Startup Story: A Gift For the Disadvantaged

^{Kang Liang, pictured centre, is the founder of Gifting.sg.}

Meet Kang Liang, a participant of the Alibaba Cloud – SUSS Entrepreneurship Programme, and founder of Gifting.sg, a social enterprise that brings small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and consumers together to do good.

Before the start of his entrepreneurship journey, Kang Liang had been side-hustling as a consultant on top of his full-time job. With a desire to make a social impact since young, Kang Liang decided to form Swapie, a Fintech startup which provides the best deals and promotions for consumers through cashback earnings.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kang Liang played his part by providing assistance to charities and the disadvantaged. Instead of donating cash to non-profit organisations, Kang Liang pivoted to create a different startup, Gifting.sg, a platform that enabled consumers to purchase essential items from SMEs for charitable activities.

Not only did charities benefitted from the use of his platform, SMEs earned proceeds that kept their businesses going and participated in doing good. His business model also sat well with donors who do not wish to give cash for fear of inefficient use or fund misappropriation.

One of the challenges Kang Liang had to overcome was ensuring that the team remains committed to its mission – uplifting the community. Kang Liang took the effort to remind the team that making a positive impact on the community is as rewarding as, if not, more than monetary benefits. He constantly mentored the team and pushed them to their fullest potential.

Looking ahead, Kang Liang has plans to further educate social workers and management boards on the use of his digital platforms. In the meantime, the team will continue to work with clients and partners to give back to the community.

Kang Liang’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: “Do not shy away from pivoting and do not be afraid to offend or please people. Your world is about you, your growth, and the change you are making.”