Business & Entrepreneurship

A list of all the episodes you will find in the So This Is My Why podcast that features people with an entrepreneurial background, including show notes, links and other episodes that you might find interesting.

Freda Liu - BFM 89.9 Malaysian radio television business presenter of Enterprise & HerVantage, book author, emcee & moderator

Ep 27: Freda Liu (Business Radio TV Host of BFM 89.9, Author, Emcee & Moderator)

Freda Liu is one of Malaysia’s most prominent radio television hosts, having worked at BFM 89.9 – Malaysia’s only business radio station, for over 12 years. She has conducted over 5000 interviews and some prominent names include Martin Cooper, author Stephen Covey, motivational speaker Nick Vijucic, former GE CEO Jack Welch, the Duke of York HRH Prince Andrew to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

At BFM, her show Enterprise provides the tools to help businesses succeed covering topics with the startup scene, personal development, technology to organizational development. While HerVantage talks about women of leadership and influence to showcase women representation in all strata of society from sports, the arts & sciences to entrepreneurship. Freda has authored five books called “PR Yourself” and “Shake & Spear Your Business: The Romeo & Juliet Way, ” and “Everybody Loves Ray” (biography) “Bursting Fixed Mindsets” and her latest “In Your Skin”.

She also contributes to The Star, one of the leading English newspapers. She was recently awarded the ASEAN Rice Bowl Awards for Malaysia Startup Journalist Of The Year and a nominee for MaGIC’s Social Enterprise journalist. Freda is a member of the National Association of Women Entrepreneurs Malaysia (NAWEM) and the Malaysian Association of Professional Speakers (MAS). She started her Lean In Circle called Think and the Malaysian chapter and has over 100 members in her group.

Ep 27: Freda Liu (Business Radio TV Host of BFM 89.9, Author, Emcee & Moderator) Read More »

Cesar Kuriyama, Director, Animator, Visual artist, founder of 1 Second Every Day mobile app

Ep 26: Cesar Kuriyama (Founder, 1 Second Every Day)

Cesar Kuriyama is a video maker, director, producer, animator, and founder of 1 Second Every Day – a mobile application that allows users to record one second of video every day and then chronologically mashes them together into a single film. And an app that is well on track to being the No.1 Downloaded Free App in the App Store!

Ep 26: Cesar Kuriyama (Founder, 1 Second Every Day) Read More »

Chong Chan Yau - CEO & Co-Founder of Carboncare Innolab Hong Kong, President of Hong Kong Blind Union

Ep 25: Chong Chan-Yau (President, Hong Kong Blind Union & CEO, CarbonCare Innolab

Chan-Yau Chong is currently The CEO of CarbonCare InnoLab, A NGO promoting sustainability. His other social interests include disability rights, and global citizenship. He is the President of the Hong Kong Blind Union, former Chairman and current Director of The Board of the Dialogue in the Dark Hong Kong Foundation, former Chairman of and current Board Director of Carbon Care Asia, former Executive Director of Oxfam Hong Kong. He received awards including Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award, MBE, China Poverty Alleviation Award, and Honorary Fellowship from the University of Hong Kong.

Ep 25: Chong Chan-Yau (President, Hong Kong Blind Union & CEO, CarbonCare Innolab Read More »

Malek Ali - Founder of KL Classified, BFM 89.9 & Fi Life

Ep 24: Malek Ali (Founder of BFM 89.9 & Fi Life)

Malek Ali is a Malaysian-Singaporean serial entrepreneur who has:
✦ Founded Malaysia’s only business radio station, BFM 89.9, that disproved conventional thinking then that Malaysian radio listeners only wanted entertainment content. BFM has gone on to become the most influential radio station in Malaysia
✦ Founded Fi Life, that aims disprove the adage “insurance is sold and not bought”, by operating Malaysia’s first online life insurance service. Work-in-progress.
✦ Worked with JobStreet.com to disrupt the newspaper recruitment classifieds market in South-East Asia by launching an online job portal and related recruitment tools. That job is done.
✦ Invested in Newswav, a Malaysian news aggregator, so all your news can be in one app. Work-in-progress
✦ Invested in Kakitangan.com, that provides cloud-based payroll and leave services. Work-in-progress.

