Singapore Global Network

Join us in building a global network and connecting people around the world, with Singapore at its heart.

Author: Claudia Tan

The Power of Community

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, Tech

Why is building support groups and communities for founders more important than ever? Three global fund founders talked about the necessity of communities in a virtual event hosted by the Singapore Global Network.

Why I built Asia’s first gender lens VC fund

Posted by on in Business, People, Tech

Virginia Tan champions gender lens investing for emerging Asia as she believes empowering women economically is both an untapped commercial opportunity and a driver for positive social change. This #IWD, the founding partner of Teja Ventures, the first gender lens VC fund in emerging Asia and founder of Lean In China, one of China’s leading non-profit platforms for women, shares why the She Economy is the next big thing you should look out for.

How Singaporean Music Director Lenny Wee Empowers Celebrities to Hit All the Right Notes

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

Ever wondered what it is like to work with celebrities like Jennifer Lopez AND direct a live band performance at the U.S. presidential inauguration ceremony at the same time? We speak to Singaporean Music Director Lenny Wee, the man behind Jennifer Lopez’s showstopping medley performance at Joe Biden’s Inauguration earlier this year.

The Medical Concierge Group CEO and Founder Daniel Choo shares his Start-up Journey and the Secrets to Succeeding in Indonesia

Posted by on in Business, People

Recognising a gap in the private healthcare market in Singapore and Indonesia when it came to providing a one-stop reliable, ethical and high-quality medical concierge service, Daniel Choo established The Medical Concierge Group (TMCG) in 2013. Daniel candidly shares about his entrepreneurship journey, what he’s learnt from starting a business in Singapore and overseas, the less glamorous side of entrepreneurship and what it takes to succeed in Indonesia.

#IWD2021: Singapore’s Women Leaders Driving Change in China

Posted by on in Business, People

Women have always been an important driver in economic development, especially in an ever-changing market like China. In conjunction with the #IWD2021 on 8th March, 企航新加坡 and Singapore Global Network had a chat with three Singaporean Women Leaders who are based in China, to share their stories and the opportunities and challenges for enterprises in China. Their experience as business leaders, unique insights and new perspectives on a market like China, demonstrates the strength and resilience of Singaporeans, as well as the success of Singapore enterprises.

From Strength to Strength: How Life’s Triumphs & Tragedy Have Shaped Olaplex CEO JuE Wong’s Journey

Posted by on in People

Singaporean JuE Wong holds many titles: an indefatigable champion of women, a dedicated mentor, a doting mom and grandmom, and an accomplished 4-time CEO of global beauty companies. In celebration of Women’s History Month, SGN chats with JuE (pronounced Ju-Ee), now Chief Executive Officer and Executive Board Member at Olaplex Inc., on her remarkable journey that has shaped who she is today.

Foundation for The Arts and Social Enterprise Founder Michael Tay On How the Smallest Act of Giving Can Transform the Arts Scene

Posted by on in Culture, People

In 2003, fuelled by a love for the arts and music and a passion for Singapore, Michael Tay, the then-Ambassador to Russia, commissioned Russian composer Vladimir Martynov to compose a symphony about Singapore. The symphony, now titled UTOPIA, has been recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under their LPO label and released worldwide in November 2020. But Michael’s passion for the arts would carry on in the later half of his career – as Founder and Director of The Foundation for The Arts and Social Enterprise, he has helped to connect many local artists to opportunities across the world. SGN speaks with Michael about how his passion has led him to build he bedrock for a thriving arts scene in Singapore.

Building Bridges with Music: How Russian Composer Vladimir Martynov Composed a Symphony Inspired by Singapore

Posted by on in Culture, People

Inspired by Singapore’s culture and identity, renowned Russian composer Vladimir Martynov accepted a commission by ex-Singapore Ambassador to Russia, Michael Tay, to compose a symphony in 2003. UTOPIA, which premiered in 2005 in Russia and performed in 2007 in Singapore, was most recently performed and recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) and London Philharmonic Choir in Abbey Road. The symphony will be performed live in Singapore at the Esplanade in 2022. SGN goes behind the scenes and speaks to Vladimir Martynov on his creative process in creating UTOPIA and his experience getting to know about Singapore’s rich culture.

