We are inclusive in our actions of catalyzing innovation through comprehensive entrepreneurship support, ensuring that individuals from diverse backgrounds have equal access, opportunities, and resources to thrive and succeed in building impactful startups.
We work hand in hand with various of mission aligned players in the empowerment process of entrepreneurial talent development, creation of startup, founder support, company building and scaling process. That allow cross-collaboration through synergistic partnerships and lasting relationships between organizations.
We take a highly holistic and methodical approach in the process of value creation to guide ourselves, our partners, and the beneficiaries of our program to build socially and environmentally responsible organizations for the planet.
Tom is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and investor. As a co-founder, Tom has grown Gobi Partners from its original base in Shanghai to a regional firm with 15 locations across Asia. He has over 30 years of experience in venture capital, operations, fund management, and investment banking. He has invested in 300+ startups, achieved 50+ exits, and returned US$500 M+ to investors. He was named as one of China’s Top Venture Capitalists from 2013 – 2017. Tom was a first-round investor in Airwallex, Dianwoda, Teambition, Tuniu, UR, and WaveOptics. Tom also led the team that manages the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, which has invested in companies like AutoX, DayDayCook, GoGoX, Prenetics, and WeLab. Tom gained valuable operating experience when he was the CEO of DMG, China’s largest subway digital network operator, and the CSO for Seapower Financial Services Group. In 2015, Tom relocated his family to Kuala Lumpur from Shanghai to help accelerate Gobi’s expansion in Southeast Asia. Since then, Gobi has invested into a regional portfolio of 70+ startups and 20+ exits.
Tom is the Chairman of the U.S. Presidential Scholars Foundation, the founder & director of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) of China and, a board member of Endeavor Malaysia. He also advises the Malaysia Innovation Policy Council and a committee member to the Malaysia Co-Investment Fund (MyCIF) under the Securities Commission.
Brian A. Wong is an entrepreneur and innovator whose career has spanned e-commerce, education, and digital media. As the first American and 52nd employee to join Alibaba Group in 1999, Brian contributed to the company’s early globalization efforts in various business roles such as head of international marketing and business development and vice president of global sales. He also served as Special Assistant to founder Jack Ma, Executive Director of the Alibaba Global Leadership Academy and as Group vice president where he led the Alibaba Global Initiatives (AGI) team. With AGI he developed and led capacity building programs for entrepreneurs, universities and government leaders in emerging markets from Africa to Asia with the purpose of sharing how the digital economy can create a more inclusive society for all.
Today, Brian is Founder and Chairman of RADII (www.radiichina.com), a leading digital media company dedicated to bridging the understanding between youth in the east and west. Brian was previously an executive with the McGraw-Hill Companies, and served as Special Assistant to San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown.
Brian has been an advisor to various governments on ecommerce strategies and has been featured as a speaker at conferences such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, WEF ASEAN and Africa Forums, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) eCommerce Week, and the B20 Business Summit. He has also been cited in leading media such as the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, CNN and Quartz. Brian has served as an advisor on CNBC’s Pop-up Start-up television series and as a technical consultant to HBO’s “Silicon Valley”.
Brian earned his bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College, a Master’s certificate from the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS)-Nanjing University Center for US and China Studies, and his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Brian is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, China Aspen Fellow and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, as well as a member of the Committee of 100.
Afiq is an experienced leader with over 15 years spent in both the public & private sector across Southeast Asia and Kazakhstan. Over the last 8 years, he has worked on startup ecosystems & digital development with government innovation agencies and launched entrepreneurship ventures He brings deep experience in corporate & growth strategy.
Afiq began his corporate finance and management consulting career, having worked with PwC, Accenture, and Bain & Company, covering various industries and clients across Southeast Asia.
In 2014, he was a founding member of the Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC), where he held the role of Executive Director & Acting CEO. In MaGIC, Afiq drove corporate innovation and digital transformation activities nationally, working with various levels of government, corporations, technology partners, and startups. He also sat on the Cyberjaya Smart City Council, the National IOT Council, NBOS Council, and was a member of the TN50 Youth Circle.
After MaGIC, Afiq was a member of the Fintech Advisory Council and Chief Fintech Officer at the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) in Kazakhstan. He was responsible for setting the strategy and positioning Kazakhstan as the regional fintech hub through the launch of new fintech initiatives as well as partnerships with other global fintech hubs.
After the AIFC, Afiq was a Government Affairs Advisor with Grab Malaysia supporting digitalisation initiatives with the Government, and is currently the CEO of Durian Capital Berhad, Malaysia’s 1st licensed durian investment company.
Neil is a seasoned startup operator who transitioned into entrepreneurial development program and community building, accumulating nearly 10 years of experience supporting entrepreneurship growth and bridging operational knowledge and network gaps across Southeast Asia. As the Founding Managing Director of GUIDE, Neil is also the founder of a regional-based venture studio firm and one of the creators of Chief of Staff School. Previously, Neil founded a boutique digital marketing agency and held turnaround leadership roles in two local startups before joining the global entrepreneur community, Endeavor.
