Open For Business

Building a catering business is easy to start, and notoriously hard to scale. For Andrew Chee, Founder and CEO of RunningMen Celebrations Group, the challenge wasn’t just serving good food, but building a system that could deliver consistency, creativity, and reliability at scale.In this episode, Andrew breaks down how RunningMen grew from a student-run venture into a multi-format halal catering and events business, the gap they spotted in a crowded market, and the operational decisions that shaped their positioning today. We explore how the company thinks about revenue, service design, and execution in a low-margin industry, and what the next phase of growth looks like as RunningMen plans aheadSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an industry often defined by high-speed logistics and international imports, Brenda James of Nook Flowers is carving out a different path in Malaysia. Known for her "Grown Not Flown" philosophy, Brenda joins us to discuss the intricacies of "Responsible Floristry", from championing local Cameron Highlands growers to championing circular based systems. We dive into the business logic behind her boldest decisions, including stepping back from the Valentine’s Day rush to preserve quality and supply chain integrity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From a single kiosk to beating Starbucks and becoming Malaysia’s largest coffee chain in just 6 years.The journey began just months before the pandemic in 2019. Today, ZUS Coffee has cemented the "App-to-Cup" model as the new industry standard, overtaking the legacy giant by outlet count.Venon Tian, Group COO of ZUS Coffee, joins BFM Open For Business to decode the strategy behind the disruption. Unlike competitors that focused on the "Third Place" experience, ZUS treated coffee more like an e-commerce product, leveraging data to convert frappuccino drinkers into espresso loyalists.But the disruptor is now facing its own disruption. With the "Second China Shock" bringing aggressive tech-native competitors like Luckin Coffee into the scene and giants like Mixue crowding the RM10 price bracket, Venon explains how ZUS plans to defend its dominance while expanding into new markets, including Pakistan.We discuss:The "Fun Drink" Funnel: How Zus uses flavoured drinks (like Watermelon Lattes) as a customer acquisition tool to bridge the gap for non-coffee drinkers.Data over Delivery: Why Zus insisted on building its own app rather than relying solely on Grab or Foodpanda, allowing them to track exactly when users drop off or increase consumption.The "Avengers" Structure: How the company navigated the potential chaos of having eight co-founders by professionalising management and adopting Amazon’s "Humble is Cool" culture.Hyper-Localisation: From selling curry puffs in Malaysia to launching Ube Lattes in the Philippines and Tom Yum Americanos in Thailand.The Global Ambition: Why Zus is expanding into Pakistan and how they balance owned-and-operated stores with master franchising for rapid regional scale.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has top hospitals, competitive pricing, and a strong reputation in medical tourism yet much of the demand is still controlled by foreign intermediaries.Wan Mahsuri Wan Ahmad Kamal, Founder and CEO of Medisuri, an AI-powered medical tourism platform is aiming to reposition Malaysia as a trusted global healthcare hub. We unpack the gap Medisuri is trying to solve, how the business fits into the medical tourism value chain, its monetisation strategy, early fundraising journey, and what scaling this platform could look like in the years ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you do when you’ve built a loyal audience and 5 years of momentum, but you feel trapped by the very niche that built you?Michelle Chin, founder of Her Duit, recently announced a strategic overhaul of her personal finance brand, expanding beyond money into leadership, career, and life design. She joins BFM to deconstruct the mechanics of this pivot and why she refused to let the brand run on "momentum and guilt."We also explore the harsh reality of the modern social media landscape, where the "Instagram Community" era has been replaced by the TikTok era’s algorithmic entertainment. Michelle explains why creators must now "buy attention" in the first 3 seconds to earn the right to deliver substance, and how she balances her identity as a "Founder Creator" running a VC-backed insurtech startup by day and a media brand by night.We discuss:The Strategic Pivot: How Michelle transitioned from pure personal finance to holistic growth content to answer the question: "I have the money, now what?The Attention Economy: Understanding the shift to short-form video where knowledge is no longer king, hooks are.The "Her Duit" Machine: How Michelle scaled from spending 8 hours on one post to a streamlined operation using a virtual assistant, video editors, and AI tools like Claude for synthesis.The Worst Advice: Why "one-size-fits-all" financial rules (like saving 50% of income) are dangerous and induce shame. Monetisation & Synergies: Moving from B2C content to B2B employee wellness workshops, and how her role as a startup COO informs her content strategy (and vice versa).