Christopher Quek

And soon after that, with going through that whole journey itself, it was really immense valuable experience learning from fellow founders and also giving them the advice that I learned from other founders. I realized that, hey, why don't I just not just stop there? And in fact, running an incubator, you don't really make much money. And I was a little bit of a midlife crisis, if you call it.

And soon after that, with going through that whole journey itself, it was really immense valuable experience learning from fellow founders and also giving them the advice that I learned from other founders. I realized that, hey, why don't I just not just stop there? And in fact, running an incubator, you don't really make much money. And I was a little bit of a midlife crisis, if you call it.

At about 35 at that time, I was asking myself, what should I do next? And... I guess the next natural progression was to become a fund manager, a venture capitalist. And so what I did was that I sold my inheritance and I got a family friend to help me start some initial seed capital.

At about 35 at that time, I was asking myself, what should I do next? And... I guess the next natural progression was to become a fund manager, a venture capitalist. And so what I did was that I sold my inheritance and I got a family friend to help me start some initial seed capital.

And today I'm living that vision that I went through, where I felt that I wanted to really, in the startup ecosystem, not only just advising startups, but investing into startups. And a lot of more things have actually evolved ever since, but I will leave Vince to ask me more about those aspects later on.

And today I'm living that vision that I went through, where I felt that I wanted to really, in the startup ecosystem, not only just advising startups, but investing into startups. And a lot of more things have actually evolved ever since, but I will leave Vince to ask me more about those aspects later on.

But I just wanted to give a little bit of background and up to today, now I'm a full-fledged venture capitalist. I don't do my incubator business anymore, but I'm very deeply involved with entrepreneurs, you know, trying to grow their companies. Whether is it a venture capital kind of business or whether it's a traditional business, I'm getting involved in quite a number of that.

But I just wanted to give a little bit of background and up to today, now I'm a full-fledged venture capitalist. I don't do my incubator business anymore, but I'm very deeply involved with entrepreneurs, you know, trying to grow their companies. Whether is it a venture capital kind of business or whether it's a traditional business, I'm getting involved in quite a number of that.

Yeah, Vince, I think just now when you were just mentioning and asking me about that, suddenly there was this whole flash of memories that just came back to me. So yes, you're right. So one of the privileges of being part of a family business is that you tend to get involved in two ways. Number one, you get to experience and see the business for yourself.

Yeah, Vince, I think just now when you were just mentioning and asking me about that, suddenly there was this whole flash of memories that just came back to me. So yes, you're right. So one of the privileges of being part of a family business is that you tend to get involved in two ways. Number one, you get to experience and see the business for yourself.

In the past, my father was not involved only just in Southeast Asia, not only just in China, but also in Europe and specifically Russia. And I was very young at that time. I think I was about 11 years old. That is about 35 years ago, when I went into communist Russia.

In the past, my father was not involved only just in Southeast Asia, not only just in China, but also in Europe and specifically Russia. And I was very young at that time. I think I was about 11 years old. That is about 35 years ago, when I went into communist Russia.

And it was just, Russia was just going through a very interesting economic boom at that point where we took for granted McDonald's, KFC, and all these restaurants were just a dime a dozen across in countries where we lived in. But when you talk about Russia, KFC, the first KFC outlet, it was mad. And during those years, you could easily earn 5 to 8 US million net profit per outlet.

And it was just, Russia was just going through a very interesting economic boom at that point where we took for granted McDonald's, KFC, and all these restaurants were just a dime a dozen across in countries where we lived in. But when you talk about Russia, KFC, the first KFC outlet, it was mad. And during those years, you could easily earn 5 to 8 US million net profit per outlet.

It's because Russians were just so excited. And I guess that also sparked the whole interest about not just looking at food for food. My father was a very interesting man. He would take me out to restaurants. He would sit me down and he would tell me, How much money do you think they make in a month? And he forced me to start calculating out the revenues.

It's because Russians were just so excited. And I guess that also sparked the whole interest about not just looking at food for food. My father was a very interesting man. He would take me out to restaurants. He would sit me down and he would tell me, How much money do you think they make in a month? And he forced me to start calculating out the revenues.

He will start telling me like, what do you think is the expenses behind this? And I had to start learning a profit and loss statement just by that very visible conversation itself. And I think that is only just one element. I was very fortunate to tell the audience that I'm a product of my mentors in my life. So the number two and number three mentors were also very successful businessmen.

He will start telling me like, what do you think is the expenses behind this? And I had to start learning a profit and loss statement just by that very visible conversation itself. And I think that is only just one element. I was very fortunate to tell the audience that I'm a product of my mentors in my life. So the number two and number three mentors were also very successful businessmen.

One was my father's best friend. who was a strategist, and I had opportunities to take car rides with him. And he would actually explain, how does he do his strategy? And how do you actually look at expanding a particular business? He started his very own family business doing agri-chemical fertilizers, and he grew it into a public listed company.

One was my father's best friend. who was a strategist, and I had opportunities to take car rides with him. And he would actually explain, how does he do his strategy? And how do you actually look at expanding a particular business? He started his very own family business doing agri-chemical fertilizers, and he grew it into a public listed company.