Unlike previous Impact Jams, this session was structured as a pitch and feedback forum. During the event, the social impact organizations presented their pitches for a current project or fundraising idea, while volunteers from PayPal served as a panel of advisors offering insights and feedback. 

Meet The Social Impact Organizations

The social impact organizations that attended the business clinic were:

Future Education Centre (FEC): FEC partners with educators worldwide to empower individuals to realize their potential through experiential learning opportunities such as immersive study tours, internships, hackathons, and hands-on skill trainings.

Sacred Space Therapy and Wellness: An organization committed to addressing the mental health epidemic in Hong Kong and beyond. Sacred Space provides a tranquil space for healing and self-discovery through alternative therapies such as Music and Forest therapy.

Upeeling: A sustainability startup that addresses food waste and promotes healthy snacks by transforming imperfect fruit into healthy upcycled snacks with no additives. Through this innovative approach, Upeeling aims to fight against daily food waste in Hong Kong while advocating for healthier snacking.

Impact Business Founders Delivering Elevator Pitches

Delivering the first elevator pitch was Kaylini Naidoo, Founder of Upeeling, who introduced the startup’s upcycled snacks, aiming to raise awareness for the startup and find partners for pilot programs. 

Next, Jerome Bautista, Co-founder of Sacred Space Therapy and Wellness, shared details about the impact business’ previous collaborations, including organizing workshops and retreats for companies. 

Finally, Fenix Lam, General Manager and Chief Program Coordinator of Future Education Centre, closed the session with a pitch focused on securing funding and interviewing employers to better understand what circumstances would lead them to consider hiring secondary school dropouts. 

PayPal Volunters Uplifting Social Impact Leaders and Entrepreneurs with Invaluable Feedback

After the pitches, PayPal volunteers gave feedback to the social impact organization representatives, highlighting their strengths along with areas for improvement. 

For example, they suggested Upeeling to address food safety, clarifying if the product is vegan, and sharing their vision for expanding to more fruits. 

For Sacred Space, PayPal’s advisory panel recommended providing greater detail about the therapies offered, such as duration, location, and skill level, to give the audience a clearer understanding. 

To Future Education Centre, PayPal volunteers suggested refining the terminology used. Instead of saying “interviews with employers”, PayPal volunteers suggested using market research or focus groups and narrowing the pitch to a single audience.

Throughout the session, it was evident that the social impact leaders and entrepreneurs were truly passionate about their organizations’ missions and objectives, while the volunteers were fully engaged in leveraging their respective expertise to provide meaningful suggestions from diverse perspectives. 

FSI Impact Jam: A Win-Win for Corporate and Social Impact Sectors

Once the Pitch and Feedback section was complete, the PayPal volunteers were paired with a social impact leader/entrepreneur to review their pitch decks and provide more tailored feedback. 

This breakout session was incredibly helpful for the social impact leaders and entrepreneurs, as they were able to receive specific feedback from the volunteers who had taken the time to understand their organizations’ capacity and limitations. 

Kaylini Naidoo, Founder of Upeeling, shared that “The verbal pitch and the pitch deck evaluation were incredibly helpful for me. I think the structure of the session was good, and it was nice to have group breakout discussions.”

The social impact organizations weren’t the only ones who benefited from the Impact Jam, but so did the PayPal volunteers. This experience gave them a sense of accomplishment, knowing that the ideas and suggestions they contributed offered perspectives for the social impact organizations. 

Said Bill Lau, Technical Account Manager at PayPal Hong Kong: “I enjoyed listening to distinct social enterprises sharing visions that I never imagined, from recycled food snack business, to forest and music therapy, to field trips and career program for high school dropouts. These are all initiatives I want to support and be part of!”

The sentiment was echoed by another PayPal volunteer, who shared: “It’s my pleasure to know three entrepreneurs from different industries. Listening to three pitches from different industries is inspiring.”

We would like to extend our gratitude to PayPal and the social impact organizations for being part of this event. We hope this marks the beginning of a long-term partnership. 

We would also like to thank SpiceBox Organics for providing catering support with environmentally friendly, delicious, and healthy food, such as the mini quiche lorraines, oat crunch goji berry cookies, and keto chocolate ganache. 

As this Impact Jam has shown, cross-sector collaboration is an effective way to build mutually beneficial relationships while creating greater social impact. If you would like to engage and develop your employees while achieving ESG or sustainability goals through meaningful Impact Jams, get in touch with us at communityconnections@shared-impact.com.

The post FSI x PayPal: Pitch Lab for Social Impact Organizations in Hong Kong appeared first on Foundation for Shared Impact.

Believed to be the month when the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, Ramadan is a sacred time observed by daytime fasting between the meal just before dawn (known as the suhoor) and another directly after sunset (known as the iftar). 

In addition to the five daily prayers, Muslims also recite a special prayer called the Tarawih prayer (night prayer) during Ramadan. In this month of fasting, worship, service, communal gathering, spiritual development, and redemption, Muslims practise self-discipline and gratitude and develop empathy and compassion for the less fortunate.

As one of our various attempts to enhance intercultural exchange and social inclusion, on 27 February, Adnan “Dani” Riaz, FSI’s Community Business Support Program Assistant, led a GuideFong Tour themed on the holy month for PayPal, our long-time corporate partner who generously sponsored our “Know Your GuideFong: TST” event in July 2025. 

Organized with the support of PayPal’s Community Impact Grant, the immersive tour offered PayPal employees an opportunity to take a deep dive into Ramadan traditions within Hong Kong’s ethnically diverse communities while supporting local entrepreneurs in Sham Shui Po, one of the city’s most vibrant, culturally rich, and impoverished districts. 

