Exceptional candidates by ABC Extra Stout which recently launched the 'The Exceptional' campaign to celebrate exceptional Cambodians and to inspire the next generation of young Cambodians to discover what it means to “Be Exceptional”. Watch the TV show via this link here.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
Rising Giants Newsletter
Rising Giants Website
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This week we have Uon Pakthom, commonly known as Sai on the show. Sai is one of Cambodia's leading musicians, exploring the intersection between traditional Khmer music and modern sounds. He also has a passion for acting and has starred in and directed many Cambodian productions. In 2020, Sai embarked on a bold mission to raise a substantial amount of money for Angkor Hospital for Children. He did this by completing 97 days of running, spanning 21 provinces and 2,400 kilometers, beating his fundraising target and raising $500k for the hospital; one of the most successful charity fundraising initiatives the country has ever witnessed.
To learn more about the "Run with Sai Campaign", please see the link here.
What we dive into:
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His struggles and accomplishments in his early career as a musician and film producer in Cambodia.
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The inception for the Run with Sai Campaign and his experience running across the entire country.
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Why consistent physical exercise is a great way to improve mental health and provide greater clarity in your life.
Sai has also been selected as one of The Exceptional candidates by ABC Extra Stout which recently launched the 'The Exceptional' campaign to celebrate exceptional Cambodians and to inspire the next generation of young Cambodians to discover what it means to “Be Exceptional”. Watch the TV show via this link here.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
Rising Giants Newsletter
Rising Giants Website
Rising Giants Instagram
This week we welcome Celia to the show. Celia has long had a passion for impact-driven entrepreneurship having arrived in Cambodia in 2013, building SHE Investments from inception into the leading organization it is today; SHE works with female entrepreneurs through Cambodia's first gender and culturally tailored business incubator and accelerator programs to support them to scale their enterprises to create social and economic impact, bridge the gender gap in entrepreneurship, and facilitate market-based solutions to poverty.
What we dive into:
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'Learning by doing: the early struggles and lessons learned, when being the first firm in the country to look at incubation/acceleration through a gender lens
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The key catalyst for further growth in entrepreneurship in Cambodia; making the business environment more enabling for startups
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Two areas to focus on when looking to drive forward personal growth; invest in finding a mentor or life coach you can go to on a regular basis to keep yourself accountable and join the 5 am wake-up club!
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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In today's episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Joey Ra. Joey is Cambodia's only Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and the Founder of Cambodia's Coaching Institute, the country's first professional coaching training program.
Born in Korea and raised in the UK, he now works to nurture and grow coaching in Cambodia and beyond, serving as teacher and mentor to coaches in the region. In pursuit of this mission, he has trained over 100 leaders in Cambodia to be professional coaches or leader-as-coach. He has a particular interest in the impact of trauma on the long-term behaviors of individuals and communities. Joey has also partnered with over 80 leaders around the globe, aiming for deep inner transformation that leads to lasting improvements in happiness and performance.
What we get into:
-
What it was like to build a coaching business from scratch in a country where the concept and industry still remain taboo and nascent
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The key difference between psychiatrists, psychologists, and coaches; 'coaches deal with people at the line or above it and try to get them to that next level of transformation and wholeness'
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Joey's ambitions for helping spur and nurture Cambodia's next cohort of life coaches via his work at the Cambodia Coaching Institute
To dive more into his work, check out Joey's new podcast that explores mental, emotional, and spiritual wholeness, 'The Wholeness Show'
Sarita Reth joins us this week for a very special podcast episode. Sarita is currently Miss Universe Cambodia 2020, representing her country as Miss Universe for the fourth time Cambodia has successfully entered a contestant. Prior to this Sarita has had a distinguished career in the media & entertainment industry, having acted and/or produced in over ten films and TV shows. Furthermore, Sarita recently took on the role of Good Will Ambassador for the Ministry of Women's Affairs, the first to hold this accoladed position.
What we dive into:
- Three ways she dealt with countless failed auditions before landing her first gig; having 'crazy' drive and passion, loving your industry, and seeing every audition as a chance to learn and improve
- Three pathways to success in the world of pageantry; being aware of current affairs, stage training, and public speaking
- Why the simple but effective art of smiling and being kind to all those you encounter is a trait that needs to be more practised within our world today
Welcome back to Rising Giants. Today we have our first Chinese businessman on the show, Jack Lee, talking about his journey as an entrepreneurial adventurer across Asia, landing in Cambodia and founding one of the leading e-commerce businesses in the country, Smile Shop. Jack has worked across Southeast Asia for over a decade, meticulously studying and perfecting how to do business in these evolving markets whilst adapting to the local culture and customs.