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two years ago, Applecrumby was navigating its transition from a long bootstrapped journey into its next growth phase. Today, the company is expanding beyond baby care into kids skincare, scaling its retail presence, and rethinking what sustainable growth looks like for a consumer brand built on trust.Co-founders Sean Tan and Jesmine Tan join us to break down what has changed since our last conversation in 2024, how their revenue mix and operations have evolved, the commercial logic behind their move into kids skincare, the economics of selling across online and physical retail, and how they are balancing scale with profitability as they plan for 2026 and beyond.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many professionals have deep expertise but struggle to turn that into a credible, sustainable career as a trainer, facilitator, or industry practitioner. Riley Goh is aiming to change that dynamic with The Lighthouse Academia, a Malaysia–Singapore based academy that helps practitioners professionalise their craft and build real training careers. Through accredited programmes, consulting, and courseware development, the company works with individuals, corporations, and government bodies to raise the standards of professional training. In this conversation, we explore how Riley’s training-the-trainers model works as a business, how the company makes money, and what growth looks like for a business that’s in a niche market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2022, brothers Joshua and Joel Lim set out to eliminate single-use plastics with BeeBag, a gamified reusable bag venture. But after facing a hard truth, that corporates viewed sustainability merely as a "marketing initiative" rather than a necessity, they made the difficult decision to pivot, swapping sustainability for scalability.Rebranding as Buzz, they are now turning financial apps like Touch 'n Go eWallet into hyper-targeted commerce media networks, acquiring 230,000 users in just 100 days.The co-founders join us to discuss the journey from "Saving the Planet" to "Saving Brands Money." We explore the "new math" of leveraging item-level data, the economics of behavior-modifying cashbacks, and why they believe banking apps are about to become the next big billboard.We discuss:The "Kill Signal": How the founders recognised the lack of Product-Market Fit in BeeBag despite early funding, and the difficult conversation that led to abandoning their original green tech vision.The "Item-Level" Holy Grail: Why FMCG brands should care more about what you bought (Item Data) than where you shopped (Merchant Data), and how Buzz bridges this gap.The Receipt Loophole: How Buzz bypasses the nightmare of integrating with thousands of Point-of-Sale (POS) systems by simply paying users to snap photos of their receipts.Commerce Media 101: The shift from social media ads (based on likes) to financial app ads (based on transaction history), and why banks are positioned to be the publishers of the future.Lean Economics: How they avoided the notorious "cash burn" of B2C loyalty apps by piggybacking on existing platforms (B2B2C) like Touch 'n Go to acquire users for free.The Exit Strategy: The roadmap to a $400,000 raise and regional expansion by 2027, with the ultimate goal of an M&A exit via a fintech or media giant.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an F&B landscape often defined by rapid burnout and aggressive discounting, Arieni Ritzal has taken a different path. Since her last visit to the studio, Gula Cakery has evolved from a boutique success into a disciplined enterprise with 19 outlets and record sales in 2025. We explore how she navigated the “founder’s bottleneck” and the specific systems required to maintain “home-baked” quality at a nationwide scale.The conversation dives into the mechanics of financial prudence and the reality of expanding beyond the Klang Valley in 2026. Arieni shares candid insights on why many F&B brands fail to scale and explains why she prioritises internal talent development over celebrity hype to future-proof her brand against rising costs and labour shortages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grassroots sports have always had the talent, the passion, and the stories but rarely the technology.AirUpThere Technologies is trying to change that. Since 2018, the Malaysian startup has been building AI-powered camera systems and a sports streaming platform called Huddle, designed to help schools, academies, and amateur leagues broadcast games, analyse performance, and create professional-grade sports content without a production crew.We speak with co-founder Andri Khusahry about how they turned a passion for sport into a scalable sports-tech business, the commercial logic behind automated broadcasting and analytics, and how they’re positioning Huddle in a fast-growing global sports tech market. We also explore the realities of monetising sports data, navigating privacy concerns, and what it takes to scale a Malaysian tech platform across the region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two years ago, TTRacing was already a fast-growing gaming chair brand making its mark across Southeast Asia. Since then, the business has continued to evolve, expanding its product portfolio, strengthening its regional presence, and navigating the realities of scaling in a highly competitive consumer category.In this episode of Open For Business, we catch up with Founder and CEO Henry Ting to unpack how TTRacing has grown since 2024, how its revenue mix and operations have changed, the commercial logic behind its product and market expansion, and how the company is balancing growth with profitability. We also look ahead to what the next phase of TTRacing could look like as the brand