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  • Tracy Young Returns to Lead TigerEye After $875 million PlanGrid Exit, Reflects on Innovation and Identity

Awaken* newsletter

June 13, 2024

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Tracy Young is a founder who has been on my radar for a long time. Beyond the fact that she is a successful exited founder, having sold PlanGrid to Autodesk for just under $900 million, Tracy’s family–like my own father–immigrated to the United States following the Vietnam war. With one major success under her belt, Tracy is going for a second, having recently founded a new startup named TigerEye, which focuses on AI-powered strategic planning. I sat down with Tracy to chat about lessons from PlanGrid, what she’s currently working on at TigerEye, and her identity as an Asian woman.

On Identity

I wasn’t the only one with a newsletter on the call! Tracy also recently started a LinkedIn newsletter titled Predictable Growth, a monthly Q&A with women leaders generating revenue for their businesses. I asked Tracy what the motivation behind starting it was, and what she hoped to see it accomplish:

Representation matters. In sales and go-to-market functions, women are underrepresented at the leadership level. However, many impressive, talented, and hardworking women have achieved the CRO/CMO level, and I wanted to hear their stories. So, it’s a way for us to showcase women and give them a platform to tell their stories and how they got to where they are. There are many great jobs in sales, but many women don’t realize that they’re available to them. Anyone can be good at sales, it’s not just men. Reaching the highest levels in sales gives women a lot of power to help out their families, help the economy, etc.

In previous interviews, Tracy has pointed out how women are especially underrepresented in enterprise SaaS. I asked Tracy if she had any ideas why this is the case, and how we can increase representation:

I’m not sure why that’s the case. But you can see it if you look at the stats or walk into any enterprise company. I would guess it’s systemic. I think it starts with the words we use for boys and girls, the way we treat them, and what is expected of them. This is part of our cultural history. One way to change that is to show what is possible. What Predictable Growth aims to achieve is to showcase all these women who are leaders at their companies. There’s no decision that the CEO is making without running it by them. We want to say: “This could be your future, if you want it”, for anyone reading, and hopefully, it’s a young woman reader.

Next, I wanted to get Tracy’s thoughts on how being an Asian woman has affected her experience as a founder:

My PlanGrid co-founder, Ryan, and I met in college. He’s been trying to convince me to start a company with him since I was 18. Being an Asian woman, I didn’t think it was possible. I brushed him off for many years. I thought, “I’m not a founder,” because I looked at all these other founders, and they didn’t look like me. That kept me from starting a company for a long time. Around 2007-2009, I remember Ryan really wanted me to apply for Y Combinator with him. And again, I told him, “I just don’t think it’s going to work.” I didn’t think other people would accept me, and I didn’t want to put myself through it. It wasn’t until Y Combinator put out a request for startups working on the exact problem we were working on that I felt comfortable applying. That request for startups almost gave me permission to apply to YC. But even when we got in, and we were making real revenue, and we fundraised, and we had real customers, and our product was getting better… even then, I still felt that founders should look a certain way. I don’t know how many years in we were before I finally realized how wrong I was.

In an interview eight years ago with Ron Miller at Techcrunch Disrupt, Tracy responded to a similar question very differently. I asked her what motivated her shift in perspective since then:

Back then, I really tried to separate myself from being a woman. I felt like that was not part of the equation. And again, it’s such a big part of me, I am a strong woman. For many years, I pretended that I wasn’t, down to how I dressed. What really woke me up was becoming a mom. Going through pregnancy and birth and postpartum recovery, and taking care of a baby, I think it was really at that point when I realized how strong women are, how strong our mothers and grandmothers are, and how strong my colleagues are. It was a disservice not to acknowledge that our journey is different. It’s not better or worse. It’s just different.

TigerEye

I asked Tracy how she came up with the idea for her new startup, TigerEye:

There’s no shortage of problems to solve in business software. If you talk to anyone who works for a public company, you’ll find a lot of outdated software still in use. After selling my last startup, I worked for a public company and got to use these expensive products that our company was paying for every year. I saw firsthand how they made us less productive and frustrated our team. Many areas need improvement, such as HR software, finance software, sales software, and everything in between, including development tools. 

A common strategy I hear from founders is that they want to start by selling to other startups, and then grow into an enterprise software company alongside their clients. I asked Tracy how she decided to skip that and go straight for enterprise customers:

I like to solve problems that I have experienced. TigerEye comes from my experience running a fast growth company for ten years. When we reflected on our PlanGrid journey, we asked ourselves a few questions: What would have accelerated growth? What would have made the difference between us still running PlanGrid today versus needing to sell? TigerEye is that product. This is a scientific tool that would have helped us grow more efficiently, be more profitable, and would’ve enabled us to be more courageous in our decision-making by providing extra validation. It’s an AI-powered business simulator. You can test out your plans before you make your team execute it. You can test out as many plans as you want and as many scenarios as you want before you bring it to the board for sign-off. Back at PlanGrid, we had a bunch of very smart people trying to generate the same thing that took months that TigerEye is outputting instantaneously now. This is the product that I wish I had to help grow PlanGrid. And this is why we are building for the enterprise. All I know to do is build things to help me with problems I’ve faced.

