The BordersLess Podcast

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Episode Themes (timestamps below)

• The impact of COVID-19 on Chinatown, retail property & startups
• Brad’s upbringing & struggles to fit in as an Asian-Australian
• Haymarket HQ & helping startups expand to Asia
• The challenges of running a family business
• The importance of self-awareness & the strengths of introversion

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Topics covered in this episode:

• How to start a side project after work in a low-risk way?
• Fintech landscape in the US
• Resources & tips on how you can get started

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This podcast episode touches on:

• Karen’s journey from Australia to Singapore
• Career advice for young professionals
• Workplace Diversity & Inclusion
• Utilising Australia’s diaspora and expat communities
• Australian companies expanding to Asia

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Episode Themes

• Shelli’s upbringing in Australia as a refugee
• Her non-linear career path (Scientist → Real Estate → Venture Capitalist)\
• The importance of networking & taking chances
• Proptech investment themes across APAC & impact of COVID-19 on startups
• Thoughts on cultural & gender barriers in the workplace

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Episode Themes

• Losing a job during the GFC and pivoting careers. Advice for others in similar situations.
• Diversity and racism in Australia.
• The Australia-China relationship.
• The lack of understanding about Asia.
• The journalism industry in Australia, HK and advice for young journalists.
• Pushing your comfort zone and being curious.

From Accounting to Journalism

Born in Malaysia, Su-Lin came to Australia in her early teens. After losing her finance job during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC), Su-Lin embarked on a journey to pursue meaning over money. Over 2 years, Su-Lin sampled a variety of potential careers such as law, child-care, chemistry, and at one point, wanted to be a concert pianist. Eventually, she settled on journalism and hasn’t looked back.

Timestamps

• 1:20 – Su-Lin’s introduction, life in Malaysia, moving to Australia.
• 3:45 – Why she chose accounting as a career.
• 4:40 – Losing her job during the 2008 Financial Crisis. How and why she pursued journalism.
• 7:40 – Advice for others who may be affected by COVID-19 and in similar positions as Su-Lin was.
• 10:25 – how she got her break in journalism.
• 11:30 – her time at the Australian Financial Review.
• 13:00 – the bamboo ceiling in Australia, how her Asian background was an advantage in the newsroom.
• 14:25 – thoughts on the lack of diversity in journalism.
• 17:20 – how she got stories, what was her favourite piece?
• 20:25 – why she moved to the SCMP. Differences between journalism in HK and Australia.
• 22:15 – about her stories on racism in Australia.
• 27:20 – thoughts on the Aus-China relationship.
• 35:00 – Australia and its relationship with Asia. Lack of grassroots education about Asia in Australia.
• 38:25 – is Australia multicultural or multi-cultures?
• 39:50 – how do we build better relations between countries and within our own societies? Be curious, be uncomfortable, explore the world.
• 43:35 – thoughts on journalism in Australia, revenue models, the impact of social media, South China Morning Post & Alibaba.
• 50:20 – advice for young journalists.
• 51:50 – biggest challenges in Su-Lin’s career. How she pushed on.54:30 – closing thoughts.
  

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Episode Themes

• Cultural & gender barriers in Australia & what we can do to improve these,
• Diversity in Australia vs Japan,
• Her entrepreneurial journey & advice for others on a similar journey,
• Why COVID has unfairly impacted women in their careers and what she’s doing to help them,
• The opportunities for women in the tech industry,
• Having a positive mindset and turning your obstacles into opportunities.

About The Dream Collective

The Dream Collective was founded in 2012 by Sarah Liu, a passionate advocate for women in leadership and furthering diversity and inclusivity practises in corporate culture to transform the way we work.Sarah was named one of the “40 under 40: Most Influential Asian-Australians” in the Entrepreneurship category at the 2019 Asian-Australian Leadership Summit.The Dream Collective is a global leadership consultancy, helping businesses across Sydney, Shanghai, Melbourne, Tokyo & Singapore build diverse and inclusive workplaces: https://www.thedreamcollective.com.au/our-story/

