Cover Find out what inspired Roshen Maghhan, Regina Koh, and Julius Ho to make their world a better place (Photo: Fady Younis/Tatler Malaysia)
Find out what inspired Roshen Maghhan, Regina Koh, and Julius Ho to make their world a better place (Photo: Fady Younis/Tatler Malaysia)
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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
Roshen Maghhan is one of the four developers behind CovidNow, an open-data initiative
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“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.”
Read more: Inside Mayamode, Malaysia’s First Co-Working Fashion Studio at Taylor's University
Regina Koh, owner of Cultiv8
Regina Koh is the owner of Cultiv8, a brand that offers healthy ready-to-eat meals
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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.
See also: 4 Malaysian Vegans On the Benefits Of Plant-Based Diets
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
Julius Ho co-founded Arrivo, an AI-driven smart parking system
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“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?”
Related: What The World's First A.I-Run Podcast Means For Malaysia's Future
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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Credits
Photography: Fady Younis
Videography: Goh Kwee Jin
Make-Up: Tale Studio
Hair: Tale Studio
Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
