Bridge Partner: Translating his dual identity into business strategy, influential investor Chibo Tang connects East and West

We meet venture capitalist Chibo Tang on the same day Donald Trump lands in China for a face-to-face with Xi Jinping and a possible reset of superpower ties. Since Tang is a super-successful investor who sees himself as a bridge between East and West, this coincidental concurrence feels like fate – like the universe itself is orchestrating product placement, or magazine calendars and geopolitical giants accidentally have the same Wi-Fi password.

Tang, characteristically calm and composed, acknowledges the symbolism but doesn’t oversell it. The Hong Kong-based Managing Partner of Gobi Partners smiles like a man who’s heard too many ‘signs’ to be impressed by one more. Born in China and educated in the United States, he has turned that dual identity into a professional strategy. His story is one of connecting worlds, forging partnerships, and leading teams who play to win.

The parallel between our rather more humble get-together and the ground-breaking sit-down of world leaders in Beijing clicks even harder as we begin our cover shoot at Chinesology. The restaurant’s contemporary aesthetics reflect the value and beauty of reactivated Chinese cuisine, adding new elements without abandoning tradition. In short, Chibo Tang and Chinesology share the mindset that modern innovation should respect its roots, not bulldoze them. They’re both focused on translation, timing and balance, on bridging two worlds without losing the plot.

Values Asset

Tang talks like a man who’s seen enough cycles to know that the world never moves in straight lines, and yet, somehow, it moves. He doesn’t romanticise his origin story; he lays it out simply like a business founder explaining how they achieve product-market fit: “I grew up in a family of academics. [While] my parents brought me up with traditional Chinese values, I ended up spending a lot of time reading and gaming. By the time college applications rolled around, I was convinced that I didn’t want to be an academic. I wanted to explore an intersection of business and engineering.”

Then came a hiccup that highlights Tang’s mentality to a tee – when the universe says ‘no’, he treats it like data. He had set his heart on attending Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts, yet despite a perfect SAT score of 1600, he didn’t get in. But he believes “everything happens for a reason”, and brings that same energy into investing.

Activating Plan B, Tang went to Harvard College and acquired a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and economics. “Ambition was all my own,” he says. “Grades and academic prowess never meant much to me. Straight As [only] mean that you’re good at taking tests. I look at results, not at résumés.”

Empathy Engine

It’s a tactic that has served him well in a career that kicked off as a management consultant developing consumer segment activation strategies, and spanned spells in Shanghai prior to assuming, in 2009, his current role at Gobi, one of Asia’s leading early-stage venture-capital firms.

The deeper you go with Tang, the more you realise the bridge isn’t just professional. It’s personal, and he doesn’t skip the hard part. “The toughest challenge was probably coping with the discrimination that comes with being an immigrant in a foreign land,” he confesses.

As one of just a handful of Asian kids growing up outside Boston, bullies were part of his early life when he moved to the US aged three. He credits his parents, who sent him back to China every summer, with shaping him into a blend of two worlds. “Ultimately, being able to identify as both cultures – relating with either and offending neither – is the perfect background to help bridge the two,” he states.

Tang might be described as the ‘chillest’ boss in venture capital. He’s often seen in a hoodie and running shoes, plus a carry-on suitcase, unladen with ego or entitlement. “Is it happy hour yet?” he laughs mid-shoot. “I think I need a mojito after all of these [photos].” He casually calls his assistant “dude” as if he’s managing a team but not trying to intimidate anyone into productivity.

Investor Intelligence

Yet his brain runs 24/7. He’s always thinking of more: how to offer more, help more, connect more. Even in conversation, his mind is doing what his role demands: turning relationships into opportunities. He shares that Gobi Partners has grown AUM (assets under management) more than 10-fold to nearly US$2 billion since he joined in 2009. Next year is Gobi’s 25th anniversary, and they have an internal target to triple their AUM over the next few years. Expansion into emerging markets along the Belt and Road is part of the impetus.

Tang has a structured way of sizing up startups. “The most basic framework is threefold – market size, product and team,” he says, breaking it down like a checklist. “I’ve also added a fourth dimension, which is capital market momentum.” Challenging the US$1 billion unicorn hype, he adds: “Unicorns are aspirational, but many fall back soon after reaching that status. Valuations are products of the market, and hype cycles can outrun fundamentals.”

He also references the decacorn threshold (startups privately valued at US$10 billion), explaining that many unicorns get stuck in a “middle-income trap” – too big to be acquired, too small for IPO against established mega-caps.

Heart Burners

Returns matter in the world of venture capital, though for Tang, being able to say “I helped bring these technologies to the world” is more satisfying. His philosophy of success hinges on managing burners – the life version of resource allocation. Outlining the four burners theory, he opines: “It is impossible to keep all burners going strong. Your time and energy are finite, and there’s family, friends, work and health. You can’t keep all burners high all the time. You must choose what to feed and what to let lower.”

He argues that true success is achieving balance, and happiness – like money-making – comes as a by-product of this, but with impact and meaning. To him, venture capital sits at the intersection of wealth creation and societal progress.

Ultimate Fate

Personally, he wants to keep expanding his global perspective, meeting at new ‘courts’ with people he can learn from. His big life lesson? “The journey isn’t the destination. Milestones are rest stops, not the finish line, and then the road onwards continues.”

He and his wife, Karen Wong, who accompanies him at the shoot, have been married for almost two years. He believes in the concept of yuanfen – fated affinity or destiny – and the couple used feng shui to guide their choice of wedding day.

Head in the Game

Outside of work, the six-foot-two millennial enjoys playing basketball. It’s mid-May when the NBA playoffs are in full swing, and he is following two teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers. In sport as in life, he believes in being the bridge between two viewpoints. Which brings us full circle. Our meeting ends in the same way as it began: musing on the idea of connection.

Bridging two worlds isn’t a slogan for Chibo Tang; it’s a skill, a strategy and a philosophy. At the end of the day, thriving in business and progressing as a team aren’t just about winning. They are about bridging, so different worlds can finally play on the same court.

Interview, Text & Art Direction: Joseff Musa Photographer: Jack Law Videographer: Iris Ventura Venue: Chinesology

Vision Board: For Puyi Optical next-gen Julian Yau, eyewear is a story and leadership a lens

Drawing from both parents, Julian Yau brings a new brand of disciplined creativity to a visionary family business

Upon our arrival at Puyi Optical’s head office, Julian Yau takes great delight in showing us slides. Not the usual corporate kind – more like a visual scrapbook of the last chapter, stitched to the next one. A brand anniversary celebration? Sure. A look back at the past 25 years? Absolutely. But the real focus is the future, which is framed by the youthful Brand Director not as “growth”, but as development of experience – vision, yes, but also meaning.

Gen Z Julian was born in 2000, a year before his father, Jeffery Yau, founded the now multi-city luxury eyewear retailer. “I was in Hong Kong until 14, then went to the US for high school at Choate and college at Wharton,” he recounts, like he is opening the first page of a storybook. He smiles, as if he can already see the ending.

“I’d been sitting in on meetings and hearing about the business since high school. I had a surface-level understanding, but it was clear I couldn’t play any real part in it unless I had a robust business foundation. I set out to study business [finance and management] at the University of Pennsylvania.

“[Afterwards] I saw that my skills – in branding, in storytelling, in connecting different moving parts – aligned naturally with what we were doing. There was work I could genuinely help with [and] that was the confirmation I needed.”

Eyewear as a Canvas

This ‘structure first, magic second’ philosophy runs through everything Yau does ¬– like a disciplined paintbrush. It’s also the reason he talks about his job as something active: fighting for room to create: “At work, a lot of what I do is fight for space – to give ourselves a canvas to work with – and fight to have the tools, the ‘paint’, to create things.”

“My mother [artist Margaret Yau] is an oil painter,” he reminds us, “and in a way I followed in her footsteps – I grew up drawing and building things to play with: paper cars, even paper time machines.”

