UTAR Department of Consultancy and Commercialisation and Unovate Centre in collaboration with the Faculty of Business and Finance (FBF) successfully organised an informative talk on Business and Entrepreneurship on 30 July 2018 at Kampar Campus.
The talk aimed to provide the participants with the knowledge on business and entrepreneurship in the current century, which is important to help the young students understand the latest trends, changes, happenings and realities of the business field. It also aimed to deliver advice on becoming a successful entrepreneur and start-up founder.
Low (front row, centre) posing with staff and participants after the talk
Titled “Want to Change the World? Be a Startup Founder”, the talk was delivered by the Founder of Global Entrepreneurship Movement (GEM) and the President of Kakiseni CEO for efm.live and emag.live Low Ngai Yuen. While introducing GEM, Low spoke of the company’s background, history, achievements, mission, vision and core values. She also highlighted that the company aims to create a global entrepreneurial sphere that will propel young entrepreneurs onto the international stage. The company also aims to provide unprecedented leadership programmes and distinctive networking opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Before establishing her current career, she shared her working experience back in 2010 during her tenure as Carrefour Malaysia and Singapore’s Marketing Director. Subsequently, she championed the TUKAR programme (Program Transformasi Kedai Runcit) both at the blueprint and execution phases as a contribution to the Economic Transformation Programme, contributing to the modernisation of more than 120 mom-and-pop stores. In 2011, Low was selected as a subject matter expert for the Prime Minister’s Roundtable on engaging the youth and subsequently, she had the honour to lead in the execution upon mapping out the industry’s growth for the performing arts pillar under the Dasar Industri Kreatif Negara. Just in 2016, Low successfully lobbied for an increase in corporate tax benefit when the art was sponsored and this year she is working on spreading the knowledge of traditional art forms, Mak Yong, to the young generation through storybooks following a successful run of its first series on Wayang Kulit.
Low started her talk by motivating the students to “stay hungry” to sustain competitive advantage and success in entrepreneurship. She said, “When you are hungry for success, you are driven to go to great lengths to achieve your objectives.” She also stressed that innovation is fundamental to a successful and progressive business.
Low educating the students with her experience
She elucidated the students further on the meaning and difference between the two commonly used words, namely business and entrepreneurship. She explained, “Businessmen and entrepreneurs have many similarities; they provide jobs for the unemployed, give solutions to the consumers and help in developing the economy of the nation. However, they are not the same kind of people. Businessmen can make a business out of an unoriginal business or product idea by entering into existing businesses. They choose profitable business idea regardless of whether it is his original idea or borrowed from someone else. However, an entrepreneur is an inventor and the first creator of a product. Entrepreneurs invest time, energy and money on his own idea.”
She also motivated the students by saying that failure is part of a long road to success, but only when one has the right attitude. She emphasised, “Failure is an opportunity to learn. Don’t be afraid to fail. You fail only if you don’t learn something from the experience. Treat every failure as an opportunity to grow. This eventually can help you to get back up and try again. With such persistence, no matter what your goals are, you will increase your chances of achieving them.”
In addition to that, Low also introduced to students the best qualities that one should possess to be an entrepreneur or startup founder. She said the best qualities are being flexible, optimistic, modifiable, adaptable, creative, inventive, imaginative and innovative.
Attended by more than 100 students, the talk ended with a souvenir presentation by FBF lecturer Oon Kam Hoe and DCC Head Ching Yen Choon to Low.
Low is a multiple award-winning workaholic. To date, she has mentored more than 100 start-ups and has been a passionate social entrepreneur herself, running multiple businesses to support two causes; the 15-year-old Kakiseni that champions the arts and its advocacy; as well as founding WOMENgirls, an NGO dedicated to reminding women to be role models to younger girls to achieve their potentials. She is also the CEO for efm.live and emag.live— both as technology, innovation and entrepreneurship platforms with Global Entrepreneurship Movement association, a registered NGO that enables global market access. Known also as an acclaimed film producer, director and TV veteran, Low also sits on the National Consultative Panel for Productive Culture Development with the Malaysian Productivity Centre and the Economic Planning Unit.
Oon (middle) presenting a token of appreciation to Low (left) while Ching looks on
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