Open For Business

Behind the common misconception, pole dancing is generally known for its freedom of expressing feelings through the art of dancing that has evolved over time, from its origins in strip clubs and bars, to a more widely recognised form of fitness and art.Pole dancing has many different styles, from exotic to sports and there are a plethora of choreographies and dancing movements that one can create and enjoy, whether it's to release stress or to improve one’s fitness and flexibility. On this episode, we speak to Maple Loo Asaro, Founder of Bobbi’s Studios, a pole dancing studio in Bangsar to discuss the challenges in setting up a pole dancing business and how she managed it through to set up her own studio.Over the course of the conversation today, Maple helped us to break down the stigma behind pole dancing in Malaysia, how her passion ended up becoming an active business venture and her foreseeable ventures in 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a world where sustainability and social impact are top of mind of consumer consciousness, Earth Heir stands out as a beacon of ethical practice and artisanal excellence. Founded by Sasibai Kimis in Malaysia, Earth Heir began with preserving traditional crafts and empowering local artisans through fair trade practices and sustainable sourcing.After a decade of creating sustainable social impact, it has expanded its mission with the launch of a curated marketplace. As Earth Heir embarks on this new chapter, it aims to further its vision of nurturing the sustainability and social impact ecosystem in Malaysia.On this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Sasibai Kimis, the Founder and CEO of Earth Heir about its journey in preserving cultural heritage, supporting local artisans and driving a larger movement towards ethical consumerism and responsible business practices that prioritises people and the planet alongside profit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After almost 3 decades in the corporate world, specifically within the capital markets and asset management sphere, Rejina Rahim left her job as the Managing Director of Nomura Asset Management Malaysia and founded Wahine Capital during the COVID lockdowns.Wahine Capital’s main vision is to empower women through financial knowledge and collaborative platforms, serving to revolutionise women's role in the economy, starting with the launch of their first product W Vault in May 2023.On this episode of Open For Business, we explore Rejina’s move from away from corporate life and lessons learnt during the transition to startup founder and entrepreneur, the mission behind Wahine Capital and future products in the world, and how she plans to support women while building a profitable business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in April 2020, MADCash stands for Multiply, Assist, Donate Cash and the startup funds and grows unbanked and underbanked women entrepreneurs, aiming to create an alternative credit scoring to increase their future bankability.The company runs on a proprietary technological platform that allows donors to contribute and see whom their funds are helping at any time, and enables the seamless process of micro-funding application, approval, onboarding, disbursement and of course - repayment monitoring.To help take MADCash to the next stage, the startup announced a pre-series A funding round of RM5 million in October. The round was led by Artem Ventures with strong support from MSW Ventures and ScaleUp Founders Fund.On this episode of Open For Business, you will learn about MADCash’s mission, the business model that powers all this, and what the future holds for the platform.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine indulging in the ancient golden goodness of turmeric without the worry of sugar or stains—Haldy has made this a reality. Haldy launched a groundbreaking product: the World's First Sugar-free Turmeric Mints. These aren't just any mints; they are a blend of taste, health, and convenience, designed to seamlessly integrate the benefits of turmeric into your daily routine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2020, Cult Creative started as a networking platform for creative professionals with a stated mission to redefine content creation and foster collaboration.Today, it is focused on connecting brands with creators and uses technology to help brands find creators that is right for them, streamline workflows, and facilitate creator payments. To help them do this, they recently raised a RM500,000 seed round from The Hive Southeast Asia and is changing up the business model, which saw the closure of its job portal app. They also just won a grant from Cradle on the back of confidence in the new business model.We speak with Shermaine Wong, CEO and Co-Founder of Cult Creative, to learn about how she plans to deploy the recently secured funds, what this change in business model entails, and where the company goes from here. We also get into the journey that she and her co-founders have been on since starting in the midst of the first MCO back in 2020.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the world of sports, golf carries a common misconception of exclusivity and barriers to entry compared to most other sports that we are familiar with. Beyond its serene landscapes, golf is a game that demands skill, strategy, and precision that requires adequate training and a sense of passion for the sport.With technology reshaping almost all industries including the sports and leisure sector, Wedge, a boutique golf lounge and bar in Kuala Lumpur, is known for its approach to blending golf with technology and social enjoyment.In their latest venture, Wedge has launched the Wedge Range, a community hub and an indoor golf simulation range with the aim to break down traditional barriers associated with the game of golf, whether one is a seasoned pro or a first-time golfer.Today on Open For Business, we spoke to Tom Sarginson, Co-Founder and CEO of Wedge, to digest how this all came about, how they efficiently used technology to allow consumers to experience golfing and possible expansion plans for the business in 2024 and beyond.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in January 2017 by Yen Ming, Wilson Beh and Winnie Chua, PolicyStreet began helping consumers and businesses choose and purchase insurance policies based on their needs and requirements, with the underlying aim of making insurance more affordable, simpler, and transparent.Fast forward to today, they’re a regional player in the Insurtech space and work with over 40 life, general, and takaful providers globally to offer a comprehensive range of products and services. As of June 2023, PolicyStreet have served over 5 million customers and achieved a sum insured of over US$6 billion (RM27.7 billion) in Malaysia.They managed to close a US$15.3 million (RM67 million) Series B funding round with Khazanah Nasional Bhd as lead investor last June and earlier this year, the company received the regulatory approval from the Labuan Financial Services Authority (LFSA) to begin its Takaful and Retakaful operations. PolicyStreet is now equipped to reinsure and underwrite Takaful products, providing Syariah-compliant insurance solutions.Venturing from insurance marketplace platform to financial advisory business, now co-creating and underwriting insurance products, on this episode of Open For Business, we learn about PolicyStreet's journey as a Malaysian Insurtech company over the last 7 years. Diving deeper into how they’re tackling the insurance industry while working with agents and incumbents, exploring what they're looking for in potential strategic partnerships with Khazanah's non-monetary value, and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2015, Carpedia is a gig talent platform for logistic players which aims to play a role as a reliable provider of delivery manpower resources, priding itself on “simple gig jobs almost anyone can do”, requiring nothing more than a valid driving licence, ensuring that work can start within 48 hours of registration.Given that the gig economy looks to be here to stay, with some estimates putting the number of gig workers at around 4 million here in Malaysia, with a majority being young adults aged 25 to 44, there are plenty of startups and companies that are looking to tap into the opportunity to better facilitate and support the gig economy, including today’s guest.We speak to Hazim about their role in the gig economy, the business opportunity present here for Carpedia, why he got started with this, and the vision for this startup.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s world, it’s hard to oversee how fast technology has grown in various businesses and now, it has become a necessity for companies to integrate modern technology into their daily operations, either from having robots in manufacturing or of course, the usage of AI.One of the pioneers in this space is Neuramatix, a Malaysian based technology service provider. Since their establishment in 2002, Neuramatix have conducted various tech research to develop and commercialise artificial neural network technologies, powered by a neural engine called NeuraBASE.This company has continued to advocate the study and understanding of the human brain with a focus to enable the development of naturally intelligent systems and machines.Today on the show, we spoke to Abdul Karim Hercus, Founder & Managing Director at Neuramatix to unpack how they started their venture into AI developments and what the future looks like for this company to keep up with the rapid advancements of modern day technology.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.