Fostering creative entrepreneurs
Asian children tend to be filial when it comes to their parents' wishes for them to come home from overseas or to work in the family business. In Mei Tan's case, she did both, writes Oon Yeoh
DESPITE having a creative job working for a hip TV network in New York City, Mei Tan gave it all up to return home at the behest of her parents. And she dutifully rose up the corporate ladder within the family business, which she's still very much a part of. However, that didn't mean that she couldn't do side projects to fulfil her personal ambitions.
The enterprising Mei went on to cofound Scoopoint, a unique co-working space in Penang which also acts as an incubator as well as a learning and networking platform.
COMING FROM A BUSINESS FAMILY, WERE YOU ABLE TO PURSUE WHAT YOU WANTED WHEN YOU WERE AT UNIVERSITY OR DID YOU HAVE TO STUDY BUSINESS?
My father is a businessman so the plan was for me to go to Santa Monica College in Los Angeles to get my Business degree. Since I was interested in the creative side of things like drawing and painting, I decided to take a few art classes.
Eventually I changed my major to Computer Animation and transferred to one of the best schools for that, Ringling College of Art & Design in Florida.
My father wasn't too happy with that so midway through I changed again — this time to Graphic and Interactive Communication which had a business element to it. I also did a minor in Business. That satisfied my father.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB LIKE?
After graduation, I went into graphic design as a freelancer. I also taught hip hop dancing. That was enough to pay the bills in the early days.
My first real job was as a web and graphic designer at MTV International in New York City. Working in the Big Apple was amazing. I loved the diversity and the fast-paced lifestyle there. There was strong creative community there and endless festivals, art shows and exhibitions.
AND YOU GAVE ALL OF THAT UP BECAUSE OF THE FAMILY BUSINESS?
Well, family has always been the most important thing for me. So, when my father asked me to come home to help with the family business, I couldn't say no.
WHAT'S YOUR ROLE IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS?
My family business is called Asia Green Group, a property developer. When I first got back, I started out at the bottom, working as an administrative assistant, doing paperwork.
Then I was transferred to purchasing, credit, marketing and sales. I later became the creative director and today, I'm the chief operating officer. It has been eight years and I'm glad I was able to go through all those departments to learn what I needed to learn.
HOW WAS IT LIKE COMING HOME TO PENANG?
It was a bit of a culture shock. After having been in the US for seven years, studying there and working there, I found the business environment in Penang to be very confined and lacking in creativity.
There really wasn't a thriving creative industry; so different from what I was used to in New York. So it took me awhile to get used to Penang culture again. But instead of complaining I decided to do something about it.
HOW DID SCOOPOINT COME ABOUT?
Even while working in the family business, I did some part-time work freelancing as a branding consultant and graphic designer. I realised that the creative community and eco-system to sustain that were missing in Penang. With my background in creativity and business I felt I could create something that would foster a good eco-system for that.
YOU DESCRIBE SCOOPOINT AS A DISRUPTIVE CO-WORKING SPACE. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?
Scoopoint is a co-working space but the key point isn't the space itself but the community in there. The members are like family. We're changing the way people in the creative industry work and communicate with each other. Scoopoint is like a creative content hub where local talents are able to utilise technology to seize business opportunities. Basically, I want to build a strong creative community by providing a proper eco-system that allows creative people to work together on great content projects.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING ONLINE?
We have an online platform for members to network, collaborate and discuss things. It's a place where people can share ideas, watch e-learning videos, collaborate on projects, check out job listings, look for business partners and so on.
We also have a panel of mentors that members can connect with and get advice from. Of course the offline component is important because to build trust in any business relationship you have to meet others in person. But the real potential for the future is in online as it's a great way to reach more people — including those who are not from Penang.
DO YOU SEE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CREATIVE TYPES IN PENANG AND THOSE IN KL?
Over the years, many ambitious creative types have moved to KL in search of better opportunities. KL is a more competitive place and creatives who have moved there tend to be more aggressive.
In Penang, it's more laid back and slower paced — sometimes a bit too comfortable. That's why I created Scoopoint. I want to create an ecosystem that opens up opportunities for creative types so they don't have to move elsewhere to find work.
DO YOU HELP YOUR MEMBERS GET WORK?
Yes, we offer branding, design and marketing services. When we get jobs from around the world, we pass them on to suitable members. We have great talent here so we can get great work done.
WHAT DO YOU PARENTS THINK OF SCOOPOINT?
My father, being a successful property developer, thinks it's a waste of time and prefers that I focus on the family business. My mother, however, is very supportive of whatever I'm passionate about. But she does complain that I spend too much time working!