Crazy Smart Asia: Recent Episodes
Generation T
Crazy Smart Asia lifts the lid on the unexpected stories behind some of Asia’s boldest disruptors. Every week we talk with a young leader about the crazy-smart approaches they’re taking to achieve success and tackle some of the biggest issues facing Asia today.
"The first generation builds the family business, second generation consolidates it, third one destroys it,” says Nepalese business mogul and philanthropist Binod Chaudhary on Crazy Smart Asia. With his son and successor Nirvana, he spoke to Tatler Asia president Tamara Lamunière about navigating relationships as a business family, how to have those awkward succession planning chats and trusting your intuition.
00:00 Introduction to Crazy Smart Asia and today's guests
01:03 The dynamics of family businesses in Asia
02:15 Inside the Choudhury family business: a billionaire father son duo
03:59 Navigating generational shifts
07:12 Binod and Nirvana’s distinct focuses
10:04 Exploring the path to IPO
12:03 The family philosophy
25:52 The Chaudhary’s shared values
27:34 Closing remarks and credits
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“I washed my face with a bar of soap,” says Charlotte Cho, the founder of K-beauty marketplace Soko Glam and skincare brand Then I Met You, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Chong Seow Wei, the OG K-beauty entrepreneur explains how to centre your work in the Korean art of “Jeong”, the VC trap founders must beware of and secrets from inside the beauty industry.
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“In F&B, we love to torture ourselves. But with the pain comes the joy of serving people, seeing people smile while eating their food,” says Chin Ren Yi, the co-founder of MyBurgerLab, a popular burger chain in Malaysia known for its local flavours and charcoal buns, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Chong Seow Wei, the entrepreneur shares his insights for longevity in his industry, overcoming co-founder split struggles and why focusing on being happy is his number one priority.
Show notes
00:00 Welcome to Crazy Smart Asia: getting to know Chin Ren Yi
01:24 Quickfire questions: the man behind the burger
02:19 Childhood reflections: mimicry, education and family time
05:46 A life-changing moment under the stars: from engineering to F&B
06:46 The introvert's journey to being an extroverted entrepreneur
09:00 The birth of MyBurgerLab
12:28 Marketing masterstroke: the viral charcoal burger
15:50 Challenges of starting a business
20:12 Early F&B experiences and influences
21:35 Crafting a unique burger experience with local flavours
23:23 Defining success through impact and growth
24:11 Achieving business longevity
25:05 Marketing focus on college students
27:45 Community leadership during the pandemic
32:44 Future plans
35:06 Learning from a co-founder leaving the business
40:32 Moving beyond hustle culture
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“Maybe your concept of entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be those of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk,” says Louise Mabulo, the founder of The Cacao Project, a restorative agroforestry initiative, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Chong Seow Wei, the entrepreneur, farmer and chef shares how she went from Masterchef Junior to TED Talk speaker to bringing pride back to farming in Asia.
Show notes:
00:30 The journey of a young farmer, chef, and entrepreneur
01:27 Quick fire questions with Louise Mabulo
02:16 From Wales to the Philippines: a story of homecoming and discovery
03:31 MasterChef Junior and the birth of a passion for chocolate
12:29 The genesis of The Cacao Project: turning crisis into opportunity
23:31 Expanding The Cacao Project and future aspirations
26:05 Personal reflections and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
31:22 Wrapping up: the importance of family and community
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This week, we pick out five inspiring quotes from the seventh season of Crazy Smart Asia to help you build a better world, better business or better you. Listen for a quickfire highlights reel of crazy-smart perspectives from our guests—from a record-breaking powerlifter to a heel-wearing Japanese monk.
If you enjoyed these short clips, why not go back and listen to the full episodes:
- The recipe to keeping the creative flame alive, with André Chiang and Syed Asim Hussain
- The power of small steps with impact entrepreneur and mountaineer, Christine Amour-Levar
- Bootstrap business to multimillion-dollar fashion brand with Love, Bonito co-founder, Rachel Lim
- The key to self-acceptance with Buddhist monk and LGBTQ+ icon, Kodo Nishimura
- Raising the bar: Singapore’s record-breaking powerlifter Farhanna Farid on the champion mindset
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“I never really thought cooking was my thing,” says culinary anthropologist Nithiya Laila, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Chong Seow Wei, Laila shares how she’s built a business around communal eating, how the produce we grow and eat tells the story of who we are and the surprising reason she played truant at school.
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“I really believe in the power of small steps. That discipline has been key in achieving certain things in my life,” says Christine-Amour Levar, the Singapore-based founder of NGOs Women on a Mission and Her Planet Earth, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Chong Seow Wei, the avid mountaineer shares how her divorce reconnected her with nature, why her mother calls her a “little ant” and how she’s supporting other women, one expedition at a time.
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“I might be homosexual, but it does not matter. Anybody can be enlightened,” says Japanese author, Buddhist monk and LGBTQ+ icon Kodo Nishimura, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Chong Seow Wei, Nishimura shares his journey growing up queer in a temple, how to build your uniqueness into a brand and why he’s got love for Sailor Moon, Drew Barrymore and Super Mario.
