Open For Business

Tin is a former marine and FBI agent. He’s very much aware of what the term ‘risk’ means. Now he runs his own cybersecurity firm, Polaris Infosec. With it being Cybersecurity Awareness Month, what better way than to gain some of his insights into the cybersecurity ecosystem and the growth of cyberattacks in Southeast Asia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Media has gotten a lot of us through the ups and downs of the pandemic, and for many, watching shows and playing video games were a useful outlet. But what about the people who worked hard to bring that kind of content to us? Ken Foong, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Lemon Sky Studios, explains how their studio has grown with the expansion of the animation and games industry. Image Credi...

Innersejuk prides itself on striving beyond convention through the power of fashion technology with its proprietary material DriChill® material in the modest sportswear space. Azrul Izzam, the co-founder of Innersejuk shares their innovations in the Muslimah- leisure, sports, and activewear space.  Image Credit: Innersejuk Facebook Page See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bang Bang Geng is a camera and photography shop that started its operations in 2013 at Publika Shopping Gallery; founder, Chin Koon Yik, shares his journey in the industry, weathering through the tough times during the pandemic. Image Credit: Bang Bang Geng Facebook Page See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 1995, Homefield Real Estate has grown from a small setting establishment in Subang Jaya to a privately owned real estate company in Klang Valley. They specialise in residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural sale, purchase and rental, project marketing and more. Munirah Mohamad, the founder and director of Homefield shares how they strive to provide quality services to the cus...

Relationships are never easy; it takes communication, work and compromise. This is doubly so when that romantic relationship also morphs into a business relationship, too. This is the case for Husband-and-Wife duo Joyce Foo and Wilson Seah, who have been romantic partners for 16 years and business partners for 2 years now. Founded in 2020, BeautyFoo Mall is a home beauty device expert platform spe...

During the pandemic, the focus for shoppers stayed primarily on either absolute necessities or creature comforts - items that didn’t break the bank. And yet, the gold & jewellery industry stayed strong, with business starting to pick up since the reopening of international borders. In fact, the total value of gold jewellery exports increased to RM4.48bil in 2021 from RM3.15bil in 2020. Ivy Teo...

Have you ever felt confused when looking into different insurance plans, not knowing which one works for you? Online insurance platforms like PolicyStreet aim to step in and make things a little easier for the end consumers. Winnie Chua, the chief product officer from PolicyStreet, explains how. Image Credit: PolicyStreet Facebook Page See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the world grows increasingly connected, the distance and boundaries that used to separate us are becoming a thing of the past. This shows especially in the financial sector, as the fintech industry played a crucial role in enabling services such as mobile banking, payments and investments. Owen Chen, Group CEO of Neurogine shares how their goal is to bridge commerce, consumer & society in A...

Agarwood or also known as “The Wood of the Gods” is one of the most expensive fragrant dark resinous components of the Aquilaria tree. This unique resin is in high demand as it is used in the medicinal, jewellery, fragrance and essential oil industries. Currently, the agarwood market trade is estimated to be valued at USD32 billion and expected to double to USD64 billion by the end of 2029 globall...

We Malaysians love celebrating our culture at every opportunity, especially our food; we love eating it, talking about it, and even collecting food memorabilia. Miniature creator Ling Hooi Yin, founder of TinyPinc Miniatures discusses her long-running venture in creating teeny tiny token versions of local cuisine, and how she aims to educate Malaysian consumers on the true value of artisan work.&n...

Education brings a brighter future. Ideas Academy aims to provide high-quality, affordable education to students in Kuala Lumpur by bridging technology and traditional education. Chairman, Jan Willem Smulders, shares how they help students to become successful contributing citizens of the world. Image Credit: Ideas Academy Facebook Page See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Louise Chu, the founder of Claire Organics, started creating handmade soaps with all natural ingredients back in 2012. After operating for a decade, Louise is here to share Claire Organics’ journey, as well as how she benefited from the SME Digitization grant received from the Ministry of Finance from the Budget 2022 scheme. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s ultra-competitive retail market, granular data is just as important as making a sale. Comeby has managed to integrate data collection with the added functionality of a virtual store assistant to close the gap between customers and the store. Barry Ooi, the co-founder of ComeBy explains the concept behind Comeby, an all-round solution that benefits shoppers as well as store assistants.&n...

Store N Go, a local eFulfilment service provider, is hoping to tap into Malaysia’s RM1 trillion e-commerce market by being the first warehousing platform to provide multi-stage solutions that go beyond storage and shipping. Founder Tee Kee Lion explains their integrated solutions and how they span multiple touchpoints throughout the product journey, from early marketing strategies right up to fulf...

Unfortunately, with the cost of living rising and salaries still fairly stagnant, many Malaysians are living check-to-check. But life can throw curveballs at you that may entirely derail your everyday approach to your finances - what happens if you need your payday earlier than expected? Justin Kong, co-founder of earned wage access platform Payd, explains how EWA can help both employees and emplo...

As we know, plastic is one of the major pollutants on the planet. Beebag is a smart, reusable bag that was created to help eliminate single-use plastic pollution. Joshua Lim and Joel Lim, the co-founders of Beebag, share their story of how modern technology can help reduce wastage. Image Credit: Beebag Facebook Page See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One thing that the pandemic taught us was about the importance of self-love and self-pampering. When Anne and Boh lost their jobs during the pandemic, they decided to tap into the self-care industry and created the artisan handmade beeswax candle brand, Anbo. They unpack how different beeswax candles are compared to conventional ones, and their bee-sy journey.  Image Credit: ANBO Facebook Pag...

Chef James Won, the founder of METTA Foodination, talks about his latest adventure in combining Japanese cuisine, modern French techniques, and local ingredients together. Image Credit: Shin'Labo Facebook Page See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WORQEX, a Malaysian work-based online learning programme, provides real-world working experience to its learners. Doing away with theory-based and academia-driven syllabi, WORQEX onboards their trainees into a simulated company and coaches them through modules of popular work tasks to build a work portfolio for their job-seeking journey — all from the convenience of their homes and at their own pa...

Most of us saw our electricity bills skyrocket during the pandemic, what with the sudden surge of having to work from home as well as the recurring heat waves necessitating constant air conditioning and fan usage. Is there a way to mitigate these issues moving forward? The solution might just be in your windows, according to Fredrick Kam, co-founder & executive director of Chiefway Malaysia, t...

Did you know that honey has some great healing properties? Darlings Honey started when one of the founder's family members was struggling with cancer, and ended up becoming a business that could help benefit society as a whole. Danielle Pee, the co-founder of Darlings Honey, shares how this sweet business started. Image Credit: Darlings Honey See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you a person who loves to work from home but sometimes home might not be the suitable environment for you to concentrate in? A coworking space might be a better choice for you. Sandbox is a coworking space that aims to create an environment for all entrepreneurs who are seeking for a place to work. Casper Foo and Yu Min Lye, the founders of Sandbox, share their business journey with us. Image...

Cloud kitchens boomed during the pandemic, with food delivery spiking high as all of us stayed dutifully at home. However, now that we're moving into endemicity, is that business model enough? Kenneth Lai, CEO and co-founder of Vacrea, talks about their three brands - Cauli & Rice, M Fried Chicken, and Aunty Sam Satay - as well as their plans to take their F&B goals to the next level.&nbsp...

In Malaysia, refugee learning centres have limited funds to hire quality teachers and many centres are having difficulty providing quality education to the students. The Other School aims to place quality teachers in refugee learning centres and at the same time, educate the world. We speak to Teoh Min Chia, co-founder of The Other School about her interesting business model for education. Image C...