Neil specializes in and spearheads the operations and design of entrepreneurship programs, along with community-building initiatives in the local startup ecosystem, leading to the creation and operations of the inaugural Khazanah Innovation Impact Challenge in 2021. He plays a pivotal role in a global council and operation task force, overseeing entrepreneur selection and portfolio services across Endeavor's worldwide entrepreneur network.
Today, actively engaged as an operating advisor to startups and entrepreneurs in the startup ecosystem development and program-building space, Neil has served as a Mentor to the Khazanah Innovation Impact Challenge and as a judge for the Future 100 initiative by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Minister of State for Government Development and the Future. Additionally, Neil serves as a Coach to the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center of the Asia School of Business, an affiliated university of MIT Sloan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Neil earned his bachelor's degree in Geology from Universiti Malaysia Sabah and his master’s degree from the State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology at Tongji University, Shanghai for his multidisciplinary paleoclimate reconstruction research of the South China Sea funded by the China Scholarship Council. Neil also holds a Global Reporting Initiative certification and a specialization in Business Analytics from The Wharton School.
A startup operator. Alvin led the finance and strategy function in his previous tenure in GoQuo - B2B travel-tech venture-backed startup GoQuo (backed by Gobi Partners and Monk’s Hill Ventures) and engineered an exit for the shareholders.
He spent his early working career with KPMG and PwC in Assurance services involving in various business industries such as hospitality and casino gaming, manufacturing, FMCG and oil and gas clients. Experienced in consumer travel industry, Alvin spent 4 years with Tune Hotels, heading the finance operations before joining GoQuo.
Alvin co-founded SEA-based venture studio Ignition Chamber Academy with Neil in nurturing new startups. He also serves as director and advisor of several companies in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the UK.
Former Managing Partner of Brinc China, an investment-based global pre-seed/seed accelerator. She has started the China chapter for Brinc, and has designed, established, and operated seven Accelerator Programs customized for Chinese startups with Brinc in IoT, MedTech, Smart Manufacturing, and EdTech. Renee also designed Brinc’s accelerator program for Bahrain.
Ran one of the biggest global startup competitions in southern China with the local government to build out the innovation startup ecosystem. The competition was hosted in more than 12 cities each year, and over 1500 applications every year. Designed a one-week landing pad program for the finalists to experience the startup ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area.
Helped over 100 overseas startups to connect with China market, localise and enter the Chinese market. Renee was a registered mentor for Guangdong Province Incubation Association. She serves as startup mentors in several global startup competitions and programs e.g. SheLovesTech, SWITCH, HICOOL, Accelerator IV, and Techstar’s Startup Weekend.
Tom is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and investor. As a co-founder, Tom has grown Gobi Partners from its original base in Shanghai to a regional firm with 15 locations across Asia. He has over 30 years of experience in venture capital, operations, fund management, and investment banking. He has invested in 300+ startups, achieved 50+ exits, and returned US$500 M+ to investors. He was named as one of China’s Top Venture Capitalists from 2013 – 2017. Tom was a first-round investor in Airwallex, Dianwoda, Teambition, Tuniu, UR, and WaveOptics. Tom also led the team that manages the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, which has invested in companies like AutoX, DayDayCook, GoGoX, Prenetics, and WeLab. Tom gained valuable operating experience when he was the CEO of DMG, China’s largest subway digital network operator, and the CSO for Seapower Financial Services Group. In 2015, Tom relocated his family to Kuala Lumpur from Shanghai to help accelerate Gobi’s expansion in Southeast Asia. Since then, Gobi has invested into a regional portfolio of 70+ startups and 20+ exits.
Tom is the Chairman of the U.S. Presidential Scholars Foundation, the founder & director of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) of China and, a board member of Endeavor Malaysia. He also advises the Malaysia Innovation Policy Council and a committee member to the Malaysia Co-Investment Fund (MyCIF) under the Securities Commission.
Brian A. Wong is an entrepreneur and innovator whose career has spanned e-commerce, education, and digital media. As the first American and 52nd employee to join Alibaba Group in 1999, Brian contributed to the company’s early globalization efforts in various business roles such as head of international marketing and business development and vice president of global sales. He also served as Special Assistant to founder Jack Ma, Executive Director of the Alibaba Global Leadership Academy and as Group vice president where he led the Alibaba Global Initiatives (AGI) team. With AGI he developed and led capacity building programs for entrepreneurs, universities and government leaders in emerging markets from Africa to Asia with the purpose of sharing how the digital economy can create a more inclusive society for all.
Today, Brian is Founder and Chairman of RADII (www.radiichina.com), a leading digital media company dedicated to bridging the understanding between youth in the east and west. Brian was previously an executive with the McGraw-Hill Companies, and served as Special Assistant to San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown.