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“If you want to be first rate at your work, it can't be all that you are,” says Rachel Lim, the co-founder of multimillion-dollar fashion brand Love Bonito, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Chong Seow Wei, Lim shares how she’s built Singapore’s fastest-growing fashion brand, why timing is everything when it comes to having difficult conversations, and why an email titled ‘A Cry for Help’ changed everything.
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“If your creativity is not solving a problem, it’s not creative,” says world-renowned chef André Chiang, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with restaurateur Syed Asim Hussain of Black Sheep and food and travel editor Johannes Pong, he shares the less glamorous realities of running a restaurant empire, why creativity is an essential tool for innovation, and how to motivate and manage your teams.
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“Being that stubborn and committed to a cause can take you really far,” says three-time record-breaking powerlifter Farhanna Farid, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei, Farhanna shares the moment she discovered her knack for powerlifting, why her ultimate goal is to be a competitive “silver lifter” at 70 years old and how the psychological benefits of lifting are empowering women in Singapore and around the world.
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“There's a growing interest for investors to put their money where their heart is,” says Dorothy Lam, the co-founder and chief catalyst officer of Dream Impact, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei, Lam shares why building a community isn’t as easy as it looks, how she went from NYC art student to impact investing founder, and navigating the thorny road of investment matchmaking.
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"I have to train my mind just as much as my body, because it's like a muscle, it needs to be prepared for the competition," says Nicol David, a record-breaking squash champion, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Sean Fitzpatrick, David shares the visualisation techniques she uses to secure gold medals, why the mind is just as much a muscle as the body, and how she’s setting up a Malaysian squash legacy for the future.
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This week, we’ve picked out five inspiring quotes from the latest season of Crazy Smart Asia to help you build a better world, a better business, or even just a better you. Listen for a quickfire highlights reel of crazy-smart perspectives from our guests, with Tatler Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei.
If you enjoyed these short clips, why not go back and listen to the full episodes:
- Living under a long shadow: Juan Pablo Escobar on the power of legacy
- Commitment at any cost: Nobel Peace Prize nominee Mahbouba Seraj on standing up against the Taliban
- How to live forever, with de-ageing specialist Bryan Johnson
- Unlocking the science and business of intimacy, with sexperts Maaike Steinebach and Sara Tang
- The blueprint for disruption, according to YouTube’s Steve Chen and Catcha Group’s Patrick Grove
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“To build a great business, you need to tackle a problem,” says YouTube co-founder Steve Chen in conversation with fellow tech legend Patrick Grove, co-founder and CEO of Catcha Group, on Crazy Smart Asia. The duo speak with 14-year-old youth tech advocate and AI researcher, Zara Khanna, about the disruptor’s blueprint, why they’d take an A-plus hustle over a B-plus business plan any day and what it takes to be a one-in-a-billion entrepreneur.
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Technology can democratise personal well-being, says sextech advisor and investor Maaike Steinebach and sex coach, sexologist and educator at Sarasense, Sara Tang, on Tatler Gen.T’s Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Unsensible’s co-founder Karis Cheng, the pair share their mission to make the world more sex-positive, the growing popularity of audio erotica and the cringeworthy sex-ed lessons they received at school.
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"We have no time to doubt ourselves," says Malaysian biofuels industry trailblazer, Vinesh Sinha, the founder and CEO of FatHopes Energy on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's former regional head Lee Williamson, Sinha shares how one Top Gear episode inspired him to get started, how he’s scaling a circular economy business using a 90/10 approach and the unexpected plastic surgery waste material you’ll never guess can be upcycled.
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“If you don't show fear, truly, honestly; they back up,” says Mahbouba Seraj, a women’s rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Tatler Gen.T’s Tamara Lamuniere, Seraj shares why she refuses to leave Afghanistan, what happens when you’re forced to fight for what you believe in, and why we must let up in the fight for the freedom and autonomy of women and girls, all over the world.
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“What is success? For me, it's something that we can truly enjoy during our lives,” says Juan Pablo Escobar, now known as Sebastián Marroquín, the son of the notorious politician, criminal and cartel leader, Pablo Escobar, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Marroquín shares how to step out of your father’s shadow to redefine your legacy, the power of choosing your own path and what Netflix’s Narcos got wrong about his father––the world’s most feared drug kingpin.
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“When you’re sleep deprived and you have a bad diet, you’re half dead,” says the tech billionaire biohacking his body and mind in pursuit of immortality, Blueprint founder Bryan Johnson, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Johnson shares why being an unhealthy entrepreneur is holding you back, how his anti-ageing regimen has lowered his biological age by 31 years, and why sleep should always be your starting point.
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This week, we’ve picked out five inspiring quotes from the latest episodes of Crazy Smart Asia to help you build a better world, a better business, or even just a better you. Listen for a quickfire highlights reel of crazy-smart perspectives from our guests, with Tatler Gen.T’s Lee Williamson.