Starting a Company as a Second-time Founder

I asked Tracy what she thought about distribution at PlanGrid, and how that has changed for TigerEye:

PlanGrid was always mobile first. We really benefited from timing. Steve Jobs announced the first generation iPad, and we decided to start building construction software for that device soon after. We were one of the first enterprise apps to launch on all of the app stores. 

Let’s say you’re a construction person and you’ve got your new iPad or other tablet. You search for construction because that is your profession, and PlanGrid pops up as the top result. If it looks interesting, you might download it, and we had a freemium model so users could try us out. As a mobile-first company, having great SEO on the app stores was crucial for our inbound growth. That’s how we thought about distribution for PlanGrid, but that is totally irrelevant for TigerEye (although we do have a mobile version of our software). TigerEye is an enterprise-grade product, and you can’t just try it out as an individual. It is being deployed to whole departments, and that is a completely different distribution model. For many years, PlanGrid was sold on a per-seat basis. At TigerEye, we have an unlimited seat model, and it’s deployed to several teams at once, and the starting fee is five figures. It’s an enterprise-grade product. And so for us to get deployed and adopted usually takes a field sales team two or three conversations with the company, because it’s not just sales, it’s revenue operations, it’s strategic finance, and then it’s a champion at the C-suite level. It’s very different from PlanGrid’s model, where anyone with a credit card in a job site could swipe their credit card and buy PlanGrid today.

Next, I asked if she felt that being a second-time founder came with any benefits:

There are definitely benefits. For example, the first 15 people we recruited were people we had handpicked and worked with before. As a result, we were able to recruit a talented team with a strong track record and a strong work ethic. It’s difficult for first-time founders in their early 20s to attract talented individuals. The people who worked for us were our friends or recent college graduates. From our decade of experience, we’ve also seen what works and what doesn’t in terms of core values. This time, we made sure to have a set of values that we live by personally and professionally. These core values are non-negotiable and we share them with candidates we’re trying to recruit during our first phone call. We’re serious about it. Everyone says they care about their core values, but we actually hire and fire by them. 

Tracy’s emphasis on core values stood out because this was the first time I had heard a founder emphasize them to this degree. I asked Tracy why this mattered so much to her:

Through my experience growing PlanGrid to 450 employees and scaling the team to 1,300 employees post-acquisition, I got to see what slows down a team. I got to see how infighting can destroy a company. There are minor things that you can put in place to mitigate this, such as basic rules of engagement. We have a document called “Our commitments to working with each other,” which outlines how we work together at TigerEye. The document clarifies our five core values. It’s very simple, you cannot misinterpret what the core values mean. I’ll give you a couple of examples: 1) I will walk it like I talk it. 2) I will never speak destructively behind my teammate’s back. 3) If I have a problem, I will go to you and talk it out because we’re professionals and I can trust that we can have the hard conversations. If everyone follows these rules, then we’re in a really good place. That means that when there are problems, we can speak openly as a team and get through it together. We were very deliberate about the culture and work environment we were creating, especially as a remote company. I think our culture is especially important because we aren’t together every single day.  

Fostering a Culture of Authenticity

Throughout my research, a consistent theme Tracy touched on was being authentic as a leader. I asked her if she felt there are boundaries to authenticity and if it’s fine for CEOs to express fear or lack of confidence to their team.

There is definitely a line in terms of vulnerability and authenticity. It’s never acceptable to be disrespectful. Some might argue that they’re just being direct, but there’s a difference between being direct and being rude. It’s okay to question things and suggest new approaches. When I’m concerned about something related to the company, I share it with the team. I either present a potential solution or let them know that I’m working on one. This approach makes it easier to lead and get the team on board with the direction we’re heading. They may not always agree, but at least they understand why I’ve made certain decisions. If they understand, it’s easier for them to commit to the decision, even if they initially had reservations. 

To your second question, I think it is completely okay for a leader or anyone in the company to show that they are human, and as humans we experience fear and insecurity–they are natural emotions. As a leader and a productive teammate, it isn’t beneficial to dwell on these negative emotions. It’s challenging, if not impossible, to suppress these feelings because they will eventually surface. My approach is to allow myself to experience these emotions when things are tough, but also to take control and not let them linger. For instance, I might allow myself a day to experience these feelings, but the next day, it’s time to put on a game face and figure things out together. As long as there’s movement and progress, then it’s okay. Feelings like anger, insecurity, and sadness, when prolonged, are completely useless. They don’t serve anyone any good. They’re just there making everyone feel bad and that is absolutely not okay.

I asked Tracy what actions she takes to make sure everyone on her team is comfortable being authentic and vulnerable with each other:

We do this fun activity. We all take the Enneagram test. New teammates will take the test and present their enneagram results sometime within the first few weeks. The presentations are basically: “This is when I’m at my best. This is how I am at my worst. This is how I want to get feedback.” This helps us understand who we are as people because there are all kinds of different personalities, and conflict comes from two personalities at their worst coming together. If we can acknowledge and understand that might happen, it’s easier to get through it together. Essentially, it’s having self-awareness and giving your team a blueprint of being aware of who you are. 