A paper time machine. That detail lands like a quiet punchline because it explains how Yau thinks: you build, you test, you iterate, you wait, and then you learn. His upbringing also prepared him for a leadership world that doesn’t always reward imagination alone.

“Beyond discipline, patience and humility, my father emphasises character,” he shares fondly. “To him, success never really mattered unless I was able to internalise it properly. If I failed at something, I needed to know how to pick myself back up. If I succeeded, I couldn’t get full of myself. The benchmark was always yourself – did you do your best?”

For any young person imagining that a family business is an effortless inheritance, Yau the younger corrects that fantasy immediately. “He didn’t care much if my grades were good if he didn’t see me try. And if I lost a competition that I’d trained hard for, he’d genuinely recognise the effort. That taught me early on that results aren’t the whole story. The relationship you have with your own work is what matters.” In other words, you don’t get to outsource your integrity.

Firm Eye for Family

In the Gen Z era, young people no longer ‘join’ industries; they collect them. But despite being Puyi Optical’s heir apparent, Yau didn’t just fall into eyewear like fate; he framed it as a bridge. “I approached my career with an open mind,” he explains. “The family business was a legacy, but it only carried that weight and responsibility if I was the right person for the job. It’s hard to separate my interest from my family ties, but honestly, even setting that aside, I think I’d be drawn to eyewear.”

Then he delivers a line that feels like the mission statement hidden inside his career: “Beyond having poor eyesight myself and a desperate need for glasses, the thing that really stands out to me is that it’s a confluence of disciplines: healthcare, retail, fashion, design, craftsmanship.”

The word ‘confluence’ matters here. It’s why he sees a boutique not as a storefront, but as a cross-industry experience. “I’ve always thought of myself as a bridge – in fact, my Chinese name means ‘holy bridge’. I like to think of myself as a bridge between cultures and fields, and eyewear sits right at that intersection.”

Should the next generation feel obliged to further what their parents have built? “No,” says Yau plainly. “I think it’s about you as an individual.” Then he adds the accountability clause: “But you are obligated to be honest with yourself – to genuinely assess whether you’re the right person, and to make the best decision based on that. If you’re not, that’s fine. Bring in people who can help. A legacy is better served by someone who’s truly committed than by someone who’s there out of obligation.”

Seeing then Believing

Having interned in varied environments, Yau explored alternative paths rather than default to the expected one. He earned a master’s degree in data science and worked in that field for a while. “If I’d turned out to take a different path, I’m sure my parents would have been just as proud,” he notes. “The legacy influenced me, but it never dictated my choices.”

Then came the defining realisation. “When you grow up around something, you can take it for granted. But stepping away – being in New York, working in a different context – I recognised how rare Puyi actually is.”

Puyi Optical’s approach has always been personal: understanding each customer’s personality, interests and needs. That’s the brand’s DNA. Innovation is still part of the story, but Yau doesn’t treat it as a replacement for craft. “It’s more nuanced than tradition versus innovation,” he says. “A lot of the traditional things we do at the company actually have room for innovation built into them.”

He also believes that leadership isn’t just “contributing”, it’s earning trust in real time. And he admits the trap of overcorrecting. Which is the kind of vulnerability modern brands increasingly need – not glossy confidence, but responsible humility.

Lens on Life

Yau’s personal happiness is derived from friends, loved ones, family, “and having purpose”. He adds: “To be honest, happiness is one of the things that’s less directly tied to my work itself. Work is my platform – it’s about what I do with it and my relationship to it.”

As the interview wraps, he returns us to who he is – Gen Z in spirit, but not in clichés. The most eye-opening part of our encounter isn’t his education, his finance discipline, or his brand slides. It’s his patience. When our photographer arrives late, he treats it not as a challenge but as a process to respect, the way you respect the slow build of something that matters.

Because somewhere in his childhood – assembling paper cars and time machines – was the same principle: you don’t rush the craft. You build the frame. You align the lens. You let the story come into focus. And that’s why Julian Yau’s brand of Gen Z cannot be labelled loud, careless or performative. It’s creative but structured, and visionary but grounded.

Interview, Text & Art Direction: Joseff Musa Photographer: Jack Law Videographer: Iris Ventura

Soaring Star: Cast to the head of a century-old jewellery legacy, Camille Sze seizes the moment to shine

Camille Sze arrives for our cover shoot like the universe is already in on the joke. She makes a face, half comedian, half reluctant model, and gestures toward the camera crew with the energy of someone who definitely wasn’t born for posing. “I know I can’t master this part,” she says, trying a confident stance. Pausing as if expecting her body to correct itself, she manages something between a runway strut and a confused Roomba. The crew laughs; Sze laughs louder.

She doesn’t give up on the pose, though. She grins, adjusts her hands, and leans into her own “quirky” personality with a defiant intensity. Suddenly, the shots snap into place, each one a little better than the last. The President of K.S. Sze & Sons models the way she treats jewellery: not as a performance, but as an interactive craft.

Unusually, Sze has selected two locations for our cover shoot, because if you’re going to tell the story of a woman who returned to her Hong Kong roots to lead a ‘star’ legacy jeweller, you can’t do it with one address. She demands city-wide, connection-forward bling in more than one language. So after wrapping up at Nuovo furniture showroom, she breezes into private members’ club HKGTA Town Club with her entourage of makeup artists, stylists, assistants and K. S. Sze & Sons staff – an entire moving constellation of people who know her rhythms and standards.

Switching a standard photo into a signature statement, she strikes a pose with a bracelet worn on her leg. “It’s my way of stepping into my parents’ and family’s decades-long legacy,” she explains. “It’s challenging, but it’s every moment worth it.” With this gesture, she demonstrates how her sense of humour becomes sincerity and her sincerity strategy. Sze has not only inherited the heritage, but she’s learning to wear it with comfort, impact and a future built into every jewel.

Family First

Before the 2023 passing of her father, Dr. Nien Dak Sze, Sze’s life carried the familiar rhythms of the US, where she was born and educated, and where her family name – though registered in New York as a limited liability company – is a less familiar brand. K.S. Sze & Sons, known as ‘Gold Star Jewellery’ in Chinese, was founded in Shanghai in 1923 by her grandfather, landed in Hong Kong in 1949, and has enjoyed pride of place as a prestige jeweller in the Mandarin Oriental since 1963, before moving to Ice House Street just recently.

Despite being armed with over a decade of award-winning creative and strategic work for Fortune 500 brands, the Harvard University alumnus’s self-doubt shows as she relates her rise to head of the family business, presenting it not as destiny, but as uncertainty, then commitment. “I never asked [the family] if I was capable of taking on the role; it seemed like a rabbit hole of negativity none of us had time to consider,” she notes.

“What I did openly acknowledge was an urgent goal of appreciating and understanding the culture of Hong Kong.” She pauses, as the pivot in the narrative turns from pressure to purpose. “Not only does this matter as a business practice, but it matters to my personal growth, above all. Am I a tourist here in Hong Kong? Or, is it more accurate to say, I am finally home?”

It’s a question that threads through everything Sze does, especially the way she handles the jewels themselves – treating her heritage not like a museum artefact but as something alive and will evolve if you let it.

Second Century

“It’s 2026, and it’s still here,” she says of the now fourth-generation jeweller. “Mission accomplished. But there are a lot of challenges ahead.” The ‘mission accomplished’ tone is not complacency; it’s earned endurance. But now the work changes; her aim is to transform the brand as it journeys to a second successful century.

She’s deeply grateful to her mother, Cecilia Wong Sze, for “putting up with a lot of mistake-making”, a phrase so human it almost feels like a rare gemstone: polished honesty. “I see myself as a genuine work-in-progress,” she states, adding that beginners are bestowed a gift seasoned professionals sometimes lose: the willingness to ask, test and revise.