If you enjoyed these short clips, why not go back and listen to the full episodes:
- The fisherman’s son who built an AI-powered education platform, with Preface founder Tommie Lo
- Closing the gender funding gap, with investor Sarah Chen-Spellings
- Facing roadblocks head on, with Angkas co-founder and CEO Angeline Tham
- How to impact a billion people, with Carbonbase founder Max Song
- Two “nobodies” who changed the Malaysian constitution, with Undi18 co-founders Qyira Yusri and Tharma Pillai
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“Anywhere on earth can be your classroom, as long as it fits your lifestyle,” says Tommie Lo, the founder of AI-powered education platform Preface, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Lo shares how growing up on a boat as a fisherman’s son decentralised his views on education, why he chose waiting tables in a Chinese restaurant over following Barack Obama to The White House, and which football team he credits with his leadership style.
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“Climate change is not an immediate entrepreneurial target,” says Max Song, ex-coder and founder and CEO of Carbonbase, on Crazy Smart Asia. From gaining his first gig couch-surfing post-Burning Man in California, to living on the streets of Paris, Max tells Gen.T’s Lee Williamson why running a company’s like surfing, how an internship with Nasa inspired intergalactic goals, and a quickfire confession to make you smile.
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"Mothers are the best business leaders because they don’t have the luxury of time," says Sarah Chen-Spellings, the co-founder of Beyond the Billion, a consortium of venture capital funds focused on getting US$1 billion into the pockets of female founders, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T's Lee Williamson, Chen-Spellings shares how she’s trying to redress the vast gender imbalance in VC funding, how she secured a US$30 million deal at just 25 years old, and why she’s always looking to eat more salt.
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“If we don’t do this, I don’t think anyone else can do it,” says Angeline Tham, the co-founder and CEO of Angkas, the on-demand motorcycle taxi app revolutionising how people get around in the gridlocked city of Manila, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Angeline shares insights on how to successfully run a business with your partner, the moment that led her to consider hiring bodyguards, and why ending poverty in the Philippines is her ultimate mission.
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“What's unexpected is the idea that two young students, two nobodies, can essentially transform a country's democracy,” say Qyira Yusri and Tharma Pillai, co-founders of Malaysian advocacy group Undi18, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Yusri and Pillai share the anatomy of a winning political campaign, why young Malaysians are a force to be reckoned with, and the surprisingly antagonistic start to their co-founder dynamic.
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This week, we’ve picked out five inspiring quotes from the last eight episodes of Crazy Smart Asia to help you build a better world, a better business, or even just a better you. Listen for a quickfire highlights reel of crazy-smart perspectives from our guests, with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson.
If you enjoyed these short clips, why not go back and listen to the full episodes:
- The making of an Asian hip-hop icon, with Singaporean rapper Yung Raja
- Why integrity is the key to business longevity, with Malaysian entrepreneur Joel Neoh
- Talking founder mental health and blanket burritos, with Neurum Health founder Megan Lam
- Standing up to disrupt gender and racial stereotypes, with comedian Sharul Channa
- Colouring outside of the lines, with non-binary artists Sam Lo
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“Validation is just a cherry on top,” says Victoria Tang-Owen, the creative director and serial entrepreneur behind Thirty30 Creative and Victoria Tang Studio, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Tang-Owen shares insights on how to hone a unique creative outlook that will stand you apart from the crowd, the secret to successfully doing business with your family, and a rebellious Sagittarius streak that spelled teenage trouble.
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“Don’t take the shortcut, never start walking the grey line,” says Joel Neoh, a four-time exited founder and titan of the Malaysian entrepreneurial scene, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Neoh shares a comprehensive guide on how to be a kick-ass entrepreneur: why having the entrepreneurial x-factor is about being a visionary, an optimist and a realist, why purpose is crucial to success, and why he was always more into playing with snails than selling lemonade.
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“Think about your energy and your mental health like any other resource,” says Neurum Health founder Megan Lam, who is revolutionising the path to personalised mental healthcare, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Lam shares her own journey with mental health, how she dealt with discriminatory investors looking to slash her company’s valuation because of an engagement ring, and why every entrepreneur needs the odd blanket burrito moment.
Check out Lam's podcast: Have You Eaten? (你食咗飯未呀?)
Singapore’s only queer, transgender street artist, Sam Lo, shares how they’ve defied binary societal expectations and broken out the box to be one of Singapore’s stand-out creatives. From stickers to graffiti to murals, Sam, who was once subbed “Sticker Lady”, is a multi-talented artist who has overcome the odds to become one of Asia’s biggest up and coming young artists. In conversation with Crazy Smart Asia’s Lee Williamson, Sam Lo reveals why they’ve never coloured inside the lines, what happened when they got arrested, and how they cultivate the mental strength required to always go against the grain.
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“Women have not hit their peak in comedy yet,” says Singaporean comedian Sharul Channa, who is obliterating Asia's comedy boy's club, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Channa shares her insights on the transferable skills between comedy and entrepreneurship, the reality of dealing with harassment and discrimination as a female comedian of colour, and what she learnt with her guru in the Indian mountains that forever changed her outlook.
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“I feel like Asia is ready, man,” says Singaporean-Tamil rapper Yung Raja, talking about Southeast Asia’s ascent to hip-hop’s global stage, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Yung Raja shares his journey to become Asia’s first true hip-hop superstar, what he really thought about that infamous Jimmy Fallon incident, and why “positive vibes” are central to his entrepreneurial spirit.