What we get into:
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Why building and maintaining a highly committed team is the most important definer of success as a startup
-
What makes Cambodia ripe today for a massive expansion in e-commerce adoption
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The meaning of a 'smile country' and how this translates into business management practices
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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This week we are interviewing Pablo Alonso Caprile. Pablo is the Group CFO at iCare Benefits, the leading buy-now-pay-later firm in Cambodia and Laos, having served over 300,000 customers. iCare looks to play a critical role in addressing financial inclusion by offering low-income women factory workers an interest-free option to purchase consumer goods and improve their lives, without the need for taking on shark loans or additional debt. iCare has also recently launched its new subsidiary iCare Leasing, to continue expanding its services offering to its customers.
Prior to joining iCare in 2015, Pablo worked in the capital markets industry in London as a derivatives trader and has further experience as an entrepreneur, angel investor, and startup mentor.
What we dive into:
-
The essential role the BNPL sector is playing in Southeast Asia, to drive equitable financial inclusion and the key markets where this model is especially applicable; Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, Myanmar etc.
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'The Speed of Trust'; why trust is the most essential ingredient in building a high performance, successful organization
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Pablo's top business habit; why going out of your way to proactively replenish and expand your network is a necessity for any business leader\
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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Today on the show we have Keertan Menon, a private equity investor, working for one of the leading players globally that operate in the key frontier markets of Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central Asia. Prior to getting involved in frontier market investing, Keertan worked for one of the leading software venture capitalists in Europe. Some of the key frontier markets he has interfaced with include Ethiopia, Rwanda, Georgia, Mongolia, and Vietnam.
What we dive into:
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The fundamentals driving frontier markets today; sustainable demographics, growing consumption, infrastructure spending, free trade blocs
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Sectors with the highest potential for consistent returns; consumer, logistics, and new economy infrastructure
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The fuzzy vs. the techie; why having proper soft skills make you stand out in the 21st-century investment industry
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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Today on the show we have Saing. Saing is the Co-Founder of Selendra, Cambodia's first full-scale blockchain, which has been in development and prototyping since 2016. As Selendra now has opened its technology to the world and is beginning rolling out its mainnet over the next 6-12 months, Saing is taking the lead with technology development and expanding use cases. Saing is also the CEO of Bitriel, which is a crypto wallet that plays a key role in the Selendra ecosystem. Prior to Selendra and Bitriel, Saing worked in various computer science roles for leading financial institutions in Cambodia.
What we dive into:
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Why the application of blockchain technologies can play a key role in the development of emerging economies like Cambodia
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What makes Selendra unique; micro-transaction capability, interoperability, jungle development, regional use case applications
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Why investing in people is the most important aspect of any successful business
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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Jovany joins us this week bringing decades of experience navigating real estate markets in the USA and Southeast Asia. Since arriving in Cambodia in 2014, Jovany has quickly established himself as a leading figure in the real estate community. As the Managing Director of DA&G, Jovany is building a one-stop shop for real estate investors looking to interface with Cambodia and get the most out of their investments.
What we dive into:
-
Witnessing first-hand the immense growth in real estate investment in Cambodia over the last decade
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Where the untapped opportunities are in the real estate sector today; quality vs. quantity, new urban centers, etc.
-
Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Mars; how the three relate
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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This week, we have Jazmyn from Women in Tek Network joining us for a fascinating conversation about her journey into the incubation space in Cambodia. WTN is one of the few incubation programs in the country fully dedicated to advancing women's entrepreneurship. Jazmyn is Cambodian-Canadian, having also lived and worked in Canada, Laos, and Thailand. She is intent upon making a big difference in the entrepreneurial community in Cambodia, driving forward the case for women tech entrepreneurship, acting as a mentor, mediator, and confidant to some of the most talented up and coming women entrepreneurs in the country.
