HOW CAN I ASSIST?
Draw on my deep understanding of start-ups and scale-up experience where I’ve launched, ran and exited a nascent life sciences business with one of the highest profit margins in the industry. Tap on my knowledge and insights that led not only to a successful, profitable exit but to a company whose values I strongly align with.
Contact me to find out how you can engage my expertise on a retainer, or sweat equity venture basis.
For Social Enterprise and Impact Enterprise/Start-up, my services could be available to you free of charge, or with sweat equity, depending on the scope of work.
Social Enterprises: A social enterprise's main purpose is to promote, encourage, and make social change in a financially sustainable way. For instance, providing income generation opportunities that help meet the basic needs of people who live in poverty. The business applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being and has both business and social goals. It re-invests income from sales back to its mission and does not depend on philanthropy to sustain long term goals. The business can be expanded or replicated to other communities to generate more impact.
Impact Enterprises: Companies that aim to create maximum positive impact – for their customers, employees, business partners and the public at large – as well as for the environment. It is evaluated on its financial yield, social and environmental return.
Advisory
Director to Board, Advisor to Board, Ad-hoc Board Mentor, Interim CEO: A strong board of advisors is critical to the success of any company, regardless of its size. Not only can the right group of advisors offer credibility and a relevant network of contacts, but they provide expert guidance and innovative solutions to overcome challenges, a value-add not often available from individual mentors.
Business Start-Up, Mentoring and Coaching: Employ my Win With Fears mindset and proven start-up processes, to overcome the mental and emotional drain of the start-up grind.
Employee Value Proposition & Team Scale-up: Tap on my expertise and People First, Always 10-step programme to grow your team and scale your business.
Volunteering: I’m passionate about getting involved with non-profit organisations who are paving the way for a more compassionate world.
Speaking Engagements
“Learn a New Way To Win - a paradigm shift to transform adversity into power to reinvent a life you love”
In the world of constant change, achieving results and greater outcomes is more difficult than any time in history. Karen Tok unlocks the secret formula in a New Way To Win in tomorrow’s world. Master this paradigm shift to re-invent a life you’ll love that goes beyond winning and achieving success. Using powerful, tangible takeaways and stories, a New Way to Win will teach you and your team how to gain clarity on your life’s purpose and transform adversity into power.
In this session, you will learn to:
Understand the blueprint of a New Way To Win, navigating change effectively so you can win in tomorrow’s economy.
Win with fear and transform desperation into inspiration, struggle into possibilities.
Achieve great results in the future of individuals and your team.
Convert the paralysing fear of learning something new to become a quest for knowledge and action.
Business and sports trophies collected over the years
MY STORY
I’m inspired by opportunity, motivated by adversity and passionate about start-ups and about helping others turn desperation into inspiration. In my life, I’ve overcome many obstacles while building my success. Rather than allowing setbacks to put me off my path, I’ve chosen to source new ways to win and transform fear into power to pursue my dreams and live a life of purpose. No dream is ever out of reach if we are willing to take the first step to make the shift and choose what empowers us. A New Way to Win isn’t just about winning and successes, it is also about overcoming setbacks to breakthrough to the life you love.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
On a personal level, I’ve transformed my setbacks into wins, as a proven academic no-hoper with a dyslexia learning disability to becoming an industry leader in Life Sciences recruitment. On a corporate level, I have grown an unknown shoestring start-up into a multi-million award-winning company driven by inspired employees. I attribute my success to pure grit and curiosity, and a passion for creating the ultimate customer experience and putting People First, Always as a guiding force. I want to take what I’ve mastered to help others embrace their perceived limitations to turn adversity into possibility, and how to scale their business with my proven methodologies.
WHY ME?
If the start-up success is dependent on a great idea, the right timing or generous funding, why then do 90% of start-ups fail? My successful start-up was founded at the worst timing during a recession post-dot-com bubble crash. Very few were hiring and life sciences recruitment was a terrible idea. The industry was virtually non-existent in Asia, there was a lack of both talents and jobs and most companies at the R&D stage did not have deep enough pockets to engage headhunting services. Despite all these challenges, we made it through the start-up stage.
During the scale-up stage, tons of near-fatal business mistakes were made with six-figure sums spent on an expansion that went down the drain. We were further hit by the Global Financial Crisis in 2009. With escalating overheads, fierce competition, high staff turnover, and unfavourable economy, we didn't just weather the storms, we strived.
Based on my triumphs, challenges, peaks and troughs experienced through business and personal experiences, I’ve developed a winning formula, A New Way to Win, that puts People First, Always and your business in prime position to scale – but only from a solid foundation.
Learn the 10 principles of meaningful and impactful People First, Always scale-up methodology and help your organisation achieve its peak performance. By creating a working environment that is nurturing, supportive, challenging and equitable, all individuals will dare to overcome their fear of failure, and summon the courage to unleash their potential to perform.
WHY YOU?
Now more than ever, enterprises have been gifted the power to positively influence and impact our people, our family and our society as they fill gaps in the marketplace with their services. We all have to commit to a new way of being, and this People First, Always renaissance starts with you.
If you are a Social Enterprise or Impact Enterprise/Start-up, you could engage my expertise free of charge or with sweat equity, depending on the scope of work.
WHY NOW?
As we transit into the fourth industrial age, with AI and robotics leading the way, Deep-Tech without Deep-Human can lead to a serious dehumanization of society. It is all the more crucial for social enterprises and impact start-ups to champion its people and cultivate a workplace of positivity and inclusivity. Together, I am confident we can navigate change to win in tomorrow’s economy. All this, while still maximising value and building a more compassionate global society where long-term success is defined by its People First, Always.