Open For Business

In 2020, Alyssa Lee founded The Petal Archive with her sister by pressing and drying real fresh flowers, then embedding them in resin before transforming them into jewellery pieces. She joins us to explain the concept of jewellery as time capsules and a reflection of their customers’ individuality.Image Credit: The Petal Archive Facebook PageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Making a home isn’t just about the sofas you choose or the colour of your walls, but how do you know what decisions to make in creating your space? Xavier Mah, the founder of Pokok Asia shares the story of creating this home & living trends platform, and the importance of guiding home and property owners towards their dreams.Image Credit: Pokok Asia Facebook PageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Companies are racing towards digitalisation; and whilst this is the direction they need to be heading in, especially in 2022, it can be an expensive endeavour especially for SMEs and MSMEs. Current tools that are available for productivity and cybersecurity are either free (with caveats) or extremely expensive for a small business. This is where the partnership between Open-Xchange, BigDomain and DotAsia hopes to change things. This collaboration offers advanced email and productivity tools, and digital services with integrated cybersecurity protection, with the goal of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in digitising securely and seamlessly - all at an affordable price. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all have our insecurities, and we’ve all gone through awkward periods of life where we feel ashamed or worried about those insecurities. Maybe, instead of hiding those insecurities, we need to find a way to take pride in them instead. Esther Erin and Ethan Wong, co-founders of Dododots Beauty Patch, discuss how they’re using this approach with acne, and how they utilise collaborations to conduct successful marketing campaigns. Image Credit: Dododots Beauty Patch Instagram PageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Throwing away used furniture that’s still in good shape is a waste, but giving it away gets you nothing. On the flipside, what if you’ve got an unfurnished house or are just looking to replace furniture with attractive but inexpensive second hand options? Johnson Goh, owner of Unearth Store, shares his unique business that helps connect sellers and buyers of used furniture and other bulky items.Image Credit: Unearth Store Facebook PageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bake with Yen has become an established name for baking supplies, especially as they offer lower prices for baking ingredients in the market. Bake With Yen specialises in the manufacturing, supply & distribution, and retail of baking ingredients, premixes, accessories and tools. Alexandre Rosso, Bake With Yen’s newly appointed CEO, shares how Bake with Yen operates and their expansion plans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Project ID is a social enterprise that designs innovative student-centric experiences. They aim to empower students, particularly those from underserved communities, with a sense of possibility and to pursue their dreams. Since the start of the pandemic, they have run over 300 virtual workshops and continuously innovate their approach to  learning. Kelvin Tan, CEO of Project ID, explains how the enterprise finds new ways to help students self-develop in areas of leadership, mental & emotional health, core values, and career aspirations. Image Credit: Project ID Official WebsiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tymba Education Group is a privately-owned Bumiputera Professional Accountancy Training Centre, led by founder, Airil Razali and his team of Chartered Accountants. Starting with only 30 students, TYMBA has now grown to over 2,000 students within a year, and so far have successfully produced several global prize-winners and attained consistent higher average passing rates compared to the world average.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many people unfortunately found themselves out of a job when the pandemic hit, with areas like the travel & tourism industry being especially affected. For some, they managed to pull themselves back up into new ventures - and since then have created new careers for themselves. Afiq Nazar, director of Grill Haven, shares how Grill Haven came from a couple of grounded pilots, and where they’re headed next. Image Credit: Grill Haven Facebook PageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shahnaz Interiors is dedicated to transforming the nation’s healthcare facilities from monolithic concrete blocks to inspiring and contemporary spaces for healing the patients. Nazrin Shahnaz, the CEO of Shahnaz Interiors shares how they intend to humanise the hospital experience, and why this is crucial in light of the pandemic.Image Credit: Shahnaz Interiors Official WebsiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.