The mother’s experience has shaped the daughter’s confidence, not by silencing mistakes but by creating an environment where mistakes can become learning. “We are a team,” she says. “But let me be perfectly honest about a clear line of distinction: she is my mother, a trusted guide to listen and learn from. I am more than lucky… I am truly, truly blessed.” Cecilia provides the strategic elegance, while Camille is the relentless driver behind the transformation.

While recognising that working closely with family comes with “pitfalls”, she also names the antidote: trust. She credits her staff as “the walls holding up the company’s earned trust. With that trust comes something indispensable: we create room for each other as a team to grow.”

Priceless Luxury

Sze offers a sharp, practical definition of luxury – one that isn’t designed for social media: “The apex of luxury is not the sheen of marketing.” For her, luxury is comfort, atmosphere, and the feeling that jewellery lovers will be treated with dignity and patience. “Ownership standing guard on the premises is rare in the jewellery business,” she says.

Then she reframes the company’s business philosophy: clients are not trend-chasing consumers; they are collectors, appreciators, people who have risen with Hong Kong’s own jewellery evolution. They don’t want gimmicks; they want fit, adjustment, convenience and aftercare. “We don’t Google their status,” she says. “We don’t play games with their right to be served.” She calls her clients brilliant and their creativity priceless. Jewellery isn’t viewed as a product line, but a shared narrative.

Sentimental Sustainability

She describes stepping into her father’s shoes after his passing as a challenge, then a bond “post mortem”. She unpacked boxes, thousands of gems, read his handwritten notes and treasured his keepsakes. From that exploration came the Leftovers project, a personal search for ways to keep her father closer through the objects he helped shape. It has become popular with a wave of clientele who want to renew their own jewellery and remembrances.

“For every missing earring, there is an opportunity to create a charm or pendant,” she says. “For every heirloom buried at the bottom of a jewellery box, there is an opportunity for deeply meaningful transformation.”

Under her leadership, the company has created custom pieces that transform these ‘leftovers’, including a diamond-encased David Yurman dog tag. Shattered jade doesn’t get thrown away; it gets treasured, reinterpreted and reimagined for clients. They even accept customer requests to repair beloved jewels from other brands, from Cartier to Mikimoto. To Sze and family, it’s an honour and a privilege to help savour love for jewellery.

Camille Cameo

Today, she wears her father’s vintage Burberry necktie close to her heart, adorned with some of her latest creations. She stops for a moment during the interview, eyes focused somewhere between concentration and courage. Then barely audible, like a private thought meant for the universe alone, she whispers to herself: “Let’s do this, Dad. We got this.”

Camille Sze doesn’t just represent K.S. Sze & Sons, she inhabits it – humorously, bravely, and with the kind of conviction that only comes from learning to be at home in your own story. And when a century-old business becomes yours to transform, you don’t pose perfectly for the camera. You revise and adjust constantly, and while you keep the gems close, you step forward.

Interview, Text & Art Direction: Joseff Musa Photographer: Jack Law Videographer: Iris Ventura Hair styling: Annakay Simpson-Upadek Makeup: Jaime Smith Venues: Nuovo Collection Showroom & HKGTA Town Club Jewelleries: K.S. Sze & SONS Jewels, Friendship bracelets, earrings and anklet Wardrobe: Katerin Theys

Mind Master: From rockets to relaxation, Renewed Edge Hypnotherapy Centre’s Christine Deschemin charts a new path in wellbeing

Christine Deschemin’s calm, sun-lit abode in Repulse Bay is the ideal environment to discuss stressors and sleeping patterns. As we admire her lush-green mountain and sea views, the CEO of Renewed Edge Hypnotherapy Centre suddenly digresses with a laugh: “And right over there lives one of the richest tycoons in Hong Kong. And over there is a celebrity.” It’s actually an apt introduction: her approach to mental health, the panorama is both grounding and expansive – rooted in science, open to possibility.

Deschemin’s CV reads like a page-turning novel that begins with aeronautical blueprints and ends with guided breathing tracks. Earning a Master of Science degree from École Polytechnique and an MBA from Harvard Business School gave her razor-sharp analytical tools and business savvy. But early on, she discovered that systems thinking could be applied to a system far more intricate than a rocket: the human mind. Childhood inquisitiveness, questions about flight mechanics and an interest in human behaviour grew into a career that blends engineering precision with clinical compassion.

“I grew up in an environment that celebrated curiosity and problem-solving,” shares the French national, who came to Hong Kong in 2012 as a wealth manager. After years of optimising aeronautics and making decisions in high-pressure banking environments, she realised that the most consequential system to improve was human wellbeing. The pivot felt less like an escape and more like an upgrade: same rigour, but new, and profoundly human, payoff.

Fencer, Financier, Founder

The certified hypnotherapist is no stranger to pressure. As a former competitive fencer, she learned to size up the opposition, react in milliseconds, and keep composure under duress. “In épée, you’re constantly reading your opponent and adjusting tactics,” she says. Those instincts proved invaluable when launching her hypnotherapy centre a decade ago, and the digital suite that followed. Entrepreneurship, she argues, is a tactical sport: preparation, repetition, discipline and the willingness to learn from every touché.

In 2020, Deschemin released the UpNow app to bring self-hypnosis to anyone with a smartphone. The app’s self-hypnosis downloads were developed to make mental health affordable and portable, an idea that felt urgent as the Covid pandemic frayed sleep and increased anxiety worldwide.

An early testimonial still moves her: a woman in her 60s, living far away, who reported sleeping again after using the app. “What struck me most was her gratitude for having access to efficacious interventions at an affordable cost,” she recalls. The story is evidence of what she terms her core mission: democratising access to quality care so suffering no longer depends on postcodes or bank accounts.

Where Science Meets Soul

Precision empathy is the secret sauce. Her work is deliberately multidisciplinary; hypnotherapy, psychology and digital therapeutics are strands woven into a single rope. “École Polytechnique taught me to think in systems and demand mathematical precision,” she explains. While at Harvard, she learnt how to scale solutions. The result: evidence-based programs that feel humane, not mechanical.

Her hypnotherapy downloads were created and voiced by clinicians and crafted using techniques with strong clinical roots (including elements of neuro-linguistic programming and mindfulness). Rejecting the binary that pits scientific rigour against compassion, she champions “precision empathy”, using data to determine what works, then delivering it in ways that respect people’s lives, cultures and constraints.

Asia presents unique challenges to the hypnotherapist: stigma, a performance-driven culture, and uneven access to care. She addresses stigma by reframing mental health as performance optimisation rather than weakness. Digital delivery lowers cost barriers and preserves privacy, which is critical in communities where face-saving matters.

She’s optimistic about culturally adapted models. “Digital therapeutics allow us to reach populations who would never walk into a therapist’s office but will engage with an app,” she says. Her strategic aim is to create programs that feel both culturally relevant and clinically reliable. Small downloads can realise big life changes.

Stories That Count

Beyond metrics, Deschemin is motivated by stories: the executive who reclaimed sleep, the athlete who regained focus, the midlife woman who found relief during menopause. These aren’t anecdotes to her; they’re a north star. The note from the woman who hadn’t slept in weeks during the Covid crisis demonstrated that accessible interventions can restore everyday life in ways often dismissed by conventional healthcare.

Running a company is like managing a team bout in fencing. She brings a governance-minded clarity to growth, and board roles taught her the balance between risk and innovation. She empowers colleagues with autonomy and clear resources, fostering a culture of competence and trust. “I give people challenging goals and the tools to achieve them, then get out of their way,” she says. The result is a virtuous cycle where empowered teams iterate quickly and responsibly.

Practical Zen

Deschemin is candid about the personal cost of her healthcare entrepreneurship: it’s easy to neglect one’s own well-being. So, she has daily non-negotiables, including sufficient sleep and long walks in Hong Kong’s hills. Nature is her reset button: a place to process, plan and replenish. These rituals keep her grounded so she can keep giving, because she notes, “you cannot pour from an empty cup”.

