2223T1 Seoul/Participant Information/Benjamin Tan
| HOME | | COURSE | | ITINERARY | | ROLE | | TEAM | | ORGANIZATION | | REFLECTION |
Contents
About Me!
Hi! Welcome to my application! My name is Benjamin!
SMU email: benjamintan.2020@scis.smu.edu.sg
Get to know more about me!: LinkedIn | GitHub | Personal Website
Academic Year: Year 2 (2020)
Degree: BSc Information Systems (Major in Digitalisation and Cloud Solutions)
Why Virtual TSM?
- What motivates you to join TSM?
A quote that inspires me is the quote “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” It is my lifelong dream to help people through my own company and I sincerely think that through this trip, I will be better equipped with skills and garner insights to help further my dream.
Growing up while accompanying my father’s overseas assignments, I have studied in various international schools in various countries. Being exposed to diverse cultures, I have been open minded to various cultures, thus acquiring the skills of understanding and respecting different cultures. As globalisation and technology as made cross-cultural business increasingly important, it is ever so important to understand people’s perspectives, experiences and thinking. Therefore, it has inspired my strong interest in seeking wide-reaching understanding of cultures and the business and technology spheres. This trip will definitely give me the opportunity to interact with entrepreneurs and learn how businesses adapt to different cultures. At the same time, I believe I will be able to see how the nexus of technology and culture has shaped Korea into a global innovation hub.
Further, I have been heavily involved in volunteering from Secondary School to now. Since young, I have felt the importance of having contribute to social action and having made the habit of serving others. One of the best highlights of my time in university was as a Project Ai director for Caretalyst, where I was given the privilege to interact and understand the persons with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) and at the same time mentor the volunteers. Seeing people taking time out of university to help people was very heart-warming; and even if it was just for a few hours, small things really make a big difference. Therefore, I would like to continue helping people but at a bigger scale, which has more direct impacts. I hope to create a business that will be a business that will make a difference, that will drive change in the economy and change people’s way of living. Having a business like this will be an engine of growth.
Lastly, as I saw that Professor Benjamin Gan was heading the project, this has made me wish to join the project even more. Having seen his passion for IDP, the knowledge in his field and industry, and constructive feedback, I feel that I will learn a lot from this coming Technopreneurship Study Mission. Learning not just fundamentals from this business ventures, but how to use technology and information to disrupt change and gain competitive advantage.
In conclusion, through this this study mission I will be able to gain insights on different perspectives, technopreneurship and grow as a person.
- Where would you like to visit?
Seoul
Incubators: Pangyo Techno Valley, Seoul startup hub
Exited Unicorn: Coupang (up and coming e-commerce)
Start-up/unicorn: Dunamu (Fintech), Socar(Carsharing Startup), Toss bank (Korean Financial Services), Market Kurly (online premium grocery service)
MNCs: Samsung, LG, Naver, Kakao
Starting a business
- What types of business interest you?
All businesses interest me, but I would say I am more interested in businesses operating in the financial and technology spheres.
In this day and age, where digital is the new normal, we have to look at how technology can benefit people. This is clearly seen in the before mentioned industries, where financial products can be made available to everyone everywhere. An example of this would be BlockFi, enabling its users to have access to financial products. And companies like Square offer small-businesses healthcare and financial inclusion, by providing them loans. These types of businesses that give people greater access to the economy interest me the most.
- What plans do you have in starting a business?
I would like to say that startups are the driving force behind our economy and living, the need for this is evident. To build a successful company, I need a good foundation. Hence, I have decided to first gain business fundamentals, have more enriching experiences, and learn new skills. Currently, I am garnering experience by working in different sorts of industries, from working in a startup called Glance.sg, a freelance marketing platform, and having experience in the education industry doing Operations. At the same time, I am building up my skills in coding and financial modelling, which will enable me to be versatile in these two spheres – finance and technology. I believe this mission will enable me to have a good mindset and fundamentals, to create a venture in these industries.
Past Experiences
Startup:
- Glance.sg - Junior Software Developer – Jan 2022 to Present
- Glance is Freelancing marketplace and a rising Start-up that connects businesses with freelancers offering digital services
- Worked with development teams and product managers to ideate software solutions based on evolving client requirements
- Utilised technologies such as PHP, JavaScript, Laravel, Tailwind CSS, Inertia.js to build features and services
- Building the front-end of applications through appealing visual design, thus elevating client-side experience
- Develop and manage well-functioning databases, that were secure and followed architecture methodology
- Tested software solution to ensure responsiveness, efficiency, integrity, and security
Work:
- Anglo American - Information Management, Business Analyst Intern – May 2022 to Aug 2022
- Anglo American is a global mining company with a portfolio that spans diamonds, platinum, copper, iron ore & more.
- Will be joining this summer :)
- Education First - Group Coordinator (Operations) - May 2018 to Jun 2018
- Education First is the international leader in study abroad, cultural exchange and work study programs worldwide.
- Coordinated and organize activities for 30 groups of international students and staff
- Handled of cash management and accounting for expenditure spent in activities
- Worked with vendors and suppliers to ensure competitive pricing and ensure food quality
Leadership Roles:
- SMU .Hack - Sub-Committee - Oct 2021 to Present
- SMU Caretalyst - Community Service Project Director - Jan 2021 to Dec 2021
- SCP-YOLO 2021 - Organising Committee
- SMU EYE Investment - Research analyst (Sub-Committee) - May 2020 to Apr 2021
- Vice-President of Goh Hood Keng House (ACS International) - Apr 2016 to May 2017
- Vice-President of Interact Club (ACS International) - Apr 2016 to May 2017
- Student Ambassador (ACS International) - Apr 2015 tp May 2016
Member:
- SMU Business Intelligence and Analytics (BIA) - Aug 2020 to Present
- SMU Whitehat Society - Aug 2020 to Present
Hackathons:
- Ninja Van's Code Dojo 22 - Finalist
- HUAWEI CLOUD SPARK Hackathon Singapore 2022 - Semi-finalist
- NUS Hack&Roll 2021 - Participant
Case Competitions:
- SMU EYE Investment ISP 2021- Finalist
- SMU EYE Investment ISP 2020- Finalist
Achievements:
- Silver Leadership Colours Award (2017)
- Group Merit Award in Interest Groups (2016)
What keeps you ticking?
- Learning
I would like to share a phrase that resonates with me and what I constantly remind myself. Elon musk: "It is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree — make sure you understand the fundamental principles, ie the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to."
- Giving back to society
As mentioned before, I love helping others :)