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“Building a sustainable business is at the core of entrepreneurship,” says self-confessed “cool nerd” Ankit Suri, co-founder of Planto, a personal finance app that has over 500,000 monthly users, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Suri shares how he faces every challenge with an action-oriented mindset, why sustainable profitability trumps insane growth, and what he learnt about being product-focused from Henry Ford.
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“There's so much that life has to offer. There are ups and downs, [...] but the downs are essential to your growth,” says introverted Scorpio Nadine Lustre, Filippina musician and actor on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, we revisit this significant conversation from December 2021 where Lustre shares her experiences with mental health and depression and the mantra that gets her through the toughest times in life.
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This week, we’ve picked out five inspiring quotes from the last eight episodes of Crazy Smart Asia to help you build a better world, a better business, or even just a better you. Listen for a quickfire highlights reel of crazy-smart perspectives from our guests, with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson.
If you enjoyed these short clips, why not go back and listen to the full episodes:
- Big battery energy, with Ampd Energy co-founder Brandon Ng.
- Why being a servant leader means you’re a real boss, with OliveX co-founder Keith Rumjahn.
- Employing a ‘sharp mind’ to combat armed resistance, with Masungi Georeserve co-founders Ann and Billie Dumaliang.
- Leaning into your differences, with Tsangs Group Chairman Patrick Tsang.
- Revolutionising luxury watch retail for Gen Z, with Wristcheck founder Austen Chu.
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“Life is all about attitude. We can’t all be as athletic as Ronaldo, or as smart as Einstein, but we just have to be the best level of who we are today,” says investor Patrick Tsang, chairman of Tsangs Group, an innovation-focused global family office, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Tsang shares how growing up Asian in Belfast during the Troubles gave him a crash-course in identity, why his biggest-ever IPO left him feeling flat, and his mission to help revive Hong Kong with his latest venture, the Hong Kong Ambassadors Club.
Enjoyed this conversation? Check out Patrick’s podcast Anything is Possible, which shares the uplifting stories of global leaders.
“We’re at the dawn of the battery revolution,” says “awkward extrovert” and accidental entrepreneur Brandon Ng, the Brunei-born co-founder and CEO of Ampd Energy, a Hong Kong energy storage company that’s committed to making the construction industry emission-free. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Ng shares what’s next for battery technology in Asia, the surprising thing he learnt about Prince William as a finalist at The Earthshot Prize, and the one commonality that ties all entrepreneurs together.
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“We're not just making something we think is cool,” says robotics whiz turned custodian of the oceans Sidhant Gupta, co-founder of Clearbot, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Gupta, whose company designs and manufacturers battery-powered autonomous boats, shares why all businesses should be social impact businesses, how growing up in the landlocked city of Bengaluru with polluted lakes shaped his outlook, and how it all started with a Guinness World record for creating the world’s fastest robotic fish
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“Find the passions you love, and work on it daily”, says Steven Wongsoredjo, the co-founder and CEO of Indonesian social commerce startup Super, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Lee Williamson, tune in to learn why social commerce is such a huge opportunity in Southeast Asia’s rural communities, the secret to Super’s US$106 million celebrity-backed fundraise, why Wongsoredjo rates emotional intelligence as the most important leadership quality, and the stripey pollinator that haunts his nightmares.
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“It burned me inside that no one cared what I did,” says self-confessed “expat brat” Erman Akinci, co-founder and managing partner at Emissary Capital, a boutique investment firm based in Kuala Lumpur, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Akinci—who is also co-founder of Common Ground, one of Southeast Asia’s biggest co-working spaces—shares how he found his business “gut”, how a savage putdown from his secondary school maths teacher changed everything, and why you should always beware the fabled “last minute lawyer”.
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“Our work involves spiritual, mental and physical fortitude; [...] you have to be strong,” says Billie Dumaliang, who, along with her sister Ann, is a co-founder of Masungi Georeserve Foundation, a model for privately led conservation, sustainable reforestation and geotourism in the Philippines. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, the Dumaliang sisters share how to cultivate courage in life or death situations, why climate activists must prioritise their health, and how you can defend a rainforest using a pair of beauty scissors and a camera.
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“I exceeded all expectations from everyone, including myself,” says self-confessed “late bloomer” Keith Rumjahn, co-founder and CEO of OliveX, a fitness-focused technology company he took from inception to IPO in just three years on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Rumjahn shares how he’s riding out the Web3 wobble, how a Dragonball Z card dispenser changed everything, and why being a servant leader means you’re a real boss.
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“I don't really take advice from people that haven't done what I'm trying to do,” says Austen Chu, co-founder and CEO of Wristcheck, on Crazy Smart Asia. In conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, Chu shares how he deals with age discrimination in the watch industry, why being relentless in pursuit of your goals is the key to achieving your dreams, and how he’s using community to help a new generation of watch collectors.
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Wednesday 12th April Crazy Smart Asia is back weekly with an unexpected story from Asia’s brightest disruptors. Gen.T’s Lee Williamson explains more.
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Gen.T's podcast Crazy Smart Asia explores the unexpected stories of Asia's disruptors.