Looking ahead, she wants to offer a suite of evidence-based digital therapeutics for menopause, anxiety, sleep, gastrointestinal conditions and stress-related disorders. Her five-to-10-year goal is to integrate these programs into healthcare systems and insurers’ coverage, so evidence-based digital therapies are standard care rather than fringe options. “Success is impact at scale, and for me that means millions finding relief where none existed before,” she says.

Clear View, Clearer Mind

As our visit ends, Deschemin gestures toward the bay and the mountain. The view is more than scenic, it’s metaphorical. “When your vantage point is clear, you make better decisions,” she says. The same goes for mental health: a clearer inner view, less cluttered by stress and distorted thinking, allows people to act with agency and grace. The vista from her house is a daily reminder that perspective matters. Whether you’re facing a tycoon’s mansion or the turbulence of burnout, a clean line of sight makes the way forward easier to see.

The compassionate hypnotherapist would likely appreciate the subtlety of the pun that she’s built a career helping people get their minds ‘up now’. From rocket science to guided relaxation, she’s proving that a clear view – of the horizon and the mind – makes all the difference.

Interview, Text & Art Direction: Joseff Musa Photographer: Jack Law Videographer: Iris Ventura

Theatres of Dreams: WestK performing tsar Paul Tam keeps the stage arts alive and inspiring for all

Our audience with Paul Tam, Executive Director of Performing Arts at the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA), takes place a day after this year’s Oscars ceremony. Outside, the breezy, insistently alive March weather makes you believe culture isn’t merely something you attend, but something you inhabit.

We begin with the controversial, viral hot take of that week: best-actor nominee Timothée Chalamet’s implication that “no one cares anymore” about performing arts like ballet and opera. This criticism of efforts “to keep [them] alive” offended many in the industry. We are expecting Tam to hit back, or perhaps diplomatically sit on the fence, but he does neither.

“I mean, did Chalamet lie though?” he asks. “Let’s be real – performing arts, ballet and opera have been here for ages and ages, and yes, it has been challenging for these industries. That’s why people like me have this responsibility of bringing fresh takes and ideas to make it still relevant up to this day and the years to come.”

After a beat, he continues, friendly, precise and almost coach-like: “I take his comment as a challenge more than offensive. It reminds us that when we discuss the future of these art forms, it’s important to frame our ideas thoughtfully and constructively, in a classy and decent way. ”

Classy and decent. It feels like a stage direction, and from there, the interview unfolds like a performance – part Q&A, part manifesto, part invitation to rethink what art institutions owe the future.

Curtain Up

When you meet arts leaders, you often meet the origin story of their taste. For Tam, it began long before he played a concert-hall piano. “I grew up in a traditional Chinese family,” he shares. “My father was a successful restaurateur, often out and about entertaining with my mother. He bought a piano for my sister, and out of a mix of sibling rivalry and natural curiosity, I started tinkering with it at 14. Within just a few years, I had completed all my grades.”

He majored in piano performance with a minor in composition at Canada’s York University and dreamt of becoming a “jet-setting concert pianist”. “I thought I was pretty good, until my final year, when my piano professor told me, ‘Paul, you’re good as a chamber musician, but you’ll never be good enough to be a concert pianist.’ Those words crushed me, but they also gave me clarity.”

Redirection was required. “I decided to pursue an MBA in Arts Administration. If I couldn’t be on centre stage, I thought at least I could help others get there – one of the best decisions I have ever made.” The phrase ‘help others get there’ echoes like a motif throughout our conversation. More than a career choice for Tam, it became a belief system.

Management Spotlight

Before joining WestK (West Kowloon Cultural District) in 2020, his many arts-management credits included a total of 10 years at the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and six years as Executive Director of Hong Kong Ballet. “[In 2014] the company was emerging from a challenging period,” he explains of the latter. “My task was to reimagine this venerable institution with a renewed vision and a refreshed identity.”

From that effort came the slogan ‘Never Standing Still’, a mantra that embraces an intriguing rhythm, like choreography you still remember after leaving the theatre. An artistic inflection point followed: “Then came Septime Webre, the Artistic Director of Hong Kong Ballet, whose arrival in 2017 marked a bright, new chapter. With his bold vision of global expansion and a distinctive balletic style, both approachable and deeply expressive, the company took off quickly, growing from strength to strength ever since.”

By becoming approachable and deeply expressive, the venerable art form breaks free of its museum-ballet constraints, gaining relevance in the modern age.

Home and Art

Tam’s philosophy as an arts leader is expressed in warmer tones than the usual institutional vocabulary. Speaking of WestK Performing Arts Centre (WestK PAC), which is slated to open next year, he expounds, “I hope it becomes a true home for the arts; a place where artists can test ideas, refine their craft, create new works, and grow alongside our creative producers, while everyone – patrons or casual visitors, locals or tourists – feels a genuine sense of belonging.”

And then, the practical definition of a ‘true home for the arts’: “From our two museums to the WestK Performing Arts Centre, [these] are not just centres of entertainment, but hubs of inspiration and civic connection, [where] we create and present some of the finest artistic experiences from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and beyond.”

He describes the intended outcome in a near cinematic metaphor: “The vision is for a vibrant, year-round programme that attracts local audiences as well as visitors.”

Centre Stage

As WestK expands, Tam’s job becomes less poetic and more technical: as well as year-round programming, there are scales of theatre, transportation adjacency and audience-building pipelines to consider. “We’ll soon have three major venues, and within them, over 10 theatres of varying scales, all forming the backbone of our growing WestK theatre hub,” he says.

“With major transportation networks such as the High-Speed Rail terminal right at the doorstep, you could think of the hub as Hong Kong’s own mini-Broadway, or West End, stretching two kilometres from Xiqu Centre to Freespace, surrounded by restaurants, shops and a lively cultural buzz.” It’s urban design as programming strategy, and culture as a street-level experience, not a distant destination.

Audience for All

Some critics argue that the arts remain elitist, something for those who already have the cultural capital to feel comfortable in expensive seats. “There is some truth to that,” allows Tam. “Arts can feel exclusive and elitist: a top-tier Met Opera ticket can easily sit beyond a typical salaryman’s budget, and a highly abstract contemporary dance work can intimidate many first-time audiences who worry they ‘won’t get it’.”

His focus is on what institutions can do in response, through programming and accessibility design. “I believe in curating a programme that resonates with all the voices of our community. From The Impossible Trial [a Cantonese musical commissioned by WestK] and Freespace Jazz Fest to Hedwig and the Angry Inch [a Cantonese version of a very famous rock musical by John Cameron Mitchell] and cabaret, we embrace both mainstream and alternative voices.”

He also stresses inclusivity as infrastructure, not PR: “Inclusivity is everything we do, too. We’ve built accessibility into our programmes; for example, our WestK FunFest, the largest performing arts festival targeting family audiences, provides special access tours for visually impaired visitors led by sighted and visually impaired guides, and Hong Kong Sign Language tours conducted by deaf guides and interpreters.” So the question shifts: not ‘Who belongs?’ but ‘How can we design belonging?’

House of Applause

While Tam didn’t realise his concert-pianist dream, he still lives for the applause. “Every applause still touches me deeply and is the main source of my professional happiness,” he says. “I’ll never forget working off-stage at a concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum with Hacken Lee and the Hong Kong Philharmonic years ago. Almost 10,000 people were cheering for a truly memorable performance. I was in tears, tears of joy. That’s the magic that keeps me going every day.”

This is the emotional engine behind his optimism. It’s also a reminder that arts leadership isn’t only planning calendars; it’s planning moments when people feel something together. Asked if this will be his legacy, his answer is both modest and pointed. “Legacy is a big word. But if, in some small way, I’ve helped make Hong Kong’s arts ecology just a little richer, more connected and more alive, then that’s enough.”

