TBN Asia 2020 Virtual Conference – Survive to Thrive (Activating the Impact Ecosystem in Response to COVID-19)

TBN Asia rallies support for Southeast Asian social enterprises affected by COVID-19 Six-day conference themed “Survive to Thrive” raises funds, awareness, and collaboration

Singapore — A global audience of more than 800 social entrepreneurs, investors, capacity builders, business professionals and other supporters tuned in from 22 to 30 May, 2020 for a virtual conference organised by Transformational Business Network Asia (TBN Asia).

The conference highlighted the social innovations of Southeast Asian social enterprises, their needs in light of COVID-19, and the opportunities to collaborate across the impact ecosystem. 100% of conference ticket sales and sponsorships are now being channelled through TBN Asia’s recently launched Resilience Program, designed to support high-quality social enterprises during unforeseen crises. Such enterprises create opportunities for vulnerable communities, but have themselves been hit by unforeseen circumstances. More than 25 regional banks, impact funds, foundations, capacity builders, and businesses sponsored or supported the conference initiatives, and within a span of three weeks, TBN Asia raised over S$200,000 in funds, including matching commitments by regional partners. The event featured 68 social enterprise exhibitors and over 40 speakers covering topics such as the circular economy, affordable housing, and the role of mentorship and support in the social entrepreneur’s journey.

Sessions also included live pitches from TBN Asia’s Social Entrepreneurship Training (SETH) cohort and inspirational stories of success and survival. Speakers included Dato Kim Tan from Springhill Management, UK; Jane Poh from Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, Malaysia; Veronica Colondam from YCAB Foundation, Indonesia; Eugenia Koh from Standard Charted bank, Singapore; Stephanie Kimber from Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Dzuleira Abu Bakar from Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC); Dr. Elizabeth Lee from Sunway Education Group; and other thought leaders and pioneers in social innovation and impact investment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated economies around the world, with industries threatening to shut down and unemployment soaring. Reports are coming in that millions in Asia will be driven into poverty, and that poverty levels in some regions could be set back as much as 30 years. “We need social enterprises now more than ever; however, less than 3% of social enterprises in some countries are expected to survive beyond 12 months if this current situation persists. In light of this, we decided to bring forward our original conference, planned for August, to May 2020,” said TBN Asia Chairman, Melvyn Mak. Ted Levinson, Founder of Beneficial Returns, USA, also highlighted the importance of social entrepreneurs in the session, ‘All Hands on Deck’: “Social entrepreneurs don’t try to bypass obstacles – they run straight at them. If you want fast, nimble and efficient responses to a crisis, turn to social entrepreneurs.” Fellow panellist Jian Li Yew, Managing Director of Citrine Capital, Malaysia, echoed his sentiment and appealed to investors: “There is no better time to make an impact. Social entrepreneurs do not give up, they have a sharing mentality and ask for help.”

Two entrepreneurs from TBN Asia’s SETH program had the spotlight in the ‘Founders and Funders for Good’ session where they had the opportunity to pitch to a panel of 3 impact fund representatives. Social Enterprise Saturday showcased a full-day of presentations by 53 impact businesses from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. The session, supported by regional social enterprise capacity builders MaGIC (Malaysia) and PLUS (Indonesia), was attended by more than 360 delegates and created more networking opportunities for exhibitors who held follow-up meetings with interested participants. About TBN Asia Transformational Business Network Asia (TBN Asia) is a Singapore-based not-for-profit organisation adopting an ecosystems approach to bring together social entrepreneurs, impact investors, mentors, coaches, domain experts and other enablers to develop sustainable social impact businesses in Southeast Asia.

Our greatest joy is to foster a spirit of collaboration and empowerment throughout our network; to see our social entrepreneurs scale and sustain their best ideas; and together, restore dignity to individuals — bringing hope and restoration to whole communities. Visit: http://www.tbn.asia for more info.

About SETH The SETH program recruits high-potential early- and growth-stage social enterprises and provides business scaling support and tailored expertise to help them secure and reach investment goals. TBN Asia will also facilitate the matchmaking of investment-ready enterprises with suitable impact investors. SETH is supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Visit: https://www.tbn.asia/training-hub-overview for more info. About Resilience Program Borne out of the needs brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the goal for this program is to support high-quality social enterprises, who have been striving to create opportunities for vulnerable communities, but have themselves been hit by unforeseen circumstances. Social enterprises may apply for assistance through three possible channels: targeted grants, matchmaking, and a Resilience Fund (available as loans through partner organisations in Malaysia and Indonesia). Each channel will have its own due-diligence process and accountability framework, and interested social enterprises are encouraged to contact Resilience Program team at resilience@tbn.asia to discuss the best solution for their needs.

Visit https://www.tbn.asia/resilience-program-overview for more info.