Singapore has come a long way from being seen as just a tiny island. Today, it’s a global financial and trading hub—and home to talents who have made waves far beyond our shores.
From Olympic athletes like Joseph Schooling and Max Maeder to entrepreneurs such as Min-Liang Tan of Razer and Rachel Tan of Love, Bonito, these are just a few of the names that have garnered significant international recognition and media attention.
But for this list, we’re shining the spotlight on the Singaporeans who have quietly made their mark overseas—those whose stories aren’t always in the headlines, but are no less impactful on the global stage.
1. Enoch Teo
Vulcan Post first spoke to Enoch Teo in 2018, when he co-founded Garcons, a casual French cuisine dining chain that had grown to four outlets in Singapore.
Though the business closed in 2019, it did not stop him from expanding his horizons, not too far from home—in Bangkok, Thailand.
There, he opened his own Singaporean chicken rice restaurant chain, Fatt Chicken, which has since expanded to four outlets in prime shopping malls across the city. A fifth location is underway too, and is slated to open soon, according to The Straits Times.
Enoch, now 35 years old, has also gone on to make his mark in the Thai editions of famous reality cooking competitions: Top Chef 2023 and Iron Chef Season 2, where he became a finalist and semi-finalist, respectively.
2. Kabir Anurag
Not everyone has the chops to succeed in Formula One; even entering the sport is a massive feat in itself. But Kabir Anurag has made history as the first Singaporean to be recruited by the Alpine Formula One team’s driver development programme in 2024.
The 17-year-old, who is also currently racing for Germany’s US Racing in F4, has won two races in March: the first at MotorLand Aragon in Alcaniz, Spain and the second at the final race for the Formula Winter Series in Barcelona—making him the first Asian driver to win a race in the series.
“To win one race in Aragon was really good for my confidence. And then in Barcelona, a track where people say overtaking is impossible, to win (despite) starting from eighth, was also very encouraging, because it proves that I have the right characteristics to do well in a championship,” Kabir said in an interview with the Straits Times.
A Singapore-born Indian national, Kabir and his family became Singapore citizens in 2020. They relocated to Italy in 2022 and are currently based in London.
3. Dharni Ng
A self-taught beatboxer since the tender age of 14, Dharni Ng made the bold move to relocate to Warsaw, Poland, with just S$20,000 to further his craft in 2011.
That same year, he was invited to participate in the Polish television show, Must Be The Music, where he and two fellow beatboxers formed a team that reached the top four. He returned to Must Be The Music in 2014, this time with Polish singer K-Leah, where the duo clinched second place.
Soon after, Dharni went on to make history as the first Singaporean to win The Grand Beatbox Battle Championship—not just once, but twice in a row—cementing his status as an international beatbox champion.
Following his rise to global recognition, Dharni has opened concerts for music legends such as the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, and Kanye “Ye” West.
He has also served as a judge at beatboxing competitions around the world and co-founded SBX Camp, which was once the world’s largest beatbox educational event before its closure in 2020.
On the personal front, Dharni married Polish influencer Weronika Heck in 2021, whom he regularly creates music content with. The couple has recently returned to Singapore after living in Poland for 10 years.
4. Hajar Ali
Born in Singapore but currently based in Dubai, Hajar Ali has achieved many milestones that many often dream of achieving in their lives. Through her luxury travel agency, Urbane Nomads, she conducts tours to destinations less travelled, such as Sudan and the Republic of Adygea.
In 2018, Hajar claimed to have been the first woman to cross the Rub’ al Khali or the Empty Quarter—in just six days. One of the world’s driest regions and often unexplored, the sand desert spans approximately 650,000 square kilometres across Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
But that’s not all of Hajar’s acheivements. In an interview with Tatler Asia, she shared that she became intrigued by NFTs during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led her to learn about generative design: a process of creating art using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
This hobby eventually evolved into a business, where the 46-year-old works with architects, designers, and entrepreneurs in envisioning products and spaces.
5. Amita Berthier
Another homegrown athlete who has made history is Amita Berthier, who became the first Singaporean female fencer to qualify for the Olympics, earning her spot at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Prior to Amita, James Wong and Ronald Tan were the only Singaporean fencers to compete in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, although they did not go through a qualification process.
Amita has also went on to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, though she narrowly lost to American fencer Lauren Scruggs by 13-15.
Nevertheless, she didn’t let the setback deter her for long, winning a joint bronze medal together with her team, Maxine Wong, Cheung Kemei, and Stephanie Lee at the recent Asian Fencing Championships.
“Once you make it, you always want to keep doing it. It’s… like an addiction. So we’re definitely satisfied,” said Berthier to the Straits Times. “I think we always have to earn our right to get to the podium because you can’t underestimate anybody. But it definitely was the goal, and I think we achieved the goal today.”
Amita graduated from the Singapore Sports School before moving to the United States to attend the University of Notre Dame in Indiana from 2018 to 2023. As a student, she won the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) with her teammates in 2021, making her the first Singaporean to win an NCAA title.
- Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.
Featured Image Credit: Kabir Anurag/ Amita Berthier, Fatt Chicken
