Lawyering is something Ho Kheng Lian looks back on fondly. She practised restructuring and cross-border litigation at Drew & Napier LLC in a different life. “It was my dream-come-true first job at my dream-come-true law firm. I had the opportunity to work on South-east Asia’s largest debt restructuring deal of US$14 billion (S$18.2 billion) the moment I graduated,” she recalls.
But while the intellectual challenges exhilarated her, she left the profession after six years. Realising that she is a natural at connecting with people made her want put these skills to work building meaningful relationships and bringing them together to make an impact.
“To explore and discover new industries in foreign lands, I had to be brave and adventurous. I couldn’t pigeonhole myself as just a lawyer who knew only law and nothing else.”
Ho Kheng Lian on her career switch
In 2014, she had been contemplating her next career move when she was asked to invest in a New York startup and grow its presence in Asia. Eager to enter the tech space and cultivate a brand-new network, she jumped at the opportunity. Besides investing in the company, she also executed business development, increased its user base and revenue, and streamlined operations.
Eventually, she was invited to join Hong Kong-based venture capital fund Vectr Ventures, where she learnt to evaluate companies for investment and portfolio management. In addition, she helped entrepreneur Joseph Phua raise funds for his dating app Paktor, closing his Series A round within two weeks and helping to raise every subsequent round.
Empowered by her experiences, Ho established Kollective Advisory Partners and Kollective Ventures. The key strategy was to introduce capital to venture capital funds, which it did for Vertex Ventures, which is linked to Temasek Holdings, Monks Hill Ventures (established by a co-founder of Match.com) and Mantis, the venture capital fund founded by Grammy Award-winning DJs The Chainsmokers.
Kollective Ventures is no longer active as she now devotes her time to her role as a general partner at Turn Capital. The value fund buys stakes in stressed consumer technology companies in Asia, turns their profitability around, and sells or lists them within five years of fund life. One prominent company it operates is 17Live, an entertainment platform well-known in Taiwan and Japan, and the B2C companies it acquires are typically in the social, entertainment, media, and e-commerce industries.
Ho is also the founder of Open Circles, an initiative that brings together investors, entrepreneurs, advocates, and creatives to make a positive impact. It has featured talks by Alicia Silverstone on animal rights activism, Dr Oz Garcia on biohacking, and Theranos whistleblower Erika Cheung on ethics in entrepreneurship. Bye Bye Plastic Bags and Solve Education are two nonprofits the organisation has supported. “Open Circles represents my belief that authentic connections, relationships, community, and collaboration are essential to success and happiness,” she explains.
As a member of Red Club x Cartier, which launches initiatives that improve entrepreneurs’ livelihoods and offers networking opportunities to entrepreneurs around the world, Ho helps young Singaporean entrepreneurs navigate business challenges. She recently supported an event in which 30 excited growth and early-stage entrepreneurs gathered for mentorship and discussion.
It is probably little surprise that she actively advocates for women’s empowerment. “I hope my role in a male-dominated industry gives other women hope that they can succeed as well,” she says.
“I will be creating dialogues with the Prime Minister’s Office around female empowerment in Singapore in the upcoming months and will continue to actively advise and support the Cartier Women’s Initiative.”
Art director: Ed Harland
Photographer: Mun Kong
Photographer’s assistant: Melvin Leong
Hair: Ann, Athens Salon
Makeup: Keith Bryant Lee using Charlotte Tilbury