We'll be back in November with a full third season of Crazy Smart Asia. But until then, as a teaser to the full third season, we wanted to share with you a fascinating conversation Gen.T hosted recently on climate change and how the actions we take as individuals can cause real global change.
Lee Williamson spoke with marine biologist Dr Emma Camp and social entrepreneur Natalie
Chung about how our everyday sustainable actions can have real global impact.
Gen.T’s podcast Crazy Smart Asia explores the unexpected stories of Asia’s disruptors.
We’ll be back in the new year with Season Three, but in the interim we have a special one-off conversation we wanted to share with you.
Gen.T has been collaborating with Tod’s this year, specifically the brand’s No_Code line, a new hybrid footwear concept for the visionaries shaping our future, created by Korean designer Yong Bae Seok.
There are plenty of parallels between the purpose of Yong Bae’s No_Code line and Gen.T’s mission to recognise and help increase the impact of Asia’s most promising young leaders, which is why we seized the opportunity to speak to Yong Bae.
In this mini episode, Gen.T’s Tamara Lamunière speaks with Yong Bae about sustainability in fashion, the future of footwear, and why we need a global design philosophy.
Gen.T’s podcast Crazy Smart Asia explores the unexpected stories of Asia’s disruptors.
One in four people will struggle with depression and other mental health issues at some point in their lives. For entrepreneurs, that number doubles to one in two.
As we approach the third year of the pandemic, with the added stress, uncertainty and loss we’ve all felt still bubbling beneath the surface, now more than ever we need to be mindful of our mental health.
For Nadine Lustre, it starts with awareness. The actor, singer, activist and entrepreneur has long been vocal about her own mental health battles, in the hope of ending the stigma around the subject in her native Philippines.
And then, everything changed for Nadine. Her brother, who was also battling his own demons, took his own life, leaving Nadine to ask if there was anything more she could have done to help him.
In response, she’s doubled down, working with other public figures to launch startup MindYou, which aims to make mental health more accessible and cheaper in the Philippines. She’s also been increasingly forthright in sharing her own struggles with depression, to spread the message to people at their lowest that they’re not alone, that help is available—including a major revelation in this episode that she’s never shared publicly before.
In a candid conversation, Nadine lays everything on the table, discussing music, fame and the mantra that helps her get through the toughest times.
RUNNING ORDER:
- Introduction from Gen.T’s regional managing director, Tamara Lamunière
- Quickfire round (2m 00s)
- Who is Nadine Lustre? (4m 30s)
- Dealing with childhood fame (5m 50s)
- Identity crisis (9m 30s)
- Dealing with the pressures of fame (11m 40s)
- Standing up food yourself (14m 00s)
- Helping people get access to care with MindYou (17m 30s)
- Battling the stigma around mental health (19m 10s)
- Coping after her brother’s suicide (24m 50s)
- Suicidal thoughts (27m 50s)
- The power of sharing your experiences (30m 20s)
- Social media and mental health (32m 50s)
- Innovating with new formats and styles of music (36m 20s)
- Interview with Grace Tam, Chief Investment Adviser, Hong Kong at BNP Paribas Wealth Management (40m 40s)
- The success difference (44m 00s)
- A question no one has ever asked (45m 20s)
- Final thought (49m 20s)
If you’re struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please remember that help is always at hand. Refer to this list of suicide crisis lines around the world to get help wherever you are.
Gen.T’s podcast Crazy Smart Asia explores the unexpected stories of Asia’s disruptors.
In 2020, serial entrepreneur Danny Yeung was hitting his stride with his startup Prenetics, seeing success with its consumer-facing genetic testing brand, Circle DNA. And then Covid hit.
Realising he had the labs, the talent and the tenacity to help, Danny quickly pivoted the business. To date, Prenetics has conducted more than six million Covid-19 tests globally, helping to curb the spread of the virus and keep the world running during the pandemic.
The company’s successful pivot led to breakneck growth and a surging valuation. In September this year, Prenetics announced it would become the first unicorn company from Hong Kong to publicly list, via a SPAC merger that will put the company on the Nasdaq at a valuation of US$1.7 billion.
So how did Danny go from trailblazing entrepreneur to Hong Kong’s hero of the pandemic? How did he manage the rapid growth, and what were the key decisions that led to his success? In this episode, we discuss the answers to these questions and more.
RUNNING ORDER:
- Introduction from Gen.T’s regional managing director, Tamara Lamunière
- Quickfire round (2m 30s)
- Who is Danny Yeung? (4m 20s)
- Childhood in San Francisco (5m 35s)
- A strong work ethic (9m 30s)
- Why passion is important (10m 20s)
- The less glamorous side of entrepreneurship (13m 10s)
- Where Danny’s passion is directed (17m 50s)
- Leadership traits (19m 10s)
- Being a hands-on CEO (21m 00s)
- Finding time to build a network (22m 00s)
- Are good leaders less agreeable? (23m 40s)
- Interview with Prashant Bhayani, Chief Investment Officer, Asia Pacific at BNP Paribas Wealth Management (25m 10s)
- Not following a roadmap (28m 20s)
- Jumping from e-commerce to digital health (30m 10s)
- The Covid pivot (31m 00s)- Managing rapid growth (36m 30s)
- What’s next? (39m 10s)
- His last company (41m 20s)
- The success difference (43m 10s)
Crazy Smart Asia explores the unexpected stories of Asia’s disruptors.
