By SGN | Updated 21 Oct 2025
For Alaap, building has always been second nature; from Monk’s Brew Club, a café and events space for creatives, to adsinstore.ai, which brings digital discovery into brick-and-mortar spaces.
All his life, Alaap Tatwawadi has been passionate about two things: Coffee, and building things.
At first glance, there might not seem to be a lot in common between breakfast beverages, and the art and science of bringing things to life.
As the founder of Monk’s Brew Club—a coffee house and social hub—and the mind behind adsinstore.ai, an AI-powered omnichannel commerce intelligence platform, he’s managed to weave his passions into ventures that span industries, cross borders, and bring communities together.
Moving from India to Singapore
Alaap got his start in India in sales and marketing, which he always had an innate interest in. After spending nearly a decade in such roles in Mumbai and Bangalore, he knew he wanted more international exposure.
That journey eventually brought him to Singapore—a city he had long admired as a frequent visitor. An avid Formula One fan, he often flew in for the night races. But what truly drew him in was the country’s deeper appeal: its multicultural spirit, rich diversity, and efficiency.
What was initially meant to be a two-year stint has turned into a stay spanning fifteen years and counting. In this time, he wrapped up a meaningful career at consulting and tech giants and even set up multiple successful businesses.
“This country has always been so welcoming to me. I’ve never felt out of place,” he says.
“Everything just works; I was able to set up my company in two days and figure out all my licensing needs online. Nobody questions why I want to run this business, nor has anyone made any unreasonable demands,” he reflects.
“In other countries, I’d have to jump through endless hoops, secure permissions from fifteen different authorities, and spend anywhere between six months to a year trying to get things going. In Singapore, it took me less than two months to get the physical business up and running.”
While Alaap was fortunate enough to not have to deal with the red tape that comes with starting a new venture, he had other obstacles to contend with.
A decade-long journey at Google
Starting a business of his own had always been in the cards for Alaap. And true to his enterprising nature, he had mapped everything out: business plans were in place; and he had intended to take over another shuttering business.
And then Google came calling.
“You don’t say no to a Google offer,” he laughs. Any dreams he harboured of opening a coffee business were put on hold. It would be another decade until he’d have the chance to revisit and achieve his lifelong aspirations.
Over the next decade, he pivoted across three major roles at Google. He started out in strategy, working with some of the tech giant’s largest clients in Southeast Asia, before moving into an ad sales role.
“Back when Google was a smaller company, it was easier to migrate in between roles and departments. Someone walked up to me, told me they liked my work, and asked if I’d like to interview for an ad sales role,” he recalls. Even though he had no experience in ad sales, he decided to take the plunge.
His third major pivot was to the Next Billion Users team, a Google initiative that built tech products and services for people who were either new to or had limited means of accessing the Internet.
There, he worked on projects like Google Station, a free public Wi-Fi initiative across Latin America, Africa and India; Task Mate, a micro tasking platform where users could earn cash by completing simple tasks, and Kormo, a job platform supporting blue-collar workers across Asia.
All these products were created “zero-to-one”, which means that they were made from scratch, with the process starting with brainstorming, and ending with market deployment and scaling.
And since they were launched either in emerging markets or during COVID-19, when people were looking for ways to earn money or connect with others, Alaap realised the positive impact he and his team were making with such endeavours.
“I felt like these products were making a real difference, because we were able to help people during difficult times,” he reflects. “This helped me find meaning in the work.”
Throughout his years at Google, Alaap was able to carve out such a varied career because of the company’s agile culture. “Google doesn’t box you into any specific role or team. You’re allowed to explore your interests,” he shares.
Being a coffee lover, and brewing connections with Monk’s Brew Club
Alaap’s love affair with coffee started when he was sixteen.
His travels across the globe took him to locations where coffee had a strong drinking culture; Americas, Japan, Australia, Africa and parts of Southeast Asia.
Wherever he went, he sought out local coffee, exploring cafés with unique blends and immersing himself in the craft and science of brewing a great cup.
As his career progressed, he had several opportunities to get his coffee business off the ground. But he’d refused to take the plunge, until he realised that time would not be on his side forever.
“I’d spent twenty years of my life working for other people, so it was high time I started something of my own,” he comments. “Besides, I’m not getting any younger.”
His initial plans involved running a coffee kiosk. Instead, he ended up with a sprawling 4,000 square feet space: ten times bigger than what he imagined his business to be.
Monk’s Brew Club was set up with the intention of bringing people together over a shared cup of coffee, where they can engage in meaningful conversation, and forge strong community bonds.
The choice of name was a deliberate, tongue-in-cheek bit. “We wanted to take a playful dig at the other clubs who brand themselves based on exclusivity; in contrast, Monk’s Brew Club welcomes one and all,” he reasons.
