Session Summary
Anuthra Sirisena
Chemistry teacher, SMJK Chung Hwa Tenom; and Founder, Tenom Innovation Centre
Creating opportunities is key to developing our children’s potential, while the culture of giving back ensures its sustainable continuity.
Exposure embodies the ‘seeing is believing’ concept, which is crucial in gaining community support for education. Project Tenom Innovation Center (TIC) was created to focus on providing exposure, empowering students, and promoting community builders, despite having challenges in necessities in the area. These opportunities have influenced buy-in from parents and the community to support the programme.
Empowerment is the main driver of the TIC Programme. Learning is student-driven, where secondary students empower themselves to impart knowledge and skills. They decide what to learn and progress at their own pace, with support from teachers, parents, and the community.
The TIC Programme has had a profoundly positive and widespread impact on both current and former students. The knowledge, skills, and values created are highly valuable and meet market demands. The culture of give-and-take ensures sustainability, benefiting younger generations. Involvement from resource-rich organisations can enhance the impact of developing this ecosystem.
Edmund Tan & Lim Shiew Li
Founders, Inside Scoop
Fostering innovation, creativity and adaptability is crucial for business growth, but a focus on people is equally vital to ensure sustainable success and meaningful impact.
Embracing innovation and creativity paved the way to success for Inside Scoop. By experimenting with flavours cherished by Malaysians, a unique and delightful ice cream experience is crafted. Indulging in ice cream becomes more than just a treat; it transforms into an immersive experience, evoking joy and creating cherished memories.
Punching above one’s weight is essential for survival. For Inside Scoop, every encountered problem becomes a valuable learning experience, contributing to the growth of the company. Staying nimble and adaptive in the face of adversity is crucial, as it allows for swift exploration of effective solutions under any circumstances.
Local businesses can be catalysts for shaping the next generation. Attracting and nurturing young, local talents require problem-solving skills and embracing mistakes, all while instilling core values through shared experiences.
Jasmin Amirul Ghani
Managing Director, Hire.Seniors & Amazing Seniors
A successful, healthy, and fun ageing society can be created by empowering seniors and fostering active social engagements.
Malaysia is experiencing a rapid shift towards an ageing population, leading to a significant decline in the working-age workforce. Hire.Seniors provides a space to leverage the skills of older adults and offer a viable solution to this issue. It also addresses the major challenge of job acquisition at old age, which is age discrimination.
Public misconceptions about hiring seniors are often false. Hiring seniors enhances the economy by creating more job opportunities, as their roles often complement rather than replace younger positions, debunking the misconception that it diminishes youth employment. Additionally, hiring seniors does not cost more, as payments are job-based, not experience-dependent.
Facilitating connections among seniors promotes a happy and healthy ageing society. Old age is often associated with reduced social interactions, declining physical movements and health conditions. Amazing Seniors provides a digital platform that enables senior communities to engage through events and chats, which will bring many benefits such as sustained social interactions, maintenance of physical and cognitive function, as well as disease prevention.
Khoo Salma Nasution
Co-Founder, Areca Books; and Vice President, Penang Heritage Trust
Heritage serves as a game changer for Penang, playing a vital role as cultural infrastructure for local economic opportunities and social innovation.
Think global, act local. Rich cultural heritage must be shared and appreciated by others. Therefore, various historical products like books and heritage maps have been created to capture and disseminate these invaluable narratives.
Heritage holds significant value, not only in the realm of tourism but also as a profound educational asset. Its significance goes beyond a mere tourist attraction but also encompasses a wealth of cultural knowledge and wisdom. For students, heritage serves as a tool to foster deep appreciation for their roots by immersing them in culturally stimulating environments.
The narrative that history is written by former colonization powers must be reconstructed. Malaysians must reclaim the narrative from colonial influences by crafting stories rooted in our unique experiences and memories. Despite the limited market for such books in Malaysia, Areca Book stands firm, advocating for the continued documentation and illustration of these insights which are important for knowledge, education, and nation-building.
Wilson Beh
Co-Founder and COO, PolicyStreet
Inspired to serving the underserved, PolicyStreet strives to bridge gaps and enhance insurance coverage with better solutions.
Enormous gaps present significant opportunities for service and growth. Approximately 90% of Malaysians are underinsured, with 85% of MSMEs lacking adequate coverage. In SEA, insurance penetration stands at only 4%, falling below the global average of 7%.
Innovative, bite-sized products can drive enhances market penetration. PolicyStreet strives for a comprehensive approach, recognising that digital solutions alone will not suffice. Its goal is to cater to diverse customer needs, offering a business model that elevates and satisfies all.
Key differentiating approaches derived from their experiences results in customer satisfaction. PolicyStreet aims to expand coverage by curating relevant products embedded at different touchpoints, utilising solutions from upstream to downstream; and fostering value-driven partnerships to bridge the protection gap.
Doodle Summary