When was the last time you needed quick access to expertise to help you move forward? If you’re running a business, maybe the question should be when was the last time today?
Whether you’re running an SME or a global multinational, all leaders need tailored business intelligence to help them chart the right course. In today’s hyper-connected world, where everyone has access to millions of data points, having the right insights can mean the difference between failure and success.
Which explains why entrepreneur Peggy Choi’s knowledge-as-a-service platform Lynk has grown so rapidly, doubling its workforce to 250 people across eight countries in the last two years, and raising US$29 million in a Series B round earlier in 2021.
But even when you have more than 840,000 experts in your network, there are still some things you have to figure out on your own—like how to build a company culture over Zoom, how to navigate early fundraising rounds as a female founder, and how to grow as a leader, and a person, at the same breakneck speed as your company.
Peggy discusses how she overcame these hurdles and more in a contemplative conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson. On top of that, the pair also discuss skateboards, the importance of a “permanent beta” mindset, and why founders always need to be mindful of the… toilet paper?
RUNNING ORDER:
- Introduction from Gen.T’s regional managing director, Tamara Lamunière
- Quickfire round (1m 50s)
- Coming up with the idea for Lynk (4m 20s)
- Taking the leap into entrepreneurship (7m 20s)
- Measuring success on your own terms (9m 00s)
- Growing as a person as your business grows (10m 10s)
- Adaptive leadership (11m 40s)
- How stress levels change (14m 00s)
- The value of connections (15m 00s)
- Being a sole founder (16m 00s)
- Toughest setbacks faced (17m 30s)
- Finding the right people (19m 40s)
- Growing pains (22m 00s)
- Building company culture through Zoom (23m 30s)
- Permanent beta (26m 10s)
- Getting VCs on board in the early days (29m 10s)
- Interview with Lemuel Lee, BNP Paribas Wealth Management’s Head of Hong Kong Market, about the power of connections (30m 10s)
- Skills you need as a founder (34m 00s)
- Bootstrapping in the early stage (35m 30s)
- The first customer call (36m 30s)
- Would you go the venture route again? (39m 00s)
- Raising money as a female founder (40m 10s)
- Always strive for excellence (42m 40s)
- Give yourself space (45m 20s)
- How art influenced Peggy as an entrepreneur (46m 40s)
- Final thought (48m 00s)
Gen.T’s podcast Crazy Smart Asia explores the unexpected stories of Asia’s disruptors.
Twenty years ago, David Yeung became a vegetarian. He was mocked; his family asked him why. He had no idea it would change his life forever.
In 2012, he founded Green Monday, a social venture and advocacy organisation, to tackle the looming issues around climate change, food insecurity and public health. Even his closest friends doubted his business model.
A few years later, he created Green Common, a plant-based grocery store that now has 15 outlets across Asia, following it with the launch of OmniPork, now OmniFoods, which produces plant-based meat alternatives that focus on the tastes and demands of the Asian market.
Today, Green Monday is the leader in Asia’s rapidly growing alternative protein industry. In 2020, it raised US$70 million in its fourth fundraising round, the largest raise for an alt-protein startup in Asia to date, with celebrity investors including James Cameron, Mary McCartney and Susan Rockefeller.
Above all, the company is making good on David’s promise of tackling some of the biggest challenges facing the planet today. Needless to say, they’re not mocking now.
In a breathless conversation that covered so much ground, we discussed the difficult early days, the future of the alt-protein industry, and how he went from running a chain of grocery stores to creating a global food tech giant.
RUNNING ORDER:
- Introduction from Gen.T’s regional managing director, Tamara Lamunière
- Quickfire questions (1m 50s)
- Turning a passion into a business (5m 10s)
- The decision to act (9m 10s)
- The next five years of plant-based innovation (10m 20s)
- This is just the beginning (14m 40s)
- From grocery stores to food tech (16m 50s)
- Using the stores to collect consumer data (19m 0s)
- The importance of planning and patience (20m 20s)
- Building a community and ecosystem (21m 20s)
- The early days were the hardest (22m 20s)
- Self-belief and perseverance (23m 40s)
- Interview with Lemuel Lee, BNP Paribas Wealth Management’s Head of Hong Kong Market, about the growth of the alternative protein industry in Asia (26m 20s)
- A rising tide lifts all ships (28m 50s)
- Don’t build a company to chase funding (31m 40s)
- The value of failure (35m 10s)
- Final thought (38m 20s)
Crazy Smart Asia explores the unexpected stories of Asia’s disruptors.
This week, Gen.T’s Tamara Lamunière is in the interviewer’s chair for the episode, talking with entrepreneur, philanthropist and Nepal’s only billionaire, Binod Chaudhary.
Binod is the chairman of CG Corp Global, a multinational conglomerate that comprises over 160 companies—with interests in everything from education to hospitality—employing more than 15,000 people.
Aside from his business success, Binod has an active public life. He’s served as a member of Nepal’s parliament for a number of years, and his non-profit, The Chaudhary Foundation, is dedicated to the sustainable development of Nepal.
