Christopher Quek

Yeah, so it was quite an interesting season in 2015 where Singapore celebrated its 50th birthday as a nation. And it somehow triggered me a lot about how Singapore was evolving itself Singapore evolved itself out of necessity, where it built a whole nation, a workforce of engineers, scientists, bankers, lawyers, doctors, specialists, if you want to call it. You name it, they are there.

Yeah, so it was quite an interesting season in 2015 where Singapore celebrated its 50th birthday as a nation. And it somehow triggered me a lot about how Singapore was evolving itself Singapore evolved itself out of necessity, where it built a whole nation, a workforce of engineers, scientists, bankers, lawyers, doctors, specialists, if you want to call it. You name it, they are there.

But what actually happened was we started losing a whole generation of entrepreneurs. When I did just back of envelope, just checking around with people, next-gen families, I found that they're very successful entrepreneurs, had children who are doctors or lawyers or bankers. And I was like, then who's going to take over your business? And they themselves had no clue.

But what actually happened was we started losing a whole generation of entrepreneurs. When I did just back of envelope, just checking around with people, next-gen families, I found that they're very successful entrepreneurs, had children who are doctors or lawyers or bankers. And I was like, then who's going to take over your business? And they themselves had no clue.

And one of the biggest challenge that Singapore is going to face is the lack of entrepreneurial, lack of entrepreneurship, if I might say. Entrepreneurship drives economic activity. Entrepreneurs are the ones that pool resources together and generate that economic activity.

And one of the biggest challenge that Singapore is going to face is the lack of entrepreneurial, lack of entrepreneurship, if I might say. Entrepreneurship drives economic activity. Entrepreneurs are the ones that pool resources together and generate that economic activity.

When you look at Singapore many years ago when it was founded in 1819, it was the merchants that plied the trade and entrepreneurial trading was the biggest thing. A lot of merchants were there, a lot of entrepreneurs were there, were generating economic activity.

When you look at Singapore many years ago when it was founded in 1819, it was the merchants that plied the trade and entrepreneurial trading was the biggest thing. A lot of merchants were there, a lot of entrepreneurs were there, were generating economic activity.

And my personal fear was that if you don't actually infuse Singapore with a continual breed of entrepreneurs, that would spell trouble for the country down the road, where you will have to start to give your economic privilege, authority over to the giant MNCs, which were hiring all the people.

And my personal fear was that if you don't actually infuse Singapore with a continual breed of entrepreneurs, that would spell trouble for the country down the road, where you will have to start to give your economic privilege, authority over to the giant MNCs, which were hiring all the people.

And I felt that was a personal motivation on my side that could we actually build a whole group of entrepreneurs. And that was the original intent. And very interestingly, now that I've looked at it 11 years, it's evolved to a whole generation of entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia. And why did I decide to expand that whole vision?

And I felt that was a personal motivation on my side that could we actually build a whole group of entrepreneurs. And that was the original intent. And very interestingly, now that I've looked at it 11 years, it's evolved to a whole generation of entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia. And why did I decide to expand that whole vision?

was because when I looked at how India and China were developed, they developed really fast. They had really skilled entrepreneurs to really build their economies up. But here in Southeast Asia, it's a little bit more complicated. It's not homogeneous, the first thing that we know. Ten nations, very diverse groups of ethnicities, and it was very fragmented.

was because when I looked at how India and China were developed, they developed really fast. They had really skilled entrepreneurs to really build their economies up. But here in Southeast Asia, it's a little bit more complicated. It's not homogeneous, the first thing that we know. Ten nations, very diverse groups of ethnicities, and it was very fragmented.

And one of the biggest, very interesting points that I like to note resonates a lot to me as a next-gen family business owner was 92% of all businesses in Southeast Asia are family-run businesses. From your micro SMEs, people who are one-man, two-man show, to your big conglomerates like your CP Group, your Alliers, your Sampornas and all that.

And one of the biggest, very interesting points that I like to note resonates a lot to me as a next-gen family business owner was 92% of all businesses in Southeast Asia are family-run businesses. From your micro SMEs, people who are one-man, two-man show, to your big conglomerates like your CP Group, your Alliers, your Sampornas and all that.

And I realised that it is really essential is to understand the DNA of the entrepreneurs, which are mainly the next generation of entrepreneurs, and to really expand on that vision, to really incorporate them as part of this whole regional vision, as I call it, where we are starting to...

And I realised that it is really essential is to understand the DNA of the entrepreneurs, which are mainly the next generation of entrepreneurs, and to really expand on that vision, to really incorporate them as part of this whole regional vision, as I call it, where we are starting to...

in how I say, mentor, guide, build up this next gen entrepreneurs with the latest technologies, the latest kind of mindset, and to really make sure that they have a certain set of very good values that they can follow, for example, the ESG value set that will really change the way that Southeast Asia is being developed.

in how I say, mentor, guide, build up this next gen entrepreneurs with the latest technologies, the latest kind of mindset, and to really make sure that they have a certain set of very good values that they can follow, for example, the ESG value set that will really change the way that Southeast Asia is being developed.