Articles
My views, insights and thoughts about the world of social entrepreneurship.
I also write articles about wellness, banking innovation and trends. Follow me on LinkedIn.
29 April 2025 | 5 Mistakes Brands Make When Trying to Connect with Socially Conscious Consumers
Brands aiming to connect with socially conscious consumers often stumble. This article outlines five common pitfalls—from performative activism to inconsistent messaging—and offers strategies to build genuine, trust-based relationships with today's value-driven audiences.
22 April 2025 | Why Customer Segmentation Fails—and What to Do Instead
Traditional customer segmentation often falls short, leading to misaligned strategies and missed growth opportunities. This article explores why conventional models fail and offers a modern roadmap for sustainable, data-driven customer engagement.
8 April 2025 | China’s Next Big Thing In Segment Growth: The Ice and Snow, Silver, and Debut Economies
China is tapping into three emerging consumer segments—the silver, ice and snow, and debut economies—to drive growth. This article explores how these trends are reshaping spending habits and what they mean for businesses targeting China's evolving market.
3 April 2025 | Why Customer Lifetime Value Is Outdated
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) has long been the go-to metric for customer worth. But in today’s fast-changing markets, is it still relevant? This article explores why CLV may be outdated—and what businesses should consider instead.
1 April 2025 | Why Your Customer Data Isn't Telling You Everything
Customer data alone doesn't tell the full story. This article explores how blending qualitative insights—like ethnographic research and deep interviews—with analytics can unlock deeper customer understanding. Discover the power of "Customer Unit Value" and why a human-centric approach is essential for meaningful growth.
18 March 2025 | When Doing Good Hurts Your Career
Balancing altruism with ambition is crucial. This article explores how overcommitting to charitable activities can inadvertently hinder your career progression, especially within Asia-Pacific's competitive professional landscape. Discover strategies to align your philanthropic efforts with your career goals, ensuring sustainable impact without compromising personal advancement.
4 March 2025 | Food + Logistics + AI = Zero Food Waste
AI is revolutionising food logistics to combat waste. This article explores how predictive analytics and smart supply chains are driving the shift towards zero-waste operations—cutting costs, reducing emissions, and feeding more people.
25 February 2025 | ESG Scandals Exposed: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It
ESG failures can devastate trust and profits. This article analyses major scandals—from Volkswagen to BP—and offers actionable insights for Asia-Pacific leaders to embed integrity, transparency, and sustainability into their core strategies.
18 February 2025 | Regenerative Impact: The Future Beyond Sustainability
Regeneration goes beyond sustainability—it's about actively restoring ecosystems, economies, and communities. This article explores why regenerative impact is the future, highlighting how businesses can shift from minimising harm to creating net-positive change.
11 February 2025 | Why ESG Scores Don’t Matter—And How to Measure Real Social Impact
ESG scores don’t always reflect real-world impact. This article breaks down why traditional ESG metrics fall short—and introduces better ways to measure true social and environmental progress that actually matters.
4 February 2025 | Charities vs. Social Enterprises: Who wins?
Social enterprises and charities often vie for the same support, yet face different expectations. This article explores six key battlegrounds—from funding and public perception to talent acquisition—highlighting the challenges social enterprises face in a landscape traditionally dominated by charities.
28 January 2025 | What Red Packets Can Teach Us About Impact-Driven Leadership and Funding
Red packets, or ang paos, are more than festive gifts—they symbolise trust, empowerment, and generosity. This article explores how these traditions offer powerful lessons in impact-driven leadership and funding, from trust-based giving to empowering teams.
21 January 2025 | Faith-Based Social Enterprises: Transforming Values into Impact
Faith-based social enterprises blend spiritual values with sustainable business models to drive meaningful change. This article explores how these ventures address global challenges, align with the UN SDGs, and inspire impactful initiatives.
14 January 2025 | Ipoh’s Secret to Ageing with Purpose and Dignity
In Ipoh, ageing isn't just about growing old—it's about living with purpose. This article explores how the city’s affordable lifestyle, strong community ties, and accessible healthcare create a model for dignified, meaningful ageing in Asia.
24 December 2024 | A Christmas Love Letter to Social Entrepreneurs
This heartfelt Christmas message honours social entrepreneurs—the unsung heroes building a better world. It celebrates your resilience, acknowledges your sacrifices, and reminds you that your work matters deeply. A must-read for anyone on the impact journey.