Currently at Fi Life, he is working towards increasing the financial wellness of Malaysians:
✦ Working with employers to provide financial wellness programmes for their employees.
✦ Moderating weekly webinars on important topics that impact your personal finances
✦ My radio station hosting a weekly radio programme, Ringgit & Sense, to increase your financial literacy
✦ And soon, launching financial advisory services that will develop your own individual financial plan

Ep 24: Malek Ali (Founder of BFM 89.9 & Fi Life) Read More »

Sarah Chen - global investment professional, Malaysia co-founder of lean in Malaysia, board member of 131, co-founder and managing partner of beyond the billion (Washington DC)

Ep 23: Sarah Chen (Co-Founder of Lean in Malaysia & Beyond the Billion)

Sarah Chen is:

A global investment professional – Sarah invests in and builds businesses, having led an American franchise business, pioneered the rollout of a corporate venture capital unit within a $13BN Asian conglomerate, investing into late-stage biotech startups. Today, she is Co-Founder & Managing Partner of The Billion Dollar Fund for Women, a global consortium of venture capital funds that have now pledged beyond US$1Bn to be invested into women-founded companies; now known as Beyond The Billion. Specifically, she works with limited partner investors to diversify their portfolio through venture as a returns strategy.

Passionate about getting more women into leadership, she sits on multiple boards including 131 & counting, a bipartisan effort to fete the unprecedented number of women serving in the House and Senate, to encourage more women to run for office in the United States; and Lean In Malaysia, which she co-founded, recognized as the voice of credibility for professional women issues in Malaysia, boasting beyond 5,000 women within the network, bringing women back into the workforce, accelerating women into leadership positions.

Named World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and Forbes 30 Under 30, she is a recognized speaker, commentator and advisor on venture capital, innovation and women, having been featured amongst others on Der Spiegel, the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. Sarah is a compelling speaker and moderator, moderating challenging topics with Ministers, Senators and other senior corporate leaders, inspiring global audiences at the World Affairs Council America (DC), the Financial Alliance for Women Annual Summit (Paris), the World Bank THK Blended Finance Forum (Bali), the Asia PE-VC Summit (Singapore), Forbes Under 30 Summit (Hong Kong) et al. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Laws, LL.B (Hons.) from King’s College London. A proud Malaysian, she spends her time between US- Asia.

Ep 23: Sarah Chen (Co-Founder of Lean in Malaysia & Beyond the Billion) Read More »

Saw Teong Hin - Malaysian director, producer, scriptwriter - film, theatre, television - Puteri Gunung Ledang, Hai Ki Xin Lor (You Mean the World to Me)

Ep 21: Saw Teong Hin – Director, Producer & Writer (Puteri Gunung Ledang, You Mean the World to Me)

Saw Teong Hin is a multiple award-winning writer, producer and director for film, tv and theatre.

A creative industry veteran of more than 30 years, Teong Hin was Louis Vuitton Malaysia’s Generation Next (2003), was Tatler’s 100 People You Must Know In Asia (2006), received the CHT Essence Art Award (2009), was August Man, Men Of The Year (2017) and was Chinese Film Association Malaysia Leading Film Industry Person (2018).

Teong Hin’s directorial debut, “Puteri Gunung Ledang” (2004), is the first Malaysian submission for the Academy Awards and the first Malaysian film invited to the Venice International Film Festival.

His production company, Real Films, provided production support for Ang Lee’s “Lust: Caution”, produced the Sudirman-tribute musical film, “Hoore! Hoore!” (2012) and the Penang Hokkien film “You Mean The World To Me” (2017).

For theatre, Teong Hin co-wrote the book for “Puteri Gunung Ledang – The Musical” (2006). He conceived and directed site-specific works for George Town Festival, namely “Emily of Emerald Hill” (2010), “Silat” (2012) and “You Mean The World To Me” (2014). He also co-wrote and directed “Chow Kit Road! Chow Kit Road!” (2013), at Istana Budaya.

Teong Hin directed the television mini-series “Tangkal Besi”(2010) and the web series “Inikah Cinta” (2010).

He was the creative director for the 29th SEA Games & 9th ASEAN Para Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies (2017).

