What were you doing at 28? If you have yet to attain this age in life, what do you think you would be doing before then?
Recently, we wrote about 10 remarkable Malaysian entrepreneurs who had the courage to not only pursue their dreams wholeheartedly, but to do so, well before blowing the candles off their 30th birthday cake. But we’ve felt that only highlighting 10 people would not do justice to these young new breed of entrepreneurs. So here are 20 more remarkable Malaysian entrepreneurs who should also be highlighted.
Having youth on their side, these entrepreneurs come from various fields including fashion, automobile, events and accommodation and they have all been able to match their innate skill sets with their job and life callings.
1. Harmini Asokumar
Harmini was once a communications executive but she left the corporate world to found Deeper Than Fashion, a local online startup that sells accessories and dreamcatchers which are handmade. Only at 27 years, Harmini also has another line called Deeper Than Beauty, which focuses on homemade items such as face masks and lip products.
2. Vivy Yusof
FashionValet is a joint venture between Vivy and her husband, Fadzarudin Anuar. Vivy, now 28, and she currently serves as the managing director of the fashion e-commerce platform. She also runs another company called dUCk scarves. dUCk scarves caters to the growing hijabi community not just in our country alone, but also to the Asian and European region.
3. Teoh Jiun Ee
Better known as JT, this lad is only 25 years old, but he is already the COO of Carsome.my a car-purchasing e-commerce platform. Besides purchasing, potential customers can also utilise the site to compare car models and prices. Currently, Carsome.my is expanding into Australia and Singapore, and they are also hoping to raise a Series A round of USD2 million by end of 2015.
4. Reuben Kang
Not many urban Malaysians would find the name Reuben Kang foreign to their ears, especially as they are big fans of JinnyBoyTV, a YouTube channel with over 500,000 subscribers. One half of the channel, the 28-year-old also has a slew of many vocations under his sleeve. Reuben is the host of Astro Football Overload, a lecturer at IACT as well as the co-founder of Morning Wood Cafe in SS15, Subang Jaya.
5. Mira Filzah
The 22-year-old from Ipoh, Perak has close to 30,000 followers on Facebook and there’s a valid reason for it. Mira is the founder of Mora Essential, a natural skincare product available in Japan, Korea, Egypt, Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia. She is also a TV host and an actress, with an upcoming TV series called Cinta Si Wedding Planner premiering in 2016.
6. Teoh Wee Kiat
Burger shacks are aplenty in the Petaling Jaya area, but one of them happens to serve mouthwatering charcoal buns and it also happens to be the brainchild of young minds such as Wee Kiat. The co-founder to MyBurgerLab is just 26 years old, but he is not one to waste his youth away. Wee Kiat has since co-founded another startup, OpsNinja, alongside Chok Leang Ooi, the CEO of AgilityIO.
7. Leong Delon
Events such as Run For Your Lives and Slide The City are big ones that people are particularly looking forward to. It engages a huge amount of people, and the man who manages this is only 25 years old. Delon is the CEO and founder of Monkey Theory, an event company that brings these fun activities to Malaysia.
8. Sherlyn Tan
Purchasing clothing online is common these days and there are so many varieties to choose from. Twenty3My sets themselves apart by offering chic, feminine outfits inclusive of bridesmaid dresses. The 28 year old founder and CEO of Twenty3My, Sherlyn, is a fitness enthusiast and it makes makes sense because her fit lifestyle compliments her physique, whilst she dons her own collection.
9. Jane Chuck
With over 400,000 followers on Instagram, 23-year-old Jane Lau, better known as Jane Chuck, has definitely found her footing on social media. Besides deejaying and blogging, Jane is also the co-owner of Project Space Cafe located in SS15, Subang Jaya. Some of Jane’s ventures in 2015 has been making appearances in videos such as JinnyBoyTV’s, as well as kicking skydiving off her bucket list in Queensland, Australia.
10. Jeannette Goon
VapeClubMy is a vape flavour subscription service and the way they stand out is by offering Malaysians flavours such as teh o ais limau and durian. 27-year-old Jeannette Goon is one of the co-founders of VapeClubMy, and since their inception, the team now ships vape flavours abroad to more than 30 places worldwide, including Norway, Russia and Macau.