What we get into:
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'Headstrong with an immense clarity in their direction'; how Khmer women entrepreneurs are making waves in the tech community
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Why incubators should not have a start and endpoint; the need for long term community-driven support for entrepreneurs
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Getting more VC/PE investment into Cambodia; create a flywheel of successful Cambodian entrepreneurs reinvesting in startups
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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This week we have the pleasure of speaking with David of EMC. David has built EMC into a leading regional consulting firm that uses international best practice methodologies and hard-won local knowledge to help clients answer their most difficult strategic questions when operating in the frontier markets of Cambodia and Laos. David is originally from the UK, with an extensive background that includes working in post-communist Russia, Germany, and Greece, operating mostly in the telecoms and software space before arriving in Cambodia in 2008 and joining EMC in 2011.
What we dive into:
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Witnessing the first wave of investment in Cambodia; launching the first commercial incubation program in the country in 2011-2013
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Market differences between Cambodia and Laos; how Laos is still a decade behind Cambodia in terms of free-market economics
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Strategies for dealing with adversity and doubt in business; 'cope with it, if you're not encountering it, you aren't trying hard enough'
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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This week we are welcoming Sofia Perez on the podcast. Sofia is originally from the Philippines, having lived and worked in Cambodia since 2006, witnessing firsthand the radical change the country has been through. Sofia is the Managing Principal of the Idea Consultancy having built it into one of the leading names in the design consultancy space in the country. The Idea is a social company with a multi-disciplinary team of business consultants, data analysts, multimedia designers, project engineers, writers, trainers, and event planners.
What we discuss:
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How corporate social responsibility and community engagement is becoming an important business component in Cambodia
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Novel methods for approaching 360 consulting in developing markets; focusing on sustainable long term partnerships
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Using running as a way to realign your body and mind, and push past boundaries in your work life
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Why limitations and structure can be massively freeing for the creative process
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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This week on the podcast we are diving into Myanmar, to give our audience an update on the investment situation in the country. Robbert has been on the ground in Myanmar, running incubation and investments for One to Watch since 2017, witnessing firsthand the rapid development and investor interest the country experienced in recent years. Prior to Myanmar, Robbert has worked in Nepal and Mexico, he is a keen frontier market enthusiast with a strong passion for impact investment.
What we get into:
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How entrepreneurs have responded to the crisis in the country in 2021; sectors that remain well insulated and investable
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Outlook on how the investor landscape will change over the coming years; commercial vs. impact
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Frameworks for understanding frontier market development; 'Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty'
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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In this week's podcast, we are joined by a very special guest, Bora Kem. He is one of the key names in the investment community in Cambodia, currently directing the Smart Axiata Digital Innovation Fund (SADIF), a $5m fund dedicated to investing in early-stage technology ventures in the country with a total of 10 portfolio companies. Bora has led SADIF in investing in some of the most innovative companies in the country over the last 5 years, including super app Nham24, fintech players Bahnji and Morakot as well as logistics firms Joonak and DRVR.
Bora grew up in the USA, receiving an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, and working for many investment groups including Putnam Investments, Rocket Internet, and Equilibrium Capital before returning to Cambodia full-time in 2016.
What we get into:
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Red & green flags to spot when evaluating whether to invest in early-stage founders
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Who the new breed of investors are in Cambodia VC; young CEO's that understand innovation is an essential part of any business plan
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The importance of taking 'thinking weeks' to decompress and realign your motivation amidst turbulent times
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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In this week's episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Kim Tan-Am, Chief Digital Strategy Officer at Prudential in Cambodia. Kim shares her remarkable journey moving to California at an early age from Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge. After graduating from Pepperdine and working at Wells Fargo, Kim returned to the Kingdom to join a microinsurance firm which led her to join Prudential in Cambodia as the Chief Digital Strategy Officer. In the episode, we cover the microinsurance sector, how these products work, the importance of education around insurance, and ultimately Kim’s perspective on how this product can be used to drive positive impact.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources, and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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Today we have Jussi Salovaara on the show, he is the Co-Founder of Antler and leads their operations for Southeast Asia as well as being the Co-Host of the podcast 'Antler VC Cast'. Prior to Antler Jussi worked at McKinsey and Nokia. Antler is a venture generation firm working across Southeast Asia to nurture the best human capital in the region and give them the support to build fantastic businesses. Jussi is excited about the potential of new markets in the region such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about the startup and venture capital ecosystem in Southeast Asia, subscribe to our free Rising Giants Substack newsletter linked in the show docs. Each week we highlight a recap of the episode, job opportunities, entrepreneur resources and links we like, as well as notable VC deal flow and startup news from every country in the region.
