2324T1 Tokyo/Participant Information/Sean Woon
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Hello, I'm Sean!
SMU email: sean.woon.2020@scis.smu.edu.sg
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-woon-zh/
Academic Year: Year 4 (AY23/24)
Degree: BSc Computing & Law
Why TSM?
Why I want to join TSM
One of the most fondest memory in my Uni life was my time at a startup called Avvoka. I had ample opportunity to explore and create many new learning experiences, and through it all inspired me to consider building my own startup somewhere in the foreseeable future. Joining TSM is certainly a right step in this direction as Tokyo is a burgeoning startup destination that has produced some of the world’s unicorn companies. Hence, I wish to seize the chance to network and exchange ideas with some of these bright founders, and hope to gain inspiration and wisdom I can apply along the way.
Additionally, Japan is also known to be a hub of cutting edge technology and extraordinary innovation. The country has produced some of the world's best tech and continues to do so in ways that never cease to amaze me. As such, embarking on TSM would provide a worthwhile opportunity to learn about the mindset, culture, and driving force behind such innovative ideas, and would no doubt influence my thinking and philosophy in the way I see things. Therefore, a trip to the land of the rising sun would be no short of excitement and valuable insights.
Where I would like to visit
Tokyo: Mercari, Rakuten, Sansan, Sony, Softbank, Fast Retailing Co., Suntory Distillery, Shibuya Crossing!
Starting a business
What types of business interest you?
I am particularly interested in software companies in general. I believe that software companies are often at the forefront of innovation, as they develop new technologies and products that can have a significant impact on the world, being both a disruptor, and an enabler. In particular, I have always admired the work Amazon has done, where they started off as a disruptor in the E-Commerce space, but has now also expanded to be a huge enabler in the Cloud Computing sector. To this day, they have also continued to innovate and have more technologies that are giants in their own sectors as well. This continuous innovative spirit in software businesses to drive both change and impact is what intrigues me.
What plans do you have in starting a business?
As mentioned above, I do see myself starting a business someday, and it will possibly center around the education space as I myself enjoy teaching and imparting knowledge to people. Technology will be heavily leveraged as part of the business vision and one possibility is the use of VR to help students visualise concepts.
Past Experiences
Startup:
- Avvoka (Next generation document automation software company that aims to improve efficiencyy in contract making) - Legal Tech intern (May '21 - Aug '21)
Internships:
- Google Cloud - Customer Engineering Intern (May '23 - Aug '23)
- GovTech - Data Engineering Intern (May '22 - Nov '22)
- SMU Centre for Computational Law - Research Assistant (Dec '20 - Dec '20)
CCA:
- SMU Business Intelligence Analytics - Head of Curriculum Dept (May '22 - Present)
- SMU Blockchain Club - Vice President (Dec '20 - Dec '21)
- SMU CRU - Member (Aug '20 - Present)
