In this episode we interview Frederic Proulx of Haystack. Fred is a vision evoking entrepreneur and investor, having had a successful career in venture in Canada, whilst keeping a passion for Southeast Asia alongside his Khmer wife Linda Phou that has been a strong pillar in his success. Fred has now turned his attention fully to Cambodia, where he is intent upon creating a leading venture builder and investment player in the country, serving as a launchpad for the region. Fred is turning the investment model on its head in Cambodia, drawing lessons from all around the world to come up with a new model that focuses on being nimble and iterating quickly, whilst creating a work environment that stresses camaraderie and collective buy-in.

What we get into:

- What early stage investors (incubators, angels, VC, PE etc.) are getting wrong and right in Cambodia? 

- 'If you build it they will come'; lessons in creating a culture and working environment that enable innovation and bold thinking

- Why 'good is the enemy of great' and how to get out of the trap of being a fatcat doing good work!

In this episode we interview Kenny Matthews, the CEO & Founder of Cambodia's first commercial dairy farm; Moo Moo Farms. Kenny started Moo Moo Farms in 2015, he has had a fascinating entrepreneurial journey since then to both bring about social and economic change to the country, supporting a key industry that is set to see rapid development in the coming years. 

What we get into:

- Why dairy was the entrepreneurial venture that fulfilled Kenny's motivations for positive change in the country

- The trials and tribulations of being a first mover in a nascent industry (e.g. getting cows across international borders!)

- Strategies for raising capital in frontier markets; the importance of telling a story and engaging the right investor audience

In this episode we interview Kounila Keo, a leading figure in the media and marketing community in Cambodia and the region. She has had a formative career spanning media (working for leading global and local publications) whilst also working in international development and most recently launching her own communication and marketing firm, Mekhala Radiant Communications. Kounila was also the recipient of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Asia in 2017. We are excited to release this episode on International Women's Day in Cambodia.

What we get into:

- How the marketing industry in Cambodia is having to adapt rapidly to social media adoption in the country. 

- Different approaches to working across a wide array of client mandates; startups, influencers, NGOs, MNCs etc.

- Lessons learned from leading the expansion of Mekhala Radiant Communication's into new markets such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos.

In this episode we interview Rithy Thul, a true tech pioneer in Cambodia, acting as a role model for the new generation of tech entrepreneurs in the country. He founded SmallWorld Venture (VC firm) in 2011, Codingate in 2013 (tech development), Selendra (blockchain) in 2016, VitaminAir (ecoliving) in 2017 and Koompi (computer hardware and software) in 2018. 

What we get into:

- Rithy's early journey into tech in Cambodia, leaving university and self-educating himself whilst living out of a pagoda in Phnom Penh

- His passion for blockchain technology, having been an early adopter of Bitcoin, Ethereum and smart contracts since 2010

- Vision for SmallWorld Venture; catalyzing small ticket size investments in Cambodia, backing the new breed of tech entrepreneurs in the country

In this episode we interview Indranil Roy, a really experienced entrepreneur having worked across a varying array of geographies and sectors. He is currently leading efforts for alternative protein entrepreneurship in Cambodia, with a bold ambition to 'feed the next billion' through an innovative approach to insect farming, carving out a place in this quickly evolving business area globally. 

What we get into:

- Indranil's agile approach to business concepting and prototyping; how he has applied this across his startup journey

- The unique history of cricket farming in Cambodia, and how the industry is evolving to become a new export opportunity for the country

- How insect farming is globally becoming an industry on the precipice of massively disrupting traditional animal agriculture

In this episode we interview the one and only Jim Rogers, a frontier market pioneer, that had a formative career on Wall Street alongside George Soros at The Quantum Fund, after which he turned his attention to becoming a first mover in many of the most exciting emerging market success stories of today, committing with foresight as others were unable to recognise the long term opportunities. 

What we get into:

- Literally motorbiking across the world and seeing first hand the opportunties in nascent markets in the 1980's and beyond

- Being one of the first foreign investors in countries all over Asia and Africa

- Catastraphe equaling opportunity and how this applies to markets such as North Korea, Iran and Venezuela today

In this episode we interview Hassan Hajam, a social business early pioneer having been a mentee of Muhammad Yunus, originally from Tunisia, working currently in the impact accelerator space in Cambodia, having previously worked in Haiti and India. 

What we get into:

- The similarities and differences in building social businesses in various frontier markets

- Sectors in Cambodia that look poised to be at the forefront of positive environmental and social change

- The growing movement towards impact investing globally and how this is being understood and applied in Cambodia

In this episode we interview Omar Sher, an entrepreneur in Cambodia, originally from Pakistan, working in the energy space in Cambodia, having lived and worked all over Asia. 

What we get into:

- Pioneering smart grid solutions in Cambodia 

- Understanding of factors at play in the energy market in Cambodia

- Ability of smart grids to reduce electricity costs in Cambodia and catalyze investment activity

In this episode we interview Tomas Gimenez, a business operator in Cambodia, originally from the USA, working in the FMCG space in Cambodia, having previously worked at BCG in New York. 

What we get into:

- Strategies for FMCG market entry into a frontier market

- Understanding the unique customer profile of the Mekong region

- Novel approaches to cross-cultural marketing and sales

In this episode we interview Cheryl Ng,  startup incubator manager and international consultant for UNDP in Cambodia, originally from the Greater Toronto Area, working in the startup incubator space in Cambodia, having previously worked at Microsoft and Power Unit Youth Organization in Canada. She is also Co-Founder of Gen I and the Impactful Work Podcast, empowering audiences to create impact in everyday work by learning from professionals engaged in social impact work globally and locally.

What we get into:

- Deep dive into UNDP's Bluetribe incubator and their strategy for growing early-stage ventures in Cambodia's frontier market

- Building before approving: overcoming the barriers of regulation in high growth sectors

- Filling the missing gap between incubators and accelerators within the country

- Appetite for investment in frontier markets and in Cambodia