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Chris is welcomed on the podcast as a seasoned frontier markets impact investor. He has worked across the frontier market investment space for over a decade now in Africa and Asia. Chris arrived in Cambodia in 2018 working with one of the leading early-stage impact investors in the country, Insitor Partners. Chris is passionate about spurring investment in essential ESG sectors such as energy, environment, fintech, and healthcare.
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Episode Time Stamps:
1:00 – Chris’s background and how he got to Cambodia
4:30 – What inspired Chris to pursue a career in impact investing
8:00 – Chris’s current role at Insitor and the fund’s investment sector focus
11:00 – What specific sectors are of interest to Insitor in Cambodia
14:30 – Chris’s approach to deal sourcing in Cambodia
18:30 – Chris’s perspective on what makes Cambodia an attractive market for investors
20:30 – How the impact investment space has evolved over recent years in Cambodia
24:30 – What developments could continue making Cambodia an attractive investment
28:00 – The importance of an active angel system in Cambodia
30:30 – What early-stage startups can do to become more attractive investments
32:30 – Question’s Chris likes to ask founders
37:00 – The shift of the overall culture of entrepreneurship in Cambodia
43:00 – What are the untapped sectors and business models in Cambodia
49:00 – Chris’s habits he has to stay motivated and self-accountable
51:30 – Chris’s perspective on work-life balance
54:00 – Most formative book Chris’s has read (Venture Deals by Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson)
55:45 – Most important advice ever given
Today's podcast guest is Monkol Sok, the Co-Founder & CEO of Codingate, the preeminent technology consultancy and SaaS firm in Cambodia. Monkol is a passionate entrepreneur, never settling for sitting still and being at the forefront of digital transformation in Cambodia as the country rapidly moves in this direction across many sectors we discuss including e-delivery, e-commerce and edtech.
Episode Time Stamp:
(1:00) – Monkol’s life changing experience studying abroad, his dream of providing better education in Cambodia, and how it laid the foundation for starting Codingate.
(7:00) – The origin story of Codingate: How Monkol started in 2013 with a vision to empower the Cambodian youth to pursue their dreams in computer science.
(12:00) – How two students who joined Monkol for an internship shaped the direction of Codingate
(14:00) – What it was like starting a tech consulting company like Codingate in 2013 compared to today
(17:00) – Human capital perspective: how anything computer related was self-taught in 2013
(19:00) – When Codingate found product market fit
(23:00) – Codingate’s sector focus for providing services and COVID’s impact on that
(28:00) – Examples of how Codingate provides digital transformation
(35:00) – Future plans for transformation at Codingate
(39:00) – How Codingate's backers are helping the business scale
(44:00) – Opportunities for startups to grow in Cambodia
(47:00) – Who Monkol would send as the 1 representative of the human race to meet aliens
(50:00) – Pillars of creating the culture at Codingate
(55:00) – Habits that keep Monkol follows to keep himself motivated and focused
(57:00) – The importance of growing and reflecting on yourself
(1:00:00) – Monkol’s most formative book (Leadership Mastery)
(1:03:00) – Most important advice you’ve ever been given
This week we are joined by Bridget of EnergyLab, a clean energy pioneer, who has been involved in the space in Cambodia and across Asia, from an investment, incubation and policy perspective since the early 2000's, when it was still a very nascent and unrealized concept in the region. She is currently leading EnergyLab Cambodia, which is the go-to organization in the country for anything clean energy related.
What we discuss:
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Cambodia's leapfrog in adopting on-grid solar over the last decade, going from no solar on the grid in 2016 to 410MW in 2021.
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Improving access to electricity; how Cambodia massively expanded the grid to reach 80% of households in a matter of years
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Roadblocks and challenges for the country to continue its path towards a diversified energy mix; seasonal balancing of renewables, industrial solar adoption, reliance on imported power, hydrocarbon exploration etc.
In this episode we are joined by Matthew Tippetts, Co-Founder & CEO of Clik. Matthew founded Clik in 2016 and is one of the most well funded startups in Cambodia having raised $4M since inception. As the CEO of Clik, Matthew aims to provide brick and mortar businesses with consumer insights beyond what is available online. By bridging the gap between merchants and their customers, Clik enables them to create a personalized consumer experience, provide a seamless secure payment and simultaneously grow their profitability.
