Open For Business

In this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Cellou Diallo, CEO of RollingPay, a company offering flexible payroll financing solutions to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).Founded in 2022, RollingPay wants to help small businesses meet payroll obligations with up to 90-day repayment terms, ensuring timely employee payments—even when cash flow is tight.We explore Cellou’s journey from Global Head of Data and AI Delivery at SWIFT to building his own business, what sets RollingPay apart from other alternative financing players, and the platform’s future plans.NOTE: RollingPay does not operate under any clear regulatory framework as we await the Consumer Credit Act to come into effect.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to carry a family business’s legacy forward?In this episode of Open For Business, we explore the evolution of Sun Bus Tech, a company specializing in bus and bus body manufacturing for energy-efficient vehicles.While Sun Bus Tech was officially formed in 2022, its roots trace back to the 1970s. Joining us is Shyan Phang, CEO of Sun Bus Tech, who shares the story of how her father started a small coachwork fabrication business, why the family exited the bus industry in 2020 only to return two years later, and her own decision to join the family business. We also dive into the challenges of transitioning leadership from one generation to the next, and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk with Rachel Tan, Founder of The Nurts, a platform dedicated to creating and curating purposeful tools that promote personal growth and family connections. With offerings like interactive card games and educational kits, The Nurts focuses on learning through play, supporting families and young individuals in building essential skills. Rachel shares her journey of founding The Nurts, its mission to empower lives, and how the brand is expanding in Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Confide Platform, your company’s future compliance command centre? In this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Pav Gill, Founder and CEO of Confide Platform—a platform designed to streamline compliance and risk management for organisations.Pav shares his remarkable journey, from exposing the €24 billion Wirecard scandal to creating a tech solution that helps companies manage sensitive reports and protect whistleblowers.We explore how his experience at Wirecard shaped Confide Platform, the challenges of building a compliance-focused tech startup, and how the platform could redefine the future of corporate risk management by automating and simplifying compliance, governance, and whistleblowing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we sit down with Howard Obbard, Co-Founder and Director of Furniture and Choice Malaysia as we explore how this renowned UK-based brand is making its mark in the Malaysian market with its exceptional British craftsmanship and competitive prices. By blending its expertise in premium furniture with local artistry, Furniture and Choice Malaysia is not only transforming homes but also boosting the local economy by creating jobs and championing sustainability.Tune in as we delve into the challenges and triumphs of re-establishing a global brand in Malaysia’s competitive market, and how the company is pushing the boundaries of innovation and design to offer Malaysians premium, locally-made products.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are businesses and brands overlooking a vibrant and growing market? In this episode of Open for Business, we speak with Preethi Sanjeevi and Ramakrishnan CN, Co-Founders of Greytt—a platform that aims to offer curated services tailored to people over 50, starting with fitness, but eventually travel and much more.We explore the story behind Greytt’s creation, what it means to redefine ageing, why this demographic is often misunderstood, and the opportunities they see in this underserved market. Plus, we dive into how the founders' backgrounds in digital marketing and tech are shaping their vision of targeting and serving people between the ages of 50 and 70.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did a college dropout selling PCs and web hosting services build a 9-figure digital powerhouse? In this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Chan Kee Siak, Founder and CEO of Exabytes Group, an all-in-one provider of business, cloud, digital, and eCommerce solutions.Founded in 2001 as a small web hosting service in Penang, Exabytes now serves 160,000 businesses across 121 countries, with core markets in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Chan shares how he started at 19, pivoted to web hosting, and grew Exabytes through M&A strategies and securing a US$10.7 million investment from Ekuinas in 2019.Now a nine-figure revenue company with 20% annual growth, Exabytes thrives on recurring revenue from SMEs and plans further expansion, M&A, and an IPO within three years. Chan outlines the company’s growth drivers, including cloud solutions and deeper penetration into Indonesia’s market.Tune in for an inspiring look at Chan Kee Siak’s entrepreneurial journey and the future of Exabytes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Andy Chaw, Founder of Trendz360. They’re a global lifestyle group with wholly owned subsidiaries in 8 markets, with Singapore being their central base of operations. Andy will be giving us a sense of the growth and evolution of Trendz360 from inception to the global brand distributor that the business is today, the challenges of managing a global company and how they have evolved over the years as well as his vision for the future of lifestyle retail and wholesale distribution with Trendz360.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did a Silicon Valley property play become a global corporate innovation driver and VC firm? In this episode of Open For Business, Jojo Flores, Co-Founder of Plug and Play, shares how a Silicon Valley real estate play in 2006/2007 has turned into a global innovation platform and early-stage startup investor. Plug and Play now operates across 50+ locations, running accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and a venture capital firm.We discuss their journey, expansion into APAC, and their perspective on the future of innovation in the region. Key points we dive into include:- The story behind the founding of Plug and Play and its early beginnings in real estate.- How Plug and Play became a hub for startups like Dropbox, Lending Club, and PayPal.- The role of corporate partnerships in Plug and Play’s accelerator and innovation programs.- Plug and Play’s investment strategy and how they choose the startups they invest in.- The expansion into Southeast Asia and insights on Malaysia’s innovation potential.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Open For Business, Augustine Edwards talks about how he founded AES Academy. From a kid fascinated by loudspeakers his brother gave him, he turned his passion into a full-blown career, mastering the art of audio engineering. AES Academy is a launchpad for the next wave of audio wizards, blending technical expertise with creative innovation. He shares the ups and downs of starting an academy, the evolving audio scene in Malaysia and the future prospects of the audio engineering field.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.