11. Quah Nian King
Saltycustoms is a platform whereby companies can design their own T-shirts, and 27-year-old Quah Nian King (better known as King Q) is one of the masterminds behind it. Armed with a Finance and Marketing degree, King Q doubles as the co-founder and managing director of the T-shirt supply company. Since their inception, Saltycustoms now boasts a clientele inclusive of AirAsia, Chatime as well as Zalora.
12. Eugene Tan
Recently turned one, The Battery Shop is a startup that many can be thankful for especially during car breakdown emergencies. This is because the car battery assist service co-founded by Eugene, 27, promises that it can arrive in 60 minutes and thousands of car owners can attest to this. The Battery Shop is looking towards expanding along the verticals of other car breakdowns (not just car battery problems), and an app is in the making as well.
13. Marcus, Wen Khai & Joey
Students looking for a hostel to live in during their duration of study can find it a hassle and that is where Hostel Hunting simplifies the process. The team consists of Marcus Low, 24, as well as Keek Wen Khai and Joey Lim who are both 26, as well as Loke Weng Leong. Since November 2015, Hostel Hunting is now the exclusive online accommodation provider for AIESEC in Malaysia.
14. Syakirin & Athirah Rosik
Syakirin Rosik, 24, is one half of the sister duo behind Thrift-On-Wheels, a platform that connects those who are lacking with those who wish to donate pre-loved items. Thrift-On-Wheels, also run by sister Athirah Rosik, 25, will then donate these items such as clothes and books. Currently, the two sisters are also working on a couple of collaboration projects with other social enterprises and corporate companies.
15. Goh Chee Hau & Nadhir Ashafiq
Goh Chee Hau and Nadhir Ashafiq, both 27, are the co-founders of The Lorry, which is a startup that allows one to book a lorry to transport their heavy goods from one place to another. The Lorry has served big name clients such as Lazada, Padini and Espresso Lab, hence it is only apt that the team recently received the Innovation for Transport award by NST Truck of The Year 2015.
16. Evelyn Marieta
Everybody would have the desire to clean and pamper themselves, if not daily then weekly. Hence, this is what enabled Wunderbath Co. to become a quirky new addition to the startup industry. Evelyn Marieta, 28, is the woman behind whimsical creations such as mooncake soaps and stained lip balms. Besides juggling Wunderbath Co., Evelyn is also a nutritionist and a model.
17. Tan U-Mae
Founder of Bitter/Sweet, Tan U-Mae left the corporate world to literally indulge in the sweeter side of life. The 24-year-old started her own little bakery where she custom makes cakes, cupcakes and cake pops which are ready to order. U-Mae has a clientele ranging from model and entrepreneur Stephanie Chai, to a little girl with a simple request of adorable Princess Sofia cupcakes for her birthday.
18. Chin Xin-Ci
In May of 2012, Xin-Ci encountered an episode of an attempted assault and through the trauma she experienced, she realised she would not want this to happen to anybody else. As such, the 28-year-old founded Watch Over Me, a personal safety app designed to allow its users to feel safe and protected in moments when they are not.
19. Heliene Tan Ying Ying
27-year-old Heliene Tan Ying Ying is one half of the sister duo behind Doublewoot, an e-commerce platform for clothing and accessories. They produce a plethora of clothing in sizes from XS to XXL, to cater to the masses, as Doublewoot clothing ships for free worldwide. Doublewoot also collaborates with celebrities such as Daphne Iking and Carmen Soo to produce collections which are available on their site.
20. Eujean Lee
Eujean may only be 27 but she has enough experience under her belt to make most people in their 20s green with envy. Now the co-founder of Helpr, Eujean’s repertoire also includes Groupon Malaysia and Groupon Asia Pacific. Helpr is an SMS-based personal assistant to get things done, by Eujean and fellow co-founders Ang Kok Seong (28) and Wafiq Rodzuan.
Do you know any other young entrepreneurs below the age of 29? Let us (and everyone else) know too!
