Celebrity Life

Meet Anil Singh, a pharmacist by profession and a model by passion, who thinks that growth on social media is directly proportional to good quality content. In a short span of 2 months, he gained 1.9 million followers on Tiktok and 200k+ followers on Instagram with relatable content regarding modelling, acting, grooming and technical knowledge […]

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Khyati Minglani, Founder, Trailblazers PR talks about her journey in the industry, learning and future plans for her brainchild. Tell us about your journey into the world of Public Relations. My journey, just like any other, has been full of obstacles and challenges, which taught me a lot. I started as an independent firm and […]

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The blue-eyed boy of electronica, : Ritviz Srivastava talks about his upcoming album DEV, being called a one-hit-wonder and more. When Ritviz Srivastava aka Ritviz, tells you that a section of his fans doesn’t know about his superhit track Udd Gaye, you ought to take it with a pinch of salt. But he insists it’s […]

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Naezy: The Fame Game It has taken six years for Naezy (real name Naved Shaikh) to cut his debut album, Maghreb, which means West in Urdu. During this time, he became the poster boy of underground hip hop, petered out from the scene, had a film (Ranveer Singh-starrer Gully Boy) inspired by his life, and made a […]

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Ustad Amjad Ali Khan I feel the main reason that there is so much violence in the world today, is because we disrespect other religions. I had thought that the 21st century would take us to the pinnacles of success but even now, we are killing one another on account of religion. Education could not […]

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Aside from his property investment interests, businessman Jonathan Cheng tells us about the things he loves, from fast cars in Europe to hopping on a motorbike for roadside breakfasts in Koh Samui.

On first glance, you’d think that Jonathan Cheng -- tall and casually dressed in faded jeans and collarless dark blue shirt -- was an impresario or perhaps a successful restaurateur, or maybe the director of an international advertising agency. Your first impression would almost certainly be wrong; in fact, you could spend hours making wild guesses as to what exactly it is that Cheng does and it’s odds-on that you still wouldn’t get it right.

“Even when I go to meetings with banks or other financial institutions I dress like this," says Cheng, who’s actually the CEO and managing director of Hong Kong-based LC Capital, a boutique Asia Pacific-oriented private-equity fund that -- partly thanks to a holiday he took several years ago -- focuses on property development among other multi-strategy plays.

Cheng explains that his foray into real estate began almost as an aside when, on a skiing trip to Niseko in northern Japan, he found a plot of land. “I’d been running a private-equity fund -- a lot of equity trading, company restructuring -- very different from what we’re doing now," he says. “But when I saw the property in Niseko I fell in love with it. So I rang up some people to see if we could do it together."

It turned out to be the foundation of a portfolio of properties currently worth in the region of US$175 million, in locations as far-flung as Japan or Perth in Western Australia, the city to which Cheng had moved to attend high school and university. “When it started," he says, “it was a kind of a one-off thing, more of a fun project than anything else. But it took off, and because I was often in the area I went around looking - not actively, but when they’re on the radar they’re on the radar, right? And then other things popped out of the woodwork and the numbers made sense, so we got into it full-time. We started Infinity Capital Group as a property developer - and the next thing we know, after having two or three people in the office, we’ve got 25 or 26."

Although clearly a man of taste and with a penchant for design, Cheng doesn’t get too involved with the architectural side of the properties he develops. “I have my likes and dislikes and always give my input," he says, “but I see things more from a numbers perspective. In areas where we’re able to control construction quality, construction timetables, we’ll go in that way because there’s more value to extract. But right now we’re trying to grow the brand and get into more areas, and when that happens we need to take a look at mature properties as well. Now’s a good time, because tourism’s been hit a lot, things are coming out on the market and there’s a lot of value to be had."

In fact, so busy is he these days that Cheng doesn’t have much time for many of his favourite activities. “I enjoy skiing a lot and I still go snorkelling if I can get the chance. I used to enjoy golf, but I’ve got a bad back so these days it hasn’t been much of a priority for me. And from a work perspective I don’t have much time. Skiing’s definitely nice but obviously with the business I can’t go around the globe chasing the snow like some people can."

