The Cartier Women’s Initiative honouree held the spotlight at Temasek Shophouse, where she shared her journey as a social entrepreneur
Mint Lim, Tatler Singapore’s latest cover star, is a big believer in empowering others through education. While the School of Concepts founder often does that in a classroom of kids, she spoke to a very different audience during our fireside chat at Temasek Shophouse on August 17.
Tatler’s influential community members, leaders from various industries, as well as members of public gathered for the illuminating dialogue with Lim, which was moderated by Tatler Singapore editor-in-chief Aun Koh. The topics of the evening? Social entrepreneurship and making a meaningful impact—two things that Lim, the first Singaporean entrepreneur to become a fellow of the Cartier Women’s Initiative, is more than qualified to give us her two cents on.
The location of the fireside chat was also apt: the Temasek Shophouse, a building with almost 100 years’ worth of history, prides itself on being a social impact hub and bringing people together for a common cause. “It embodies our hope for collective impact for the community,” said Yvonne Tay, the head of Temasek Shophouse at Temasek Trust, who offered her opening remarks at the event.
During the dialogue, Lim opened up about her journey to overcoming dyslexia as a child, and eventually becoming what she described as an “accidental social entrepreneur” with the goal of making education more accessible. She also shared how she built School of Concepts from the ground up, from creating a whole new curriculum over years of research, to fine-tuning the social enterprise’s business model in order to benefit students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Aligning with Temasek Shophouse’s own ethos, Lim also highlighted the power of community in making sure that children with learning difficulties feel properly supported. “People should believe in the children—and I’m not just talking about teachers or parents. I’m talking about all of us,” she said. “I think in society, we should all look at every learner as optimal. Every child has their own superpower.”
Below, discover some of the highlights from the inspiring evening.
