Faith Driven Entrepreneur Asia

Jennie Allen is the founder and visionary of the women’s organization IF:Gathering, the host of the top rated Made for This podcast (17 million downloads) as well as the New York Times bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head, which was the #1 bestselling religion title of 2020. Her latest book is Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World. She has appeared on shows such as Hallmark Home & Family, Fox News at Night with Shannon Bream, and been featured in various outlets such as Woman’s World, Brit+Co, Cosmopolitan.com, and Christianity Today. The estimated viewership for 2021’s IF:Gathering exceeded one million women in all 50 states and 144 countries., live streaming from Dallas, Texas, into thousands of churches, family rooms and dorm rooms. We’re excited to talk with Jennie on the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast. Together, we’re going to discuss in depth some of the powerful topics she writes about and how they relate to us as entrepreneurs.

Edy Sulistyo didn’t start out as an entrepreneur, but he has clearly had success as one. The Indonesian native has founded, scaled, and exited four different tech platforms over his career, with the most recent one getting acquired by the Gojek Group in 2017. Today, Edy works as the CEO of Gojek’s on-demand video platform GoPlay where he helps develop locally based content from Indonesian film makers. He joins the show to talk about the pros and cons of acquisition, the making of great Indonesian entertainment, and the value of not worshiping one’s work.

 Sharon Lim experienced the heights of entrepreneurial success in Jakarta, but nearly lost it all in the Indonesian financial crisis. Overnight, her entire bank account became practically worthless as the currency plummeted. Listen in as Sharon tells the story of how God led her through this season of total loss and brought her to where she is today: the Co-founder and Managing Director of the fashion technology platform Browzwear. Based out of Singapore, with an R&D Center in Israel, Browzwear is now a pioneer of 3D digital solutions for the fashion industry, raising $35 million in their latest funding round.

Makoto Fujimura is a leading contemporary painter, a well known writer, curator, and founder. At his core, he is a creator. Perhaps best known for his bicultural artwork, Makoto fuses abstract expressionism together with the traditional Japanese art of Nihonga and Kachoga (bird-and-flower painting tradition). His desire is to reframe how we talk about art, love, and beauty from a biblical perspective, and provide a hub that draws creative minds together from around the world. Makoto shares more about partnering with God and the coming of his New Creation.See more links related to Makoto’s work below:Art and Faith: A Theology of MakingCulture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common LifeSilence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born From SufferingSilence (2016)Rhapsody (2018, Bucknell University)Lux Aertena  by Morten Lauridsen

After 20 years of consulting with McKinsey and spearheading land development in the Philippines, Jim Ayala started to wonder if he was really improving the lives of the most marginalized in his home country. So he left his executive, corporate position to found Hybrid Social Solutions, a gridless solar electricity network that provides energy to the 25 million people in remote, unelectrified communities. The culture at Hybrid Social Solutions can be described as Mother Theresa meets Don Quixote meets the Marines. Jim and his team of Solaristas are committed to this crazy impossible dream to share Christ’s love with people by providing energy access to the most remote villages, through an efficient and well-trained team. In this episode, Jim shares with us about the impact of social enterprise, the nuances of providing energy access in a developing country, and the sacrifice required to serve people well.

Wai Hong Fong's surprising journey to success as an entrepreneur; challenges of building company culture and fostering relationships; interesting encounters and crazy adventures including an 86 kilometer hike and meeting a Singaporean opposition politician; seeking coaches as an entrepreneur; importance of community and making meaningful connections.

So-Young Kang, Founder of Gnowbe, discusses humanizing the world through work and how Faith Driven Entrepreneurs can empower others. Topics include gender discrimination, music theory, and Jesus as the standard for humanization.

Anthony Tan, Founder of Grab, the leading superapp in Southeast Asia valued at $14 billion, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the story behind 9 million drivers in 352 cities. They discuss faith-driven entrepreneurship, evolving their business plan, scaling with Christ-centered values, and the impact of COVID-19 on the informal economy in Asia.

We are incredibly excited about the launch of our new podcast! This will be a place to hear from Faith Driven Entrepreneurs in the Asia Pacific region. You’ll be inspired, encouraged, and equipped by the stories of these innovators living out their God-given call to create. Our hope is that it helps you to go and do the great work God is calling you to in your area as well.Join our host Wen Li Lim in this inaugural episode as she talks with Henry Kaestner about the vision, mission, and goals for the show.