It’s clear that Tam moves through his work with class, integrity and passion. He circles back to his earlier caution about the Chalamet controversy: ideas must be presented with dignity, like art staged to respect the audience.

Interview, Text & Art Direction: Joseff Musa Photographer: Jack Law Videographer: Iris Ventura

As Luk Would Have It: Contemporary furnishing honcho Tony Luk brings art to the heart of the home

New Year, new hopes, and a little luck in design. We meet furniture showroom director and home lifestyle curator Tony Luk a week before the Lunar New Year. The festive season has long been associated with the tradition of buying something new – clothing, homeware, furniture – to usher in luck and prosperity. Yet, Luk admits that the practice has evolved over the years. “It’s been tough for us, but it’s gaining some traction now,” he says with a hopeful smile. “I hope business continues to only go up from here.”

Despite current challenges, Luk remains optimistic about the future, confident that momentum will grow. His resilience mirrors the very essence of the design world, constant evolution and renewal, just like the art and architecture he so passionately champions.

Drawn to Creativity

Luk’s adventure in the world of design started long before he debuted his prestigious interiors spaces, Louvre Galley and Andante, at the Design Showcase in Ruttonjee Centre, Central. During his childhood in Hong Kong, he was captivated by drawing, a talent that sprouted from an innate curiosity. “In primary school, I enjoyed sketching, but it was more about exploring my inner self,” he recalls. It wasn’t until secondary school that his passion deepened.

Joining the school Art Club in his first year, he discovered a love for capturing images, particularly through film photography. “Photography inspired me to pay attention to details, geometry, colour, and how light and shade interplay,” he explains. These foundational elements would later become the building blocks of his design philosophy – an eye for precision, harmony and aesthetic subtlety, rooted in his early artistic explorations.

Building Foundations

Luk’s initial ambition was to become an architect, a dream sparked by his fascination with cityscapes and buildings. “Photography probably played a role here, too,” he notes. “I was mesmerised by the imposing structures around the city; how they ‘spoke’ to each other and to the people.” He headed to the UK to study the subject.

To him, architecture is a form of art – large-scale, impactful and intimately connected to society. It is a dialogue between form and function, beauty and utility. His experience working on the design of the new Hong Kong International Airport in the 1990s further expanded this perspective. “Being involved from the very beginning was a huge catalyst,” says Luk, who returned to Hong Kong to join the project. “It helped me understand how architecture can be both grand and human, technical yet poetic.”

Working alongside global experts in aviation design, he gained insights into how public architecture balances aesthetics with practicality. This experience laid the groundwork for his later pursuit of interior and lifestyle design – fields where he could bring art closer to people’s everyday lives.

High-flying Interiors

Post-Chek Lap Kok, Luk faced a pivotal decision: continue with large-scale projects or focus on something more personal? “I wanted to get ‘closer’ to the end-users,” he says of his shift towards intimate design. “Interior-design projects tend to be shorter in cycle and more directly impact people’s daily lives.”

He began working with European furniture brands, notably Italian design company Minotti, which caught his eye for its blend of contemporary elegance and craftsmanship. He became the firm’s exclusive authorised dealer in Hong Kong and Macau, and Andante was born in 2004. A curated space where modern design meets sophisticated lifestyle, the flagship showroom spans two floors and 600 square metres. This inviting sanctuary is filled with carefully selected collections that embody Luk’s core philosophy of supreme quality, subtle style and timeless sophistication.

Located next door to Louvre Gallery, which was established in 1997, Andante has become a beacon of contemporary Italian and European design spanning furniture, lighting, home accessories and glass art. Beyond Minotti, it showcases names such as Venini, Bomma, Kose, SkLO, Tato, Nahoor, Venicem, Lumen Center, Purho, An&angel and Darmes.

Reflection of the Times

To Luk, “contemporary design” is more than just a style; it’s a reflection of the era. “It’s a time reference,” he explains. “Every period has its own contemporary expression. What was once ‘contemporary’ might eventually become ‘classical’ or ‘vintage’.” He believes that modern lifestyles – individualistic, flexible and urban – shape the evolution of design. “Contemporary design must mirror these lifestyles,” he says. “It should offer clean lines, quieter luxury, modest details and adaptability.”

He emphasises that art plays a vital role in interior spaces. “Historically, art was often an afterthought, something to ‘decorate’ walls at the end,” he notes. However, during the Covid pandemic, Luk rethought this approach. “Art should be integrated from the very beginning of the design process,” he declares. “In our Art Andante initiative, we now showcase how art can lead and inspire interior design, creating a complete ambience that is both aesthetic and emotional.”

Art in the Details

The concept of art as an integral part of design is central to Luk’s philosophy. “It’s about creating a dialogue between art and interior,” he explains. “Art doesn’t just decorate a space; it defines it.” This holistic perspective involves artworks, decorative items and furnishings curated to work in harmony, elevating the entire environment.

“During Covid, I realised that art could even lead the design concept,” he says. “Now, we aim for a 360-degree experience, where art is conceived alongside furniture and lighting, not just appended at the end.” This innovative approach has garnered appreciation from clients who seek spaces that are not only stylish but deeply meaningful, spaces that tell stories and evoke emotions.

A Style of His Own

The personality of this accomplished photographer shines through as we photograph him. It’s apparent that he’s an easy-going boss and fun-loving entrepreneur, with a passion for the finer things in life “Is this Richard Gere enough for you?” he jokes, referencing the iconic Pretty Woman film poster as he poses for the camera. His staff cheer him on, proud of their leader’s vision and charisma.

His outfit is a testament to his refined taste and appreciation for elegance and quality. Designer pieces are carefully selected, down to the smallest details of the cufflinks he wears, and his wardrobe is impeccably coordinated.

Luk’s journey proves that passion, art and strategic thinking can transform into a thriving enterprise that elevates Hong Kong’s design scene. His story reminds us that behind every elegant space, there’s a person who believes in the power of beauty and the importance of craftsmanship, and a professional ethos that inspires sophistication and the artful pursuit of modern living.

Interview, Text & Art Direction: Joseff Musa Photographer: Jack Law Videographer: Iris Ventura

Women’s Might: Fearless author and speaker, Sylvia Yu Friedman dedicates her life to redressing inequality and injustice

Relentless activist, best-selling author, award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker, inspirational speaker, philanthropist, investment advisor – Sylvia Yu Friedman is running out of hyphens to add to her name, with each title building on the last. Yet none fully capture the woman who has dedicated her life to amplifying the voiceless while embracing her own multifaceted identity. Is it all too much of a mouthful? Maybe, but each one represents a layer of a life dedicated to impact.

As the aromatic scent of a perfectly blended coffee wafts temptingly over our alfresco breakfast setting at The Murray, she announces to the world: “I need my morning booster.” Twenty minutes later, her coffee remains untouched as she passionately discusses her transition from a safe corporate world to a fearless champion of women subjected to sex trafficking. Despite the glitz and glamour that sometimes surround her, it is clear there is more beneath the surface – a deeper purpose that drives her every move.

From Pain to Power

Born in Vancouver to Korean immigrant parents, young Sylvia faced racism “long before it was widely acknowledged”. “Adults and kids called me a ‘chink’, and I was mocked for my food and culture,” she recalls. “I was mortified and ashamed of my heritage, which led me to disconnect from my roots.” At 12, she vowed to suppress her Korean identity and blend into a predominantly white society.

This early racial prejudice ignited her passion for social justice, but her journey of self-acceptance was a long and winding road. It was decades later, while living in Beijing and travelling to remote Chinese villages, that she rediscovered her roots: “It was a full circle, and I began to embrace my Korean heritage again, especially through the lens of Korean dramas and storytelling.” Her early anguish became her greatest superpower. “The area of your greatest pain is often your greatest strength,” she asserts.

