Entrepreneurship is often a lonely journey, but not for the mentee entrepreneurs of our Mentorship Program for Ethnically Diverse Entrepreneurs.
On 6 December, the mentees and mentors of our 2025-26 Mentorship Program gathered for a mid-point check-in at the Hive Poho, where the mentees took turns to share the achievements they have made and the challenges they face during their respective entrepreneurial journey, while the mentors offered tips and advice on tackling those challenges. Participants were then placed into breakout groups to engage in an “Ask Anything” session to facilitate in-depth knowledge exchange.
Bonding Through Celebrating Small Victories and Mutual Encouragement
Amongst this cohort of mentees, some have already identified collaboration and partnership opportunities with each other. One important learning from the mentees is asking questions and seeking help and advice from FSI’s reciprocal community.
Said Latha Chandrakant, Director of Minmini Early Learning Solutions: “In the past,I already knew what I wanted, but I felt apprehensive and didn’t take action. FSI has been the best thing because, thanks to this community, I am more confident in asking for help and no longer working on entrepreneurship alone.”
Added Kaylini Naidoo, Founder of Upeeling, who has started regularly documenting her entrepreneurial journey on her business’ Instagram page, including the pineapple snacks that she made as a sample product to test the market: “My challenge was narrowing the focus because my original goal was huge. I had to learn to think practically: defining my first product, creating a prototype, doing sample tests, and collecting data.
“One important realization was that my plan may not always work out, and I will face rejections. Even when I expect it, when it happens, I may feel despondent. But I learned that I need to actively reach out and seek help from the community when I feel stuck.”
Said Jerome Bautista, Co-founder of Sacred Space Therapy and Wellness Limited: “This program made me realize the ‘Power of Asking’ is very important.” In the past few months, Jerome and his co-founder have refurbished the studio space of Sacred Space Therapy and Wellness, and they will soon be hosting an open day. They have also signed a contract with a hotel to hold a public event.
The support of the FSI community was integral to the growth of these mentee entrepreneurs. For example, one mentee said, “There are resources and people ready and willing to help me when I need assistance, clarity, and support. I believe in myself more, and I am able to give myself grace in times when I encounter challenges and also celebrate the wins, both big and small.”
Encouragement and applause were generously given as the mentees continued to share their achievements and learning in other areas.
Said Junimay Cortes, Founder of Revamp: “For me, the achievement I am most proud of is simply being able to collaborate with different vendors and successfully organize an event. This is a huge step because I am actually quite a shy person.” In addition to growing 100+ additional followers on her business’ Instagram page, Junimay was also interviewed by RTHK’s Philkongers program, where she talked about founding Revamp with a community-centric and social impact-focused mindset, and how her Philkong identity influences her approach to sustainable fashion and community building.
Also interviewed by RTHK, albeit for a different program, was Rabia Aslam, who wants to empower underprivileged youth, particularly ethnic minorities, by providing hands-on coding, STEM, and AI education alongside mentorship from diverse professionals. In the interview with RTHK’s Community Involvement Broadcasting Service (CIBS), which celebrates ethnically diverse women in Hong Kong who are breaking job labels and gender stereotypes, the aspiring entrepreneur spoke about her work in AI and medicine and her advocacy for STEAM education, career and future development.
“My biggest takeaways from joining the Mentorship Program include enhanced personal growth and increased confidence, valuable networking opportunities, and the development of key skills like leadership and communication,” said Rabia. “I have gained clearer insights into my career aspirations and learned the importance of constructive feedback and reflection. Additionally, the diverse perspectives shared by my mentor along with other mentors and mentees have broadened my understanding of various career paths and helped me set realistic, measurable goals for my future.”
“I learned a hard lesson,” said Muhammad Fahad, an aspiring entrepreneur aiming to promote sustainability, educate the general public on marine conservation, and encourage the use of eco-friendly products while supporting local artisans. “Although you might think your product is the best, it might not be the same for everyone else. My journey has also been about balancing life as a student while working on the business as an entrepreneur.”
In the discussions, mentors shared the importance of being practical, highlighting the need to conduct good market research and develop a sound business strategy before jumping into product development. As much as entrepreneurs need to focus on the final output, the mentors stressed that they should also enjoy the process and celebrate the small wins along the way. Some mentors emphasized having a clear understanding of the target customer profile, and the benefits of “failing early” so that entrepreneurs can ask the right questions to realistically overcome challenges and failures.
Participating in the Mentorship Program was a learning journey for mentors, too. Said Amanda Yik, Founder of Shinrin Yoku Hong Kong and mentor to Jerome Bautista: “Being a mentor of this program gives me the opportunity to be immersed in a very energetic and supportive environment, and to learn about the ways new entrepreneurs are launching themselves into the market now compared to when I started years ago.”
Gauging Interests and Needs for an AI Workshop for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs
Also joining the session was Kevin Farley, an AI trainer and consultant based in Hong Kong. Having built an AI training approach while working with Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, where he developed practical frameworks for AI applications, Kevin enabled teachers to get better output faster. In fact, his frameworks proved so successful that businesses began reaching out to him to seek the same kind of support.
Kevin currently works with clients across professional services, wellness, and creative industries, helping them apply AI to core business tasks such as market research, planning, writing, and customer communication. Knowing his experience in delivering AI workshops to clients in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada, South Africa, and the UK to help them save time, reduce frustration, and move from idea to execution faster, we are exploring the opportunity of developing a workshop with Kevin for small businesses and entrepreneurs in Hong Kong.
It was with this in mind that Kevin did a quick live survey with the participants of the session to gauge their needs and challenges when using AI tools.
Stay Tuned for the Mentee Entrepreneurs’ Continuous Growth
At this program mid-point check-in, we are glad to see that 100% of the participants are satisfied with their progress in the Mentorship Program. The mentees and mentors will gather again for the Fundraising and Budgeting workshop that we will be hosting in collaboration with our long-time partner, FundFluent, on 17 January 2026. Stay tuned to this space for the continuous growth of the mentee entrepreneurs and the FSI community.
A big shout-out to our venue partner, the Hive Hong Kong, for letting us conduct the workshop at its Poho space, and our Impact Lab Course interns working with FSI’s Community Business Support and Communications and Marketing teams for supporting the organization and coverage of the workshop!
Drawing on the feedback from participants of the past iterations of our annual Mentorship Program, we strive to make our program as relevant and instrumental to entrepreneurs as we realistically can. The addition of the leadership and resilience workshop this year and potentially an AI workshop next year is a testament to our endeavor to provide entrepreneurs with bespoke support. If you would like to support our community of under-resourced ethnically diverse entrepreneurs, whether as a sponsor, subject matter expert, or skills-based volunteer, get in touch with us at cbs@shared-impact.com.
