5 Big Questions: WAI FOONG NG

The Possibility Club

What sort of tech start-up would be founded by a network of charities?

How do you measure impact, when your core business is to enable impact?

How can dating app technology evolve for global good?

In this week's 5 Big Questions interview we talk to social entrepreneur and tech start-up CEO WAI FOONG NG.

Known for:

• CEO - Matchable
• Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech 2022
• Computer Weekly Women In Tech Rising Star 2021
• Co-Founder - Suits & Startups Former
• Director (Real Estate & Private Equity M&A) - PwC UK

The Big 5 Questions:

1. How do you measure the impact of what you do?
2. How should people/businesses be preparing for the future?
3. How do we build the workforce we need for that future?
4. How do you use creativity to solve problems?
5. How do you collaborate?

Key quotes:

“My sales team will be very happy to hear that you compared Matchable to a dating app because that’s what I get told to say on sales pitches!”

“Matchable was an idea that came from an incubator called The Good Lab, which was a collaboration between the innovation teams at eight of the UK’s largest charities. They didn’t want to build it themselves, they have other things to do, so they put an ad out for a founder.”

“We only want to onboard projects and organisations onto our platform that are high impact and/or innovative. So, for example, instead of going out and painting a fence, someone could be working with a social enterprise helping to re-skill cocoa farmers and using blockchain to make sure they’re fairly remunerated.”

“At Matchable we are constantly with the ‘crazy feet paddling under the surface’ analogy, that’s definitely us. And we also say ‘every day is a school day’, because we try loads of things and we’re a very open team. Being willing to learn every day is very important, I think.”

“Companies are understanding more and more that this needs to be part of their fabric. And their employees are asking for it.”

“Gen Z thrive when you give them ownership of something and they can run with it, because they feel empowered to put into practice a lot of their ideas, etc. And the thing that doesn’t work well with them is just telling them what to do.”

“People only work at their best if they believe in the company, if they believe in what they are doing.”

“There is so much that companies and employees get from volunteering that is intangible but can be life-changing as an experience.”

Useful links:

• Wai Foong NG on LinkedIn
• Matchable
• The Good Lab Report (2019)
• B Corp
• B Corp certification
• Ella's Kitchen
• Mark Cuddigan (Ella’s Kitchen) '5 Big Questions’ episode

This episode was recorded in November 2022

Interviewer: Richard Freeman for always possible

Editor: CJ Thorpe-Tracey for Lo Fi Arts