Standing Up for All

Friedman’s relationship with her father was fraught with gender bias. “He treated me like the son he never had,” she explains. “I felt I had to prove my worth through achievement. It was exhausting, and I felt an ongoing identity crisis as a woman.” A breakthrough came when a mentor urged her to forgive her father and embrace her identity. That act of forgiveness kindled her determination to uplift women and fight gender inequality across Asia.

Her advocacy is rooted in her own experiences and her unwavering belief that – quoting US civil-rights activist Maya Angelou – “each woman standing up for herself is standing up for all women”. Her message to women everywhere: forgive, recognise your strengths, celebrate your unique identity, and pursue your purpose without fear.

Champion of the Oppressed / Empowerment Spools

Yu Friedman’s career reads like a daring adventure novel. She’s interviewed traffickers, followed undercover police, and risked her life infiltrating dangerous locales. “I’ve experienced the underbelly of human trafficking – criminals, pimps, victims – and lived to talk about it,” she says with a mix of awe and resolve. Documenting stories of suffering and resilience has taken her across China, Southeast Asia and beyond.

Her investigative journalism on modern slavery in China, Hong Kong and Thailand culminated in a documentary series, which earned her wide recognition and a 2013 International Human Rights Press Award in Hong Kong; her 2015 book, Silenced No More: Voices of Comfort Women, enabled survivors of Japanese military sex slavery to be heard. “Those encounters enlarged my heart and transformed my purpose,” she notes. “Helping the overlooked and the oppressed gives my life profound meaning.”

Each chapter of her 2021 memoir, A Long Road to Justice, detailing her front-line experiences in Asia, is a testament to fortitude and hope. One of her most harrowing moments occurred while filming in China. Surrounded by traffickers and thugs, she managed to delete incriminating footage just in time, her life flashing before her. “It made me realise what trafficked women go through daily,” she reflects. “That moment birthed my life’s mission: to use my influence to fight slavery and exploitation.”

Her resilience was tested during her investigations. During one terrifying night infiltrating a brothel, she recalls deleting footage under threat, feeling faint and experiencing her first miracle: the police arriving just in time. That event profoundly shifted her perspective. “True freedom comes from serving others,” she declares.

Money for Good

Beyond writing books and consulting for an investment company in Seoul, Yu Friedman serves as a strategic advisor to philanthropists and influential families, a role that requires balancing influence with responsibility. “Supporting philanthropists means providing honest feedback and respecting confidentiality,” she explains. “Some families impact me greatly – like the one that bought homes for their staff or the anonymous donors who give quietly but generously.”

She recounts meeting a Hong Kong family of limited means who exemplified genuine generosity. “Their happiness and humility touched me deeply,” she shares. “Discretion and authenticity are the true marks of leadership.”

Righting Gender Wrongs

Her latest non-fiction book, Fearless: A Guide to Freedom and Fulfilling Your Fullest Potential, published in 2024, is a heartfelt guide for young women and changemakers. Her core message: embrace your identity, learn from adversity, and dare to dream big. “I wish I had known these lessons earlier,” she confides. “Your most painful experiences are often your greatest teachers; suffering can build resilience, grit and wisdom.”

An unwavering advocate for women’s empowerment, she highlights the stark realities of gender inequality – pay gaps, underrepresentation and societal biases. “Women still earn less, have fewer leadership opportunities and face discrimination,” she says. “Feminism must evolve to ensure true equality, especially in Asia, where cultural norms often hinder progress.”

Legacy of Love

For this relentless campaigner, happiness is rooted in inner peace, purpose and compassion. “I’ve learned to slow down and prioritise relationships,” reveals Yu Friedman. “Forgiveness and self-love liberated me from the past.” She defines success as cultivating meaningful connections and giving back to the marginalised. “Success is about relationships, impact and leaving a legacy of love and hope,” she notes.

Throughout her work, she relies on her spiritual faith. “My Christian faith sustains me during the darkest moments,” she says. “It reminds me that light can overcome darkness, and love can conquer hate.”

Love plays a central role in her life, both personally and professionally. Her husband, Matt Friedman, an internationally renowned human-trafficking expert, is the founder of The Mekong Club, a Hong Kong-based non-profit organisation that engages the private sector to address modern slavery; she serves as its Ambassador and voluntary fundraiser. She believes that leading with love creates safe, empowering environments. “When we lead with kindness, we unlock potential,” she affirms.

Heroes for Today

Friedman aspires to continue transforming stories into powerful media, envisioning a future where the Korean entertainment industry leads the way globally. Her plans include producing films and TV series that challenge stereotypes and showcase Asian women as heroes and role models. Through such powerful stories, she hopes to inspire the next generation and motivate others to use their talents and influence for good.

Notably, she is quick to appreciate the good and hard work of others. During an outfit change during our shoot, she is fervent in her praise of a helpful member of the hotel staff, asking if she can write a commendation letter to their manager. “That’s my way of saying thank you,” she explains. “Even small acts of kindness matter.”

Sylvia Yu Friedman’s warmth, compassion and gratitude radiate through her entire being – mentally, emotionally and physically. And finally – after an hour or so of conversation – she takes a sip of her morning coffee.

Interview, Text & Art Direction: Joseff Musa Photographer: Jack Law Videographer: Iris Ventura Venue: The Murray – Hong Kong

Mother Superior: Business strategies and bathtimes head the busy agenda of brand builder Jessi Chloe Chen

A joyful Jessi Chloe Chen shares her fervour for new motherhood, meaningful luxury and mental wellbeing

Jessi Chloe Chen breezes into the restaurant just a few minutes past the agreed time for our cosy pre-shoot lunch. Though no apologies are needed, the multi-industry brand consultant flashes a warm smile, explaining that she’s busy juggling a relatively new, incredibly meaningful role. She recently added being a mum to her many responsibilities. Over seasonal tasting plates, we dive straight into parenting advice, swapping stories about sleepless nights, first smiles, and the tiny everyday miracles that make the chaos worthwhile.

Chen is clearly committed to this new chapter in her multitasking lifestyle. Her face lights up at every mention of her baby daughter. Motherhood isn’t something she fits around her work; it’s the heartbeat around which everything else pulses. “My daughter just turned seven months old, and so much of my happiness comes from her,” she enthuses. “Seeing the world through her eyes, travelling together, experiencing firsts as a family are all very special.”

Boundless Horizons

Travel is second nature to Chen, and it shaped her own childhood. She grew up between Hong Kong and Melbourne, a true third-culture kid navigating two vibrant but vastly different worlds. “It meant learning two very different cultures and ways of living early,” she reflects. Melbourne grounded her with practical life skills and resilience in spaces where she didn’t always fit in, while Hong Kong instilled ambition, efficiency and high standards – “things can be done quickly and well here,” she affirms.

Attending international schools honed her ability to translate between worlds, adjusting her communication to connect with anyone from any background. This cross-cultural fluency informs her business approach today: “It really helped to shape my worldview and carry multiple perspectives at once, giving me a more global perspective.”

Curiosity Over Convention

Chen’s 15-year career in Hong Kong defies neat boxes, spanning fashion, property, luxury, floristry and advocacy. What drives her to leap across such diverse fields? “I’ve never followed a traditional path; it has always been about relationships,” she explains. “When an opportunity comes along, or I’m considering starting something, I ask myself: am I genuinely interested, can I be useful, and can I learn quickly? If it’s a yes to all three, I’ll usually give it a good crack.”

Building expertise in reading trends and momentum, she began leading sales and marketing at a contemporary fashion brand, then moved into real estate as Managing Director of Fuin, overseeing branding, operations and strategy. Entrepreneurship had come knocking in 2017 with Andrsn, the artisanal online florist that pioneered boxed roses in Hong Kong. As co-founder and Creative Director, she turned a passion for minimalist design and Australian-imported blooms into a market leader.