18 December 2024 | Social Enterprises and Banks: A Partnership for Change
Banks are stepping beyond traditional roles, partnering with social enterprises to tackle inequality and climate change. This article explores how these collaborations drive both social impact and business innovation, benefiting communities and financial institutions alike.
10 December 2024 | Asia Pacific’s Best Social Innovations of 2024
Asia Pacific's social innovation scene in 2024 is thriving. This article spotlights 10 standout initiatives across health, education, climate, and indigenous empowerment—each selected for their impact, innovation, and sustainability. Discover how these changemakers are shaping a more inclusive and resilient future.
4 December 2024 | What Every Brand Can Learn From Nike’s Air Max 1000 Success
What makes a brand iconic? This article unpacks the secrets behind Nike’s Air Max success and reveals powerful branding lessons every business can apply to build lasting cultural relevance and customer loyalty.
3 December 2024 | Purpose on a Plate: How Social Enterprises Are Redefining Food for Good
Food is no longer just about taste—it's about purpose. This article explores how social enterprises are redefining what it means to eat for good, using food to drive inclusion, sustainability, and community impact.
Impact lending is reshaping the future of finance. This article breaks down what it takes to build a best-in-class impact lending product in Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia—balancing financial returns with meaningful social outcomes.
26 November 2024 | 5 ChatGPT Strategies to Boost Your Social Enterprise
AI can supercharge your social enterprise. This article shares 5 practical ChatGPT strategies to boost productivity, enhance storytelling, streamline operations, and maximise your impact.
Understanding your audience is crucial for success. This article introduces 8 proven customer segmentation frameworks to help you tailor strategies, connect deeply with your audience, and drive impactful results.
Sustainability is the key to lasting impact. This article explores how to optimise your social enterprise strategies, ensuring long-term growth, resilience, and meaningful change.
12 November 2024 | Impact Washing: The Growing Issue of Misleading Social Impact Claims
Impact washing is on the rise, with misleading social claims undermining genuine efforts. This article uncovers the risks, signs, and solutions to ensure authenticity in driving meaningful social impact.
9 November 2024 | Turning Pain into Power: How Hardships Fuel Growth and Purpose
Hardships can be powerful catalysts for growth and purpose. This article explores how to turn pain into strength, using life’s challenges to fuel personal transformation and create meaningful impact.
5 November 2024 | Branding Secrets: A Guide For Social Enterprises To Make Your Impact Last
A strong brand amplifies your social enterprise's impact. This article reveals key branding secrets to help you craft a compelling identity, connect with your audience, and stand out in the mission-driven marketplace.
29 October 2024 | Top 5 Mistakes New Social Entrepreneurs Make (and How to Avoid Them)
22 October 2024 | How to End World Hunger with Only 3 Employees and a Laptop
Ending world hunger with just three employees and a laptop—could it be possible? This article examines bold, innovative approaches to tackling one of humanity’s greatest challenges with minimal resources and maximum impact.
19 October 2024 | Overcoming Failure: How to Reframe Mistakes and Thrive
Failure isn’t the end—it’s an opportunity to grow. This article explores how to reframe mistakes, embrace resilience, and turn setbacks into stepping stones for future success.
15 October 2024 | The 100% AI-Driven Social Enterprise: Is It Possible?
8 October 2024 | Why Banks Are Failing the Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurs
Banks are missing the mark with the next generation of social entrepreneurs. This article explores the disconnect and offers insights into how financial institutions can better support impact-driven businesses for a sustainable future.
5 October 2024 | 20,000 Invisible Companies: Why Malaysia's Social Enterprises Are on Life Support
With over 20,000 invisible companies, Malaysia's social enterprise sector is brimming with untapped potential. This article uncovers why these businesses remain under the radar and how they can step into the spotlight to drive meaningful change.
1 October 2024 | From Charity to Self-Sustainability: 2 Winning Strategies
An effective impact strategy is crucial for social enterprises. This article guides you on how to measure and communicate your success, ensuring your efforts resonate with stakeholders and drive meaningful change.
Resilience is key for social enterprises facing challenges. This article explores practical strategies to survive and thrive during tough times, ensuring your mission remains impactful and your organisation sustainable.
Growing a social enterprise sustainably is a delicate balance. This article explores strategies to scale without compromising your mission, ensuring long-term impact and organisational resilience.
