The layoffs continue: Google announces another round of job cuts, moves roles to other countries
Google is laying off an unspecified number of employees, marking the technology giant’s latest job cuts as it reduces costs.
According to a Business Insider report on Wednesday (17 April), employees across several of Google’s teams in its real estate and finance departments have been affected. The finance teams affected include Google’s Treasury, Business Services, and Revenue Cash Operations.
It’s unclear if other parts of the company are affected or how many roles have been cut, however, one current employee said the changes were “pretty large-scale”.
When contacted by Reuters, a company spokesperson said that the layoffs are not company-wide and that the affected employees will be able to apply for internal roles. The spokesperson did not specify the number of employees impacted.
Additionally, a small percentage of the impacted roles will move to hubs the company is investing in, which include India, Chicago, Atlanta and Dublin.
Making changes to become “more efficient”
Google has been cutting staff and reorganising the company throughout 2023 and this year as it attempts to cut costs and accelerate its progress in emerging technologies such as AI.
“Throughout the second half of 2023 and into 2024, a number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, remove layers and align their resources to their biggest product priorities,” said the Google spokesperson.
At the beginning of 2023, the Alphabet-owned company cut over 12,000 jobs, including 190 roles from its Singapore office.
Most recently, Google laid off hundreds of workers across multiple teams, including those in its engineering, hardware and assistant teams as the company looks to automate work processes by adopting AI.
These job cuts will continue throughout the year, warned CEO Sundar Pichai earlier this year, but they would not impact every team.
Alphabet’s other companies, including Verily, have also chopped head count.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock
Also Read: Google axes 100 employees from YouTube, employees to brace for more layoffs
These M’sians created a platform for fellow doctors to disrupt the medical scene, here’s why
Becoming an entrepreneur was never in the plan for Dr Selina Chew.
“I had always wanted to be a doctor since I was young,” she shared with Vulcan Post. “It was a childhood dream. I love the practice of medicine.”
Specifically, Dr Selina dreamt of becoming an Intensivist (Intensive Care Unit specialist). Unfortunately, that dream was cut short between the years of 2016 and 2017.
At this time, she had experienced a slipped disc, but her superiors at the hospital were not supportive of her recovery.
When she asked to be assigned lighter duties for three months as she healed, her superior told her that she did not have a future in the anaesthesiology and ICU departments anymore, and that she should just leave and find something else to do.
And that she did. Against her childhood plans, she is now the co-founder and CEO of Disruptive Doctors, a platform that brings together innovative and forward-thinking doctors.
But don’t be mistaken, it took her some time and some soul-searching before she ended up here.
Disrupting her own career
As much as she loved medicine, she recognised that there were so many things wrong with the system, such as its stiff, hierarchical nature as well as the lack of camaraderie.
At that point of her career, she was working as a doctor with many 24-hour on-call shifts—an unsustainable lifestyle.
So, despite her love for medicine and the ICU, she left and took on a job at a medical research facility.
Yet, even here, she felt lost, unsure how to utilise her years of clinical experience. She went from saving lives and keeping patients alive every day to being stuck behind a desk not knowing what to do with her own life or career.
“I thought I had committed a career suicide,” she admitted. “And the worst part was, this was a childhood dream—to become a doctor. Now that I am not seeing any patients, am I still a doctor? Who was I?”
Thus, she wondered whether there was a way doctors could continue to impact healthcare even though they are not practising in the clinics or hospitals.
“It started with me running small get-togethers here with doctors who have moved on to other careers outside of clinical medicine,” she said. “That’s when I met my cofounder Dr Vivek Subramaniam.”
Dr Vivek is a doctor who trained in the UK. When he came back, he found that the environment in Malaysia wasn’t conducive for him. Yet, he still wanted to do something in healthcare.
Together, they wanted to help doctors like themselves continue to utilise their medical experience. With that came the launch of Disruptive Doctors, a global community for doctors to impact healthcare differently.
Builing a grassroots community
Originally, the plan was just to connect doctors to alternative careers in healthcare. But they quickly realised just helping doctors in other careers wasn’t enough.
Dr Selina said, “We went back to the drawing board to why we became doctors in the first place. It was to save a life, to change a life. It was then we saw we wanted to impact healthcare differently and help other doctors to impact healthcare differently.”
Disruptive Doctors is a platform for doctors to connect with other like-minded doctors within the community, find mentors within their sector, upskill themselves through their academy, and find their dream healthcare jobs.
