Issued annually by Forbes magazine, the list honours individuals in Asia under the age of 30 who made impact across different categories. For this 7th edition, 6 SMU alumni were recognised by Forbes for inspiring change and driving innovation amid the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
An experienced sustainability entrepreneur and an advocate for business as a force for good, SMU alumnus Jeremy Lee is passionate about building sustainable businesses that drive innovations for a better tomorrow. Founder and CEO of SimplyGood, Jeremy is driven by his passion for sustainability and is on a mission to eliminate single-use plastic cleaning products in Singaporean homes.
What role did SMU play in your lives, directly or indirectly, in terms of skills and knowledge?
Studying at SMU turned out to be the starting point of my entrepreneurial journey. I was able to explore my interests in the startup ecosystem and equip myself with skills, resources and competencies needed to succeed as an entrepreneur.
Being a part of SMU’s three-month Global Innovation Immersion programme was one of the highlights of my undergraduate life, as it gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in the world’s largest startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley. It was an incredible experience that allowed me to deep dive into the startup scene, gain invaluable insights from the connections I made, discover my purpose and grow as an individual.
The culmination of those experiences was the launch of my first startup, UglyGood, an organic waste management solutions provider leveraging deep technology and scientific research to extract and create value from organic waste materials/biomass. All of this was made possible through SMU’s flagship incubation programme, Business Innovations Generator (BIG).
Additionally, SMU gave me the opportunity to participate in numerous startup competitions, pitching events, and networking sessions, which helped me grow as a budding entrepreneur
SimplyGood’s growth and successes clearly aligns with SMU’s 3 strategic priorities in Digital Transformation, Growth in Asia and Sustainability. What plans does SimplyGood have in the future along these 3 priorities?
According to the latest report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the amount of plastic waste in the oceans is projected to almost double by 2030 and triple by 2040. Due to rapid urbanisation and consumerism, Southeast Asia has also emerged as a hotspot for plastic pollution.
Because cleaning up the oceans won't completely solve the problem of plastic pollution, what we can do is to transform and change the way we use and manage plastic. This is where SimplyGood comes into the picture.
Leveraging digital innovation is key to scaling SimplyGood's growth and achieving impact in Asia. With an expanded range of eco-friendly cleaning tablets to cater to a growing demand from Asia markets for sustainable production and consumption, SimplyGood is realising its vision to help consumers take easy actions at home which have a real and positive impact on the planet.
How did you get to know about Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List?
I was recommended and nominated by a previous Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List alumni and other executive leaders in the sustainability industry to be part of this year's list. As a young entrepreneur, I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with so many talented individuals and organisations that share my passion for reducing single-use plastic. I would like to thank them for their support in my journey so far.
As an innovator in your field, what advice would you give to SMU alumni?
If you have a vision, start doing the work you care about and act on it now.
Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn.
As if launching a startup was not challenging enough, imagine pioneering a verification technology that was not well understood by many. This was what Derrick and Shaun and two other co-founders faced four years ago. Today, that technology, TrustTech, is used by more than 800 enterprises across eight markets, including health, education, defence, corporate services and aviation to streamline credential management processes. Sharing similar interest in technology at an early age, Shaun's knack for problem-solving and Derrick's curiosity in game development eventually led them to cross paths at SMU in 2018. A year later, with the emergence of blockchain technology and its widespread use in the banking and financial sector, Derrick, Shaun, and their co-founders saw an opportunity and launched Accredify to accelerate the world's transition to Web3.
What role did SMU play in your lives, directly or indirectly, in terms of skills and knowledge?
Shaun: SMU has helped me meet like-minded people who are passionately enthusiastic about what they do. They have inspired and encouraged me to be more open to new opportunities and to explore out-of-the-box ideas.
SMU’s curriculum has also helped shape the way I solve problems and present solutions. My time at the former School of Information Systems (now renamed as School of Computing and Information Systems) has taught me that knowing the tech solution is not enough – there always has to be a business angle for the solution to work.
Derrick: Entrepreneurship classes have equipped me for the early days of Accredify, where we were constantly pitching to our various stakeholders. Study missions and exchange programmes broadened my horizons and worldview, and non-academic activities have prepared me for networking events.
Accredify’s growth and successes clearly aligns with SMU’s 3 strategic priorities in Digital Transformation, Growth in Asia and Sustainability. What plans does Accredify have in the future along these 3 priorities?
Digital transformation is the very essence of our mission to lead the world's transition to TrustTech through verifiable data and precise automation. Accredify is currently in 5 verticals and 9 markets, and we have the ambition to bring TrustTech to more verticals and markets, in Asia and beyond.