Timestamps

1:20 – Introduction
3:50 – Cultural & diversity barriers in the workplace.
6:00 – Advice for others…career journey, upbringing, entrepreneurship.
9:25 – How did the Dream Collective start?
12:00 – Sarah’s transition from corporate to startup. Thoughts on having a “safety net” & taking risk.
12:40 – Seeing a gap in the market for mid-career level women
13:55 – What exactly are the barriers for women in the workplace?
15:40 – How is Sarah & The Dream Collective solving the lack of female leaders?
17:25 – thoughts around diversity & inclusion quotas in the workplace. The importance of having measurable targets. The lack of meritocracy in the workplace.
21:40 – utilising cultural & gender barriers to your advantage, addressing cultural barriers.
24:35 – why women have been unfairly impacted by COVID? What is the ShePivots program? How is it addressing this problem?
26:40 – opportunities for women in tech. You don’t need a technical/coding background to succeed. Using your diversity as a strength
28:25 – thoughts around entrepreneurship, advice for others on a similar journey, understand your “why”, impacts of COVID.
31:00 – Expanding globally to expand into other markets, differences in diversity & inclusion between countries.
34:10 – Using Japan vs Australia as an example
36:10 – COVID impacts and how to turn obstacles into opportunities
38:15 – Wrapping up, final thoughts, the launch of 50/50 in 100 days
41:15 – how to find out more about The Dream Collective, ShePivots, other programs & initiatives.

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Listen to this episode if you want to find out more about Taiwan’s startup ecosystem or if you simply want to hear about Elisa’s unique journey.  We talk about:

• Elisa’s story about building a career in high finance, then giving it all up to pursue her passion.
• The cultural & gender barriers she faced and other struggles along the way.
• Advice for young professionals in building their careers.
• Overview of the Taiwan startup scene (VC players + accelerators).
• Reasons to consider Taiwan as a place to build or grow your startup.

Show Notes: https://bordersless.com/business/elisa-chiu-anchor-taiwan/

Timestamps

1:00 – Introduction
2:35 – Journey from Taiwan to Canada. Navigating a new environment and cultural barriers. 
6:10 – Working as a junior trader.
6:40 – Was this your passion? Why did you go down the finance path?
10:45 – Navigating cultural and gender barriers in a male dominant environment.
13:20 – Importance of finding a mentor and support systems. Turning bad situations into an advantage and bring value to others.
17:30 – Are there gender barriers in Taiwan?
18:50 – Working at a Hedge Fund, living in a bubble, resigning from a comfortable life, throwing yourself into the unknown.
22:45 – The motivation for living a different life. Overcoming fears and perceived limitations. Pursuing your passion, finding fulfilment, why you should give things a try.
30:20 – Experiencing Silicon Valley, getting into innovation + technology, impact investing and the startup world, moving back to Taiwan to setup Anchor Taiwan.
36:15 – Reasons for setting up Anchor Taiwan.
38:00 – The beginning of Anchor Taiwan.
40:10 – Tackling challenges and the unknowns. The difficulty of marketing Taiwan. 
43:50 – Thoughts around leaving and returning to Taiwan. Gaining perspective.
45:30 – What is Anchor Taiwan + Anchor Venture Partners?
50:40 – Overview of Taiwan market – VCs + Accelerators (AppWorks, Cherubic Ventures, Cornerstone Ventures).
55:35 – Government initiatives for foreign startups.
57:20 – Corporate Venture  Capital in Taiwan.
59:20 – Why should I go to Taiwan over Singapore or HK? What sort of startups should go to Taiwan?
1:01:30 – Google expansion into Taiwan.
1:05:00 – Impacts of Coronavirus on the startup space in Taiwan. Initiatives to help startups.
1:08:00 – How can startups navigate this tough period?
1:10:00 – Investment trends and opportunities in this period?
1:14:25 – Would you have done anything differently? Career advice for young professionals?
1:17:45 – Overseas born Taiwanese coming to Taiwan. E.g. the co-founders of YouTube and Rotten Tomatoes.
1:19:05 – Thoughts on young Taiwanese + how Taiwan can stay competitive.
1:21:40 – Last words + how to contact Elisa.

• https://www.mychinaroots.com/ 
• https://www.mychinaroots.com/community      

The Zoom audio was a bit glitchy and the conversation was a bit rushed at the end as we realised we were running out of time. But feel free to reach out to Huihan directly if you want to find out more.  

