On A Roll is my new series of interviews with some inspiring individuals from around the world! We have Winky Ng, a creative entrepreneur, telling the story of how to make good use of the opportunities around you.
Winky, what brought you back all the way from Vancouver to HK?
The main reason for coming to Hong Kong was for going to business school, but the reason for coming to Hong Kong for its strong international exposure, as it is the city that connects the west and the east. After working hard in a start up for 6 years, having the opportunity to see what else is out their in the world outside of Vancouver was what drove me to check out this part of the globe.
What was your first job like?
My first job was working in the founding team for an engineering start up in Vancouver. Being one of the three people in the company to jumpstart a business, work was all about bootstrapping, being creative, and getting your hands dirty. It was really important to stay grounded and keep changing with the company in order to adapt to the marketplace. This trained me to be adaptable and extremely aware of what was happening in the entire value chain in the industry I was in, helping me to eventually build the business acumen I need today.
Tell us the story behind your support of the young entrepreneurship in Shenzhen.
I’ve started going to Shenzhen to work with a group from the CUHK Business School called BiG (Business innovation and globalization) group. The group was founded by a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur, who has been building a strong presence in China for the past 10 years. One of the things I was captured about the group was its vision to connect Hong Kong with different parts of the Pearl Delta to help innovation and entrepreneurship. I see that this development is what will bring the next stage of growth in this region. I’m excited to be part of the group and start this movement.
Can you give some advice on how to get involve in this movement?
Depending on what you want to do, I suggest going into the Pearl Delta and seeing what the scene is like. I think it’s important to understand the culture and skills that different areas in the Pearl Delta provide. At the end, I encourage everyone to be creative and try entrepreneurship, if they have not done so already. Build friendship and partnership, and begin looking at the challenges people and industries face here. Solutions with a distinct value proposition are what will bring success in the next season. It is important to be able to see the needs are; only through that you may be able to provide solutions using entrepreneurship.
What are you most passionate about now?
I’m most passionate about finding solutions to difficult problems, and actually seeing it executed well. I am an engineer by trade; problem solving is my passion. As I worked after a few years, however, I have realized that it is important to know who to work with and how to resourcefully bridge the gaps. One of the things I am working on right now is to be on the investment management side, providing funding, advice, and networks to entrepreneurs with great ideas and a heart to tackle the difficult challenges in today society.
