(Front, from left) Yap, Nik Suzila, Shin and Lim at the Camp of Leaders programme sharing session along with the first batch of students under the programme.
TAYLOR’S University kickstarted its initiative to connect students and their startup ideas with industry leaders under its Camp of Leaders programme, where mentors gather in a panel discussion to share their experiences and the importance of having a mentor.
Some of the programme’s mentors who were present at the sharing session at Brasserie Fritz in The Troika on Oct 6 included REXKL co-founder Shin Tseng, Kloth Circularity co-founder Nik Suzila, Komuniti Tukang Jahit founder Yap Sue Yii and PichaEats co-founder Lim Yuet Kim.
These high-calibre experts were paired with innovative teams of students striving to break new ground in various spaces, such as medical technology, renewable and efficient energy and food and beverages.
The pairing of mentor and mentee is done based on the similarity of industry experience or passion and the student’s project.
The Camp of Leaders programme is aimed to last for six months with mentors and mentees meeting a couple of times a month.
Students are able to ask their burning questions and leverage the knowledge and experiences in these sessions to develop important soft skills that are useful in building their businesses.
‘It reminds you (when mentoring) of where you need to improve and recollect on your past mistakes,’ said Nik Suzila.
Nik Suzila said she learns as much as she shares with her mentee.
“I was assigned to a group of students who aim to market sustainable packaging. It reminded me of when I was first starting out, it’s relatable.
“Talking to them (mentees) made me realise all the things that I had overlooked. I was advising them about sourcing and it made me realise that I had a similar problem when I did my project. It reminds you of where you need to improve and recollect on your past mistakes,” she said.
Meanwhile during the panel discussion Lim said: “Having a mentor present, to remind you to rest or advise if the direction you are taking is good or not, really matters.”
‘(Lim) really helped us a lot especially in the early stages we lost a lot of direction and she helped us clarify what we should do at this (immediate) stage,’ said Foo.
Lim was paired with students who are developing a sugar-free, vitamin-rich gummy candy product called The Q'Bies, which aims to solve child obesity problems in Malaysia.
One of its co-founders, Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (Honours) student Foo Qi Han said: “She (Lim) really helped us a lot especially in the early stages as we lost a lot of direction and she helped us clarify what we should do.
“We are now at the research and development stage. We plan to place a lot of capital here but Lim shared that we shouldn’t and guided us in the right direction on how we could plan for our business better.”
Mentor VJ Anand, the former APAC Creative head and managing partner who is now based in London for his latest venture with VaynerMedia, shared his views on mentoring.
“Having led different teams ranging between five to 170 people in the creative industry, I have learnt to never underestimate the potential one talented individual can have, their power to alter the world with their perspectives and abilities,” he shared.
“It has been a privilege to share my experiences with various talented people I came across throughout my career and I am both eager and excited to kick start this journey with Jizen who founded Nexmve, known for its ‘no-tie shoelaces’ product.”
Taylor’s Bachelor of Mass Communications alumnus Jizen Loh Iskandar had won several startup challenges including the MaGIC University Startup Challenge organised by the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC).
“It is an honour to be selected for the Camp of Leaders programme, despite having graduated from the University this year,” said Jizen.
“Taylor’s has been playing an active role in supporting the needs of its students with the skills and resources they need to take their projects to the next step. It is exciting to be connected with such a wide range of industry leaders, as young entrepreneurs like us lack real-world experience.
“Having these mentors guide us along the way can give us a clearer direction on what to do, helping us save time and resources, ultimately giving us a better chance at seeing our ambitions come true.”
Camp of Leaders is part of Taylor’sphere, a well-balanced ecosystem at Taylor’s that nurtures the students’ intellect, creativity and practical wisdom.