Brian has been an advisor to various governments on ecommerce strategies and has been featured as a speaker at conferences such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, WEF ASEAN and Africa Forums, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) eCommerce Week, and the B20 Business Summit. He has also been cited in leading media such as the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, CNN and Quartz. Brian has served as an advisor on CNBC’s Pop-up Start-up television series and as a technical consultant to HBO’s “Silicon Valley”.
Brian earned his bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College, a Master’s certificate from the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS)-Nanjing University Center for US and China Studies, and his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Brian is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, China Aspen Fellow and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, as well as a member of the Committee of 100.
Afiq is an experienced leader with over 15 years spent in both the public & private sector across Southeast Asia and Kazakhstan. Over the last 8 years, he has worked on startup ecosystems & digital development with government innovation agencies and launched entrepreneurship ventures He brings deep experience in corporate & growth strategy.
Afiq began his corporate finance and management consulting career, having worked with PwC, Accenture, and Bain & Company, covering various industries and clients across Southeast Asia.
In 2014, he was a founding member of the Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC), where he held the role of Executive Director & Acting CEO. In MaGIC, Afiq drove corporate innovation and digital transformation activities nationally, working with various levels of government, corporations, technology partners, and startups. He also sat on the Cyberjaya Smart City Council, the National IOT Council, NBOS Council, and was a member of the TN50 Youth Circle.
After MaGIC, Afiq was a member of the Fintech Advisory Council and Chief Fintech Officer at the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) in Kazakhstan. He was responsible for setting the strategy and positioning Kazakhstan as the regional fintech hub through the launch of new fintech initiatives as well as partnerships with other global fintech hubs.
After the AIFC, Afiq was a Government Affairs Advisor with Grab Malaysia supporting digitalisation initiatives with the Government, and is currently the CEO of Durian Capital Berhad, Malaysia’s 1st licensed durian investment company.
Neil is a seasoned startup operator who transitioned into entrepreneurial development program and community building, accumulating nearly 10 years of experience supporting entrepreneurship growth and bridging operational knowledge and network gaps across Southeast Asia. As the Founding Managing Director of GUIDE, Neil is also the founder of a regional-based venture studio firm and one of the creators of Chief of Staff School. Previously, Neil founded a boutique digital marketing agency and held turnaround leadership roles in two local startups before joining the global entrepreneur community, Endeavor.
Neil specializes in and spearheads the operations and design of entrepreneurship programs, along with community-building initiatives in the local startup ecosystem, leading to the creation and operations of the inaugural Khazanah Innovation Impact Challenge in 2021. He plays a pivotal role in a global council and operation task force, overseeing entrepreneur selection and portfolio services across Endeavor's worldwide entrepreneur network.
Today, actively engaged as an operating advisor to startups and entrepreneurs in the startup ecosystem development and program-building space, Neil has served as a Mentor to the Khazanah Innovation Impact Challenge and as a judge for the Future 100 initiative by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Minister of State for Government Development and the Future. Additionally, Neil serves as a Coach to the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center of the Asia School of Business, an affiliated university of MIT Sloan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Neil earned his bachelor's degree in Geology from Universiti Malaysia Sabah and his master’s degree from the State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology at Tongji University, Shanghai for his multidisciplinary paleoclimate reconstruction research of the South China Sea funded by the China Scholarship Council. Neil also holds a Global Reporting Initiative certification and a specialization in Business Analytics from The Wharton School.
A startup operator. Alvin led the finance and strategy function in his previous tenure in GoQuo - B2B travel-tech venture-backed startup GoQuo (backed by Gobi Partners and Monk’s Hill Ventures) and engineered an exit for the shareholders.
He spent his early working career with KPMG and PwC in Assurance services involving in various business industries such as hospitality and casino gaming, manufacturing, FMCG and oil and gas clients. Experienced in consumer travel industry, Alvin spent 4 years with Tune Hotels, heading the finance operations before joining GoQuo.
Alvin co-founded SEA-based venture studio Ignition Chamber Academy with Neil in nurturing new startups. He also serves as director and advisor of several companies in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the UK.
Former Managing Partner of Brinc China, an investment-based global pre-seed/seed accelerator. She has started the China chapter for Brinc, and has designed, established, and operated seven Accelerator Programs customized for Chinese startups with Brinc in IoT, MedTech, Smart Manufacturing, and EdTech. Renee also designed Brinc’s accelerator program for Bahrain.
Ran one of the biggest global startup competitions in southern China with the local government to build out the innovation startup ecosystem. The competition was hosted in more than 12 cities each year, and over 1500 applications every year. Designed a one-week landing pad program for the finalists to experience the startup ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area.
Helped over 100 overseas startups to connect with China market, localise and enter the Chinese market. Renee was a registered mentor for Guangdong Province Incubation Association. She serves as startup mentors in several global startup competitions and programs e.g. SheLovesTech, SWITCH, HICOOL, Accelerator IV, and Techstar’s Startup Weekend.