Timestamps: 

• 0:00 - Intro 
• 1:25 - Huihan's Introduction (Netherlands to China)  
• 4:50 - Why Huihan decided to stay in China over the last 18 years 
• 6:55 - Is it harder for foreigners / overseas Chinese to find a job in China now? 
• 9:42 - Advice for Chinese Diaspora looking to find a job in China 
• 10:52 - What if you don't speak English? 
• 14:34 - Is there discrimination if you don't speak Chinese? 
• 18:50 - The importance of exploring and having an open mind 
• 20:30 - Any disadvantages for Overseas Chinese returning to China? 
• 23:45 - How did Huihan make friends in China? Advice for others  
• 25:50 - Best way to learn Chinese? 
• 28:00 - Huihan's life in the Netherlands 
• 33:25 - Huihan's journey finding his roots 
• 41:15 - What is My China Roots? Services? 
• 50:00 - Unique cases that My China Roots has solved? 
• 56:30 - Some Overseas Born Chinese discover their roots too late 
• 1:00:45 - Customer base of My China Roots? Is it growing? Final words and advice  

• Modern Lao Homes: https://modernlaohomes.com/index.html
• FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/modernlaohomes/
• Bunnasia: https://bunnasia.com/ 

In this podcast episode, we chat about: 

• Taking over a failing French restaurant in Laos  
• Starting a premium construction business with limited experience 
• Selling Australian goods in Laos & Thailand 
• The current startup ecosystem in Laos 
• The attraction of Laos for foreigners, investors & startups.   

Podcast Timestamps & Topics  

• 0:00 Intro 
• 1:36: Ben’s Intro 
• 3:53: Why entrepreneurship in Laos? Ben’s entrepreneurial journey from Malaysia to Laos. 
• 11:05: How did Modern Lao Homes start? 
• 14:30: How did Bunnasia (Australian import/export business) start? 
• 17:14: What’s the attraction of Laos for startups or investors (if any)? 
• 20:45: What sort of expats / foreigners move to Laos? What to expect as a foreigner? 
• 26:30: What is the startup ecosystem like in Laos? Chinese & Thai investors? 
• 28:45: Do many overseas Laotians or Laotian diaspora moved back to Laos? 
• 31:30: Ben’s background growing up half Laotian / half Chinese Malaysian 
• 33:50: Can you navigate Laos just speaking English? 
• 35:50: Major challenges for Laos in regard to business and its economy? 
• 38:55: What is the nightlife like in Vientiane? Ben’s day to day life? 
• 43:00: Would Ben go back to Malaysia?  
• 46:00 – Advice for young people & aspiring entrepreneurs  
• 50:30 – Ben’s personal goals in Laos for the next 5-10 years & conclusion

Before the 2021 coup, Myanmar was experiencing rapid economic growth (more than 7% per annum), with poverty falling from 48% to 25% between 2005 and 2017. This growth attracted many overseas investors that were attracted by the opportunities in the country.

However, this growth has reversed drastically with the event of COVID & the coup. Listen to this podcast episode to get some insights into what life & opportunities were like pre & post-coup in Myanmar.

About Brandon Aung

Born in Myanmar, Brandon quit medical school to pursue his passion for finance in Australia. However, he was unable to find a finance job as an international student (I’ve discussed this problem in a prior podcast) but he managed to secure a coveted private equity investment role back in Myanmar.

Unfortunately, Brandon left his home country after the 2021 coup and in this podcast interview, he details his life pre & post-coup as an overseas Burmese that has made his way around Australia, Sri Lanka & Thailand (topics & timestamps below).

More episodes here: https://bordersless.com/

Brandon's Life as an International Student in Australia

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:00 - Brandon's background in Myanmar. Why he came to Australia
• 3:31 - Was it hard to find a job in Australia as an international student?

Moving Back to Myanmar

• 5:50 - Why did Brandon move back to Myanmar?
• 9:40 - What happened post-coup in Myanmar?
• 11:50 - Why were international companies investing in Myanmar pre-coup?
• 13:45 - Myanmar's ethnic groups & conflict?

Moving to Thailand

• 17:30 - Why Brandon moved to Thailand & how he got stuck in Sri Lanka
• 21:40 - What it's like trying to get a job in Thailand & his process for securing a Fortune 500 role.
• 26:45 - What is the business landscape in Thailand like? The vibrancy of life in Thailand.
• 29:30 - What's day to day life like in Thailand as an overseas Burmese? How do you compare your life in Australia vs Thailand vs Myanmar? Pros & Cons

Life as an overseas Burmese currently

• 36:40 - What are other young Burmese doing (doctors / young professionals etc)? Both domestically and abroad?
• 40:40 - Did you ever feel discriminated as an overseas Burmese minority?

Future Plans, Startup Chat & Conclusion

• 43:05 - Brandon's future plans? Taking risks, startups, & returning to Myanmar?
• 46:11 - What is Thailand's startup scene like?
• 50:45 - What would Brandon do if the situation in Myanmar improves?
• 52:00 - Some chitchat. The background to BordersLess, why I set up a YouTube channel/podcast. Conclusion

After hearing so many positive things about the Philippines’ tech ecosystem in a prior episode, I asked Ron Baetiong to come on the show to share his experiences as a serial entrepreneur in the Philippines and what’s changed in the startup ecosystem over the last 10-15 years.