Facilitated by Dani’s introduction, participants connected with grassroots entrepreneurs from ethnically diverse backgrounds, many fasting while keeping their businesses open for fellow Muslims during Ramadan. 

Through their engagement, PayPal employees gauged the entrepreneurs’ needs for payment solutions and successfully listed three businesses in the GuideFong Directory. In leveraging their respective expertise to provide pro bono support to under-resourced entrepreneurs on the spot, the PayPal team of professionals created a positive social impact by reinforcing community bonds and solidarity with the underrepresented individuals who play a vital role in the well-being of the Hong Kong economy and society – the practices and spirit honored by Muslims during the holy month.

Getting to Know Ethnically Diverse Entrepreneurs

Split into groups, PayPal employees were tasked with interviewing different ethnically diverse entrepreneurs who offer a sense of home and belonging to the community of migrant workers in Sham Shui Po. 

They met Ko Apin, founder and owner of Restoran Indonesia Pondok Kita, who started the hut-like space for fellow Indonesians to gather and share classic dishes typically served at restaurants in Bali and Java. “It’s been just over a year, and we’re thrilled to be a hidden gem for both locals and visitors,” said Apin. “We stay true to authenticity, and dishes like satay, nasi kuning special, and sate sapi lontong are affordably priced must-tries. For us at Restoran Indonesia Pondok Kita, it’s about bridging cultures in Hong Kong’s multicultural identity.”

“The economic situation in Hong Kong may be challenging, but I still love Hong Kong as my home city, as I can still make a living here,” said Yunni, co-partner of Safiq Shinka Restaurant, which has acquired a presence in Sham Shui Po for 16 years, more than half the time that Yunni has been living and working in Hong Kong. “We get a mix of customers, including Pakistanis and local Chinese. We initially started as a grocery store and evolved into a restaurant specializing in Halal food.” 

“It can be challenging for people from India or Pakistan to venture out and open shops here, as they may expose themselves unnecessarily,” said Zahid Aziz, owner of Local Dhaba, a Pakistani restaurant that takes inspiration from the Hindi word for “lunchbox” and the roadside restaurants dotting highways in India and Pakistan. “I love the close-knit community here and the connections between diverse people. After coming to Hong Kong from Dubai more than 10 years ago, I quit smoking, and I used that same determination to set up the business. By next month, the renovation on the ground floor should be completed. I put a lot of effort into running the business and making sure everything complies with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s regulations.” 

Gauging Small Business Challenges and Witnessing Community Resilience

Wrapping up the conversations with ethnically diverse entrepreneurs, participants reconvened for a tour of the lively streets bustling with small family-run shops, South Asian grocery stores, and Halal restaurants staying open during Ramadan. 

In the area with a high concentration of ethnically diverse entrepreneurs, participants saw cash-heavy operations, remittance needs, and digital adoption gaps. They also saw how the small businesses truly manifest the city’s multicultural identity and strengthen belonging and resilience, despite facing challenges in growth and expansion.

Concluding a Socially Impactful GuideFong Tour with Iftar

Slightly before sunset, Dani led tour participants back to Shafiq Shinka Restaurant for a guided iftar, the meal that breaks the fast after sunset during Ramadan.

Tucking into the communal meal with traditional Indonesian and Pakistani flavours, participants learned about the significance of iftar and the Ramadan tradition of sharing meals. PayPal employees also shared their experiences of the day, where they created a shared impact by strengthening rapport with under-resourced entrepreneurs and providing them with much-needed business support.

“The diversity and the superb dollar value of the services, commodities, and food provided by the community are truly fascinating,” said Bill Lau, Technical Account Manager at PayPal Hong Kong. “It’s eye-opening to venture deep into the neighborhood to meet the diverse ethnic groups in Hong Kong. It’s also touching to hear personal stories told by the business owners.”

“Really appreciate the event for also hosting my daughter,” said Serena Leung, a PayPal employee. “After the tour, she shared how much she enjoyed the trip, seeing diversity around her school district and understanding different cultures. She also spoke about the experience with our family members, transferring what she saw to how Hong Kong needs these small businesses.”

“One of my most memorable takeaways from the tour was learning about the Pakistani community in Hong Kong, and how their strong sense of togetherness drives both business and personal growth,” said one participant. “It was inspiring to see how they actively support one another—sharing resources, offering mentorship, and creating opportunities that help the whole community thrive. Their culture of mutual respect and collaboration truly highlights the power of community in building sustainable success.”

Added another participant: “It is an experience you would not get unless you take part in the GuideFong Tour. As Adnan brought us to visit different business stores with different cultural backgrounds, I got exposed to how the local community actually looks, which turned my unnecessary virtual fear into an actual supporting spirit.”

Work with Us to Build an Inclusive Community

We would like to thank PayPal for trusting us with the design and implementation of socially impactful opportunities to engage their employees. Our heartfelt gratitude also goes to the Impact Lab interns working with FSI’s Community Business Support team to provide support during the tour. Lastly, the GuideFong Tour would not have been meaningful and socially impactful without the participation of the ethnically diverse entrepreneurs behind Restoran Indonesia Pondok Kita, Safiq Shinka Restaurant, Local Dhaba, Cemilan Khas Indonesia, and AK Barbers Hair Salon Ltd.

If you are interested in participating in our mutually beneficial corporate engagement activities, whether to kick-start your personal social impact journey, engage and develop your talents, or achieve your corporate ESG and CSR goals, get in touch with us at cbs@shared-impact.com to learn more!