Of the passions that he is able regularly to indulge, watches and - perhaps not surprisingly - cars feature high on the list - indeed the first time I met him I couldn’t help noticing the Patek Philippe discreetly strapped to his wrist. “I’ve got several watches and I like to be understated. It’s the only accessory I wear except for a necklace, which was given to me by my mum many years ago. I think men should keep it simple.

“I rotate the watches and wear a different one every couple of days. I don’t keep them on a winder because if you don’t wear them and they stop, you’re not wearing down the mechanics. This is purely my own opinion and I know a lot of people think otherwise, but I think the more you use them the more worn out they get, just like a car."

Which brings us - and all very naturally - to the photograph in his office lobby of Cheng posing with a Lamborghini at a roadside in what looks very much like Europe. I can’t help asking him if it’s his.

“I used to go over to Europe every year with my mates," he explains. “There’d be nine or 10 of us and a friend who’d organise it for us. We’d pick up a fleet of supercars and drive through France - Champagne, Burgundy, places like that - and end up in a quaint hotel or castle where we’d unwind every night with a wine dinner, and the next day we’d continue on our way. So yeah, I love cars, I love driving and I love getting it out of my system once in a while. A few years ago, we started in Munich and ended up in Monaco for the Grand Prix, and there are stretches of autobahn and autostrada where you can really give it a squeeze...

“Here in Hong Kong, I’ve got a Ferrari 488 - a beautiful car - and a Bentley Continental [both of which he tells me are coupes]. I like convertibles but over here it’s like you’re getting too much attention sometimes, especially if you’re caught up in a jam and you feel like an animal in a cage. I remember telling myself when I was 35 that I wanted to buy a Bentley, but one of my mates told me, 'Hey, it’s a bit early for you - you should get one after you’re 40.’ I’m 45 now, and I’ve got this bad back, and it’s really, really comfortable.

Although Cheng jokes that he hasn’t reached his mid-life crisis quite yet, he does admit to looking around for an older Porsche. “I’m a 911 fan boy," he says, “and the 993 [the last of the air-cooled 911s, which ceased production more than 20 years ago] is beautiful. I’m looking around for one that I can register and put on the road. I try to drive every day and swap the cars around, just like my watches, but sometimes I have to use the company car, especially if I’m having a little bit of a drink after work with clients."

And what about those increasingly rare occasions when he’s able to get away from Hong Kong to relax and unwind? “I feel most comfortable in a beach-resort setting," Cheng says. “So every two or three months I try to get away for a weekend, to Bali, Samui or Phuket. The Maldives are beautiful but it’s not something you can do for two or three nights, just nip out and nip back in - plus if you go to islands that require a seaplane transfer it gets even more complicated.

“I like Samui a lot, because it’s not so commercial, it’s not crowded, not many cars and I feel safe alone on a motorbike. Contrary to what you might think, I like going to roadside stalls, so I rent a motorbike and go to the little stalls for breakfast, just in flip flops and a singlet. If I can get out every couple of months to places like that, it would be fantastic. I think that would be perfect."

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Fashion accessories brand, Senreve is about more than just luxury leather goods. Co-founders Coral Chung and Wendy Wen explain the important messaging behind their concept and how they made it big in the bag business.

Born out a personal need for an "it" bag that is fashionable, durable and affordable for the modern woman, the two friends Coral and Wendy aimed to fill a gap in the market. Back in 2016, the duo established the Senreve brand, and their first carryall, the Maestra bag. Using premium quality Italian leather in a timeless design that is both stylish and incredibly functional, the Maestra became an instant hit. We chat with the entrepreneurs to learn how they turned a simple idea into a successful startup business.

Names: Coral Chung and Wendy Wen

Profession: CEO and COO

Industry: Luxury Fashion

Start up since: November 2016

Company size: Team of 30+ globally, have raised over US$23M in capital to date

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Boss ladies from local wellness companies share their secrets to success and sanity in today’s business world.

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It is often said that life is too short to be lived dull, playing one character. Eklovey Kashyap took it quite seriously and made most of it at a young age. Eklovey is an actor, singer, director, producer, and co-founder of Hoot and a Half Productions. He has also co-devised Cyclogical as a part of […]

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Linhan Zhang is quite possibly the youngest filmmaker from Hong Kong who has had multiple nominations for award-winning short films in various film festivals around the world. His recent short film The Last Ferry from Grass Island has just been selected for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. We speak to him at SKYE rooftop bar of Parklane Hotel to find out why he founded his film production company Bering Pictures as well as his inspirations and aspirations as a burgeoning director.