Matthew is an experienced global entrepreneur, with over 20 years of experience in Telecom, Media and Technology, first as an investment banker, having worked for San Francisco-based leading technology investment bank Robertson Stephens and having done over 30 transactions (IPOs, private placements, M&A). Then as a hedge fund analyst, having worked for Citadel, the $30bn multi-strategy fund and finally as an advisor. He has extensive knowledge in both developed and emerging markets, especially in Cambodia where he has resided for nearly ten years and Myanmar.
What we get into:
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Why Cambodia is a perfect market for global technology startups to trial and iterate products for scaling regionally (12m people of Facebook, 70% under 30, highest affordability of data in the world etc.)
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Strategies for overcoming challenges in investors relations when presenting Cambodian startups to international investors
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Extent to which the fintech market in Cambodia is fragmented (60+ MFIs, 50+ banks, 30+ payment platforms)
This week's guest is Chy Sila, one of the most influential entrepreneurs in Cambodia, who has been at the forefront of digital innovation in the country for the last two decades. He is known as the first Cambodian, to fully become adept at computer science, spurring a generation of new entrepreneurs that have followed in his footsteps.
What we discuss:
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The immense challenge of starting an internet business in Cambodia in the 2000's, when internet connectivity and developer talent was limited
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His viewpoint on the key trends impacting media and technology in Cambodia; video on demand, freemium gaming, subscription content etc.
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Opportunities for investing in emerging founders and a variety of evolving business models in Cambodia; dairy, e-commerce, publishing etc.
In this episode we interview Trisha Mani, Fund Associate and ESG Lead at Uberis Capital, an Impact Investment Fund in Cambodia that supports social entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia. Trisha's work primarily focuses on investing and supporting innovative businesses committed to serving the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) and the Planet in the region. We really enjoyed learning about how Trisha broke into the work of Impact Investing and how she plans to use this experience to create a bigger impact in the world.
What we get into:
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Talking about Impact Investing in the region and how this niche has become a global trend.
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The role of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in investing / businesses and how this is an important factor that drives investment decisions.
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How moving to Cambodia shaped Trisha's perspective and the next steps in her career
In this episode we interview Frederic Proulx of Haystack. Fred is a vision evoking entrepreneur and investor, having had a successful career in venture in Canada, whilst keeping a passion for Southeast Asia alongside his Khmer wife Linda Phou that has been a strong pillar in his success. Fred has now turned his attention fully to Cambodia, where he is intent upon creating a leading venture builder and investment player in the country, serving as a launchpad for the region. Fred is turning the investment model on its head in Cambodia, drawing lessons from all around the world to come up with a new model that focuses on being nimble and iterating quickly, whilst creating a work environment that stresses camaraderie and collective buy-in.
What we get into:
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What early stage investors (incubators, angels, VC, PE etc.) are getting wrong and right in Cambodia?
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'If you build it they will come'; lessons in creating a culture and working environment that enable innovation and bold thinking
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Why 'good is the enemy of great' and how to get out of the trap of being a fatcat doing good work!
In this episode we interview Kenny Matthews, the CEO & Founder of Cambodia's first commercial dairy farm; Moo Moo Farms. Kenny started Moo Moo Farms in 2015, he has had a fascinating entrepreneurial journey since then to both bring about social and economic change to the country, supporting a key industry that is set to see rapid development in the coming years.
What we get into:
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Why dairy was the entrepreneurial venture that fulfilled Kenny's motivations for positive change in the country
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The trials and tribulations of being a first mover in a nascent industry (e.g. getting cows across international borders!)
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Strategies for raising capital in frontier markets; the importance of telling a story and engaging the right investor audience
In this episode we interview Kounila Keo, a leading figure in the media and marketing community in Cambodia and the region. She has had a formative career spanning media (working for leading global and local publications) whilst also working in international development and most recently launching her own communication and marketing firm, Mekhala Radiant Communications. Kounila was also the recipient of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Asia in 2017. We are excited to release this episode on International Women's Day in Cambodia.
What we get into:
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How the marketing industry in Cambodia is having to adapt rapidly to social media adoption in the country.
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Different approaches to working across a wide array of client mandates; startups, influencers, NGOs, MNCs etc.
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Lessons learned from leading the expansion of Mekhala Radiant Communication's into new markets such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos.