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The Business Clinic aimed to bring participants together for an afternoon to co-develop solutions addressing the social impact organizations’ operational and organizational challenges. Like every other one of our 16 Impact Jam sessions before it, the event proved that when committed individuals from different sectors come together with a shared purpose, no one leaves without making a meaningful contribution to the community or impactful professional or personal growth. 

The Impact Jam was positively received by both the seven CTW volunteers and the five representatives from three organizations who participated in the workshop. While the social impact organizations said that they obtained clear, actionable plans and advice, the Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteers mentioned gaining professional fulfillment,  knowledge, and skills applicable to their professions, as well as insights into how the non-profit sector operates in Hong Kong.

Introducing the Social Organizations and Setting the Stage for the Clinic 

The clinic began with welcoming remarks from Vivian Seo, FSI’s Executive Director; Claudia  Anticona, FSI’s Community Connections Program Manager; and Ales Sladic, Head of Asia Pacific Equity Structuring and Head of Asia Pacific Equity Derivatives Sales at Goldman Sachs. 

The social impact organizations attending the Impact Jam were:

Hong Kong Momtrepreneurs:  A charity dedicated to empowering women who are juggling both entrepreneurship and family life, and creates an ecosystem of support where “momtrepreneurs” can confidently launch and scale businesses while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. 

The Hong Kong Society for Psychological Innovation: Dedicated to making psychology accessible and engaging for all by using interactive games and community events. It works to foster mental health awareness within Hong Kong, particularly among young people.

Land Education Foundation: Connecting people with nature through experiential learning. Their programs teach urban residents about sustainability, community farming, and ecological balance. They put a focus on how understanding the land also deepens appreciation for social and environmental well-being.

90 Minutes of Pure Impact

Once the representatives finished introducing their respective social impact organizations, the event dove into the heart of the Business Clinic, where, for an hour and a half, representatives of each social impact organization sat with assigned volunteers in small groups enlivened by deep engagement and collective brainstorming. 

Our strategic pairing of the entrepreneurs’ problem statements and volunteers’ expertise resulted in a high level of productivity in the breakout groups. Lena Wong, Founder and Executive Director of Hong Kong Momtrepreneurs, said: “The mentors are being very specific on what we could do, and they help us think outside of the box as they shared good insights and tips from other angles.”  

Some breakout groups focused on marketing and reaching new audiences. That was the case for June Lee, also from Hong Kong Momtrepreneurs, who shared that the Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteers gave strategic suggestions in event promotions, publications, and how to get sponsorship. Other groups focused on operations, workflow bottlenecks, and more general strategy. Miffy Ng, from the Land Education Foundation, highlighted that Goldman Sachs volunteers shared their opinions on how to cooperate and consider local products and goods”.

Of course, value was not only created for our social impact partners. Besides the fulfillment from making a positive impact with their knowledge and skills, Goldman Sachs volunteers also gained insights about the deeply human reality of running a startup or social entrepreneurship today in Hong Kong. 

Brijesh Gupta from Goldman Sachs, for example, said that he “got a sense of how busy an entrepreneur’s life is”, with “such a diverse set of roles and responsibilities they carry out on a daily basis”. James Rawlin, another Goldman Sachs volunteer,  found “lots of potential for synergy with other NGOs”, describing the event as “very inspiring”.

It was unmistakable by the end of the Business Clinic that the event had achieved its goal of bridging expertise with purpose and generating actionable solutions. Both volunteers and social impact leaders left with new ideas, perspectives, and renewed enthusiasm for the work ahead.

At FSI, we extend our gratitude to every social impact partner and Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteer who helped make this session possible. The participants’ generosity, curiosity, and willingness to collaborate are what keep these Impact Jams possible, and they continue to allow us to fill in the gaps of needs in our community through mutually beneficial solutions.

Work with FSI to Engage Your Talent for a Good Cause

If you are interested in participating in our mutually beneficial Impact Jams, whether it is to kick-start your personal social impact journey, engage and develop your talents, or achieve your corporate ESG and CSR goals, FSI’s Impact Jams are customizable, impactful engagements conducive to creating lasting shared impact. Get in touch with us at communityconnections@shared-impact.com to learn more!

*The blog post was written by Alejandro Abuín-Siret, Community Connections intern at the Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI) during the Fall 2025 semester of the Impact Lab Course. 

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This partly explains why women account for just 19% of high-growth entrepreneurs, and that there are 3.5 male employers to every female employer in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for more than 98% of the total number of enterprises and provide more than 1.2 million job opportunities. 

For women, access to professional networks remains inequitably available, and effective mentorship opportunities are often limited or hard to secure without significant financial resources. These barriers often cause many promising female-led ventures to stall or fail before reaching their full potential. 

At Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI), we are guided by our shared impact philosophy to resolve these barriers through facilitating broad cross-sector collaboration in our mission to uplift under-resourced entrepreneurs. 

On 3 October 2025, we joined forces with Goldman Sachs to host the fourth edition of the collaborative Business Clinic for Women Entrepreneurs. The business clinic, an FSI Impact Jam held at Goldman Sachs’s office and attended by Goldman Sachs’s Community TeamWorks (CTW) volunteers, brought together 16 CTW volunteers for an afternoon of problem-solving and strategic guidance for the four women entrepreneurs from FSI’s community, including one mentee entrepreneur from our 2022-23 Mentorship Program for Ethnically Diverse Entrepreneurs and three from the 2025-26 cohort. 