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The executive director of the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum reflects upon leadership, Black history, and the value of apprenticeships.

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Wouldn’t it be great to know the optimal diet that successfully makes you lose weight? Or understand your skin’s natural ability to combat wrinkles and be able to strengthen that ability? Or even better, detect that you have a high risk of cancer and be able to prevent rather than treat it?

The good news you can do all these things and more -- all it takes is a simple saliva swab.

We’re talking about Circle DNA, the world’s most comprehensive DNA test that delivers over 500 personalised reports on categories such as disease risk, food sensitivity, and even your personality and behavioural traits. It’s backed by Chinese stars G.E.M., Gigi Leung, and Vanness Wu, and it might just be the health and wellness solution of the future.

We decided to delve a little deeper and met up with CEO and Co-founder Danny Yeung to find out more. Read on to discover how he started, what it takes to be in the genetic-testing industry and most importantly, does it actually work?

Name: Danny Yeung
Profession: CEO and Co-founder of Circle DNA (Prenetics)
Industry: Genetic Testing
Startup since: 2014

Tell us about your business in your own words.

With a simple saliva sample you can uncover different things about yourself -- your genetic blueprint. Things like how to optimise your diet and nutrition, stress profile, pharmacogenetics (your response to drugs), as well as more serious items related to health. It can identify your genetic risk for cancers and diseases: dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s. Even for family planning: if you’re looking to have a child, you can check if you or your partner have any genetic conditions that may or may not pass on to your unborn baby.

You can have a full profile of yourself so you can understand what you need to watch out for, areas that need attention and areas that can be optimised -- it’s optimised wellbeing.

We are focused on health and prevention. We believe everyone should have the power to understand this information. And once you have this information, this is where you can make changes to your diet and lifestyle, ultimately delaying diseases and cancers.

[caption id="attachment_165700" align="alignnone" width="2560"] There are four different Circle DNA test kits that range from HK$1,490 to HK$4,990[/caption]

What’s behind the name Circle DNA?

Circle of life! It’s our direct consumer genetics testing brand, so we wanted to have a name that people would relate to and can remember, and ultimately understand what we do straight away.

Tell me about your best and worst days at work?

The best days are when we launch a product, or when we interview passionate potential employees that eventually join us. New partnerships or distribution deals, too. These are good days. But I do think that we make good progress every day, so I guess, they’re all good days. Ultimately what drives us is that we are making a difference for society. We’re making a difference to someone’s health, to their family and potentially the next generation.

I don’t know if there is a worst day. I have a very optimistic viewpoint naturally. It’s something that comes with being an entrepreneur, I think. Every day has its ups and downs; the challenge is how you get through them.

What do you do when you’re not at work?

When I’m not at work, I like to spend time with my daughter. She’s five years old. We like to take her out to play. Recently, we’ve been spending a lot of time on the South Side and we go to the beach.

[caption id="attachment_165705" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Yeung with his daughter[/caption]

Is that how you ‘switch off’?

Not really. As an entrepreneur, you always have to be switched on. So throughout my life, or at least in the last 15 years since becoming an entrepreneur, it’s been a big part of me, always making sure I’m available. So I never switch off fully.

I look at things with a very logical and optimistic perspective so I don’t get stressed much, either. I try not to dwell on things, especially things I can’t control.

Looking back now, what would you have done differently?

Everything that we have done is part of the learning process. Do I regret anything? No. We’re moving in the right direction. The reason we launched Circle [DNA] now, as opposed to 4, 3 or 2 years ago, is because health and wellness has only become a much bigger topic in the last year or two. People are more aware now. So launching now, people already have a good idea.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start up?

In the health industry, you have to be a little more patient. It takes time to gain traction. Also, there are certain regulatory aspects, government approvals, lab certifications and a lot of different things that you have to do properly. At the end of the day, it’s about people’s health, so you want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to make sure you’re providing the best information to people.

Also, you need to have different stakeholders. Different partners. People that can help get the word out about health. You need to have different parties involved.

Lastly, find out your unique selling proposition, whatever business you’re in. If you don’t have one, then you shouldn’t go into business. A lot of people don’t realise that.