Meaningful Shift

In her current role as Asia-Pacific Director of Onda, the luxury membership platform, Chen is at the forefront of hospitality’s evolution. “Luxury has been shifting from ‘more’ to ‘meaningful’ for a while now,” she observes. “Time and health are the ultimate form of luxury.”

Onda curates access to the world’s most desirable private members’ clubs and exclusive programming where you’re known before arrival. Members crave personalisation over excess, with wellness – longevity, recovery, everyday care – taking centre stage. “The sweet spot [in this field] is curated environments where the community fit feels natural, aligning members with places that match their taste and the experience feels effortless.”

How does she juggle the business hats of director, consultant and entrepreneur with those of wife and mother? “I don’t think balance exists. At least not all at once,” she admits candidly. “Anyone claiming they’re winning in every area, every day, is lying! Something always gives.”

Anchors That Matter

Her secret? Prioritising ruthlessly: “My anchors are family, health and top work priorities – the rest orbits around them.” She schedules self-care like she would a meeting – Sunday resets, evenings after her daughter sleeps – and guards her mental wellbeing fiercely. “When I’m in a good place, everything else flows.”

Since 2018, she has been Managing Partner at Talking Mental, a mental-health initiative founded by longtime friend Aaron Stadlin-Robbie. Her advocacy stems from personal experience: “I had experienced panic attacks and anxiety in the past, and I know how lonely the search for help can feel.”

She helps create approachable conversations, panels and partnerships to reduce stigma and improve access. “If we can make these conversations feel normal and easier to navigate, we’re doing something good,” she says.

Grace and Grit

What does being a leader mean in today’s tough environment? “Leadership for me is providing clarity, being prepared and accountable,” she explains. “Staying calm, not being reactive, and moving a team towards solutions.” Boundaries are essential, but so is being pleasant to work with – “one thing that is overlooked too often”.

Her advice to young women aspiring to lead is “just start, even if you don’t feel ready”. She elaborates: “You can’t perfect something you haven’t tried; you learn the most by being in the thick of it. And through that process, your definition of success will evolve as you do.”

For Chen, success is fluid and ever-evolving. “I rarely feel truly ‘successful’ and I’m comfortable with that. A little healthy dissatisfaction keeps me learning and ambitious,” she shares. What she chases most is daily gratitude and pride in progress across life’s facets.

Bringers of Joy

During challenges, she recharges through people. It’s no surprise when she declares, “I’m a people person. Speaking with my closest friends and mentors resets my perspective and keeps me moving.”

She finds happiness in “the small, consistent quiet moments that are closest to you. These are the ones that matter most.” It’s a beautifully simple philosophy, and right now, much of that joy flows from her daughter.

At the end of our shoot, jokingly reminding the crew to make her more elegant and eloquent, Chen’s candidness and excitement are palatable. She’s thrilled to head home to join her husband and be with their child. She arrived a touch late because of motherhood’s joyful demands, and she rushes off for the same reason. Her rhythm of life these days equates to one small, perfect milestone at a time.

Interview, Text & Art Direction: Joseff Musa Photographer: Jack Law Videographer: Iris Ventura

Going Places: GoGoX CEO Steven Lam’s wild ride from frustration to freight fortune

Rewind to 2013 in Hong Kong, and Steven Lam is staring at a stack of takeaway boxes, sweating bullets because booking a van feels like negotiating with a secret society. “We needed vans to deliver our takeaway boxes to restaurants, and the process was a nightmare,” he recalls, flashing his trademark grin. “We’d call a radio-dispatch centre, get a ridiculously high quote, and have no idea if the driver would even show up. It was inefficient and opaque.” Having heard the same story from others, he realised “everyone had a van-hailing horror story. That’s when the lightbulb went on: if we could fix this for ourselves, we could fix it for the entire city.”

This is the origin of GoGoX – formerly GoGoVan – Asia’s answer to Uber but for delivery, boxes and basically anything that needs to move without the drama. Lam, co-founder and self-proclaimed ‘Cheap Everything Officer’ (CEO), has turned that headache into a logistics powerhouse operating in 370 cities – from China and South Korea to Singapore, Vietnam and India. It was Hong Kong’s first unicorn, born from a 2017 merger with Chinese freight giant 58 Suyun, and now boasts 7 million registered drivers.

But Steven Lam’s story is no overnight success. It’s a tale of grit, gaffes and going all in, told with the kind of humour that makes you laugh while learning.

Kowloon Cram

It starts in Kowloon public housing, a concrete jungle where life was more shared spoon than silver spoon. “Growing up in a public-housing estate teaches you two things very quickly: resourcefulness and the importance of community,” says Lam, chuckling like he’s reminiscing about a quirky family reunion. “You learn that nothing is handed to you, and that if you want something, you have to figure out a way to earn it or build it. Space is limited, resources are shared, and you see firsthand how small efficiencies can make a big difference in people’s daily lives.”

It’s the kind of upbringing that turns kids into mini-entrepreneurs. Lam’s business vibe is frugal, folksy and focused on fixing real messes. “Business wasn’t some abstract concept I learned in a classroom; it was about solving real, practical problems for real people,” he adds. “It taught me to be frugal, to be scrappy, and to never underestimate the power of a simple solution to a common frustration.”

High school didn’t end with confetti for young Steven. After bombing Hong Kong’s public exams, he ditched the script and headed to the US for community college. “My results weren’t what I had hoped for, and for a moment, it felt like the traditional path to success was closed to me,” he admits, with the honesty of someone who’s turned lemons into a logistics empire. “But instead of seeing it as a failure, it became a crucial turning point. It forced me to be honest with myself and realise that there had to be more than one way to build a future.”

American Hustle

Stateside, it was all about reinvention. “Nobody there cared about my past exam scores; all that mattered was the effort I put in each day,” he notes. “It was incredibly humbling and empowering at the same time.” He later funded his degree in business administration at the University of California, Berkeley by flipping second-hand iPhones and bikes – pure hustle. “That experience taught me that your starting point doesn’t define your destination. It taught me resilience and proved that with hard work, you can create your own second chances.”

Enter GoGoVan co-founders Reeve Kwan and Nick Tang, his university ride or dies. “Looking back, the most important thing was that I wasn’t facing these financial pressures alone,” he shares. “The key to overcoming them was the friends who were right there with me.”

Reselling iPhones “was our first real business together, our way of earning our first pot of gold,” he laughs. “That experience taught us so much more than just how to make a profit. It taught us how to hustle, how to solve problems on the fly, and most importantly, how to trust each other completely when the stakes were high.” Three guys in a dorm, haggling over gadgets, forged the trust that built GoGoX.

At Berkeley, Lam soaked up big ideas, but real lessons came from slinging food at a San Francisco Chinese restaurant. “They were two sides of the same coin,” he quips. “UC Berkeley gave me the framework – the theories, the economic principles. It taught me what was possible. The Chinese restaurant, on the other hand, taught me raw, unfiltered business. It was about customer service, inventory management, cash flow and teamwork under pressure, all in real-time.” It’s where the GoGoX seed sprouted – delivering food, spotting gaps.

Thinking Beyond Boxes

Back in Hong Kong, Lam launched BoxAd, selling adverts on takeaway meal boxes. “BoxAd was my real-world MBA,” he says. “It taught me essential lessons about sales, rejection, and the hustle required to get that first ‘yes’.” But the gold was in the grit: dealing with van bookings exposed logistics lunacy. “Every day, I was on the street, not just selling ads but also hiring vans to deliver the boxes. I spent hours talking to drivers, hearing directly about their struggles.”

Thus, with HK$20,000 in savings, GoGoVan was born. “Those conversations and relationships were the true foundation of the company, and I’m still in touch with some of the very first driver-partners,” reveals Lam. “My philosophy is that every step in your journey has a purpose. BoxAd wasn’t a setback; it was the catalyst.”