When she came up with the idea of Disruptive Doctors, many around her told her it’s a dumb idea. But she went for it anyway, sharing her story and intention to build a platform for doctors on a few Facebook pages.
Surprisingly, she got over 80 emails overnight.
Today, the Disruptive Doctors community has grown to around 4,000 doctors. 180 of them are paid members.
“We’ve directly helped at least 1,000 doctors by connecting them through our platform to jobs, mentors, and our workshops,” Dr Selina said.
The workshops they host cover a range of topics, such as Non-clinical Pathfinder, AI for Doctors Workshop, and How to build a profitable clinic.
Indirectly, they’ve also been able to help support doctors through their articles, videos, and podcast.
A bootstrapped venture, they’ve grown and built their platform through revenue made through memberships, workshops, as well as a job board for alternative jobs in the medical field and beyond.
Healthcare vs sick care
Something about the medical field that’s been discussed throughout the years, though, is the shortage of medical officers.
With that, isn’t it a concern that Disruptive Doctors may further contribute to the shortage, as it technically could lead doctors away from the field?
“We get this a lot,” Dr Selina answered. “But no, that’s not how we see it and that’s not what we are about.”
Rather than bringing doctors away from the field, she said Disruptive Doctors is about impacting healthcare differently.
“What you are seeing is the sick care portion of healthcare. There are many ways to impact healthcare and thus improve sick care through non-clinical pathways,” she explained.
In that sense, Disruptive Doctors is allowing doctors continue to make an impact when they are unable to stay in the clinical (or sick care) side of things.
“If they can see other options where they may be more passionate about and move there, then more spaces will be available for those that want to be in clinical practice,” she asserted. “We are taking a more holistic and long view approach to this.”
Bring on the challenge
Recently, Disruptive Doctors announced the H-Innovators, a healthcare innovation challenge targeting doctors and Malaysian medical students.
“What sparked this was, as we are growing and we meet so many different kinds of doctors, we saw that there were quite a few innovative doctors that had ideas but they didn’t know how to proceed with it. And we wanted to cultivate this,” Dr Selina explained.
A six-week challenge organised with 1337 Ventures, it will walk participants through design-thinking and how to validate their ideas, finishing with a demo day.
The demo day will be held in conjunction with Disruptive Doctors’ annual Healthcare Revolution Conference & Exhibition on August 10 and 11 at the Sime Darby Convention Centre.
This conference, Dr Selina explained, is for doctors to explore all things healthcare, from careers, tech, innovation, and lifestyle medicine, to entrepreneurship and investment opportunities.
Through its assortment of initiatives and projects, the goal is to build a global community of doctors who are agile, innovative, and tech-savvy.
Using these skills, they will be able to impact healthcare differently—truly making them disruptive doctors.
- Learn more about Disruptive Doctors here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups here.
Also Read: Why M’sians need to join this 2-day event in PJ that’ll boost your understanding of IPs
Featured Image Credit: Disruptive Doctors
You know of tacos & burritos, now this restaurant wants to popularise tamales in Singapore
When you think about Mexican food, you might first think of tacos, quesadillas, and burritos. But what about tamales?
A Mexican dish consisting of cornmeal dough around a filling of minced meat and red peppers, tamales are not as well known compared to many of the cuisine’s dishes. But popularising it in Singapore is a brand by the name of Tamales Mexicanos.
Born in Puebla, Mexico, its founder Maribel has always been deeply passionate about sharing the rich tapestry of her heritage.
This passion only grew when she moved to the island after meeting her Singaporean husband while pursuing her master’s degree in Melbourne.
Not just her partner in life, Aminurashid Ahmad (who goes by Ash) is also Maribel’s business partner as a co-founder of Tamales Mexicanos.
“The seeds of Tamales Mexicanos were planted during a trip to Mexico back in 2014, where Ash had his first taste of tamales and was instantly enchanted by their rich flavours,” Maribel explained.
Surprised that such a delicious dish wasn’t more widely known, the idea to introduce tamales to Singapore was born. However, this idea remained dormant for a while until a pivotal moment sparked its revival for the couple.
In 2019, during Maribel’s pregnancy with her second daughter, she found herself craving the authentic taste of tamales that she had grown up with. Her mom and grandmother had run a tamales shop and later a restaurant, so she literally grew up with the dish.
“When my mum visited that year, she lovingly prepared tamales for me, reigniting my passion for this beloved dish and fulfilling my craving,” Maribel recalled.
