Justin Chow | 31 | Co-founder and chief marketing officer at Fundnel.
Justin Chow | 31 | Co-founder and chief marketing officer at Fundnel.
Justin Chow’s definition of the perfect workplace is one without the rigidity of hierarchy and mind-numbing red tape that typically pervade big corporations, a safe space not unlike an incubation pod where people are encouraged to speak their minds and voice ideas freely.
So, when the time came to set up Fund nel – a collaborative investment platform he co-founded with three friends: Khai Lin Chua, Benjamin Twoon and Kelvin Lee – there couldn’t have been a more perfect time to bring this idea to life.
“Doing away with the usual hierarchical barriers at work has made things more efficient and helped generate more ideas. In fact, most of the time, the co-founders learn more from the team than the other way around,” he says.
The self-professed Star Wars fanatic who meticulously collects Lego Star Wars memorabilia says part of his obsession stems from the millennial generation’s fascination with ownership. “Being part of a tribe or part of
a collective is very appealing in this day and age. It has a strong intrinsic value that words can’t describe.”
Contrary to popular belief, the millennial entrepreneur and his predecessor are not that different. “Technology might be light years ahead of what it used to be in the past, but, in terms of fundamentals, not much has changed. Without grit and tenacity, all the technology in the world isn’t going to help you be No. 1,” says Chow.
These qualities have paved the way for his success thus far. While setting up Manicurious, a manicure and nail art bar and cafe, and Jekyll and Hyde, a cocktail bar, he discovered a dearth of platforms in the market linking start-ups and investors. Thus paving the way for the birth of Fund nel. “Call it guts or naivete but following my heart has always led me to the right place. I think that’s very important in this day and age.”