ACCOLADES

Film
Rise: Ini Kalilah
2019 31st Malaysia Film Festival – 6 nominations including Best Director
You Mean The World To Me
2017 29th Malaysia Film Festival – 3 Awards including Best Screenplay
Jejak Warriors
2016 28th Malaysia Film Festival – 3 nominations including Best Film and Best Director.
Hoore! Hoore!
2012 25th Malaysia Film Festival – 10 nominations including Best Director
Puteri Gunung Ledang (aka Princess of Mount Ledang)
2004 18th Malaysia Film Festival – 6 Awards including Best Director & Best Screenplay

Theatre
Puteri Gunung Ledang – The Musical
2006 Boh Cameronian Awards – Best Writing

General
Chinese Film Association Malaysia
2018 Leading Film Industry Person
August Man
2017 Men Of The Year
CHT Award
2009 Essence Art
Tatler
2006 100 People You Must Know In Asia
Louis Vuitton Malaysia
2003 Generation Next

Short Film
Shikin, Hugin & Roslan
1999 Malaysian Video Awards – Silver (Pro- Category)

Music Video
Awie “Alif Bata Duniaku”
1998 Video M Awards – Best Director
Ziana Zain “Puncak Kasih”
1998 Video M Awards – Most Popular Music Video
KRU “Fanatik”
1998 A.I.M. (Malaysian Music Industry Awards) – Best Music Video
Malaysia Video Awards – Best Music Video
1997 Video M Awards – Multiple Awards including Best Director & Best Music Video

Ep 21: Saw Teong Hin – Director, Producer & Writer (Puteri Gunung Ledang, You Mean the World to Me) Read More »

Episode page header - Patricia Kelikani - Multiple Emmy award winning documentary filmmaker, producer, cinematographer & Christian entrepreneur

Ep 19: Patricia Kelikani – Emmy Award Winning Documentary Filmmaker & Entrepreneur

Patricia Kelikani is an award-winning filmmaker and videographer. Having spent 12 years working at Loma Linda University where she became Director of Advancement Films, she is also the producer, director and cinematographer of the 12-time Emmy award winning TV documentary series, “Life on the Line”, narrated by Lisa Ling. In 2014, Patricia became a freelancer and founded Kelikani Films & Kelikani Consulting, where she teaches people how to make lucrative videos from home.

Ep 19: Patricia Kelikani – Emmy Award Winning Documentary Filmmaker & Entrepreneur Read More »

Dr Jason Leong - Former doctor turned Malaysian stand-up comedian and star of Netflix special Hashtag Blessed - Episode page header

Ep 18: Dr Jason Leong (Doctor turned Stand-Up Comedian & Netflix Special Star of Hashtag Blessed)

Dr Jason Leong is a former doctor turned Malaysian stand-up comedian star who has been enthralling his audience since 2010 when he did his first open mic gig at Zouk KL. He has since become the first Malaysians to win the 7th International HK Comedy Competition 2013 & win the title of Crowd Favourite, performed at Comedy Central’s Stand-Up Asia and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, opened for Harith Iskandar’s To Know Malaysia is to Laugh Malaysia at Stadium Putra, and also was the first Malaysia who performed a full professional set at Hollywood’s Laugh Factory and New York’s Gotham Comedy Club.

Ep 18: Dr Jason Leong (Doctor turned Stand-Up Comedian & Netflix Special Star of Hashtag Blessed) Read More »

Episode page header - Renyi chin - co-founder of myburgerlab, mypizzalab, mybobalab, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia seapark

Ep 16: Renyi Chin (Co-Founder of MyBurgerLab, MyPizzaLab & MyBobaLab)

Yi Jun Loh is a Malaysian cook, food blogger, writer and food podcaster. A Cambridge-educated engineer, he immersed himself in food after graduating by learning to cook in Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, USA. He is now based in Malaysia, obsessing over food culture and kooky food ideas through his recipe blog ‘Jun & Tonic’, which was nominated for the Saveur Blog Awards in 2018. He also hosts ‘Breaking Bread’ on BFM, his own podcast, ‘Take A Bap’ and can be found regularly contributing to Food52, Taste and Saveur.

Ep 16: Renyi Chin (Co-Founder of MyBurgerLab, MyPizzaLab & MyBobaLab) Read More »

Joey Law - Former Senior Inspector of Police, Hong Kong Police Force & Mother to 15-year-old founder and CEO, Hillary Yip

Ep 14: Joey Law – Former Senior Inspector of the Hong Kong Police Force & Mother to 15-Year-Old CEO, Hillary Yip

Joey Law is a former Senior Inspector of Police of the Hong Kong Police Force and mother to 15-year-old Founder & CEO, Hillary Yip. She talks about life at the force, the challenges of running her own online bookstore & mum blog, motherhood and being a parent to a young teenager CEO.

Ep 14: Joey Law – Former Senior Inspector of the Hong Kong Police Force & Mother to 15-Year-Old CEO, Hillary Yip Read More »