Impact-driven Women Entrepreneurs and Their Respective Challenges

The four women entrepreneurs attending the business clinic were:

• Aiman Nadeem, Co-founder of the Foundation for Youth Development (FYD), sought advice on refining FYD’s pitch deck following its transition from the student-led Project Empowerment (PEME), as well as guidance on pricing strategies for school workshops.

• Latha Chandrakant, Founder of Minmini Early Learning Solutions in India, aimed to strengthen her product pitch for Hong Kong parents and explore pricing models for a new play-based learning kit.

• Helena Cho, Founder of Chomade, wanted to create a straightforward system for tracking expenses and revenue, as well as to develop concise pitches suitable for networking events and pop-up markets.

• Rabia Aslam, a medical AI engineer and aspiring social entrepreneur, focused on identifying funding opportunities and refining the business model for her gamified STEM education platform.

FSI Business Clinic: Synergizing Employee Engagement with Women Entrepreneur Empowerment

Following their self-introduction, the four women entrepreneurs were each matched with Goldman Sachs volunteers in four different breakout sessions. To the challenges and perspectives shared by the entrepreneurs, volunteers drew upon their respective expertise in business modeling, marketing, financial planning, and sales to help the entrepreneurs strengthen their projects and explore new directions. 

As one Goldman Sachs volunteer, Prasoon Agarwal, reflected, “It was inspiring to see the energy and ideas of entrepreneurs and their drive to have a social impact.” Another participants noted that “it was a great opportunity to hear from and share ideas with entrepreneurs, and “to be part of the initial business proposition brainstorming and shape it into a service delivery”.

For the entrepreneurs, the business clinic provided clarity and actionable next steps. Said Latha Chandrakant: “I now have more clarity on how to enhance product appeal.” Likewise, Rabia Aslam shared that she left the session with the knowledge of concrete strategic objectives, including “multiple funding opportunities, network building, reaching out, and marketing”, as well as a newfound confidence to transform the objectives into actions.

Following the business clinic, Latha, Helena, and Rabia – three mentee entrepreneurs of the 2025-26 Mentorship Program – will continue to receive support from FSI’s Community Business Support Team as they implement their next steps and translate insights from the clinic into action. 

However, FSI’s shared impact philosophy means that past participants of our Mentorship Program, like Aiman, as well as the connections brought to us by our community members, can also benefit from our bespoke direct business support. This type of support is usually offered through another mutually beneficial engagement – our Community Business Internship Program, where underprivileged youth are trained to provide under-resourced entrepreneurs with business support while being equipped with human skills and transferable workplace skills themselves.

At FSI, we are once again delighted to witness the fruits of broad cross-sector collaboration. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our long-time corporate partner, Goldman Sachs, and we look forward to seeing the growth of the participating women entrepreneurs. The business clinic’s success was also due to the support of FSI’s Impact Lab interns, Alejandro Abuín-Siret and Sarita Chan.

Work with FSI to Achieve ESG or CSR Goals 

If you are interested in participating in our mutually beneficial Impact Jams, whether it is to kick-start your personal social impact journey, engage and develop your talents, or achieve your corporate ESG and CSR goals, FSI’s Impact Jams are customizable, impactful engagements conducive to creating lasting shared impact. Get in touch with us at communityconnections@shared-impact.com to learn more!

*The blog post was written by Alejandro Abuín-Siret, Community Connections intern at the Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI) during the Fall 2025 semester of the Impact Lab Course. 

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On 21 September, we once again collaborated with our long-time corporate partner, Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks, to support youth in their career planning in a collaborative workshop that brought 14 Goldman Sachs volunteers and nine Impact Lab Course students together. What made this career conversation workshop unique was the creative guidance provided by one of our Impact Lab Course partners, Gowld Art Centre (GAC), which transformed the workshop into a space for self-discovery, connection, and redefining what it means to lead with purpose.

Connecting Experience to Ambition

The youth career workshops designed by FSI and our partners are never just about sharing career tips, but also about helping young people anchor their professional goals to their core values. 

By framing Goldman Sachs volunteers as “mentors and peers” and not just professionals skilled in their respective expertise, we allowed all participants to engage in dialogues that went beyond crafting resumes to uncertainty, values clashes, and the courage to align work with what matters most.

Paired with GAC’s creative activities, this dialogue became a non-judgemental space for growth. As one Goldman Sachs volunteer put it, “It wasn’t about telling students what to do — it was about helping them find what they want to do.” That’s exactly the kind of empowerment FSI strives to achieve: equipping youth to lead with self-awareness and ambition.

A Day of Discovery: From Colors to Vision Boards

The workshop unfolded as a journey of self-reflection, with each creative activity led by GAC building on the last to help participants connect their inner values to outer goals.

During the warm-up exercises, participants painted their vision of themselves. Kaisha Woo, Founder and Director of GAC, then used the “Wheel of Life” to help participants visualize how those values align with different areas of life — from career to personal growth — and subsequently identify the gaps and priorities.

Kaisha also used the “Onion Peeling” exercise to help participants dig past surface-level desires to uncover or rediscover core values. Participants were then asked to create a Vision Board to represent their thoughts when they were thinking by themselves with their eyes closed.

The session concluded with heartwarming stories of self-reflection, including a volunteer realizing that they had neglected “creativity” in their career, and a student mapping out a path that blended social impact and tech. 

Gowld Art Centre: Art as a Language for Self-Discovery

FSI’s work thrives on partnering with organizations that share our commitment to driving lasting systems change, and Gowld Art Centre (GAC) is a perfect example of such partners. As a social enterprise dedicated to building compassion through art, GAC helped the participants turn abstract ideas about their values, purpose, and emotions into tangible and visual outputs.

