Some Observations

One thing that I've noticed here in Singapore is that there are always pick up trucks driving around that carry approx 10-15 men (all dressed in relatively ratty clothing) in the back of the truck. These are mostly men from other SE Asian countries who work in construction. I live in an area where there are many nice luxury apartments being built, and every day, I walk by construction sites and see tin shacks propped right within the construction sites where all these construction workers live. I'm curious to learn more about these people and understand their backgrounds.

High Pressure Work Experience

In the final stages of completing one of the big projects for this summer, I've finally learned what it means to work in a high pressure situation. A portion of the project was due to the client by midnight on a Saturday, and needless to say, I have never worked this hard on a Saturday night.

My Favorite New Fruit

Yes, I am a fruitaholic. These two fruits are delish!



Star Fruit



Dragon Fruit

Venture Philanthropy

Last week, a project at work involved researching the best practices of venture philanthropy. I really had no idea what this topic entailed besides the fact that “it had something to do with venture capital.” Even knowing that meant very little, because my knowledge on venture capital is quite limited to begin with. After two days of research, I’ve discovered that venture philanthropy is an emerging field that has the potential to make a lasting impact in our quest to solve the world’s problems.

Although there has been no official definition for venture philanthropy, the core concept of venture philanthropy involves treating funding as an investment rather than a charitable donation. By implementing the practices of venture capital firms, venture philanthropy hopes to help the social sector by infusing techniques that will result in high impact. Venture philanthropy is often characterized by innovative approaches, a focus on measurable results, and long term impact. This field was first introduced in a 1997 Harvard Business Review article called “Virtuous Capital: What Foundations Can Learn from Venture Capitalists.”

Check out the Acumen Fund – an awesome example of venture philanthropy at its best.