J.R.R. Tolkien was right when he once said that “Courage is found in unlikely places”. For SMU Business alumna Crystal Cheng (BBM 2019), she finds that there is no room for courage in safe places, where the odds were not stacked against her. 

During this period of uncertainty with the coronavirus pandemic, many would cling on to their jobs. Not to say the fear is unwarranted – the global economy has taken a hit and the F&B industry was one of the heavily impacted businesses. 

And that was the kind of business Crystal decided to pursue. 

With its international reputation for economic growth and high salaries, it’s no surprise that Singapore is a top destination for young professionals entering the world of business. 

However, according to a 2018 survey by international firm, Manpower Group, over half of Singaporean employers are struggling to fill positions due to shortages in relevant skills and experience. Among the jobs facing these shortages, product managers, user experience designers and marketing professionals are toward the top of the list. 

Are you ready for a topic that will leave you feeling inspired? We had the pleasure to interview SMU alumna, Vanessa Paranjothy, Founder of Freedom Cups. We have to say, the topic of our interview opened our minds and left us feeling free. The topic of this article? Periods.   

Vanessa insists there should be no discomfort while discussing a very natural process that 50% of the population goes through and we think she’s right! 

Plastic waste is a growing problem and according to the Singapore NEA website, Singapore generated 949,300 tons of plastic in 2019 itself. With only a 4% rate of that being recycled, the remainder of that plastic is shipped out to be dumped, which is not sustainable or a long term solution.

In comes Magorium, a technology company founded by SMU student, Oh Chu Xian from School of Business. With their solution, they are trying solve two problems at once: addressing the issue of plastic waste, and improving the lifespan of roads.