Starting his career off in a Filipino call centre, Ron quickly realised his dreams of buying his mom a house was not realistic. So, he started to pursue entrepreneurship, and after many ups & downs, he was finally able to find success and fulfil his dreams.

Today, Ron is the founder of Podcast Network Asia and the host of the Hustleshare Podcast (the #1 Business Podcast in the Philippines). In this episode, he shares his perspectives on the exciting startup ecosystem in the Philippines and his journey as a serial entrepreneur.

We also chat about Ron’s journey as a podcaster, how podcasting has become a serious business in Southeast Asia (especially in the Philippines & Indonesia) and advice for aspiring podcasters!

Also check out Ron’s new tool to help podcasters save time when editing: https://www.podmachine.co/

Timestamps

If you’re interested in the startup scene in the Philippines, the ecosystem’s biggest names are gathering this March 9 & 10 at Build, the first-ever annual startup festival co-organized by Sinigang Valley and Esquire Philippines. 

Find out more here: https://www.esquiremag.ph/money/movers/build-a-startup-festival-2022-a00203-20220217-lfrm

Episode Topics & Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction
1:31 – Start of the interview / Ron’s Introduction & entrepreneurial journey
7:25 – Was Ron born to be an entrepreneur or did he stumble across it?
10:55 – Did your family & friends say you were crazy for starting a business?
11:56 – After Ron’s 1st startup failed, why did he keep going and how he eventually found success.
22:07 – How has the podcasting market changed in the Philippines over the last 5 years? What podcast topics do well in Southeast Asia?
27:33 – Why Ron started Podcast Network Asia (PNA). The challenges he came across when he started podcasting. What is PNA?
33:05 – Advice of aspiring podcasters.
36:30 – Why did Ron expand to Indonesia? What are the challenges of expanding internationally? What are Ron’s future plans?
41:55 – How has the Philippine startup ecosystem changed over the last 10-15 years?
45:11 – Is entrepreneurship becoming more popular in the Philippines? Advice for young people interested in entrepreneurship?
49:25 – What’s exciting Ron about the Philippines? Conclusion.

Asami is the founder of Shapes and Sounds, the leading voice for Asian-Australian mental health and wellbeing, seeking to normalise conversations about mental health in the community.  

As a registered music therapist, she noticed that many Asian-Australians were falling between the gaps in the Australian mental health system and so she started Shapes & Shapes in 2019 to normalise conversations around racism & cultural expectations in the community and also provide specific resources (like a list of Asian Australian mental health practitioners for those seeking someone who can understand their own cultural background and upbringing).  

Shapes and Sounds Links & Resources:

• Shapes and Sounds Website
• Asian Australian Mental Health Practitioner List
• Talking Mental Health with Your Family
• How to Claim your Medicare Rebate for Psychological Services
• Being Asian Australian

Timestamps & Topics: 

• 2:10 - Asami’s introduction, moving from Japan to Australia, realising the lack of cultural understanding in the mental health industry 
• 6:55 - What is Shapes & Sounds and the resources available on their website? 
• 7:54 - Asami’s thoughts on mental health in Japan 
• 9:20 - Growing up as a Japanese Australian & thoughts on Japanese Culture 
• 11:05 - Defining mental illness & causes. Asian Australians suffering in silence 
• 14:00 - Why are Asian Australians less likely to seek help? Lack of cultural understanding in the Australian healthcare system, the impact of culture on mental health and why Asami created a list of Asian-Australian mental health practitioners. 
• 17:11 - When to reach out for help? The importance of seeking help regardless 
• 18:52 - Common barriers when trying to find help /  what’s holding people back from seeking help? 
• 20:18 - Women vs Men when seeking help 
• 21:30 - Specific issues related to Asian-Australian. Scarcity mindset + trauma. Is it generational? 
• 26:20 - Self-internalised racism 
• 28:50 - Impact of Asia-Australia relations (Japan & China). Media narrative. Opportunities for Asian-Diaspora communities 
• 33:00 - Impact of media, more positive Asian stories (rise of Kpop & Asian stories) 
• 39:00 - Gaslighting of Asian Australians 
• 42:40 - Following a non-traditional career path vs thoughts on taking a safe path and following your passions. What to do if you're not feeling better after seeking help.

