Detail

Fuelled by his passion for business and people, Farhan Firdaus helps aspiring entrepreneurs succeed. He believes that giving back helps to improve the community and builds skillsets that benefit us in the future.

Read to learn about Farhan’s impact on the local entrepreneurial scene.

Start-up enthusiast, entrepreneur, and mentor — these are just some titles that fittingly describe Farhan. In less than a decade since his graduation, Farhan has established himself as a high-achieving professional.

With his business partner, he started a Venture Capitalist firm, Meet Ventures, and holds various positions in government and society. He is the Committee Member of the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ASPIRE Committee, Advisory Committee Member of the Singapore Polytechnic Business School and he was formerly a Review Committee Member of the Applied Education Committee at the Ministry of Education. He is also an official mentor at Nanyang Technology University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) and is a resident startup entrepreneurship judge at regional and national startup competitions. As an emerging thought leader, Farhan was nominated by the European Commission and U.S. Department of State for leadership programmes in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship sector representing Singapore.

Farhan has always been interested in business but what drives him is the spirit of giving back. He believes that volunteerism not only helps to improve the community but also builds and shapes character. By combining his passions, Farhan makes a positive impact on the entrepreneurial scene.

Early experiences in volunteering

Farhan has led various SP extracurricular activities and thinks back fondly on these unique experiences. One particular experience stood out to him and was pivotal in shaping his view of volunteerism. As part of the Youth Expedition Project, he was tasked to lead a team to help build and repair schools along the Thai border.

“We did a lot of repair work and made a playground for the refugee kids,” Farhan shared.

His passion for people and helping communities eventually shaped his studies and his approach to business in the future.

Combining entrepreneurship with humanities

Having studied Business in both Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and SP, it only seemed natural for Farhan to continue in the same field in university. However, he chose to take a different route and studied social sciences at SMU. He was still deeply interested in the world of business but decided to explore his interest in human behaviour.

“Because of what I studied, I understand my clients and it helps me communicate better with them,” said Farhan.

During his time at SMU, Farhan gained a deeper understanding of Politics and International Relations. His experience in both social sciences and business helps him work with Meet Ventures’ clients and international enterprises looking to expand into the ASEAN region.

Enabling startups and cultivating entrepreneurship

Besides working with regional enterprises, Farhan also mentors start-up founders through Meet Ventures. His heart for people continues to shine as he shares his knowledge with other founders. As a seasoned businessman, he has helped start-ups achieve success through growing, scaling and getting acquired. In the spirit of giving back, Farhan also invests his time with aspiring entrepreneurs. He works with universities to share his industry knowledge with students who are passionate about the business field. With his wealth of experience, he was able to provide them with unique perspectives beyond the classroom.

Fostering the spirit of generosity

To Farhan, giving back is a great avenue for students to build character and learn soft skills. His belief led him to start Voluntarius, an organisation that mobilised more than 3000 youths to volunteer through various initiatives.

“Volunteering not only helps others, but it also gives youths an opportunity to hone a range of skills,” Farhan shared.

Helping others will come full circle

Farhan has shown that even in the seemingly cut-throat world of business, there is space for giving back. His passion for helping others and making a positive impact drives him to connect with other entrepreneurs. He believes that those who share their expertise will ultimately benefit from their generosity. With support from industry experts, students can learn better, and businesses can have access to a higher-quality pool of talent.

“I believe that for students to learn better, industry experts need to come in to support and help shape learning,” said Farhan.

Mr Farhan Firdaus
Partner, Meet Ventures
Diploma in Business Administration, 2014