From guiding students to make color association with their different levels of career anxiety, to helping volunteers unpack core values through the “Onion Peeling” exercise, GAC successfully made deep reflection a fun activity to do. 

Said Kaisha Woo, Founder and Director of GAC: “We often look to change our lives externally, but this session invited people to take ownership of their self-discovery by understanding themselves better. We hope that this session contributed to the volunteers and students living a more aligned and balanced life.” 

A Holistic Self-Discovery Workshop for All Involved

The workshop was a great success, offering participating youth and Goldman Sachs volunteers a rare opportunity to reflect, recalibrate, and make meaningful connections. 

Of the 23 participants, 87% agreed that they were “more equipped to align daily life with values” as a result of the workshop. 91% agreed that artistic processes “assisted with self-reflection”. 78% reported growing more self-compassion — a key part of building resilient leaders. 91% said that they would recommend the workshop to friends.

Said Charlotte Yeung, a Goldman Sachs volunteer: “From this workshop, I learned to live life with colors and fulfillment without regrets.”

The sentiment is echoed by Ying Long, another Goldman Sachs volunteer: “It was a truly peaceful and calming session full of meaningful connections and spiritual exchanges. It helped me dig deeper into my inner self and get inspiration from others. Thank you!”

Equally thankful about the workshop are the participating Impact Lab students. Said Thiha Tun: “I was able to explore different values derived from all walks of life.”

“Meeting so many extraordinary people here today was a wonderful experience,” said Kevin Shao, another Impact Lab student. “I love the way we conduct our conversations around art and self-discovery.”

Work with Us to Nurture Today’s Youth into Tomorrow’s Effective Leaders

Interested in joining our long-time partners like Goldman Sachs to nurture today’s youth into tomorrow’s effective leaders, while engaging and developing your best talent? Get in touch with us at info@shared-impact.com to explore how we can design bespoke, mutually beneficial workshops for you and your colleagues. 

*This blog post was written by Kevin Shao, Communications and Marketing intern at the Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI) during the Fall 2025 semester of the Impact Lab Course.

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Know Your GuideFong is an immersive and community-driven event series that celebrates the multicultural spirit and vibrant entrepreneurial community quintessential to Hong Kong. For those who don’t know, “guidefong“ is the Cantonese word for “neighbors” or “friends in the community”. The Know Your GuideFong event was a truly wholesome and one-of-a-kind experience that brought Tsim Sha Tsui’s vibrant community to life.

The event showcased 31 small, ethnically diverse businesses from our vibrant community and was attended by more than 150 visitors who came to support and participate in other activities, such as the Treasure Hunt, Walking Tour, and Pop-up Market, each designed to provide participants with an immersive experience in the heart of Hong Kong.

17 HSBC Scholars from the Hub for the Future community volunteered at the event. The Hub volunteers were involved in various tasks, including engaging with vendors and attendees, promoting the event on the streets, managing guest registration, distributing raffle tickets and discount coupons, setting up stalls, and providing guests with brief overviews of the event schedule. Additionally, the volunteers took on rotating and active roles throughout both the morning and afternoon to enhance the event’s visibility and boost foot traffic.

 “The food cooked and sold by some GuideFong businesses is really good. I love the food very much,” said Wing Yan Wong, a 2024 HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship recipient currently studying a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese and History, who thought the event was wonderful as she could network with different people and enhance her understanding of the ethnically diverse community. “The ethnically diverse entrepreneurs were really talented. When I walked around the market, I really appreciated their handicrafts and merchandise!” 

“When we say ‘local Hong Kong’, it is not just the Cantonese, it’s also the diverse cultures that are here,” said Davide Andrea Rongji Sallustro, who received HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship in 2024 and is studying Global Economics and Finance 

The sentiment is echoed by Siu Man Angela Chan, a HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship recipient in 2024 and currently studying Economics: “I have learnt to be inclusive. We need to respect the different cultures in Hong Kong and support our local economy.”

“The event is amazing as I could meet people from various backgrounds, and have nice chats about community and culture,” said Tsz Wun Wu, who received the HSBC Social Work Scholarship in 2024 and is studying social work. “The biggest takeaway from this event is that as long as we connect with people from different backgrounds, we can be a powerful and impactful community.”

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“I was pretty lucky that early on in my search, I found the Community Connections Program at FSI,” recalled Sandy. “You guys just saved me so much time. And you offer exactly the services I need to find the opportunity that’s right for me, and I can just get to work right away.”

Sandy was soon connected with Claire Naylor-Trein, Executive Director at Wedu. “Coming into Community Connections, I was expecting to get one person and I ended up getting access to this whole global network, which has been absolutely wonderful,” said Claire. “I’ll just say a vote of thanks to FSI for doing this work. Honestly, it’s been such a gamechanger to have Sandy and her team involved. And I really don’t see a different pathway to having connected with them outside of Community Connections.”

Read on to learn more about the global team of vision-aligned subject matter experts that Sandy amassed to help Wedu move forward with an important project, how Community Connections’s service exceeded Claire’s expectation and helped build a community within Sandy’s law firm around social impact work.

When Vision-aligned Community Partners and Skilled Volunteers are Connected

Wedu is a social impact organization committed to nurturing and investing in women’s purposeful leadership journeys across Asia and fostering catalytic allies and communities towards a feminist future. However, like many high-impact organizations, Wedu’s ambitions were unmatched by its resources. That prompted Claire Naylor-Trein, Wedu’s Executive Director, to join Foundation for Shared Impact’s Community Connections Program.