Scaling was epic. “First, convincing the first 100 drivers … [but] once we had that initial critical mass, the network effect started,” he recounts. Funding, merger, IPO – boom. As Cheap Everything Officer, he balances bargains with brilliance. “The title started as an inside joke [reflecting early penny-pinching]. But ‘cheap’ doesn’t mean low quality. It means being relentlessly efficient.” AI routes keep costs low, and quality high.

GoGo Further

“In the beginning, success was survival. Today, my definition [of the concept] is about impact.” Being named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader last year widened his worldview. “It connects you with leaders. This has influenced my vision for GoGoX to be more than just a logistics company.”

What fuels him? “The world of logistics is still incredibly inefficient. That puzzle continues to fascinate me,” he says. Plus, responsibility to stakeholders. Happiness? “For me, happiness is the feeling you get when you are engaged in solving a meaningful problem with people you trust.”

His plan for GoGoX is to innovate with AI, expand in Southeast Asia, and go green with EVs. “Within the logistics industry, I hope our legacy is that we proved technology could democratise access. In the broader community, I hope my story serves as an example. [Given] the sheer scale of the opportunity [though], we have only scratched the surface.”

And there it loops back: from that van-booking nightmare to reimagining Asia’s moves, Lam turned frustration into fortune, proving that sometimes, the best way to go forward is to fix what’s holding everyone back. In Hong Kong, where deliveries seem endless, he’s the guy who made “go” mean something magical.

Interview, Text & Art Direction: Joseff Musa Photographer: Jack Law Videographer: Iris Ventura

Game Changer: Journeying through the many wondrous worlds of great escape-room entrepreneur Rick Woo

When we arrive at LOST’s Causeway Bay outlet on a sunny autumnal morning, the atmosphere is unexpectedly peaceful. Nuzzled among the mass of commercial and retail buildings that converge into a narrow path, the space exudes an almost surreal calm. Rick Woo, co-founder of the rapidly expanding escape-room enterprise, welcomes us with a warm smile and an unusual offer: a shot of whisky, his go-to drink, to give the production team a liquid-energy boost. We laugh, accepting the toast to creativity, and step inside.

As Woo leads us up a steep set of stairs and along deserted rooms on the upper floors, it’s easy to feel like we’ve entered an alien laboratory or a Wild-West hideout. The walls are alive with colours, evoking a sense of wonder and curiosity. One escape room resembles an American diner, nostalgic and lively; another hints at a prison cell, dark and mysterious.

Dressed in a loose black-and-white ensemble, Woo is effortlessly chic, embodying the spirit of a lively storyteller and innovator. Though now approaching 50, he could pass for someone 20 years younger, perhaps due to all that cardio (see his content on Strava and Instagram), or maybe because of his surroundings, a playground of imagination, where every corner tells a story.

Young Puzzle Master

Woo’s journey into the world of immersive entertainment began long before LOST’s 2013 launch. His childhood in Hong Kong revolved around a love for problem-solving. “I grew up fascinated by puzzles and mysteries, and I loved solving problems that seemed impossible,” he recalls. “As a kid, I often created small games for my friends using paper clues and homemade locks. I didn’t realise it then, but I was already designing ‘escape games’ in my own way.”

His parents, small business owners, played a significant role in shaping his mindset. “Watching them taught me perseverance, responsibility and creativity in finding solutions when things didn’t go as planned,” the University of South Australia alumnus says. “That blend of curiosity and entrepreneurial thinking is what set the foundation for everything I’ve done.”

By 2013, after working in the telecommunication industry in Hong Kong and Melbourne, Woo’s ambition was clear – to bring the thrill of escape rooms to his home city and beyond. “Escape games were almost unheard of in Asia back then,” he explains. “I wanted to create something that didn’t just entertain but challenged the mind and connected people. The idea was simple: bring stories to life through immersive experiences where players could feel like the heroes of their own adventures.”

LOST was born from this vision: a space where people could ‘get lost’ in the moment, forget about their phones, and rediscover the joy of teamwork and problem-solving. The concept resonated quickly, and the brand burgeoned; it now operates 14 outlets worldwide. Yet, Woo’s journey was only just beginning.

Power of Curiosity

Travelling and engaging with diverse cultures broadened his perspective. “Meeting people from different backgrounds taught me that curiosity is universal,” he notes. “Whether in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia or the Philippines, people love to explore and challenge themselves.”

His personal transition from a tech enthusiast to an entrepreneur helped bridge the physical and digital worlds. “LOST keeps evolving because we respect local culture but also use global creativity to connect everyone through play and storytelling,” he explains. This blend of cultural sensitivity and innovative technology has been key to the brand’s global success.

Building an international chain had its hurdles. “In the beginning, many didn’t understand what an escape room was,” he admits. “We had to educate the market from zero.” Scaling the business across different countries, maintaining quality, and ensuring creative consistency were daunting tasks. “The key was building a passionate team who shared the same belief: to let the world fall in love with creative problem-solving,” he says.

Every obstacle was turned into a puzzle, each challenge an opportunity to innovate. “We approached every difficulty with the mindset of a game designer,” he laughs. “If you get stuck, you just need to find the next clue.”

New Realities

LOST’s evolution into a multifaceted ecosystem was driven by a simple question: how can the experience become more meaningful? This led to the birth of LOST Junior, LOST Studio and LOST Island. Each initiative embodies Woo’s core philosophy of creativity, learning and connection. Looking ahead, he envisions a future where entertainment, education and technology are seamlessly integrated.

“The future lies in blending worlds,” he says. “AR, blockchain and interactive storytelling will make learning experiential, engaging and personalised. Imagine classrooms where students create and live their own adventures.”

He is most excited about innovations in AI, AR and mixed reality. “Games that adapt to your behaviour, puzzles that evolve with your intelligence – these will transform how we learn, teach and connect,” he predicts, viewing technology as a tool to expand creativity and foster a new era of immersive storytelling.

His vision for LOST has expanded from physical spaces to ecosystems that merge online and offline worlds. “Our mission remains the same: to make the world fall in love with creative problem-solving,” he affirms.

For Woo, joy comes from seeing people smile after solving a puzzle, or witnessing a child’s confidence bloom during a LOST Junior adventure. “The moment of ‘Aha!’, that’s happiness,” he says. Success, he believes, is measured by impact. “When LOST inspires people to think differently, learn creatively and connect meaningfully, that’s true success.”

More to be Found

Woo harbours plans for further expansion across Asia and onto other continents, aiming for 30 branches within three years. R&D investments in digital tokens, creator tools and AR experiences are already underway. “LOST will evolve into a global hub for creativity, education and innovation,” he envisions.

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? “Start with why. Don’t chase trends. Solve real human problems and never fear failure. Every mistake is just another puzzle to solve.”

He believes the most important skill participants gain is creative problem-solving. “In life and business, there’s rarely a single right answer,” he says. “LOST trains you to observe, think laterally, and work with others under pressure – skills that are vital in the real world.”

The Final Scene

He finds fulfilment in inspiring others; seeing children design their first game or a team rediscover the power of collaboration. “My legacy? I want LOST to be a global symbol of creativity, education, and unity,” he declares. “I hope more people fall in love with solving problems, not avoiding them.”

As we both utter “that’s a wrap!”, Woo’s world feels like stepping into a movie, an experience as meta as that sounds. It’s reminiscent of the final scene in Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, where the golden chest is sealed inside a wooden crate, wheeled through a cavernous warehouse, and stored away from enemies. The end credits roll, and the adventure pauses, waiting for the next chapter.

In Rick Woo’s universe, every game, every puzzle, every story is an invitation to enter a world of infinite possibilities, where imagination is the only limit, and the journey of discovery never truly ends.

Interview, Text & Art Direction: Joseff Musa Photographer: Jack Law Videographer: Iris Ventura