Down to Earth

What makes environmentalist-entrepreneur Yasmin Rasyid tick? Kathlyn D’souza catches up with the eco-activist and full-time mum

Yasmin rasyid is indeed a very charming creature. She isn’t all about being serious though— considering what she does for a living—but a true show of her character was present in an answer she had given to one of my questions: what is it that she would be doing right now, if she were in an alternate universe? “In an alternative universe far, far away from Earth, I would be the lead singer in an intergalactic electronic rock band, belting out awesome music to all extraterrestrials that live in the cosmos,” she replies excitedly. Alas, cosmic ambitions aside, Yasmin’s true calling is right here on planet Earth. For somebody who started work with an international conservation NGO and explored the biotechnology industry in the corporate sector, Yasmin realised very quickly that it wasn’t her cup of tea: “Driving the goals of a very capitalistic culture in the corporate world was driving me nuts in justifying my calling to serve the needs of the people or planet. So, I left, determined to challenge capitalism and bring a sustainable approach to it.” Her greatest fear about the environment, or rather the worst-case scenario, would be the total collapse of any one of the ecosystems. “I think that’s enough to test all of humanity,” she says grimly. “This collapse would be in the form of a biological, chemical or physical collapse.” Now, in hopes of preventing that, she is collaborating with a Malaysian sustainable and impact investment advisory firm, called Awaken Grounds, to develop a sustainable entrepreneurship platform—inclusive of co-working spaces and specialised marketing referrals. In the pipeline is also a venture on launching an all-natural vegan supermarket and kitchen in Mont Kiara, in a bid to meet the growing demands of Malaysians for vegan, natural and sustainably-sourced fresh produce and meals. “I’m going through a transitional period now in my life as we speak,” she says. “I’m waiting patiently to finish my postgraduate degree, while dabbling in those business initiatives, and of course still present with Ecoknights and Poptani Asia.” As she puts it, Yasmin is a homebody and a full-time mum in a sense, where she handles the day-to-day affairs of getting the children ready for school (and becomes their glorified chauffeur, she mentions), but adding all that to what she does at the work front is no easy feat. “I feel like I’m destined to be multi-present—a multitasker and a multi-role individual,” she confesses. “The creation of Ecoknights, the journey and adventure in environmentalism and activism, the excessive and obsessive acquisition of knowledge, the endless volunteering and community services over the weekends, I believe and would like to think that I am doing what I do now because it keeps me alive, awakened, and feel useful to humanity. It definitely wasn’t from a distinctive a-ha! moment. I followed my gut and intuition.” It isn’t rocket science, per se, to understand why Yasmin Rasyid is a woman fit to be anyone’s role model. She has done plenty for the country as far as the sustainability sphere is concerned—a steadily growing scene at the moment. As such, her piece of advice to those intending to follow in her footsteps is, “Always seek to broaden or widen your knowledge in the areas that are necessary and important. Network with the right people, with humility on your sleeve,” she shares.

“Capitalistic cultures didn’t justify my calling to serve people or planet”