2122T2 Silicon Valley/Participant Information/Ian Chia

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About Ian

SMU email: ian.chia.2020@scis.smu.edu.sg
Linkedin: LinkedIn
Academic Year: 2020, Year 2
Degree: BSc Information Systems (Business Analytics and Digitalisation and Cloud Solutions)

If I'm not coding, I'm off hiking

Why Virtual TSM?

• What motivates you to join TSM?

We live in a world where anyone with enough passion or love for something can build an entire business around it. Reading stories about their journeys in overcoming odds to create something of their own has always inspired and appealed to me as they tend to challenge the norm and strive to create more value. I believe that TSM provides me this unique experience to immerse myself in the entrepreneurial avenue, allowing me to gain exposure and insights into the startup ecosystem, and also network with other like-minded individuals.

While I may still be a student learning in school, and an intern working for a startup (Quest), my “where do you see yourself in 5 years” answer has always been working for myself, in control of my own career narrative. Entrepreneurship is in no way glamorous, and nothing short of sacrifice, yet similarly its these challenges and the rigour that makes me want to be one even more. TSM came as a prime opportunity and I believe that it would give me the confidence I need to lead my own startup in the future.

• Where would you like to visit virtually?

New York City, Silicon Valley, Seattle, Shen Zhen, Beijing

Starting a business

• What types of business interest you?

I am interested in the Edtech industry and the sharing economy space, as well as harnessing disruptive technologies such as edge computing and applied NLP to create new markets or derive unprecedented change.

• What plan do you have in starting a business?

I aim to gain more prior domain knowledge and work experience in the start-up scene by working alongside different founding teams to understand the process of building a business, and hope to embark on my own technopreneurship journey when I am in my penultimate or final year.

Past Experiences

Work

• Software Engineering Intern, Quest
• Research Assistant under Prof Shar

Competition

• 1st Runner Up, AWS Build On ASEAN 2021 - Cognizant Institute Category

CCA

• Project Leader, SMU OCSP Project Hue Dreams XII
• Public Relations Director, SMU Business Intelligence & Analytics Club
• Volunteer, SMU CSP Project Illuminate

What keeps you ticking?

‘The expert in anything was once a beginner’ - a reminder to myself to put in the work and trust the process