Among other topics, the two discuss navigating the hurdles unique to a family business, the importance of a risk appetite and the one key trait you need for business success that you won’t get from an MBA.
RUNNING ORDER:
- Taking over the family business at a young age (1m 50s)
- What you won’t learn at business school (5m 40s)
- Can you cultivate entrepreneurial skills? (7m 30s)
- Using your gut (9m 20s)
- The importance of a risk appetite (10m 40s)
- How to learn as a business leader (14m 10s)
- The issues unique to a family business (18m 00s)
- Interview with Anton Wong, BNP Paribas Wealth Management’s Head of Taiwan Market, about the challenges facing next-gen business leaders (23m 40s)
- The importance of a strong network (26m 30s)
- The five pillars of a successful life (28m 10s)
- Putting a long-term vision in place (31m 40s)
- The value of sacrificing (34m 50s)
Gen.T’s podcast Crazy Smart Asia explores the unexpected stories of Asia’s disruptors—and not many successful entrepreneurs have a more unconventional story than this week’s guest.
Jaeson Ma is a musician, entrepreneur and investor best known as the co-founder of 88 Rising, a music label, talent management and media company that focuses on bridging East and West through culture, technology and entertainment.
But that only tells a fraction of the story. Much like the content he produces, Jaeson’s life is pure box office. There’s his childhood run-ins with the law, his years spent as a celebrity preacher and evangelist, not to mention his career as a musician, when he discovered a little-known artist called Bruno Mars. And that’s before we get into his career as a trend-spotting VC and how Paris Hilton helped him invest in Tik Tok.
In a slightly extended edition this week, Jaeson and Gen.T’s Lee Williamson discuss the unconventional path he took to business success, the power of cool, the importance of humility, and why the most difficult battle will always be with yourself. Oh, and they might also touch upon Jay Z and the Illuminati.
RUNNING ORDER:
- A picture of Jaeson’s career (2m 00s)
- Early run-ins with the law (3m 20s)
- Experiences as a missionary (11m 30s)
- Reading The Bible cover to cover (13m 50s)
- Responding to non-believers (16m 50s)
- Going from preacher to entrepreneur (19m 50s)
- Working for MC Hammer (26m 20s)
- The rise of Asian culture (28m 00s)
- A new boss in town (23m 20s)
- Spotting trends early (35m 30s)
- How Paris Hilton helped him invest in Tik Tok (38m 50s)
- The power of cool (41m 30s)
- Interview with Grace Tam, Chief Investment Advisor, Hong Kong at BNP Paribas Wealth Management about the Asian Century and the opportunities investors should be looking out for
- Controlling your path and your destiny (48m 00s)
- The importance of humility (51m 20s)
- Your greatest battle is with yourself (53m 10s)
Crazy Smart Asia explores the unexpected stories of Asia’s disruptors.
This week’s guest is Ankiti Bose, co-founder of e-commerce startup Zilingo. A B2B fashion platform, Zilingo provides tech-enabled supply chain solutions to small merchants across Asia, handling an annual sales volume exceeding US$1bn.
During the conversation, Ankiti is straight-shooting and refreshingly honest. Not one to shy away from the big topics, she gives anything but sanitised soundbites in her conversation with Gen.T’s Lee Williamson, as the pair get into some of the realest challenges facing entrepreneurs today.
On the agenda for discussion: the potential “curse” of the near-unicorn tag, tackling misogyny head-on, the mental health struggles entrepreneurs deal with, and the tough decisions she faced at the beginning of the pandemic, when Zilingo had to restructure to weather the storm.
RUNNING ORDER:
- Quickfire round (2m 00s)
- The why (5m 00s)
- Zilingo’s pivot (6m 40s)
- The weight of the unicorn tag (10m 30s)
- Gender inequality (12m 30s)
- Becoming an entrepreneur (19m 30s)
- How the pandemic changed the industry (21m 40s)
- Restructuring and tough decisions (24m 00s)
- How to deal with “no” (28m 50s)
- Responding to failure (30m 00s)
- “Pathological” optimism (32m 00s)
- Shouldering responsibility (34m 20s)
- Interview with Anton Wong, BNP Paribas Wealth Management’s Head of Taiwan Market, about future e-commerce trends (36m 20s)
- Mental resilience (39m 20s)
- Final thought (41m 50s)
Crazy Smart Asia explores the unexpected stories of Asia’s disruptors.
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, the first guest of our second season, might not be from the region, but his global influence is undeniable.
Wikipedia is the fourth most-visited site in the world. Its billions of pageviews a month leave the likes of Amazon and Twitter in its dust, making it indisputably one of the most influential brands of the 21st century. From helping high school kids with their homework to busting misinformation about vaccines and climate change, Wikipedia is a vital cultural touchstone and advocate of truth.
Through it all has been Wales’ unwavering desire to marry both purpose and profit. So is it true that he put Wikipedia into a charity foundation when it was worth over 3 billion dollars? Well, yes and no.
In conversation with Gen.T’s regional editorial director Lee Williamson, Jimmy sets the record straight on turning down billions, and talks about the power of community, the value of failure, and why he’s not trying to be the anti-Zuckerberg.