moves beyond its gaming roots and charts its ambitions for the years ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1.9 million. That’s how many living quarters are vacant here in Malaysia, nearly 20% of the total, according to the 2020 Census. This puts hard numbers to a feeling many of us have: Malaysia has a housing paradox. We see "For Sale" signs and empty houses, yet many Malaysians still feel priced out of owning a home.UrbanMetry’s Cha-Ly Koh and Stirling Yiin discuss Urby, their platform selected for the Securities Commission's regulatory sandbox. Urby uses data algorithms to identify dilapidated homes, facilitates fractional ownership to renovate them, and sells them to genuine homebuyers, aiming to turn "ghost houses" into community assets.We discuss:Not Flippers: How Urby distinguishes itself from property speculators by purchasing undervalued assets and injecting value through renovation, rather than just bridging price differentials.Social Assets: Why mature neighborhoods with dilapidated infrastructure are actually goldmines for "social capital", nostalgia, existing networks, and food culture that have tangible monetary value.The Algorithm: How UrbanMetry uses data to determine the true current asset value, ensuring renovation costs don't push the property price above what the neighborhood can afford.Nor For "Crypto Bros"?: Why their target demographic isn't young male speculators, but rather women aged 27–40 who feel underserved by "boring" financial products and want tangible agency in community rejuvenation.The Unit Economics: A breakdown of the fractional ownership model, short-term vs. long-term notes, and how the platform utilises "put options" to protect investor principal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it really take to bridge the gap between a child’s imagination and a viable business model?In this episode of Open For Business, we explore the evolution of Goodday KidSTART 3.0, Malaysia’s largest "kidpreneur" platform, which recently culminated in a national TV series finale. We sit down with Amy Gan, Vice President of Marketing at Etika Sdn. Bhd., and Pearl Liang, the 12-year-old champion behind the innovative "AI Unicon."From a pool of over 8,000 entries, Pearl emerged victorious with an AI-powered solution designed to solve the universal struggle of finding the right school uniform size. We discuss why Etika moved this program from a closed-door pitch to a 4-episode reality show on Astro, and how industry mentors from Cradle Fund and the Asia School of Business are helping professionalise the passions of children as young as seven.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it possible to reduce an investment portfolio's risk by adding a highly volatile asset like Bitcoin? Halogen Capital Co-Founders Hann Liew and Lucas Ooi certainly think so.While the investment thesis might be a point of debate, the business traction is undeniable. Founded in 2023, Halogen has grown from zero to RM400 million in AUM, with institutions making up 70%-80% of that figure. Adding fuel to this momentum, they closed a RM13.3 million funding round in December led by Kenanga Private Equity, alongside 500 Global.While headlines focus on Bitcoin's price action, Halogen has quietly built a moat by doing the unglamorous work: manufacturing familiar financial products (like Unit Trusts) around complex digital assets. This strategy has allowed them to bypass retail speculation and tap into the deep pockets of banks, insurers, and high-net-worth individuals.In this deep dive, we move beyond the hype to understand the infrastructure of modern fund management. Hann and Lucas explain why they believe that major banks can't simply "copy-paste" their strategy, why they built their own cloud-native back-office system, and how they plan to use their recent RM13.3 million funding to tokenise Real World Assets (RWA) like bonds and real estate.We discuss:The Trump Effect & Mainstream Adoption: How the US political shift has forced research houses to take crypto seriously, moving it from a niche gamble to a top-tier alternative asset.The Portfolio Thesis: Why they believe that adding a volatile asset like Bitcoin to a traditional 60/40 portfolio can actually reduce overall risk due to low correlation.The "Infrastructure Moat": Why major institutions can't easily copy-paste Halogen's strategy, and the complexities of building a self-custody, compliance-heavy back-office system.Manufacturing Trust: How Halogen bridged the gap between "wild west" crypto and conservative banking compliance by wrapping digital assets in regulated wholesale fund structures.Beyond Bitcoin: The roadmap for turning bonds, sukuk, and real estate into digital tokens to improve market access and liquidity for investors.The Tech-Agnostic Future: Halogen’s long-term vision to export Sharia-compliant crypto products globally and evolve into a fund manager that can handle any asset class, on or off-chain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to build a business when the stakes are high and your time is already accounted for? In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Thiban Chandra, founder of TechX Malaysia, to explore the reality of the corporate side-hustle. From his career as a reservoir engineer in the oil and gas industry to launching a home audio and Hi-Fi venture, Thiban shares how he identified a gap in the Malaysian market for accessible luxury. We dive into the financial risks of self-funding through bonuses and credit cards, the necessity of deep