Sharing these tamales with her friends, who loved the food, the couple decided to make good on their business idea, establishing Tamales Mexicanos in 2019 to serve authentic, halal tamales in Singapore.
From home-based to brick-and-mortar
Beyond being the chef at Tamales Mexicanos, though, Maribel also sports a robust background. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in foreign Trade and Logistics from Mexico, she has accumulated experience across diverse industries such as automotive, petrochemicals, and education.
Moreover, Maribel has even authored and co-authored eight books, four of which became bestsellers.
Today, though, Tamales Mexicanos has become Maribel and Ash’s full-time commitment. More than a business, they see it as a labour of love and a testament to their commitment to sharing the authentic flavours of Mexico with Singapore.
“When we started, we both had full-time jobs. It was only in 2024 that both of us decided to leave our jobs, and go all in,” Maribel detailed.
Starting out, the business had first been called Tamales Mexicanos en Singapur, but was rebranded January this year. This coincided with the launch of their first physical location, tucked in Purple Agave, the cocktail bar on Keong Saik Road.
Explaining the decision to open a physical outlet, Maribel explained, “While running Tamales Mexicanos en Singapur from the comfort of stable paycheques provided a sense of security, we knew that true growth lay in expanding beyond our current setup.”
Last year, the duo had started dipping their toes into operating a physical location by participating in various weekend food fairs and ticketed brunch events.
“Seeing the eyes of our fellow Singaporeans light up upon taking their first bite of tamales was encouraging and exciting,” Maribel expressed.
During these experiences, the couple also learnt to streamline their operations, making them more efficient in preparing and serving customers.
But just as importantly, these events helped them network with fellow entrepreneurs, which was how they found a home in Purple Agave.
Believing that they’ve garnered enough experience in 2023, Maribel and Ash felt emboldened to take the leap to set up a permanent shop.
From tamales to all sorts of dishes
In addition to signature tamales, the Tamales Mexicanos menu features an array of classic Mexican dishes, including quesadillas, tortas, guacamole, and desserts like churros and carlotas.
The team has also created unique tamales to commemorate special dates, like the Rendang Tamales and the Duck Pipian Tamales.
They also offer tamales served in bento boxes, believing that this localised concept would appeal to locals.
“We study the menu of Mexican restaurants in Singapore and Mexico and try to fill in the market gaps,” Maribel pointed out.
But ultimately, what sets Tamales Mexicanos apart from other Mexican F&B establishments on the island is their unique focus on tamales.
Maribel even claimed that they are likely the first-ever restaurant to specialise in tamales in the whole of Asia.
“Despite tamales being a beloved staple in Mexico and Latin America, they remain barely known in Asia,” the founder stated.
She added that ever since she arrived on Singaporean shores, people around her often expressed their love for burritos (which is a dish she herself has never actually eaten in Mexico). However, when it came to tamales, barely anyone knew what they were.
“I realised then that tamales are like a best-kept secret that needed to be shared with this part of the world,” she mused.
And that’s exactly what Tamales Mexicanos has been doing, and aims to continue to do.
From Mexico to Singapore
At first, the main audience for Tamales Mexicanos had comprised Mexicans and the Latino community in Singapore, which later expanded to include other expatriates.
Today, Maribel is proud to share that they welcome a diverse mix of individuals, including locals.
In addition to serving individual customers, they cater to large volume orders for corporate events, parties, and gifting occasions.
They’ve worked with renowned institutions such as the Asian Civilization Museum, Singapore American School, Food for Thought @ National Gallery, and more. They also actively participate in community events, such as the Latinada 2024.
Still, despite the work that has been done, Maribel believes that there’s still a significant need for education to raise awareness about tamales and authentic Mexican cuisine in Singapore.
“For far too long, the perception of Mexican food has been largely shaped by the United States,” she asserted. “I believe it’s time for Mexicans to reclaim the narrative and showcase the diversity and authenticity of our culinary traditions.”
- Learn more about Tamales Mexicanos here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about F&B businesses here.
Also Read: Here’s how OCBC Business is making it easy for M’sian SMEs to offer cross-border QR payments
Featured Image Credit: Tamales Mexicanos / xsaltire (via Instagram)
After winning the World Pastry Cup, these M’sians have even bigger plans for the local scene
In the world of pastries, Otta Tay and Loi Ming Ai are superstars. Hailing from Muar and Sibu respectively, the two Malaysians had represented the Malaysia Pastry Team in 2019 at the World Pastry Cup, where they subsequently won.
