The spluttering butterball is now a strapping 28-year-old, one who articulates his thoughts and ideas cogently in a pleasantly deep voice.He also exudes a confidence born of his experience in building a social enterprise which helps poor communities in 10 countries and 40 cities, as well as his love for what he does.
Mr Mok is the founder and chief executive of Backstreet Academy, a start-up which curates localised experiences, tours and activities – from knife-making in Luang Prabang to insect cooking in Siem Reap and archery in Yogyakarta – for travellers.
More than just a money-making venture, however, the peer-to- peer platform sets out to help artisans and communities which live below the poverty line of US$1.90 (S$2.70) a day.
“What we do puts us right in the middle of technology, travel and social enterprise, things we are interested in. If everything works out well, Backstreet Academy may become as big as Airbnb,” he says, referring to the online marketplace and hospitality service.
Polite and engaging, Mr Mok – who picked his first name because of his love for Spanish ham – is the second of three children of a management consultant and a housewife.His early years were spent wrestling with weight and self-esteem issues.”I was totally round, couldn’t run and couldn’t play sports. And if you couldn’t play sports, nobody wanted to play with you,” says the former pupil of Tao Nan Primary.
No comments:
Post a Comment