Meet our Expats: I now call Singapore ‘home’

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

From Bristol to Sydney to Toronto and New York, Kash Hasan’s exciting career in the events and MICE sector has allowed him to travel the world! Currently residing in Singapore, he shares more about witnessing and experiencing the genuine sense of community here, where to find his favourite hometown fish and chips, and what makes Singapore the ‘perfect destination for the MICE industry’.

The digital developing economy: Southeast Asia in five objects

Posted by on in Business, Culture

This is part of “The Edges of Southeast Asia” project by Deloitte, the Singapore Economic Development Board and the US-ASEAN Business Council, which shines a light on the bright spots of creativity and innovation in the region. Looking at emerging 'edges' or customer segments, geographic markets or products that offer high growth potential opportunities in ASEAN, we begin with the rapidly growing digital economy.

#couplegoals: Love Across Borders

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

As they saying goes, “there is only one happiness in life – to love and be loved”. With the pandemic season upon us, we know that there are many couples in long distance relationships missing each other. For this upcoming Valentine’s Day, we had a chat with Terrence, who heads the Singapore Airlines (SIA) office based in Shanghai, as he shares about his long distance relationship (LDR) with his wife, Anna! Trust us, this is a good story <3

A Reel Dream Come True: Oscar-winning Lighting Artist Roger Lee on His Disney Animation Career

Posted by on in People

Roger Lee has come a long way from Punggol, Singapore to his current residence in Arcadia, California. However, Roger's animation career wasn’t always smooth sailing. A father of triplets, he shares his experience working on some of Disney's biggest hits such as “Zootopia” and "Frozen", including setbacks, challenges, and sage advice for aspiring animation artists.

Why Google, Stripe and DBS built their engineering teams in Singapore

Posted by on in Business, Tech

There has never been a better time for companies to catch Asia’s digitalisation wave from Singapore. The city-state has the capabilities to ensure that companies building engineering teams here are all set for regional expansion, according to representatives from Google, Stripe and DBS at a recent Singapore Tech Forum webinar.

A Singaporean’s Guide To Singapore

Posted by on in Culture, Guides, Lifestyle

Think Singapore is just another urban concrete jungle? In this guide from the lens of a fellow Singaporean, you can find a list of establishments in Singapore, from parks to bars, that gives it “that little more soul".

Meet Ghib Ojisan: How A Backpacking Trip Led to Full-time YouTube Career in Singapore

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

It’s not every day that we get to meet a Japanese YouTuber based in Singapore. Yup, you already know who we’re talking about – in this edition of our Meet Our Expat Series, we have a candid chat with the 184,000 followers-strong Ghib Ojisan about his experience living in Singapore and what he has picked up from the city over the years.

From 3 to 120: How a Swiss innovation company built top-performing tech teams in Singapore

Posted by on in Business, People, Tech

Poised for accelerated growth amidst COVID-19, the Singapore tech scene is thriving with innovation and set to become a regional powerhouse. We speak to Zuhlke — a Swiss global innovation and technology company – and their employees on the local tech scene and what makes Singapore a prime location for regional innovation as a tech hub.

Singapore Brands Going Overseas: Heritage Brands Gone Global

Posted by on in Culture, Guides, Lifestyle

Growing up in an Asian household meant that you would most likely find all sorts of traditional balms and oils for various purposes in the back of your medicine cabinet. In this Singapore Brands Going Overseas series, we take a closer look at how heritage brands Chop Wah On, Lotus Leaf Brand and Three Star Brand have evolved their products and leveraged on digital technologies to expand their reach to the wider audience.

Bean There, Done That: Venezuelan Coffee Roaster Marian Aguilar Perks You Up with Good Coffee

Posted by on in Business, Lifestyle, People

For us, coffee is how we kickstart each day. For Marian Aguilar, coffee is her way of life – she runs a thriving coffee roasting and consultancy business in Singapore. In the second run of our Unusual Jobs series, we catch up with Marian about life in Singapore, her business, and staying connected to her Venezuelan roots.

Investing in The Right Hustle: How Koh Shiyan Is Tapping into SEA’s Potential

Posted by on in Business, People, Tech

Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem has matured over the last 10 years with record deal sizes, an increase in exits, and a huge influx of venture capital into the market. We chat with Koh Shiyan, Managing Partner at Hustle Fund, about her experiences building NerdWallet in Silicon Valley, why she decided to go from operator to early-stage investor in Southeast Asia, and her belief in Southeast Asia’s founders.

