Christopher Quek

Sure. Okay, so hi everyone again. I'm Christopher Kwak here, born and bred out of Singapore. I'm a third-generation serial entrepreneur from Mergent. I'd say a family that has been running family businesses. 46 years old this year, quite a few people ask, am I really that old? So I just normally tell people I buy a lot of cheap Korean face masks to make sure that I still retain my youth.

Sure. Okay, so hi everyone again. I'm Christopher Kwak here, born and bred out of Singapore. I'm a third-generation serial entrepreneur from Mergent. I'd say a family that has been running family businesses. 46 years old this year, quite a few people ask, am I really that old? So I just normally tell people I buy a lot of cheap Korean face masks to make sure that I still retain my youth.

But in reality, about 20 years ago, I graduated from the University of Melbourne, where I was totally English speaking. And my father told me that once you graduate, off you go to our plant in China, manufacturing automotive parts. And when I went there, I had a massive culture shock, if I might say. Everybody spoke Mandarin, which is naturally expected, given the fact that it was in China.

But in reality, about 20 years ago, I graduated from the University of Melbourne, where I was totally English speaking. And my father told me that once you graduate, off you go to our plant in China, manufacturing automotive parts. And when I went there, I had a massive culture shock, if I might say. Everybody spoke Mandarin, which is naturally expected, given the fact that it was in China.

And I was struggling. I couldn't stand the smoke. I couldn't stand all the pollution that the manufacturing plant was producing. And finally, after three days, I snuck back to Singapore. And my father saw me, he got angry, he shouted at me and he said, Off with you, go back to China. And I told him, I said, I'd rather not do that. And I fled over to neighboring Malaysia.

And I was struggling. I couldn't stand the smoke. I couldn't stand all the pollution that the manufacturing plant was producing. And finally, after three days, I snuck back to Singapore. And my father saw me, he got angry, he shouted at me and he said, Off with you, go back to China. And I told him, I said, I'd rather not do that. And I fled over to neighboring Malaysia.

And I had a number of Melbourne University friends who were so kind to settle me in. And I spent another six years there in Malaysia doing my very first startup. And I decided that since I'm going to be working in Malaysia, might as well I do a business out of it. After six years, I decided to come back to Singapore. I got married and I did a few other businesses.

And I had a number of Melbourne University friends who were so kind to settle me in. And I spent another six years there in Malaysia doing my very first startup. And I decided that since I'm going to be working in Malaysia, might as well I do a business out of it. After six years, I decided to come back to Singapore. I got married and I did a few other businesses.

I ran restaurants and I also ran education student care outlets. But one of the very interesting things that went through in my career was that at that moment in time, there were quite a number of fellow entrepreneurs, whether they were running traditional businesses, they were running what we call e-commerce, digital businesses at that time.

I ran restaurants and I also ran education student care outlets. But one of the very interesting things that went through in my career was that at that moment in time, there were quite a number of fellow entrepreneurs, whether they were running traditional businesses, they were running what we call e-commerce, digital businesses at that time.

I noticed that they started coming to me and asking me for nuggets of information, advice on how they would look at things. And I just gave it. And soon be told, I guess that developed and evolved into something very interesting. I decided to start an incubator and it was supported by the Singapore government, where we gave out free government grants.

I noticed that they started coming to me and asking me for nuggets of information, advice on how they would look at things. And I just gave it. And soon be told, I guess that developed and evolved into something very interesting. I decided to start an incubator and it was supported by the Singapore government, where we gave out free government grants.

And it became a really fun journey, if I might call it, where I started to get involved very deeply in the startup ecosystem. In fact, over the last 10 years, when I was doing this incubator business, I think I advised easily over 1,500 startups. not just in Singapore, but all across Southeast Asia.

And it became a really fun journey, if I might call it, where I started to get involved very deeply in the startup ecosystem. In fact, over the last 10 years, when I was doing this incubator business, I think I advised easily over 1,500 startups. not just in Singapore, but all across Southeast Asia.

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 not 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 not 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.