A week ago, I went to attend a session with Datuk Vinod B. Sekhar on entrepreneurship. It was an open invitation by MYME (Malaysian Youth Movement and Entrepreneurs group).
Datuk Vinod sharing his experiences and thoughts.
Datuk Vinod shared his experiences on how he started to be an entrepreneur when he was still studying in one of the universities at US. He was on scholarship and and it was just sufficient to pay for his tuition fee and living cost. His father just provided enough for his flight back.
But Datuk Vinod wanted to have more money in order to have fun. So, he started his t-shirts business with merely USD50 and eventually it grows from one university to another. Datuk Vinod sold it off and turned millionaire at the age of 20. He became a Datuk at 26 and nearly bankrupt at 32 during the economy crisis.
Another picture of Datuk Vinod during the session.
Datuk Vinod also taught us about the value of life. He shared a story of his encountered with a spastic child when he was young. During one of his holidays, he helped his mom doing some charity work by playing with the down syndrome children. One day, he realised his money was stolen from his wallet each day when he was there. Datuk Vinod got angry and told his mother that those children are bad : "How could you help these people when they steal from you?". Before he left, the truth was revealed when Philip, the "thief" confronted him. Philip shown Datuk Vinod a collage and said: "I made this for you, I ran out of colored paper so I took some of yours." The collage, was a farewell present for Datuk Vinod and it was made with the cut up pieces of money Philip stole.
To Datuk Vinod, money is just colored paper.
A tool to invest, to spend and to donate to the needed one.
A tool to invest, to spend and to donate to the needed one.
A One-Hundred-Trillion Dollar of Zimbabwe's money which is worth only RM0.05 !
Enjoy the rest of the photos taken during the session....
Photo of Danial Fahmi, founder of MYME.
Datuk Vinod meeting the participants.
Another photo of Datuk Vinod mingling with the participants.
Victor Lau shared some light moments with the participants before the session started.
He taught a guy how to introduce himself to the girls.
Some discussions going on with Danial Fahmi.
Met a friend of mine, EeLing at the session.
Made some new friends...
and made a new photographer friend, Md. Saifullah.
A thumb-up from Brendan.
I have to agree with Brendan as it is thumb-up from me too. I enjoyed listening to Datuk Vinod speeches which is inspiring, and funny at times.
Thanks Datuk Vinod for the talk and MYME for organizing this wonderful session!
Short description on Datuk Vinod B. Sekhar:
- Datuk Vinod One of Malaysia's and South East Asia's most prominent businessmen and philanthropists.
- President and group chief executive of Petra Group and Chairman of the Sekhar Foundation,
- Datuk Vinod was named by Forbes Magazine as Malaysia's 28th richest man for 2009 at the age of 41.
- He earned his entrepreneurial stripes while at university in the United States. At the age of 21, he set up the Vincent Siefer Clothing Company, which sold college embossed shirts to students at American universities.
- Datuk Vinod formed the STI Group in 1990 with partners and was responsible for some ground breaking businesses, such as the world’s smallest optic engine, and South East Asia’s first commercial internet company.
- He was one of the first Malaysians to venture into the former Soviet Union after its break up and was a part of the privatization of the country’s second largest petrochemical plant.
- He was also the first Malaysian to own a Formula 2000 and a Formula 3 Championship motorsport teams.
- After 1997, STI merged with other international interests and The Petra Group was created. Petra Group has now become a technology conglomerate that owns international patents spanning several different industries.
- In 2008 Petra Group announced plans to bring Green Rubber Global (GRG) to the public market. GRG owns a patented chemical formula called DeLink, a technology used to devulcanise rubber so it can be recycled and used again. Investors in the company include Forbes Vice Chairman Christopher Forbes, Hollywood actors Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr, and Kapil Dev, the Indian cricket legend.
- Datuk Vinod also has other technological innovations in its portfolio including those involving biophotonics, hiv treatment, biofuel development and financial software.
- Datuk Vinod loves Cuban cigars and collects ties with Mickey Mouse and Disney motifs, and is thought to own over 200 such tie's.
- President and group chief executive of Petra Group and Chairman of the Sekhar Foundation,
- Datuk Vinod was named by Forbes Magazine as Malaysia's 28th richest man for 2009 at the age of 41.
- He earned his entrepreneurial stripes while at university in the United States. At the age of 21, he set up the Vincent Siefer Clothing Company, which sold college embossed shirts to students at American universities.
- Datuk Vinod formed the STI Group in 1990 with partners and was responsible for some ground breaking businesses, such as the world’s smallest optic engine, and South East Asia’s first commercial internet company.
- He was one of the first Malaysians to venture into the former Soviet Union after its break up and was a part of the privatization of the country’s second largest petrochemical plant.
- He was also the first Malaysian to own a Formula 2000 and a Formula 3 Championship motorsport teams.
- After 1997, STI merged with other international interests and The Petra Group was created. Petra Group has now become a technology conglomerate that owns international patents spanning several different industries.
- In 2008 Petra Group announced plans to bring Green Rubber Global (GRG) to the public market. GRG owns a patented chemical formula called DeLink, a technology used to devulcanise rubber so it can be recycled and used again. Investors in the company include Forbes Vice Chairman Christopher Forbes, Hollywood actors Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr, and Kapil Dev, the Indian cricket legend.
- Datuk Vinod also has other technological innovations in its portfolio including those involving biophotonics, hiv treatment, biofuel development and financial software.
- Datuk Vinod loves Cuban cigars and collects ties with Mickey Mouse and Disney motifs, and is thought to own over 200 such tie's.
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No one 'becomes' a 'datuk' at the age of 26. What was his contribution to society at that age?
ReplyDelete1. "Prominent businessmen" - 16th on MAS Forbes Richest 2008, 28th in 2009 (with half his wealth from the year before), bankrupt in 2010 and no longer on the list in 2011
2. "Philanthropist" - No funds received from either "St Andrews University or Hopes and Homes for Children". Enough Said
3. It is sadden to see how the "awards" / "recognitions" given to him were ONLY from people / organisations who had vested interest in his "green rubber" technology. Shows how some "idiots" but rich and well connected use fame to make money.
4. This person is a disgrace to our society.
5. Please proof me wrong