Makan for Hope Festival: Support Vulnerable Communities
Many of some 300,000 Singapore residents who earn below $2,000 have had their income impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Hence, to fundraise $125,000 to support vulnerable communities affected by the pandemic, in conjunction with Fei Yue’s 30th anniversary. the startup and investment community in Southeast Asia is co-creating a first-of-its-kind “Makan for Hope Festival”.
Co-founder of Makan For Hope, Elise Tan, said,
“Last year, I lost my job during the pandemic and I can empathize with the deep financial impact on families and individuals. I feel encouraged by like-minded and warm-hearted individuals such as my co-founder Andrew Tan, who band together to raise funds for Singapore-based charity Fei Yue.”
“Funds raised will pay for much-needed emergency funds, occupational and speech therapy for children from Fei Yue’s Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) from low income families, as well as for elderly living in rental flats supported by the Active Ageing Centres (AAC). “
Andrew Tan, her co-founder, shared,
“I know what a privilege it is to learn from people’s experiences and that’s something we are trying to make more accessible. The idea for Makan For Hope sparked while thinking how to bring the ecosystem together and give back in different ways to create long-lasting impact. It is easy to have goodwill in good times, but in these trying times, how we help others will make a greater difference.”
What is the Makan for Hope Festival about?
Taking place from 24th June to 30th July 2021, this festival is a series of 30 online roundtable conversations over lunches or dinners.
Over each conversation, a seasoned founder or investor will host and share best practices, experiences or industry insights with 10 entrepreneurs or aspiring founders. These hosts include the CEO of Carousell, Shopback and Helicap, and partners at Vertex Ventures, Golden Gate venturers and Monk’s Hill Ventures.
David Z Wang, co-founder and Group CEO of Helicap, said,
“It is crucial that we focus on those who are deeply affected by this pandemic and provide our time, donations and heart to aid these beneficiaries in need. On behalf of the Tech community in SEA, I look forward to hosting virtual roundtable conversations to inspire and nurture future leaders in the tech and financial industry.”
To take the lead in raising donations, hosts are donating a minimum of $1,000, while interested participants can donate $100 (early bird price) to attend one of the sessions. Aspiring entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs who are facing financial assistance may request for sponsorship.
Meals for each session will be catered from social enterprises such as Soul Food and Pope Jai Thai and delivered to participants’ homes.
How do I sign up for the Makan For Hope Festival?
There are already 50 organisations which are already supporting this initiative include the following, with more coming on board:
- Charity: Fei Yue Community Services
- Agencies/ Associations: Enterprise Singapore, Singapore Venture Capital & Private Equity Association, RaISE SG, TBN Asia, Asia Institute for Mentoring, Google Developer Student Clubs, NUS Entrepreneurship Society, NUS Angel Ventures
- Prominent Startup Investors: Vertex Ventures, Helicap, Algorand Foundation, Kollective Ventures, AngelCentral, Amasia, Golden Gate Ventures, Vickers Venture Partners, Jungle Ventures, Monk’s Hill Ventures, Openspace Ventures, Saison Capital, Grab Ventures, True Global Ventures, Hustle Fund, Tin Men Capital, 33Capital, Big Idea Ventures, Cocoon Capital
- Startups: Carousell, Shopback, e27, Open Circles, Wantedly, Zenko Superfoods, Svested, BOSSJOB, Quckdesk, Mantor, HiLife!, Fingerprint for Success (F4S), EyeViser, TechNode
- Media partners: Apical Media, e27
- Accelerators and Incubators: BLOCK71 by NUS Enterprise, SMU IIE, ACE (Edge), Antler, Entrepreneur First, Plug and Play, IMPACTA LAB, ICE71, Accelerating Asia
- Social Enterprises delivering meals: Soul Food and Pope Jai Thai
Sign up during the early bird registration for Makan for Hope Festival sessions at www.makanforhope.org
Photos courtesy of Makan For Hope.