Women in Tech: Uplifting Sisters in Cybersecurity

Posted by on in Business, People, Tech

Magda Chelly has made it in the world of tech as a renowned cybersecurity consultant, and now she wants to uplift other women in the industry. In this edition of our Women in Tech series, we chat with her about her career, why she feels women need a role model in tech and her thoughts on the cybersecurity scene.

Food For Thought: How Kausmo Redefines The Dining Experience

Posted by on in Culture, Lifestyle, People

Ever wondered what goes on your plate? Kausmo (derived from the word “Cosmos”, referring to a system of thought), a dining concept launched in 2019, takes food for thought to the next level, with aims to spark conversations about practicing thoughtfulness and conscientiousness in the way we dine and live. We speak to young founders Lisa Tang and Kuah Chew Shian on how they’re redefining the dining experience.

Indonesia’s Omnibus Law: A Magic Wand amidst a Global Pandemic?

Posted by on in Business

Our story has the makings of a palace intrigue – a piece of breakthrough legislation meant to create jobs during the most difficult economic downturn in Indonesia’s modern history; a false announcement to distract the bill’s most vociferous detractors as they plotted mass demonstrations across Jakarta; a sudden decision by the Indonesian legislature to pass the controversial bill ahead of schedule, amidst a city-wide lockdown and road closures around the legislative building; and the eventual enactment of the Omnibus Law by President Jokowi, while the capital reeled from massive protests.

A City to Finally Call Home

Posted by on in Culture, People

Born in the US, his father a black man from Jamaica and his mother a white woman from Cleveland with Russian and Czech heritage, Triston has been acutely aware of racial differences since his childhood. Read about his journey as he finds a place where he finally feels comfortable enough to call home.

5 Lessons from Chasing Dreams around the World

Posted by on in People, Tech

In the past 15 years, positive mindset and perseverance helped Anna Ratala pursue her career adventures across 3 continents and 5 countries. From Finland through Belgium, Germany and the U.S., Anna navigated a unique path, which finally led to her current job as CEO & co-founder of Zvook, an AI-powered audio advertising platform that started in Singapore.

What investors need to know about Indonesia’s Omnibus Law: Katadata Insight Centre Research Director and senior public policy specialist Dr Mulya Amri breaks it down

Posted by on in Business, People

Katadata Insight Centre Research Director and Jakarta Property Institute Program Director Dr Mulya Amri is an Indonesia-based senior public policy and urban development specialist with over 20 years of experience working with government officials, businesses, and civil society groups through policy analysis, regional economic development, and city planning projects in Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, China, and the U.S.

From Silicon Valley to Singapore: Silvanus Lee On Returning Home for Tech

Posted by on in Business, People, Tech

Technology has seen explosive growth in the past decade, with Singapore and Southeast Asia’s (SEA) tech ecosystem expanding rapidly on a global scale to unlock many growth opportunities. SGN chats with Silvanus Lee, Director of Twitter’s APAC Engineering Centre and Co-Founder of BasisAI, who went from living every techie’s dream – building and leading critical teams at Dropbox and Uber in California – to returning home to Singapore at the height of his career. Why did he make the switch? Read on to find out and learn how Silvanus continues to pave the way forward for the future of tech in Singapore and the region.

Envisioning Tomorrow’s Workplace: Hiring Solution Start-up Workstream CEO Desmond Lim on Hiring with Tech

Posted by on in Business, People, Tech

As COVID-19 accelerates future work trends, SGN digs deep into the new workplace normal and how behaviours, culture and skillsets are shifting. We chat with the CEO and Co-Founder of San Francisco-based hiring solution Workstream, Desmond Lim, on his success story from humble beginnings in the little red dot to pushing the boundaries of the future of work.

Women In Tech: Weaving in Data for Change in Asia

Posted by on in Business, People, Tech

In this edition of SGN’s Women In Tech series, we chat with Aparna Saxena, the Chief Executive Officer of TORAJAMELO and Chapter Head of She Loves Data (SLD) Indonesia, on how she pushes to create and find meaning with data to empower other women in ASEAN.

Millennials of Singapore: Successful Entrepreneurs You Should Be Following Right Now

Posted by on in Business, People

For some youths, their dream job is to be self-made bosses. For Kendra Liew, Founder of I Love Katfood, and Hong Kai, Co-Founder and CTO of Roceso Technologies, they have taken that step towards pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams – albeit a tough road they’ve had to navigate. Hear their personal stories on why and how they started, challenges they faced, experiences of starting businesses in Singapore, and why you should be following them right now.