19 September 2024 | The Essential Skills Every Social Entrepreneur Needs to Thrive
Thriving as a social entrepreneur takes more than a good idea. This article outlines the essential skills every social entrepreneur needs to succeed, from leadership and innovation to adaptability and impact measurement.
18 September 2024 | From Idea to Impact: How to Launch a Social Enterprise That Lasts
17 September 2024 | How Elite Social Entrepreneurs Stay Ahead in 2024's Hyper-Competitive Landscape
In a rapidly evolving landscape, elite social entrepreneurs find ways to stay ahead. This article uncovers key strategies for navigating 2024's challenges, from innovation to impact-driven leadership, ensuring continued success and relevance in the social enterprise space.
Mood swings can be puzzling, but there's science behind them. This article delves into the causes of emotional fluctuations and offers practical strategies to better understand and manage your moods for improved mental well-being.
3 September 2024 | Is Success Luck or Hard Work?
Is success the result of luck or hard work? This article examines the interplay between the two, exploring how factors like perseverance, opportunity, and timing contribute to achieving long-term success.
1 September 2024 | Finding Your Professional Ikigai: When Personal Passion Meets Global Need
When personal passion aligns with professional purpose, true fulfilment follows. This article explores how to discover your professional ikigai—the sweet spot where what you love, what you're good at, and what the world needs come together for a meaningful career.
30 August 2024 | Banking for Good: Where Profit Meets Purpose
The banking industry is evolving, where profit and purpose now intersect. This article explores how financial institutions can balance profitability with social responsibility, creating a model that benefits both business and society.
28 August 2024 | Why Your CSR Program Is Failing (And How to Fix It)
When CSR programs fall short, it's often due to a lack of genuine impact and alignment with core values. This article dives into why your CSR initiatives might be failing and provides practical steps to refocus them for long-term success and meaningful change.
Communities thrive when we actively foster connection and collaboration. This article outlines a 5-step process to leverage social capital, helping individuals and organisations build stronger, more resilient communities for long-term success.
20 August 2024 | Purpose-Driven Leadership (Part 2): A Guide for Managers
As a follow-up to the previous article Purpose-Driven Leadership (Part 1), this article offers a practical guide for managers to develop purpose-driven leadership. Discover actionable strategies that align business goals with meaningful values to inspire teams and drive impact.
19 August 2024 | Purpose-Driven Leadership (Part 1): Aligning Business with Meaning
Purpose-driven leadership is transforming businesses by aligning goals with deeper meaning. This article explores how leaders can harness the power of purpose to inspire teams, drive meaningful impact, and achieve long-lasting success.
As financial policies evolve, a shift towards people-centred approaches is gaining momentum. This article examines how inclusive financial systems can create economic opportunities for underserved communities, fostering a more equitable and sustainable future.
8 August 2024 | Strategic Philanthropy: The Thin Line Between Impact and Exploitation
This article explores the delicate balance between strategic philanthropy and genuine impact, examining how businesses navigate the fine line between meaningful social good and self-serving motives in their charitable efforts.
31 July 2024 | Funding Dilemmas: Grants, Investments, or Self-funding?
In this article, I explore the critical funding options for social entrepreneurs: grants, investments, and self-funding. I break down the pros and cons of each, helping you choose the best approach to launch and grow your social enterprise.
26 July 2024 | 10 Ways To Tackle Imposter Syndrome
Transforming imposter syndrome into empowerment: from self-doubt to social impact success. Explore practical strategies for social entrepreneurs to overcome feelings of inadequacy, and learn why embracing authenticity is the key to unlocking your full potential as a changemaker.
18 July 2024 | The Role of Design Thinking in SocEnt
11 July 2024 | A Historical Snapshot of Social Entrepreneurship
25 June 2024 | Government Involvement in Social Enterprise
18 June 2024 | Volunteers in Social Enterprise
13 June 2024 | Social Enterprise Certifications
Unmasking the complexities of social enterprise certifications: from consumer trust to hidden realities. Explore the tension between ethical promises and practical challenges, and learn why informed consumers are key to driving genuine social impact in business.
5 June 2024 | Social Procurement
8 November 2023 | 5 Signs To Reconsider Becoming A Social Entrepreneur
7 November 2023 | 5 Signs You're A Great Potential Social Entrepreneur
24 October 2023 | Corporate Support For Social Enterprise
17 October 2023 | Mental Health and Social Entrepreneurs
I also write articles about wellness, banking innovation and trends.