“For me, Community Connections was a really great way to access the talent, subject matter expertise, and knowledge we need for our priority projects,” said Claire. 

Initially, Claire thought she would be connected with only one skilled volunteer. The final outcome far exceeded her expectations. None of this would have been possible without Sandy Lin, whose passion for public interest and pro bono work dates back to her childhood. “There was a period of time when my family was really struggling financially,” said Sandy. “Having the privilege and fortune to have the resource to emigrate to Canada from Taiwan and go to law school in the US, I started getting involved in public interest work when I was in law school, through Georgetown Law’s public interest programs.”

Sandy would continue to do pro bono work when she was practising in big law firms in the US and mainland China. To quote Sandy, pro bono work opportunities were handed to her, until she moved to Hong Kong, where such opportunities are harder to find. 

“After I found out about FSI’s Community Connections Program online, I reached out and filled out an application form to participate in the Program as a volunteer. I then had a call with Claudia Anticona, who is the Program Manager at Community Connections,” said Sandy. “Claudia was really helpful. She talked to me about my background, my interests, what my expectations were etc. She came to the call really well-prepared, with a list of organizations that are looking for legal assistance.”

And one of the organizations on that list was Wedu.

A Global Team of Vision-aligned Skilled Volunteers

Wedu’s vision of a world where half of all the leaders are women really resonated with Sandy, so she asked Claudia to make a connection and proceeded to have a conversation with Claire. Before long, the two women decided that Sandy and her team at Weil would represent Wedu as legal advisors. 

The first assignment was to write a complicated legal contract for a spin-off project of Wedu that would facilitate a scale-up of its Future Income Sharing Agreements. “I reached out to several law firms based in Thailand to seek legal support the year prior but I kept hitting dead ends,” said Claire. “But after I was connected with Sandy, everything just set in motion so quickly.” 

That was largely thanks to the global team of experts amassed by Sandy. “I found two corporate lawyers based in Asia to work on the assignment: Yujing Liu, who is a counsel from our Beijing office, and Yinan Xuan, who is an associate from our Hong Kong office. They’re both very passionate about gender equality issues. Yujing is actually an active feminist for years, so when I reached out to her about this, she was very excited.” Two more of Sandy’s colleagues in the London office, Barry Fishley and Melanie Yu, also joined later to offer support related to intellectual property issues.  

Said Claire: “Having access to multiple subject matter experts has just been so beyond my expectations but very much appreciated. I’m impressed by how many people Sandy has mobilized around this project, and how her team has taken the time to understand what our needs and priorities and concerns are, and really center those in their work. I’m just really grateful for the time and care that they put into this process.” 

A Corporate Community for Public Interest Work

“Giving back to society just gives you that strong sense of satisfaction and purpose. I think I would not have been connected with Claire and also built that team around me, who’s passionate about gender equality as I am, without Community Connections.” Sandy Lin

Like many engagements enabled by Community Connections, the one between Sandy and Claire proved to be mutually beneficial. 

“Our team has found it so rewarding to be able to work on this,” said Sandy. “Giving back to society just gives you that strong sense of satisfaction and purpose, and our team is particularly interested in gender equality and women empowerment.”

And the experience was an eye-opener for Sandy’s team as well. “Before we started on the actual legal work, Claire actually invited us to an online program that Wedu hosted about income sharing agreements as a feminist funding tool, which has been just eye-opening and educational for us. Overall, it’s just been really beneficial for our team in many different respects.”

What Sandy didn’t expect was just how many people in her workplace are interested in social impact work. “On a day-to-day basis we are just doing what we do, we rarely talk about these things. When I reached out to the wider network of Weil attorneys to gauge interest in working on this assignment, I got overwhelming responses from people. So this assignment has really created another community within our firm around public interest work and around gender equality causes, which is amazing. I think I would not have been connected with Claire and also built that team around me, who’s passionate about gender equality as I am, without Community Connections. So thanks a lot!”

Join Community Connections Today!

If you are a social impact organization looking to collaborate with vision-aligned skilled volunteers, fill out this form to join our Community Connections Program as a community partner. If you are a skilled professional looking for impactful skills-based volunteering opportunities, fill out this form to join us as a skilled volunteer.

Whether you are a corporate, individual, or social impact organization interested in learning more about how Community Connections can help you actualize your corporate philanthropy initiatives, personal leadership goals, or organizational growth, get in touch with us at communityconnections@shared-impact.com! 

The post Impact Story: Mobilizing Corporate Philanthropic Resources to Advance Gender Equality and Women Empowerment  appeared first on Foundation for Shared Impact.

“To be part of something like Soap Cycling where I can give my time and advice has been very rewarding for me,” said Nick. Read on to learn how this skills-based volunteering partnership is mutually beneficial to Nick and Soap Cycling, and the three questions to ask yourself when considering to volunteer your skills and expertise for impact. 

The Problem

It was during the first wave of the recent brain drain in Hong Kong when Soap Cycling reached out to FSI’s Community Connections (CC) team for help: many of their advisors and stakeholders had left for good, and they desperately needed a marketing advisor to help them reach a broader audience and rebuild their network.

“Soap Cycling is a small-scale charity and social enterprise. We have only four staff members, including me,” said Michelle Li, former Marketing and Business Development Manager at Soap Cycling. “I was the only one responsible for marketing, business development, fundraising, strategy as well as implementation. I really needed advice from marketing professionals because often I felt overwhelmed by my day-to-day work, and sometimes I would forget about the overall strategic planning, which is very important to the organization’s development.”

