In Partnership With
In celebration of the Lenovo ThinkPad's 30th anniversary, the brand partnered with Intel and Gen.T to host a private event featuring a panel discussion on building innovative workplaces. Here are the highlights
On November 24, Gen.T hosted an event in Singapore, celebrating 30 years of innovation with Lenovo and its ThinkPad series of laptops, and Intel, Lenovo's strategic partner.
Around 70 guests attended the event at Como Cuisine, tucked away in a quiet corner of Dempsey Hill. As guests entered the venue, they enjoyed some light refreshments and cocktails while entertained by entrepreneur and Gen.T honouree Sabrina Ooi, who showcased her skills as a DJ.
A mixture of Lenovo business partners and Gen.T honourees attended the celebratory event, including Dean Ho, Tan Szue Hann, Devi Sahny and Matt Oon.
The event began with opening remarks from Lenovo Singapore's country general manager Nigel Lee, who spoke about the storied history of the ThinkPad, its milestones and how it has evolved to become the productivity tool of choice for businesses worldwide.
Intel's director of global account sales for Asia-Pacific and Japan, George Chacko, also expressed the chipmaker's gratitude for being Lenovo's trusted partner for many years. He added that Intel's partnership stretches back to the very beginning during the creation of the ThinkPad in the early 1990s.
Lee and Chacko later unveiled the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 30th Anniversary Edition, powered by the Intel vPro Platform. Limited to just 5,000 units, the special edition laptop is adorned with design elements that commemorate the ThinkPad's anniversary.
Read more: Surgeon Rena Dharmawan on Embracing Risks, Rebellion and Routine
Later, an engaging panel discussion on building innovative workplaces featuring two Gen.T honourees and moderated by Gen.T’s Lee Williamson took place. One of the panellists, surgeon, academic and entrepreneur Rena Dharmawan, spoke about how innovation should be driven by needs rather than technology. “I think as innovators, we should understand the pain points of users, estimate the market size and brainstorm solutions to solve the problem.”
Fellow panellist Maxim Tint, the founder and CEO of GTriip, who shared how culture plays a critical role in encouraging people to innovate. “Create the right environment for teams to experiment and push new ideas. Tell them it's alright to fail and try again because you need positive reinforcement to tell employees that they are being heard and their ideas matter.”
When we reached out to her separately, Cheryl Ann Fernando, the CEO of Pemimpin Global School Leaders, also shared similar sentiments with the two panellists—that innovation can be taught to anyone with the right conditions, structures and settings that encourage the formation of new ideas. “I believe giving autonomy while maintaining structure is essential. Helping a team develop their purpose in the organisation and mastery of their work will motivate them and ensure they are constantly innovating in their jobs.”
Also commenting on the panel's insights, Kev Lim, the founder and CEO of Qmed Asia, shared that his health tech startup fosters innovation by creating an environment where creativity and out-of-the-box thinking are rewarded. “Pivoting and adapting to new challenges must be a regular practice in the company; this encourages employees to take risks and try new things.”