“Many are unaware of the immense effort we poured into each competition,” the two told Vulcan Post. “Countless hours were spent in the kitchen, toiling away on our showpieces and engaging in tireless research and development.”
They shared that there were moments when they worked into the late hours of the night, fuelled by nothing but passion and determination.
“Never give up” became a mantra between the pastry chefs, driving them forward even when the challenges seemed insurmountable.
“Our journey was a testament to the sheer grit and resilience demanded by the world of competitive pastry-making,” they said.
And now, they’ve brought that grit and resilience from the competitive stage and applied it to their business, Voilà Patisserie.
From champions to entrepreneurs
“Typically, our friends, families, and supporters can only admire our creations showcased during live competitions or through social media posts, without the opportunity to taste them,” Otto and Loi explained.
To change this, they came together with another business partner and co-founder, Janice, to establish their own brand, sharing their culinary creations with people beyond the competition arena.
Prior to Voilà, both Otto and Loi have experienced entrepreneurship through their own consultancy companies. In fact, Loi also founded Qiao Chocolate Lab, which specialises in creating chocolate decorations for B2B clients such as hotels and restaurants.
But for both chefs, Voilà would be considered their first brand for consumers to enjoy and taste their creations.
“At Voilà Patisserie, we specialise in French pastry with a touch of local ingredients, blending the best of both worlds,” they shared.
Aside from offering the general public a taste of their pastries, Otto and Loi also impart their knowledge through Voilà with masterclasses and workshops for baking enthusiasts.
The chefs shared that roughly 60% of their revenue comes from retail sales and wholesales, while their workshops generate approximately 40%.
“Both segments play vital roles in our business, with retail providing consistent revenue and workshops fostering customer engagement and brand loyalty,” they said.
Developing the industry
Since the inception of Voilà Patisserie, the chefs’ baking and business philosophies have somewhat evolved.
“Initially, our focus was primarily on creating exceptional pastries that showcased our skills and creativity,” they stated. “However, as we delved deeper into the business world, we realised the importance of balancing innovation with consistency and customer satisfaction.”
While staying true to their core, the team has now become more attuned to the needs and preferences of their clientele. They’ve also adopted a more strategic and collaborative mindset, learning the value of effective teamwork and transparent communication.
A big challenge that the chefs still face, though, is in educating the market about their products’ premium price point.
“French pastries are complex, with intricate layers and rich flavours that often rely on high-quality ingredients and labour-intensive techniques, which may not be immediately apparent to consumers,” they explained.
Educating the public is something they cannot do alone, though. Rather, it takes a whole community. And thankfully, Malaysia’s pastry community has been growing over the years.
“Competition is steep, but every chef brings their own specialty and uniqueness to the table,” the chefs said. “We believe that the more competition we have, the better the market becomes, as the standards of pastries continue to rise.”
And this ultimately benefits everyone involved, as the quality of pastries becomes increasingly refined customers have more options to choose from.
True to that, since entering the industry, Otto and Loi said they’ve witnessed notable changes in Malaysia’s patisserie scene. Specifically, they’ve seen an uptick in quality, innovation, and consumer appreciation.
“Our participation in competitions and success on the global stage have also helped elevate Malaysia’s pastry reputation,” they mentioned. “While the industry has improved overall, we believe there’s still room for growth.”
Baking up new plans
To further develop the local pastry landscape, the team has ambitious plans to launch of a full-time academy programme in June.
Additionally, they revealed to Vulcan Post that they’ll be having a groundbreaking collaboration with a new space, introducing an entirely new signature menu that promises to “redefine culinary experiences”. This venture is set to debut in July.
Later this year in October, Chef Loi will also be leading the Malaysia team to the Asian Pastry Cup, with the goal of securing the golden ticket for the World Pastry Cup in 2025 at Lyon, France.
“We are incredibly excited about this opportunity to showcase Malaysia’s pastry talent on the global stage and to nurture new rising stars for our country,” they said. “Let’s aim for gold and bring it home together!”
- Learn more about Voilà Patisserie here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups here.
Also Read: Why M’sians need to join this 2-day event in PJ that’ll boost your understanding of IPs
Featured Image: Voilà Patisserie
She quit being a pharmacist after 15 yrs to open a vegan ice cream biz, now has 2 KL outlets
Ice cream is a timeless indulgence that knows no bounds. Whether you’re young or young at heart, there’s something undeniably magical about that first lick of creamy goodness.
