Meet 3 Taylor's Alumni Creating a Legacy That Matters

From a software engineer who taught himself to code at 14 years old to a food development entrepreneur tackling sustainable nutrition, these young individuals are seeking solutions to the challenges of our time

Roshen Maghhan, software engineer at Bank Negara

Photo 1 of 2 Roshen Maghhan is one of the four developers behind CovidNow, an open-data initiative

Photo 2 of 2 Maghhan in the Taylor's Me.reka Makerspace at Taylor's University Lakeside Campus

“I’m quite a workaholic,” laughs 24-year-old Roshen Maghhan. “I’d rather stay up and make sure a problem is solved before I reward myself.” From a young age, Maghhan’s inquisitive nature and analytical mind made him curious about how things worked and how technology could be applied to solve everyday problems.

Teaching himself to code at the age of 14, Maghhan put his skills into practice, developing inventions that included a self-driving Perodua Myvi and a real-time language translator. The brainy young software engineer, who's now with Bank Negara Malaysia, is also one of the four developers behind the CovidNow open-data initiative in collaboration with the Malaysian health ministry.

“In Taylor’s University, there’s a lot that you learn in class and a lot that you learn outside of class too, whether it’s pitching ideas or dealing with stakeholders,” adds Maghhan. “I also participated in a lot of hackathons in university. That exposed me to the competitive side of the tech world.”

Despite his impressive achievements to date, Maghhan admits that he would have started learning more about coding earlier if he were able to do it all over again.

“In Malaysia, although progress in the sector of technology is slow, there is progress. But I also think we should incorporate an understanding of technology in primary and secondary school syllabi or risk being left behind.”

Regina Koh, owner of Cultiv8

Photo 1 of 2 Regina Koh is the owner of Cultiv8, a brand that offers healthy ready-to-eat meals

Photo 2 of 2 Koh in the Culinology Lab at Taylor's University Lakeside Campus

Regina Koh learnt early on that resilience is vital when running a startup. An alumni of Taylor’s Culinology course (the only one of its kind in Malaysia to combine culinary arts, food science, food technology, and research and development), Koh owns Cultiv8, a business idea that was birthed in Taylor’s startup incubator, BizPod, and brought to life in the market today with the release of the Molten Cake Mix series and other healthy ready-to-eat meals and snacks.

“Malaysia’s food industry needs more innovation, as commercial food choices here have traditionally been unhealthy and unsustainable,” she says.

Besides running her food startup, Koh will soon be joining an international biotech firm with hopes of helping to tackle the root of the issue, which is making the agriculture industry more sustainable for all.

“There’s a Chinese saying that goes, ‘Do what you don't like first in order to be capable of doing everything else'. I think my time at Taylor’s University gave me the freedom to discover my interests, try different things, and grab opportunities. I believe this learning process helps you build the skillsets that will benefit you in the long term, though it may not be what you enjoy doing at first.”

Julius Ho, CEO and co-founder of Arrivo

Photo 1 of 2 Julius Ho co-founded Arrivo, an AI-driven smart parking system

Photo 2 of 2 Ho at the BizPod lounge at Taylor's University Lakeside Campus

“The lack of a seamless, automated parking experience is a problem for many drivers,” says Julius Ho, the co-founder of the AI-driven smart parking system Arrivo. “My co-founder and I soon realised that this problem affects both drivers and building management companies, many of which still operate manual parking systems that are costly. We were convinced that AI could automate the whole process, saving time and money for everyone.”

Another startup supported by the BizPod incubator, Arrivo launched just a month before the pandemic. Despite substantial setbacks, the young founders’ hard work was soon rewarded when they landed their first big client, 1 Utama Shopping Centre.

“As a startup, we didn’t have prior experience working with a big mall like that. We faced enormous pressure and technical challenges. We stayed till midnight fixing things, but eventually we made it happen. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?”

At Taylor’s University, Ho’s final year project supervisor, a venture capitalist, provided invaluable mentorship on running a startup. “That final year in university really helped me prepare for startup life. That was also the point I realised I could push myself to do better than I did before.”

Discover more stories about the future-ready graduates from Taylor’s University at Taylor’sphere: a community of alumni, industry partners, mentors and lecturers who are part of an ecosystem designed to help graduates thrive in an increasingly challenging world. Visit university.taylors.edu.my or follow Taylor’s University on Facebook or Instagram for more information.

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