And soon enough, the community showed up in droves. Since its inception, Monk’s Brew Club has been home to an eclectic assortment of interest groups who call the space home. This process played out organically, and entirely through word of mouth.
It all started with two improv groups, LadyBoss Comedy and Mission Improvables, both of whom were looking for a space to host improv sessions. Soon after, word about Monk’s Brew Club spread like wildfire.
So far, diverse groups and profiles have approached Alaap with the intention of hosting events at the space. First, event groups spanning all formats and languages started dropping by, including Hindi and French-language-only improv groups, standup comedy club, East Coast Comedy, and charity show organisers.
Then came students from foreign universities in search of mentorship opportunities, baristas organising coffee-tasting sessions, weekly breakfast sessions for women founders, product managers meetups, and AI builders.
“While I’m not an event organiser, I provide people with the space and resources to host whatever they want. We’ll help you set up the space, cater for food, manage lighting and assist with anything else they might need. As long as you’re not doing something that is socially unacceptable, the space is available,” he quips.
Today, Monk’s Brew Club hosts trivia nights, stand-up comedy, improv shows, networking events, alumni meetups, and workshops. With such a wide range of activities to choose from, visitors to the space get to decide when and how they interact with it.
“If one wants to spend a couple of hours at Monk’s Brew Club meaningfully, and they go daily, they’re sure to find something they resonate with,” he shares. “There are industry nights on Wednesdays, trivia nights on Thursdays, dinner with strangers on Fridays, stand-up comedy on Saturdays, and networking events over the course of the week.
“There’s truly something for everyone.”
Melding the physical and digital with adsinstore.ai
Besides Monk’s Brew Club, Alaap has been able to carve out time for one more project: adtech.
Enter adsinstore.ai, an AI-powered omnichannel commerce intelligence platform that aims to assist physical retail stores like supermarkets elevate their in-store marketing efforts.
“Brick-and-mortar retail stores are where most of the actual shopping takes place, yet no advertising happens in store,” he explains. “adsinstore.ai is creating smart in-store environments that transform physical stores into intelligent spaces where brands can engage shoppers at the moment of purchase decision.”
This allows for a seamless connection between online and offline shopping journeys, providing brands with a complete 360-degree view of every shopper interaction. By understanding the entire customer journey, adsinstore.ai enables brands to attribute sales to specific in-store advertising efforts, a critical piece of the marketing puzzle that has been missing for years.
As of 2025, adsinstore.ai is in talks to be rolled out across major grocery retail chains in India, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam. But getting the business up and running hasn’t been the easiest.
While he was at Google, Alaap had access to Google’s name, backing, and resources. Now, as an entrepreneur, he felt like the tables had turned. “This time, I’m building the products from scratch. I’ve had to figure out how to bring in experts to help me build a better product.”
Thankfully, his previous connections have proved invaluable.
His plans to launch the business in South Africa are in conjunction with a business partner he’s known since 2019. “Even though we’ve known each other for a while, our relationship is taking on a different form,” he mentions.
Similarly, his work in Thailand and Vietnam will see him partner with folks he met through investors, VCs and partners he’s worked with in the past.
“I’ve made a lot of connections and gained contacts from previous jobs. If I identify someone who might be able to help with what I’m currently involved in, I usually reach out,” he shares.
“This is how founders grow their businesses.”
Advice for younger entrepreneurs
If there’s one message Alaap wants to drive home, it’s that one should be braver about allowing themselves to be seen.
“If you put yourself out there, you can’t imagine how much help and support will come your way,” he says. “Opportunities abound, and people are willing to help.”
One of the major roadblocks, he says, is that people are confined to their own systems. “Whether it’s startup founders, entrepreneurs, or even people working in corporate jobs, everyone is confined to their own systems, and stick to their own lanes, instead of venturing out,” he comments. “They do not realise how much support and resources are potentially available.”
As for community, Alaap feels that this already exists in spades. “All you have to do is put out the word, and people will either show up, or include you in whatever they’re working on at the moment.”
Spaces like Singapore Global Network, home to professionals, entrepreneurs, and students across 168 countries, and has hosted networking nights in collaboration with Monk’s Brew Club, is a good place for people looking to forge new connections.
And finally, he advises people not to procrastinate or wait for the perfect moment to begin. “Don’t wait until you’ve reached certain milestones to chase your dreams,” he says.
“Take one step, and the next ten will appear in front of you.”
About Alaap
After spending nearly a decade in Google, and championing products like Google Station and Task Mate as part of the Next Billion Users team, he started his own cafe and events space, Monk’s Brew Club. He is also the brains behind adsinstore.ai, an AI-powered omnichannel commerce intelligence platform, and a coffee aficionado.
Connect with him here.