RUNNING ORDER:
- Quickfire round (2m 30s)
- The origins of Wikipedia (10m 00s)
- The power of community (13m 00s)
- Hardest lessons and regrets (15m 20s)
- The value of failure (18m 40s)
- Pivotal decisions to success (22m 40s)
- The good guy of the internet (24m 30s)
- Balancing purpose with profit (29m 40s)
- Interview with Lemuel Lee, BNP Paribas Wealth Management’s Head of Hong Kong market, about marrying profit and purpose in business (34m 00s)
- The difference that leads to success (36m 40s)
- Final thought (38m 40s)
A few years ago, Joseph Phua was looking for a girlfriend. After discovering that Asia’s dating apps were nowhere as advanced as those in the US, he decided to make his own. The app, Paktor, quickly became Southeast Asia’s most popular, with more than 20 million users across eight countries today.
Over the next few years, Joseph’s startup transitioned to become a social entertainment company through a series of key acquisitions. Now established as M17 Entertainment Group, the company is transforming how Asia dates and streams video.
In this episode, Joseph talks to Gen.T editor Lee Williamson about the dawn of the livestream era, how our social norms will change post-pandemic, and leading as a human, not a boss.
Depending on your point of view, big data and AI will either save the world or be the end of us.
Stephanie Sy’s data science consultancy, Thinking Machines, builds machine learning models for organisations including the World Bank and Unicef, using data to tackle the biggest issues facing the planet today. But while Stephanie’s company demonstrates how AI can be harnessed to make the world a better place, she’s far from blind of the perils of the misuse of data.
In her conversation with Gen.T editor Lee Williamson, former Googler Stephanie covers everything from the privacy paradox to fake news. She also shares why she’s never accepted VC money and why, despite appearances, 2020 might be the best year to start a company.
There’s no consensus on exactly how many Asian jobs technology will make redundant over the next decade, but there is one thing almost all experts can agree on—our antiquated education systems are failing to prepare our children.
Natalie Chan’s startup Own Academy is working to fix that problem. Her programmes for high school students help prepare children for the realities of the new economy. Not one for setting small goals, Own Academy is just the first part of Natalie’s 30-year plan for an Asia-based education revolution.
She shares that plan with Gen.T editor Lee Williamson, discussing everything from the power of mindset to will.i.am along the way.
In just a few years, Lucy Liu and her co-founders went from café owners to the founders of a fintech giant with the potential to disrupt the global financial system.
But Lucy says she’s always been the unconventional one, eschewing stereotypes and prejudices and only focusing on the work, growing her startup to unicorn status by the age of 28.
The idea behind her company Airwallex was simple enough—to use technology to make B2B cross-border payments simpler and cheaper. The execution? Not so straightforward.
Lucy talks to Gen.T editor Lee Williamson about how she made that vision a reality, the secret to fundraising, and why people still don’t believe she’s a tech founder.
Social activist Noor Mastura says community is the key to humanity—that the power to change the world is within us all.
What’s most surprising about the Singaporean is that unshakable optimism. Noor overcame a tumultuous upbringing and grew up determined to do what she could to ensure that no one suffers the same fate. That’s Noor’s entire ethos: “You can’t change the world, but you can change one person’s entire world.”
In this episode, she shares her “handbook for activism” with Gen.T editor Lee Williamson, and discusses everything from suicide to feminism within Islam along the way.
What were you doing at the age of 12? Youth activist Melati Wijsen was establishing a grassroots movement that successfully lobbied the world’s second biggest plastic polluter to ban single-use plastic bags.
Today, Bye Bye Plastic Bags is a globe-spanning movement with thousands of young members, and Melati has set her sights on a new, more ambitious target.
She talks to Gen.T editor Lee Williamson about the power of the youth mindset, how to be heard by the world's most influential people, and why "business as usual" is the real problem.
Cindy Gallop wants you to talk about sex. More specifically, how hardcore pornography is destroying our ability to have a healthy sexual relationship.
The goal of her user-generated sex tape sharing platform, Make Love Not Porn, is to spark a social sexual revolution. Put another way: social sex.
Cindy talks to Liz Bacelar, host of the Innovators podcast, about #MeToo, fixing the system from the outside and her plans to launch the world’s first sex tech fund.
Sukki Singapora is Asia's most in-demand burlesque performer. The star of Netflix reality show Singapore Social is also a fierce advocate for women's issues who wields her public persona with purpose.
She uses her artform as a tool for female empowerment, flipping its narrative as an act of titillation for the male gaze.
In this eye-opening first episode, Sukki talks to Gen.T editor Lee Williamson about defying expectations, Asian representation in Hollywood and how burlesque can change the world.
Hear highlights from Generation T’s new podcast, Crazy Smart Asia.
Gen.T's Tamara Lamunière introduces some of the topics we’ll cover and disruptive young leaders we’ll be speaking to in the first season’s eight episodes.
Generation T is launching a new podcast, Crazy Smart Asia.
The show features Asia’s biggest disruptors, innovators, and entrepreneurs, and the unexpected stories behind the movements they built.
Gen.T's Tamara Lamunière and Lee Williamson explain more.