• 1:33 – Franco’s introduction.
• 2:45 – born & raised in Canada, why did Franco move back to the Philippines?
• 6:10 – is Franco seeing more overseas Filipinos moving back? Reverse Brain Drain?
• 10:45 – Franco's journey from the US to the Philippines and how he kicked off his entrepreneurial journey, how he joined MyTeksi (now Grab).
• 16:30 – Franco's thoughts on the Philippine startup ecosystem today vs 10 years ago. Examples of how the pandemic has supercharged digitalisation in the country.
• 21:40 – Franco's stories about his early days at Grab Philippines.
• 23:20 – starting Foxmont Capital Partners and why the Philippines presents a great opportunity for investors & startups.
• 31:40 – experiences setting up the 1st fund with his co-founders/partners.
• 35:45 – why Foxmont’s 1st investment went to Kumu (building meaningful connections among the Filipino diaspora community).
• 43:40 – the Venture Capital landscape in the Philippines, Corporate VC vs Independent VCs.
• 47:40 – What is Sinigang Valley?
• 51:20 – what sectors and verticals are Franco excited about?
• 55:10 –advice for young professionals / entrepreneurs navigating their careers.
• 57:45 – how to find out more about Franco & Foxmont.

Find out more about Fika here: https://keepfika.com/    

Timestamps & topics:

Introduction

• 0:00 – episode introduction
• 2:16 – Denise’s introduction, life journey, finding her biological mother, starting Fika
• 6:47 – experiences growing up in Sweden as a Vietnamese adoptee
• 11:25 – advice for Vietnamese adoptees looking to find their biological parents in Vietnam

On Fika

• 14:00 – what is Fika? Not just a dating app? On Gen Zs being connected and increasing loneliness.
• 18:20 – focus on user safety in Asia, manually verifying profiles, AI & data, future plans
• 27:30 – how did Fika get traction in a crowded dating app market?
• 29:45 – was Fika self-funded / bootstrapped? Did you have any doubts throughout?
• 33:45 – the COVID situation in Vietnam. Has it had impact on Fika / dating?
• 37:20 – Denise’s fund-raising journey

Fun Questions

• 42:20 – Denise’s career journey / did she always want to be an entrepreneur?
• 45:30 – Denise’s thoughts on female leaders in Vietnam and empowering women
• 54:00 – Dating in Sweden vs Vietnam
• 56:00 – How does Denise manage her stress? Thoughts on work-life balance
• 59:30 – has Denise found anyone on Fika yet?
• 1:01:16 – advice and opportunities for Việt Kiều looking to come back to Vietnam.  What is holding them back? What advantages do they have?
• 1:06:53 – advice for young people that are feeling lost in life. On taking risks in life.
• 1:11:00 – where to follow Denise & how to connect.

Today’s guest is Jason Pard, partner at Aksara Ventures, an Indonesian Venture Capital firm. With a large and growing digital savvy population, Indonesia has produced notable startup unicorns like GoJek, Tokopedia, Bukalapa and Traveloka: https://bordersless.com/business/jason-pard-aksara-ventures/

About Aksara

Aksara Ventures is on a mission to discover startups with the potential to change the way we function in the future. They look to back the bold ideas and resolute operators at the edge of breaking out, backing startups at the post-product stage until the Series A stage.

About Jason

Jason Pard is a partner and cofounder at Aksara Ventures. He was previously an Analyst at Venture Capital firm Monk's Hill Ventures and had prior experience as Product Manager at Gojek and other startups. He graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

See more here: https://www.aksara.vc/

Topics & Timestamps

• 0:00 - Introduction 
• 0:56 - Jason's intro, why he came back to Indonesia from the US and some thoughts on how hard it is to find jobs as an international student. 
• 4:20 - How Jason got into VC, his career journey at Gojek, local Indonesian vs overseas graduates. 
• 7:50 - Why Jason started his own Venture Capital firm (Aksara Ventures), what does Aksara mean, what is their point of differentiation? 
• 15:20 - Why Indonesia as a place to invest? What are the opportunities and barriers? 
• 19:20 - How does Jason find startups to invest in? The value of good karma, investing in the team vs numbers.
• 24:40 - which countries in Southeast Asia is Jason interested in? Which startups & sectors is he excited about? 
• 28:10 - Is Jason worried about the current market cycle? (low interest rates, increased competition). 
• 31:10 - are young Indonesians getting into entrepreneurship? Issues around income inequality.
• 34:48 - can SE Asian startups go global outside of their own region? Are many foreigners coming to Indonesia to work in tech? 
• 39:20 - thoughts around NFTs, crypto & gaming. 
• 43:45 - how to get into the Venture Capital industry? What traits make a good VC investor vs associate/analyst? How to contact Jason.