[caption id="attachment_165703" align="alignnone" width="1200"] (Left to right) Vanness Wu, Gigi Leung, G.E.M. and Danny Yeung[/caption]

As a child, what did you aspire to be?

Actually, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I knew that I wanted to have my own business. I didn’t know that it would be this, but I knew I wanted to do my own thing. That’s why I started working really young. I started when I was 15! Or at least that's when I was getting paid. I started working at a baseball card shop when I was 12 and the owner paid me in baseball cards.

What has been your biggest hurdle and how did you overcome it?

I wouldn’t say hurdle, but the biggest challenge, even now, is education. There’s still a lot of misinformation about what genetic testing can do. There’s are people who are like, “I don’t want to know” because they think it’s like a paternity test. But the technology has evolved to be much more than that, so awareness and education for genetic testing is still very important.

We’ve been able to do that somewhat, and have utilised three celebrities -- G.E.M., Vanness [Wu] and Gigi Leung -- who have come on board as our ambassadors. G.E.M., who is also an investor of the company, is putting her own personal name on it. It helps to create awareness, but it’s a continuous challenge. We’re still quite new to this space. I mean, in the US, roughly 8% of the population have done a genetic test. Here, in Asia, it’s only about 0.08%. So you can see the growth opportunity is massive.

Why is Hong Kong such an important market for Circle DNA?

I think Hong Kong is a great place. It’s like the hub between China and Southeast Asia, the connector. I also think Hong Kong is a challenging business environment. If you can survive and succeed here, you should be able to succeed anywhere else. It’s fast-paced and people are passionate here, too.

[caption id="attachment_165702" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Yeung with G.E.M., an investor and ambassador of Circle DNA[/caption]

If you were to invest in another start up, which would it be?

I think there are a lot of innovations in health and AI. Better solutions. There is still a lot of opportunity here. For instance turning something invasive into non-invasive. These are areas that are worth looking into.

What are your goals for 2019? And in the near future?

We are putting further effort into Circle DNA. Last month, we announced a major and exclusive partnership with Watsons where you can walk into any of the stores in Hong Kong and buy our product.

We’re looking to launch in Singapore and Taiwan next year as well, not to mention expanding our business in China. As for new products on the market, that’ll be next year, too.

How do you define success? And do you consider yourself successful?

There may be people that already consider me successful, but I don’t look at it that way. I still feel we have a very long way to go. We’re maybe at 1% of where we should be, but it has been a great journey thus far. We’ve been making the right strategic moves, we have the right investors, the right partnerships and the right business model. Now, we have to just scale and execute.

Ultimately we want to impact millions of people here in Asia. Once we reach a million people, then I might say, “Hey, we’re on to something”. But after that, I’ll have more goals.

[caption id="attachment_165704" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Yeung with the Circle DNA team[/caption]

With other genetic tests on the market, how does Circle DNA compare with the others?

For our technology, the first thing to note is that we utilise whole exome sequencing, while our competitors utilise a technology called genotyping. The problem with genotyping is you’re only looking at a snip of a gene. You’re not looking at the whole gene, so you’re likely to miss a lot. In fact, a recent study revealed that genotyping companies have a 85% false positive rate. Which means if they provide any positive results, 85% of the time, it’s wrong.

Meanwhile, our test has also been externally validated by CUHK, the Croucher Laboratory for Human Genomics, for analytical accuracy at 99.9%. Accuracy to determine that gender mutation does exist in your body.

Do you have examples of people that Circle DNA has worked on?

I’m a prime example. About three years ago, I actually detected that I have an increased risk of colon cancer. So of course, I was quite scared and shocked because I don’t have a family history of cancer. In fact, 40-50% of people who have genetic mutations do not have a history.

It was because of that risk that I modified my diet and lifestyle. I cut out red meat and lost over 20 pounds over the last 3 years. And I also started early screening at 37 years of age. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t get those results. I would have most likely waited until age 50, which is the global recommendation for screening. But for someone like me with an increased risk, that may have been too late for me.

So will I live longer if I take the test?

That’s a bold statement to make, but I can certainly say that our tests can definitely delay or help people to prevent diseases and cancers, therefore saving lives.

For more information about Circle DNA, visit their website here.

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