MR LIM WAI MUN, FOUNDER, DOCTOR ANYWHERE

In 2017, Mr Lim Wai Mun embarked on an ambitious journey with Doctor Anywhere, a telehealth start-up that aims to provide personalised, borderless and inclusive healthcare in Southeast Asia. Initially met with scepticism, Mr Lim confronted significant hurdles in gaining trust from patients and providers alike.

MY BIG SPARK MOMENT: The turning point came unexpectedly during a Doctor Anywhere pop-up event at Raffles Place. Mr Lim observed that despite the technological capabilities of his platform, patients craved a more tangible, personal experience. This insight was a revelation – telehealth needed more than just digital efficiency; it needed a human touch. “This meant that beyond providing a good tech platform for healthcare, it required a greater focus on the customer experience, and a rethink of our business model,” he explained. “Subsequently, this has been the foundation of all that we do – our patients are our number one priority.”

This awakening led to a strategic pivot. Doctor Anywhere expanded beyond its digital space, establishing clinics to provide physical touchpoints for enhanced credibility and quality care. The blend of digital and physical presence was a game-changer. Through direct interactions with users, the team gleaned invaluable insights about consumer hesitancies, shaping their approach to care.

Adopting an omnichannel approach, Doctor Anywhere blurred the lines between online and offline healthcare services. This model led to soaring user adoption, validating Mr Lim’s vision. “The health tech space was puzzled with our omnichannel model, and did not understand why we chose the offline integration,” he shared. “However, as our model started to build traction with much higher user-adoption rates, our idea was vindicated.”

MS ROSHNI MAHTANI-CHEUNG, FOUNDER, THE PARENTINC

Ms Roshni Mahtani-Cheung’s foray into entrepreneurship started when she was babysitting a three-year-old from New York in Singapore, and realised that there was a lack of relevant parenting content online. “I wanted her to try Singapore food, but when I went online to do research on what’s safe to feed a toddler, I realised that there wasn’t any content available that answered my questions,” she recalled.

MY BIG SPARK MOMENT: Realising that there was a gap in culturally-relevant parenting resources was a wake-up call. “It was not just about creating content, but building a community that reflects the diverse needs and voices of Asian parents,” said Ms Mahtani-Cheung.

In response to the issue, she set up a blog that resonated deeply with Asian parents, bridging cultural nuances and practical parenting advice. That blog has since evolved into theAsianparent, the largest parenting platform in Southeast Asia today.

However, the sparks didn’t stop there. In 2017, Ms Mahtani-Cheung identified another unmet need in her largest market, Indonesia. Addressing the concerns of Muslim mothers over the lack of affordable, natural and halal-certified personal care products, she launched Mama’s Choice, a direct-to-consumer brand that manufactures and retails pregnancy, nursing, baby care and household products for its target market. “Call it kismet that the little girl’s curiosity led me to this entrepreneurial journey I’ve been on for the last decade,” she said. “If she hadn’t asked those questions, I wouldn’t have discovered that there was a need that hadn’t been given any attention.”

MS AMANDA CUA, FOUNDER, BACKSCOOP

Ms Amanda Cua’s entrepreneurial journey began with the revelation that even as a teenager, she had the skills and confidence to achieve anything she set her mind to. At 18, she took a gap year before entering university, but what was meant to be a brief pause resulted in her launching BackScoop, a media start-up that reports on Southeast Asia’s tech scene.

MY BIG SPARK MOMENT: It was during an internship at a tech start-up in the Philippines that Ms Cua’s capabilities bloomed. Entrusted with significant responsibilities, she thrived, leading marketing efforts and securing more than 150 clients. This success laid the groundwork for her “Big Spark” moment. “Once you see yourself grow massively and acquire a lot of valuable skills in a short period of time, it’s a massive boost to your own confidence,” she said. “It really made me believe in myself – if I learnt and achieved that much in a year at 18, I could be capable of learning everything I needed to start and grow my own start-up one day.”

Armed with her newfound belief, Ms Cua identified a gap in the market for timely and relevant news about tech startups in the region, and felt that a simple newsletter would be an ideal medium to address this problem. Following this realisation, she quit her job and launched BackScoop a month later at the tender age of 19.

Two years on, the BackScoop newsletter now boasts more than 10,000 subscribers. The company has also launched a podcast called One More Scoop, which has featured interviews with notable tech leaders in Southeast Asia. Significantly, Ms Cua’s business generates revenue and even began seeing profits this year. She said, “I’m really proud of what we’ve done so far, but I’m equally excited to do much more for the Southeast Asian start-up ecosystem.”

MS STEPHANIE DICKSON, FOUNDER, GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK

For Ms Stephanie Dickson, the path from fashion industry professional to environmental champion was paved by the realisation that her dream job was part of an industry contributing to ecological and ethical crises.

MY BIG SPARK MOMENT: Ms Dickson’s wake-up call came after watching the documentary The True Cost, an investigation into the human and environmental impact of the fast fashion industry. “I felt completely blindsided. Once I knew what was going on, I couldn’t continue to be part of the problem; I wanted to be part of the solution instead,” she revealed.

Inspired by this moment of clarity, Ms Dickson started doing research about sustainability, which eventually led her to found Green Is The New Black, a media platform that celebrates sustainability and conscious living. “My ‘Big Spark’ was that sustainability and conscious living is incredible. It is cool, has a positive reinforcement cycle, and has made me much happier and healthier,” she said.

The company also runs The Conscious Festival, which brings together thought leaders, businesses and consumers to drive positive environmental and social change. This flagship event is held annually in cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Paris. After eight years, The Conscious Festival has become a nearly zero-waste, plant-based and carbonnegative event, mirroring the sustainability journey it advocates. With Green Is The New Black’s recent acquisition by Mr Sean Lee Davies, founder of Awethentic Group, Ms Dickson’s mission of supporting individuals to live more consciously is poised for its next chapter.