4th CAYE-Asia Young Entrepreneurs Summit – “Impact Entrepreneurs: From Job Hunters to Job Providers”
November 14Kuala Lumpur – Over 200 young entrepreneurs from 14 countries including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Rwanda, Jamaica and Barbados gathered in Putrajaya, Malaysia at the 4th CAYE-Asia Young Entrepreneurs Summit from 30 October to 1 November. The theme for the 2015 summit was “Impact Entrepreneurs: From Job Hunters to Job Providers”.
The Summit was hosted by the Junior Chamber International-Petaling Jaya (JCIPJ) on behalf of the Commonwealth Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs-Asia (CAYE-Asia). It is an annual event that gathers dynamic young entrepreneurs for three days to network, build business linkages, and learn from field visits, summit and workshop sessions. This year’s programme included a welcome dinner at the Putrajaya Lake Club, field visits to six leading organisations including FERUNI, KENDEK, SIN CHEW DAILY, MK CURTAIN, PKT and MATRADE, and a summit day as well as a gala dinner.
The summit brought together industry leaders and trailblazing entrepreneurs from across the Commonwealth who are making a significant impact in the region, particularly through job creation, such as Dr Vincent Tiew, Managing Director, Andaman Property Management Sdn Bhd [Malaysia]; Mr Siddhartha Nanayakkara, Founder & CEO, Sky Alliance Group [Sri Lanka]; Mr Prasanna Rajagopalan, Country Manager-India, Rhodium Resources Pte Ltd Singapore [India]; Mr Woo Sze Ming, Founder & CEO, Gamurai Pte. Ltd. [Singapore]; Mr Shaban Khalid, Director, Ittehad Steel [Pakistan]; and Mr Ryan Wong Wei Yung, Founder, Innonline Solution [Brunei].
It also included senior officials from the public sector including Mr Aminul Islam Khan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education; Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh [Bangladesh]; Mr Abhik Sen, Head of Policy and Research, Youth Division, Commonwealth Secretariat; Mr Mohd Rithaudden Makip, Director of Business Advisory & Support, SME Corp [Malaysia]; and Ms Selma Green, Manager, Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme, Ministry of Culture, Sports & Youth [Barbados].
Mr. Sumit Sinhal, the Managing Director at Kins Advanced Diabetes Care Clinic, was unveiled as the CAYE-Asia Young Entrepreneurs Challenge Winner 2015 during the summit.
A Leadership Assembly took place on the sidelines of the meeting, in which CAYE-Asia board members discussed progress over the last year and plans for the Alliance moving forward. Board members agreed that the 2016 Presidency will pass on to Mr Shaban Khalid of the Young Entrepreneurs Forum of the Islamabad Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Pakistan.
Delegates also produced a communiqué articulating their commitments and recommendations, which was submitted to the Commonwealth Secretariat.
About CAYE-Asia:
CAYE-Asia was formed in 2011 as CAAYE (Commonwealth-Asia Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs), comprising of member organisations from eight Commonwealth Asia countries: Brunei, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore and Sri Lanka. Today the alliance has grown to include Nepal as an observer state and its model has been replicated in the Caribbean and East Africa, which prompted re-branding in 2015. Supported and endorsed by the Commonwealth Secretariat, the members have collectively adopted a Charter to raise awareness and support the promotion of Youth Entrepreneurship Culture and Policies in the region.
In less than four years of establishment, CAYE-Asia has been widely recognised, including as a best practice model in the Commonwealth due to its unique ‘networks of networks’ structure. At the Asia Region-Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting in New Delhi in 2015, the Ministers commended CAYE-Asia’s progress and impact, and noted noted that such a network helps to lift economic growth and youth employment in the region.
