15th November 2010
November marked the start of Global Entrepreneurship Week here in Singapore and around the world. This initiative fuels activities, programs and business plan competitions etc, that surrounds being creative, innovative and entrepreneurial.
It was a privilege to be a part of the panel at the Global Entrepreneurship Launch 2010 this year. ”Can We Create The Next Steve Jobs” – that was the panel discussion with a stellar group of Entrepreneurs, Darius from TenCube, David from Studionorm and 19 year old Junliang who started his own tuition service agency before even going to college. An educator, Choon Kiat from and our very own local school and our Minister for Entrepreneurship, Mr Lee Yi Shyan.
The event was put together by Spring Singapore with NUS Entrepreneurship Center, the audience made up of students from the elementary to the tertiary institutions, aspiring entrepreneurs and stakeholders. The discussion thrived around inspiring our young people to explore in their young age what they enjoyed doing, more importantly, to seek out what they truly love.
Steve Jobs, a visionary and innovator started this creative idea back in the late 1970s with his co-founders Steve Wozniak and Mike Markkula. Ideas start small with humble beginnings, allow us to face challenges head-on, push limits and to fight for what we believe in. Even when the going gets tough, there are always chances for exploration and to be brought back to the fundamentals of why we first started. We may not have a Singaporean version of Steve Jobs here today, but I am definitely certain that we are planting seeds that will yield good fruits in the years to come. Visionaries do not spring out overnight, neither are they created out of prototypes, small steps and attainable goals will bring us far in this search for our very own visionary here in Singapore.
Will you be the next visionary in your own right? 
10th November 2010
My trip back to my Alma Mater brought back tremendous memories of the early years of my childhood. Primary School in CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel, up a small hill in Serangoon Gardens, I spent my 6 years of early education. The topic of discussion centered around the journey of Entrepreneurship, the audiences were made up of young primary 5s and 6s, in their blue and white pinafore. This slide was talking about the value of network and friends. You might never know that the best friend sitting beside you, a life-time partner in your next business.
To the young people, I said, DREAM, I used to build castles in the air all the time as a little girl. Being explorative and ambitious in what I wanted to do, at the age of 7, confidence hanging in the air, reality however, far fetched to some extent. That never impeded me from dreaming. I took on the role of a teacher then, playing this role with my brothers. Also had my own currencies at home and gave my brothers my version of money made out of torn magazine papers. What entrepreneurial attributes displayed – it was hilarious looking back on hindsight!
Parents, do keep an eye for the type of games your children choose to play, it’s pretty fascinating! There’s a desire for questions and a hunger for answers among the little ones I met. “What advice will you give to us who want to be Entrepreneurs?” In my response, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way (Thank you Wilson). If you never try, you’ll never really know.”
This made me laugh. “Can you speak Singlish?” – asked one of the Primary 6ser, “Okay lah!” I replied Thank you Reini for the awesome capture!