After obtaining from Soap Cycling the responsibilities and level of commitment expected of the marketing advisor, we went ahead to create a job ad and an application form, and promoted the opportunity on our social media channels. Fortunately for Soap Cycling, they didn’t have to wait too long for the right candidate to come along. 

“I just responded to the [application] form because I was already aware of Soap Cycling and felt that this would be a good new project to work on,” said Nick, who has over 10 years of experience in delivering marketing strategies for some of the world’s largest brands. “I’ve previously worked with FSI on a skills-based volunteering project earlier that year, and I had a very positive experience learning more about the challenges of NGOs and social enterprises. I really wanted to continue to give back, help the local community, and continue doing skills-based volunteering, which ultimately allows me to use my expertise while providing additional resources to organizations that need marketing support.”

The Partnership/Engagement

Twice a month, Nick and Michelle would meet to discuss the latest happenings at Soap Cycling and the challenges that Michelle was facing. “Nick always gives me direction and inspiration on solving problems,” said Michelle. “For example, when we were discussing the business and marketing plan for this year, we consolidated my thoughts and Nick let me know what my priorities should be, given the limited resources we have in order to maximize results in the most efficient way.”

“I really enjoy our biweekly catch-ups, where we would have productive conversations,” said Nick. “We can see the narratives and the progression within the marketing strategy but also just having that time to discuss pain points and where we should be focusing our time with limited resources. That has helped with motivation for both of us and it creates accountability for both parties to really try and push the needle, and add value to Soap Cycling to help reach our target audience ”

For Michelle, the learning goes beyond her work for Soap Cycling, but also to the skills and mindset that are required of her role. “This partnership is amazing, because before talking to Nick every time, I always make sure that I get organized with what’s happening with Soap Cycling’s marketing and business development. I’ve learnt to be very clear about what I’m doing and what my goals are, because Nick always asks me a lot of questions.”

Soap Cycling and Michelle are by no means the only beneficiaries of this partnership/engagement. As the Skilled Volunteer, Nick found the experience extremely rewarding too. 

“To be part of something like Soap Cycling where I can give my time and advice has been very rewarding for me,” said Nick. “And I think it’s been beneficial to understand other challenges that are ultimately very similar to what we face at Tatler. There’s a tendency in the corporate world to try and keep doing more when actually, [we should be] taking the time to improve, existing products and processes, particualrly focusing on first-party data, and improved storytelling. That really has helped me be more focused in my role.”

Memorable Moments

Having committed to the engagement for close to a year, both Michelle and Nick find the experience invaluable. For the Community Partner, it is the high level of commitment from the Skilled Volunteer; for the Skilled Volunteer, it is finding a sense of purpose in this skills-based volunteering opportunity. 

“Nick is extremely busy so we often confirm our meeting time at the last minute,” said Michelle. “There was once that I wanted to talk to him quite urgently, but he was too busy during the daytime. So I WhatsApped him at night, asking him to give me some thoughts on WhatsApp instead. And then he responded and said that he finally had time to meet online, and that he could start immediately. But it was nearly 10pm at that time! I really felt very touched. I was feeling very sleepy, and I know he must be feeling more tired than me. But he knew I was feeling helpless, so he was willing to help. I feel that he was very supportive and I found it very heartwarming.”

For Nick, his responsibility as Soap Cycling’s Marketing Advisor is something that he carries close to his heart, and he felt that he owes it to Michelle and himself to give her as much support as he can. It’s as simple as that. 

“I just wish that we could do more and we had more time,” said Nick. “But for me, the real memories and what made me realize what I was part of, was the 10th-year birthday celebration that Michelle and the wider team organized. It was great to really see and hear what you’re part of, and it really showed me the journey that Soap Cycling has been on, and where I am contributing as a part of that journey. It was a lovely feeling to be part of something bigger, and being part of this collective group of individuals who have dedicated themselves to Soap Cycling and other social impact projects full-time, for many years, positively impacting  hundreds of thousands of people.”

How to be a Great Skilled Volunteer

Many Skilled Volunteers at our Community Connections Program are professionals with incredibly demanding day jobs, and Nick is no exception. So how does one take time out of their busy schedule to volunteer for positive social impact? 

Said Nick: “The advice I would give to anyone who’s looking to do some skills-based volunteering is to reach out to local NGOs you’re aware of, try to understand their challenges and if the organization aligns with your background and experience.

“If you’re motivated and have the time to do so, then go for it. Reach out and see how much you can help. I think it’s very important that both parties understand what your commitment level is, how much time you can commit, and also where they can leverage your expertise.

“What you enjoy doing is pretty important as well, because if you don’t enjoy talking about marketing and talking about data and storytelling, you’re not going to find the time to meet with the organization. It’s just another thing on top of your daily routine and it’s going to be difficult. But if you’re generally passionate about these areas and are knowledgeable about them, then it comes as a second nature to share that advice.”

The Beauty of Community Connections

At FSI, we work with a variety of stakeholders ranging from corporates and business leaders to students and educators, social impact organizations and entrepreneurs. Community Connections and our other core programs are the vehicles that leverage our network of diverse expertise and resources to facilitate broad collaboration across sectors, and subsequently, drive systems change.

