IPO Industrial Fellowship Round Table Discussion Session #3 Smart City, Smart Citizen + Designing Your Life was held on 27 September 2017. Running a start-up has never been an easy task, and IPO Industrial Fellows, Mr Francis LO, Director, Talentum International Limited and Mr Rex MA, Co-founder & Managing Director, iGen6 shared their valuable experiences of establishing successful business with IPO students. Our guest speakers have several common features: they both are young and successful entrepreneurs, and their university studies are not really related to their current career.  Their advices about university life were down-to-earth and constructive to students. Students engaged in discussions actively as they were very eager to know more.

Jessie CHOW, RMBI Year 1 student shared what she learnt from the discussion. “Both my fellow schoolmates and I had a really good time with them. Putting our hearts upon our sleeves, sharing the true opinions with each other since we are all young and energetic despite the age difference. We are enlightened by our guest speakers’ choices of career path. They told us we were not necessarily required to work in the field of  our university studies focus, but to follow our own instinct, sense the possibility of a business model or a fruitful path. We shall not blindfold our own vision by our study, what we should embrace is the courage to discover more different interests. In the first few years of our career, we may not always find the ideal workplace or career path for ourselves.

Hence, we are  suggested trying different jobs out, and do not hesitate to go after our dream even we must give up something already in our hands. Two prime examples are Francis and Rex, they gave up their prestigious jobs and founded their own business, and this bravery truly inspired us.  Some students were once afraid of their futures, due to the fact that there are too many plausible pathways for them. However, after the sincere discussion with the speakers, they understand such versatility is an edge for them in the society, and they are much more confidence to face any challenges or working opportunity ahead. We hope we will have similar meetings in the near future, as sharing by young entrepreneurs in a rather relaxed and chit-chat way is beneficial to all of us.”