We believe that verifiable data is the key to enabling enterprises and individuals come together to participate in the digital, trust-less Web3 future; and Accredify is here to serve as the bridge between Web2 enterprises and the Web3 ecosystem by empowering organisations to seamlessly work with verifiable data.
Through TrustTech, enterprises across the region can discover new frontiers of operational efficiency, ensure greater policy compliance, and make more accurate business decisions based on true-to-source information.
Lastly, by integrating TrustTech into their digital transformation strategy, enterprises can reduce their reliance on paper documents without compromising information integrity. For example, our clients in the education industry have saved over 250,000 printed certificates in 2021 alone.
More than just digitally transforming processes, TrustTech also has the ability to improve supply chain visibility and compliance with sustainable practices. Accredify is open to exploring potential applications of TrustTech in the sustainability space with interested partners.
How did you and your co-founders get to know about Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List?
The Forbes 30 Under 30 list has a longstanding history that we have read and heard about on multiple occasions throughout our time as students. Therefore, it is an honour to be nominated and making it to this year’s list.
As trailblazers in your field, what advice would you give to SMU alumni?
Shaun: Take advantage of everything that comes your way, and even if it does not go according to plan, make the best of it. Derrick: Be patient with progress as you be patient with yourself.
Connect with Shaun on LinkedIn.
Connect with Derrick on LinkedIn.
After co-founding two mentoring programmes that impacted over 1000 student mentors and mentees, the experience they got helping youths led three SMU alumni to found Kinobi, a digital career accelerator that helps Asia’s Gen Z students achieve success and bolster their readiness for employment in their chosen paths, with tools such as an automated resume builder, a common career question bank, and video-based courses. Offered as software-as-a-service (SaaS) model to universities and career centres, the platform currently has 51 university partners across Singapore, Indonesia and Philippines and is used by more than 200000 users.
What role did SMU play in your lives, directly or indirectly, in terms of skills and knowledge?
Benjamin: Studying at SMU has been an amazing experience for me. I joined SMU Cognitare, a business case club, and was privileged to represent SMU at international business case competitions. In my first year of study, my team took 2nd position at the 2nd Chulalongkorn International Business Case Competition 2015 that was held in Thailand. Participating in such business case competitions have enabled to grow and develop functional, interpersonal, conceptual and leadership skills such as working in teams, analytical argumentation, problem-solving, and market research abilities.
Hafiz: SMU has given me a world of opportunities and broaden my horizons! Through business study missions, overseas internships, and participation in overseas community improvement projects, I have visited more than ten countries in four continents. My experiences have led me to develop new skills, make connections, and gain global perspectives that I am able to use in today's VUCA world.
Joshua: I believe that the most valuable skill I have gained from my time at SMU is the ability to overcome challenges, for instance, learning how to code. That experience, and other struggles that I encountered have also helped me shape my technical acumen and agility.
Kinobi’s growth and successes clearly aligns with SMU’s 3 strategic priorities in Digital Transformation, Growth in Asia and Sustainability. What plans does Kinobi have in the future along these 3 priorities?
Growth in Asia: In under less than two years since its launch in 2021, Kinobi is on track to achieve growth with more clients signing up to its platform across three countries in Southeast Asia by the end of 2022. As we currently develop our presence in Indonesia, we are also planning to expand into other Southeast Asian countries as well.
Digital Transformation: Being an edtech startup, Kinobi leverages technology to create innovative career development tools and services. To scale and expand our operations, we will invest more into the technology and infrastructure that the startup uses. These will allow Kinobi to develop issues that many universities and career centres across the region are facing today.
How did you get to know about Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List?
We were nominated by our friend, Charmain Tan, Founder and CEO of QuickDesk. A fellow inductee on Forbes 30 Under 30 2019 list, Charmain nominated Kinobi as she resonated with its vision and mission of empowering students reach their career goals. We are ever grateful to her and our advisors for the support.
As trailblazers in your field, what advice would you give to SMU alumni?
Benjamin: Since our human lifespan is finite, make the most of your time on this planet. Don’t look back and regret not doing something you could and should have done.
Hafiz: Regardless of what you are thinking to do today, go for it and live your life without regrets.
Joshua: Be aware of your own glass ceiling and don't be afraid to challenge norms and reach out to mentors. Take the time to engage in conversation with the people you meet and be surprised by how much you learn.
Connect with Benjamin on LinkedIn.
Connect with Hafiz on LinkedIn.
Connect with Joshua on LinkedIn.