collaboration in a niche industry, and the influence of Howard Schultz’s Pour Your Hearts Into It on his entrepreneurial philosophy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it really take to turn passion into a sustainable business?In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Janice Siew, founder of Petiteserie and Jan’s Gelato & Bakes, to explore the decisions behind the craft.From seven years in corporate banking to classical French pâtisserie, Janice shares how discipline, restraint, and long-term thinking shaped her journey. We look at why she started quietly as a wholesale business, how the pandemic forced a rapid pivot to direct-to-consumer sales, and what it takes to blend French technique with deeply Malaysian flavours like cendol and onde onde.This is not a conversation about chasing trends or overnight success. It’s about building deliberately, doing things properly, and understanding when growth should be slowed down rather than rushed.A story of craft, commerce, and the professionalisation of passion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The F&B industry is often romanticised, but for Shareen Ramli, the reality is far grittier. Yet, for 23 years, she has stayed in the game, evolving from making curry puffs at 2 a.m. to running the 105-seater Siti Li Dining & Foodhall.BFM Open For Business sits down with Shareen to discuss why she compares the trade to being a "stuntwoman", full of invisible bruises, and her mission to preserve the cosmopolitan heritage of Malay cuisine.We discuss:The "Stuntwoman" Reality: Shareen opens up about the resilience needed to survive 23 years, comparing the industry to an action movie where the audience doesn't see the "invisible bruises" of evictions and financial crises.The "Lost" Heritage: Why Siti Li focuses on "Cosmopolitan Malay" cuisine, a nod to the 15th-century port cities influenced by Portuguese, Dutch, and Chinese flavors.Begging for Sugar: The desperate lengths taken during the pandemic, including pleading with police to allow couriers to source artisan Gula Melaka from Malacca.Vertical vs. Horizontal: Instead of opening more outlets, Siti Li is focusing on the supply chain and a "Malay Kitchen Pantry" line (bottled sauces, artisan Keropok, cookies).The "Third Space" Vision: Why Shareen wants Siti Li to be more than a restaurant, a community hub where customers bring their parents to share the intimacy of a meal.“Comel Cekodok” and Nasi Lemak: The story behind their signature Cekodok dish and Shareen’s criteria for what makes a "good" Nasi Lemak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Open For Business, we sit down with Dr Shian Lee, the aerospace engineer behind Alphaswift Industries.This is not a shiny drones conversation. It’s about what happens when machines start carrying real responsibility. We talk about why the sky might actually be easier for autonomy than the ground, why “fake it till you make it” has no place in aerospace, and how oil palm plantations became an unlikely training ground for future passenger flight.It’s a conversation about ambition, caution, physics, regulation, and what it really means to build technology that can’t afford to fail.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2017 as a simple telemedicine app, Doctor Anywhere (DA) became a pandemic darling, raising nearly $176 million from heavyweights like IHH Healthcare and Temasek-linked Pavilion Capital. But in a surprising twist, the digital disruptor spent ~$80 million USD in late 2022 to acquire Asian Healthcare Specialists, shifting from an asset-light tech model to owning traditional brick-and-mortar clinics.Lim Wai Mun, the "accidental founder" turned CEO, joins BFM to discuss:The "Accidental Founder": How a private equity financier with zero medical background ended up building a regional healthcare giant across 6 countries.The $80M Pivot: Why DA acquired a traditional specialist group (Orthopedics, Urology, etc.) to bridge the trust gap that pure tech couldn't solve.The "Decentralised Hospital": Wai Mun explains his vision of deconstructing the hospital, moving care out of expensive central hubs into smaller, accessible modules to lower costs for everyone.The "Connector of Care": How DA manages the conflicting agendas of the three key healthcare stakeholders: the Payer (wants to save money), the Provider (wants to earn money), and the Patient (wants to get well).Financial Discipline: Why DA has never operated at a negative gross margin, and Wai Mun’s take on why the "growth at all costs" era is dead.The Future: The launch of "Soda by DA" and the 5-year ambition to become Southeast Asia’s leading "Insure-Health-Tech" company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you turn nostalgia into a scalable business in one of Malaysia’s most crowded food and beverage markets?On this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Nick Ng, Founder and CEO of Hock Kee Kopitiam, about building a modern kopitiam brand rooted in heritage, community, and made-to-order tradition.From opening a single outlet in Johor Bahru with no prior restaurant experience to growing a multi-outlet chain across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Johor, Nick shares what it takes to stay relevant while scaling. We explore how Hock Kee maintains consistency across outlets, how its revenue mix has evolved, the impact of Halal certification and tourism-linked collaborations, and the operational pressures of running a fast-growing F&B business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.