“I probably wouldn’t have known about Soap Cycling if I hadn’t worked previously with FSI and had a positive experience working with TC,” said Nick. “It sort of snowballs like that. Meeting different people from different backgrounds who are dedicated to NGOs and social enterprises, it’s been a great experience. And it’s quite humbling but also very inspiring and motivating just to do my bit, which I have to say is pretty little. We catch up, I give Michelle some advice and support. But really, what the team is doing and everyone else who’s been involved over the years is fantastic. And ultimately, being part of that is extremely humbling. I’m very fortunate to be part of the team.”

“It’s definitely an honour to have Nick’s support, such dedicated support,” said Michelle. “Even now that Nick has relocated to Singapore, I still feel that he hasn’t left because he’s still as supportive as always. I’m also very thankful for FSI’s help in matching us with Skilled Volunteers like Nick, because this is really important for small organizations like Soap Cycling. Thank you so much.”

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We understand that it was with Credit Suisse Corporate Citizenship & Foundations (CCF) APAC grant that Halogen Foundation Singapore was able to conduct a leadership and engagement workshop connecting Credit Suisse employees and the young beneficiaries of Halogen Foundation. Can you share your thoughts with us on the reason behind this corporate philanthropic act?

At Credit Suisse, we strive to enable a more inclusive future by focusing on three themes – financial inclusion, financial education and future skills – which we regard as critical to empowering individuals to succeed. In addition, we strongly believe that tapping the skills and expertise of our employees via volunteering programs is key to accelerating change and achieving our vision. The above is an example of our CCF employee engagement regional initiative, the Employee Volunteer Grant. This initiative enables employees who organize a volunteer event for a charity to apply for a grant to support the organization. 

Credit Suisse has been Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI)‘s corporate partner in the Community Connections Program for years now. Can you share your thoughts on the program and what it has enabled Credit Suisse to achieve?

The Community Connections Program is one of our key skills-based volunteering programs that we offer to employees who are looking to apply their skills and expertise at a strategic level, such as through joining the committee or board of social organizations and helping them build their capacity. Through this program, employees have managed to make a greater impact on our partners such as Halogen Foundation.

Why is it important for Credit Suisse to offer skills-based volunteering opportunities to its employees? Any memorable feedback you have received from your colleagues who have participated in the Community Connections Program?

At Credit Suisse, skills-based volunteering is a key component of our volunteering offerings. We strongly believe that by coupling financial contributions with the expertise of our employees, we are better able to strengthen the capacity of social organizations. 

Serving on a non-profit board also helps our employees improve their leadership, strategy, and persuasion skills, and enhances their ability to work under circumstances different from the ones they may encounter in the workplace. We have seen many instances of employees developing various skills while supporting their community and bringing these skills back to Credit Suisse in expanded roles, which is a win-win-win for all.

Going forward, what more would you like to achieve through your partnership with FSI? 
We look forward to continuing our partnership with FSI and the platform that they provide through the Community Connections Program and the Board Director Training to benefit more Credit Suisse employees who are keen to support social organizations. This program is a significant opportunity for employees to develop their leadership skills while adding tremendous value to the community.

The post Impact Story: Why Credit Suisse Partners with FSI to Offer Skills-based Volunteering to its Employees appeared first on Foundation for Shared Impact.

He is also a Skilled Volunteer of our Community Connections Program, who went to great lengths to help our Community Partner, PathFinders, create a risk management framework.

“Carl was invested from the beginning, and willing to go the extra mile,” said Harriet Beavis, Director of Fundraising at PathFinders. “He didn’t wait for us to tell him the next steps. He did the legwork and made recommendations or chased us for an answer – this was key to his success. He was very proactive in sharing his skills and what he could support us with.”

After meeting Harriet at a Connection Session, Carl took the lead to manage a thorough organization-wide risk review for PathFinders. He also spent a day at PathFinders’s community center to learn more about the organization’s work and operations and to meet key staff. He then organized a series of conversations with different team and board members, until a scope of suitable work around risk management was developed for him to drive forward.

Time commitment is an issue for corporate professionals like Carl, but he managed to find a way to make it work, and his skills-based volunteering partnership with PathFinders proved to be rewarding. 

Carl is not alone in finding value in skills-based volunteering. 

Monica Cai, Controller, Cost Management & Analytics at Nomura, and Michael Fung, Senior Accountant at PwC Hong Kong, found a great sense of achievement from their partnership with Third Sector Connect, another of our Community Partners. 

The benefits of volunteering are plenty, from improving mental health and employee morale to developing empathy and career advancement.

So, how does one start? 

When working with the Skilled Volunteers of Community Connections, we often came across high-calibre professionals who didn’t know how they could contribute to our Community Partners. 

What they didn’t know is that their skills and expertise in legal, accounting, finance, PR and communications etc. are already invaluable to social impact organizations who often don’t have the budget for these headcounts.

To quote Monica, “Be open-minded. Really sit down and think about what you can offer. There is actually a lot you can offer to help social enterprises in their daily work.”

It is important that you, as a volunteer, first get a thorough understanding of the organization. Like Carl, you can visit the organization’s office and meet the key staff in person. Or you can schedule an online call with them to learn more about their daily operations, beneficiaries, and pain points. 

Once you have a better grasp of the organization’s needs, you can then identify the areas where your expertise and skill-sets can provide the most value. 

Depending on your schedule and desired level of commitment, you may want to start with a short-term project first, and then extend your commitment to longer-term engagements, such as joining the organization’s board of advisors or directors. In fact, that’s how our three women directors came to join the FSI board!

Are you ready to join our community of Skilled Volunteers to contribute your skills and expertise for positive social impact? Get in touch with our Community Connections team at communityconnections@shared-impact.com

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