In this episode we interview Rithy Thul, a true tech pioneer in Cambodia, acting as a role model for the new generation of tech entrepreneurs in the country. He founded SmallWorld Venture (VC firm) in 2011, Codingate in 2013 (tech development), Selendra (blockchain) in 2016, VitaminAir (ecoliving) in 2017 and Koompi (computer hardware and software) in 2018.
What we get into:
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Rithy's early journey into tech in Cambodia, leaving university and self-educating himself whilst living out of a pagoda in Phnom Penh
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His passion for blockchain technology, having been an early adopter of Bitcoin, Ethereum and smart contracts since 2010
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Vision for SmallWorld Venture; catalyzing small ticket size investments in Cambodia, backing the new breed of tech entrepreneurs in the country
In this episode we interview Indranil Roy, a really experienced entrepreneur having worked across a varying array of geographies and sectors. He is currently leading efforts for alternative protein entrepreneurship in Cambodia, with a bold ambition to 'feed the next billion' through an innovative approach to insect farming, carving out a place in this quickly evolving business area globally.
What we get into:
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Indranil's agile approach to business concepting and prototyping; how he has applied this across his startup journey
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The unique history of cricket farming in Cambodia, and how the industry is evolving to become a new export opportunity for the country
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How insect farming is globally becoming an industry on the precipice of massively disrupting traditional animal agriculture
In this episode we interview the one and only Jim Rogers, a frontier market pioneer, that had a formative career on Wall Street alongside George Soros at The Quantum Fund, after which he turned his attention to becoming a first mover in many of the most exciting emerging market success stories of today, committing with foresight as others were unable to recognise the long term opportunities.
What we get into:
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Literally motorbiking across the world and seeing first hand the opportunties in nascent markets in the 1980's and beyond
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Being one of the first foreign investors in countries all over Asia and Africa
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Catastraphe equaling opportunity and how this applies to markets such as North Korea, Iran and Venezuela today
In this episode we interview Hassan Hajam, a social business early pioneer having been a mentee of Muhammad Yunus, originally from Tunisia, working currently in the impact accelerator space in Cambodia, having previously worked in Haiti and India.
What we get into:
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The similarities and differences in building social businesses in various frontier markets
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Sectors in Cambodia that look poised to be at the forefront of positive environmental and social change
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The growing movement towards impact investing globally and how this is being understood and applied in Cambodia
In this episode we interview Omar Sher, an entrepreneur in Cambodia, originally from Pakistan, working in the energy space in Cambodia, having lived and worked all over Asia.
What we get into:
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Pioneering smart grid solutions in Cambodia
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Understanding of factors at play in the energy market in Cambodia
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Ability of smart grids to reduce electricity costs in Cambodia and catalyze investment activity
In this episode we interview Tomas Gimenez, a business operator in Cambodia, originally from the USA, working in the FMCG space in Cambodia, having previously worked at BCG in New York.
What we get into:
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Strategies for FMCG market entry into a frontier market
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Understanding the unique customer profile of the Mekong region
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Novel approaches to cross-cultural marketing and sales
In this episode we interview Cheryl Ng, startup incubator manager and international consultant for UNDP in Cambodia, originally from the Greater Toronto Area, working in the startup incubator space in Cambodia, having previously worked at Microsoft and Power Unit Youth Organization in Canada. She is also Co-Founder of Gen I and the Impactful Work Podcast, empowering audiences to create impact in everyday work by learning from professionals engaged in social impact work globally and locally.
What we get into:
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Deep dive into UNDP's Bluetribe incubator and their strategy for growing early-stage ventures in Cambodia's frontier market
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Building before approving: overcoming the barriers of regulation in high growth sectors
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Filling the missing gap between incubators and accelerators within the country
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Appetite for investment in frontier markets and in Cambodia
Welcome to the Rising Giants Podcast with your hosts Max Thornton (FM VC Investor) and Dominic Kalousek (FM Impact Investor). Max grew up in the UK and currently works at OBOR Capital, previously at Oxford Business Group and Sharpe Capital. Dominic grew up in the US and currently works at Sevea and UBERIS Capital, previously at Bank of America.
Max & Dom begin the podcast by interviewing one another about their life stories and how they got involved in frontier market investing.
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Journeys to working and living in Cambodia
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What got them excited about investing in Southeast Asia
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Professional backgrounds and approaches to frontier market investing