And just because some are dairy-free doesn’t mean they’re not as good. Despite ditching milk and eggs, these frozen delights can still win over even the most sceptical taste testers.
Take Chloe Loo’s venture as an example. Years ago, the 46-year-old pharmacist turned entrepreneur ventured into the world of plant-based, sugar-free gelatos, with her brainchild, Negative12degrees.
Born out of necessity due to her son’s dietary restrictions, Negative12degrees is not just another ice cream parlour, but a haven for those seeking delicious, plant-based, and health-conscious treats.
Plant-based passion
The dairy and egg allergies of her third son motivated Chloe to step try her hand at making gelatos.
Drawing from her background as a pharmacist and fueled by her passion for experimenting with recipes, she embarked on a mission to craft egg and dairy-free ice creams.
“My son’s dietary restrictions were my motivation. He once told me he hated birthday parties because he could not eat cakes. Crafting plant-based ice cream gave him more options,” Chloe told Vulcan Post.
The genesis of Negative12degrees dates back to 2020 when Chloe decided to channel her culinary creativity into a business endeavours.
Armed with determination and a desire to fill a gap in the market for allergen-friendly desserts, she began crafting vegan ice creams in 2017 after purchasing a home ice cream maker on sale.
“I just wanted to do it,” Loo recalls, reflecting on her decision to transition from her stable career as a pharmacist to pursue her entrepreneurial dream.
With over 15 years of experience dispensing behind the counter, she felt compelled to leverage her background to address the growing demand for healthier dessert alternatives for people with diabetes, eczemas, allergies, and weight issues.
“Negative12degrees aims to not only provide delectable treats but also to play a pivotal role in promoting vegan and health-conscious options within the broader food market,” shared the founder.
Recognising the rising rates of childhood obesity in Malaysia, Chloe envisions her venture to be a catalyst for inspiring healthier eating habits, especially among the younger generation.
Flavours to scoop
Despite lacking a formal culinary or food tech background, Chloe’s self-taught journey has led to the creation of nearly 30 flavours, with 19 varieties boasting no added sugar.
Chloe’s inspiration for flavours comes from her personal and family likings, anything she finds interesting at that time, and also based on the festive seasons in Malaysia.
Their best-selling items include no-added-sugar flavours such as salted butter pecan, dark chocolate, oat vanilla, blue vanilla-soy milk based ones, and regular flavours such as cookies cream and sea salt dark chocolate.
The price ranges from RM9 to RM12.90 per scoop and RM30 to RM40 per pint of 400gm depending on the ingredients used.
“I believe our prices are quite reasonable compared to similar offerings in the market,” she added.
Many traditional gelato and ice cream makers now offer vegan options too though. However, Chloe believes that her dual focus on plant-based and no-sugar-added flavours (which use sugar substitutes such as erythritol and xylitol) sets her venture apart in a crowded market.
“Many do not know that sugar is important in softening gelatos. Gelatos or ice creams cannot live without sugars.”
“These sugar substitutes are derived from plants and the best part is that they will not spike one’s blood sugar level. Dieters looking for lower-calorie alternatives love them too. It’s a good alternative when one is having sweet cravings,” Chloe said.
Besides, she said many toothpastes and gums contain erythritol and xylitol as these substances helps prevent dental issues like cavities and tooth decay.
Envisioning growth
The journey hasn’t been without its challenges. From learning the nuances of ice cream science to striking a balance between work and family life, Chloe has faced her fair share of hurdles.
However, with the unwavering support of her family and a bootstrapped approach to funding, she has successfully expanded from a single kiosk in Bangsar Village 1 to multiple kiosks in different locations.
She currently has kiosks in Melawati Mall, KL and Datum Jelatek, KL.
Looking ahead, Negative12degrees has ambitious growth plans.
From introducing more innovative plant-based products to exploring eco-friendly packaging options, Chloe projects a future where her passion for healthy, delicious desserts can reach even more communities through franchising.
As the demand for healthier dessert alternatives continues to rise, Chloe is not just serving up gelatos—she’s crafting a sweeter, healthier future, one scoop at a time.
- You can learn more about their business here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups here.
Also Read: Employees need a Copilot to boost productivity & ease brain drain. This webinar shows how.
Featured Image Credit: Negative12degrees