For those who don’t know, Enneagram is a popular personality test that emphasizes how you interact with other personality types, making it a popular choice for teams. I am normally skeptical of these kinds of tests, but even I am a big fan of Enneagram, and I think it has helped me better understand myself and my interactions with others. For those curious, Tracy is Enneagram type 1, “The Reformer”. A fitting type for a person with such ambition and vision.

Shoutouts

If you are a leader in sales, RevOps, finance, or marketing, TigerEye has built a go-to-market planning tool to help you track, plan, and predict your go-to-market performance. The tool analyzes every change in your CRM using artificial intelligence to guide decisions and show you where you’re headed.

If you are interested in checking out what Tracy and TigerEye. have built, please drop her a note on LinkedIn or on X (f.k.a. Twitter) @Tracy_Young. Thank you Tracy for the interview!

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An Entrepreneur’s Dream to Bring a Taste of Cambodia to the World and the Miracle That Started It All

Marlin Chan is a remarkable individual whose journey embodies determination and triumph in the face of adversity. Born to Cambodian immigrants, Marlin’s family overcame hardships that spanned continents, shaping the very essence of his character.

His parents faced the harsh realities of the 1970’s Cambodian Genocide that forced their separation for nearly 2 decades. After being apart for 18 years, a fortunate stroke of serendipity allowed them to miraculously reunite and lead to the birth of the miracle baby Marlin.

Inspired by his grandmother’s beef crisps, Marlin started a business venture called “Yay’s” to pay homage to his culture. Through Yay’s, Marlin continues his family’s legacy of hard work and determination, sharing a unique taste of Cambodia to the world.

Asian Hustle Network had the privilege to sit down with Marlin Chan and delve into his inspiring journey. Join us as we explore his remarkable story of strength, dreams, and resilience.

CHALLENGES THAT MARLIN’S PARENTS FACED AS CAMBODIAN IMMIGRANTS

During the Cambodian Genocide, my parents faced the challenge of survival, as those of higher status, like artists, government officials, and intellectuals were among the first to be targeted and eliminated. 

Because there were countless horror stories of Khmer U.S. Air Force members being killed upon arrival at the Phnom Penh’s air station, it prevented my dad from returning home after serving the U.S. Air Force to save his family. This marked the onset of my parents 18-year separation.

Amid their time in the work camps, my mom tragically lost my sister to chickenpox and malnutrition due to the mistreatment by the Khmer Rouge. This tragic event left her devastated. To escape the work camps, my mom and her family had to navigate minefields at night to be unseen.

Like many immigrants, my dad faced the challenge of not knowing the English language upon his arrival in America so he turned to television to learn how to speak the language. Meanwhile, my mother successfully made her way to America to start a new life and began selling noodles on the streets of Stockton, California to support our family.

THE REMARKABLE REUNION OF LONG-LOST LOVE AFTER 18 YEARS

One day, my father visited a local donut shop for the first time to meet with an old friend, and the donut shop owner recognized him from their days in Cambodia. 

As the owner was inquiring about my mother, he revealed that the last he heard about her and her family’s whereabouts was in Stockton, California. My father’s face drained of color, and he froze upon hearing this shocking revelation. Immediately, he asked if the owner had their contact information and without skipping a beat, he got in touch and embarked on a road trip to Northern California the very next morning.

Upon arriving in Stockton, California, my dad found my mom, still hopeful and strong-willed as she had always been, but her health wasn’t in the best condition. She was living in a one-bedroom shared apartment with multiple other families. They promptly went for health check-ups and discussed restarting a life together again. In that same year, I was born on October 7, 1993. The Stockton Newspaper published an article of Marlin Chan as the miracle baby that beat the odds of survival with my parents’ long-lost reunion and my mother’s ability to bear children at forty.

LESSONS THAT SHAPE MARLIN’S JOURNEY

As a child of Cambodian immigrants, here are some of the things I learned:

  • Stay curious, for knowledge is a treasure that never diminishes and our curiosity fuels our drive to innovate. 
  • Having a positive outlook can transform our perception of life, particularly during trials.
  • Material wealth is temporary. The value in developing your knowledge and skills is what truly holds the key to unlocking your infinite potential for abundance, which created a drive for me to continually invest in myself.

Relentlessness and grit are values I learned from my parents’ stories at a young age. I come from a determined, resilient family that fights for love. Hearing stories of my mom walking from Cambodia to the border of Thailand in search of refuge taught me the power of determination. Based on these principles, I have always believed in my potential and fostering a strong work ethic. While I may not always be the most attractive or intelligent person in the room, I strive to outwork everyone to the best of my abilities.

FACING FAILURE, FINDING STRENGTH

When I was eighteen years old, I was selected as one of the top 10 finalists to compete on ‘Internet Icon,’ a show created by Ryan Higa, my content creator idol. Unfortunately, I ended up placing 8th on the show, and as a young eighteen-year-old, I was devastated. I doubted whether I could become a full-time content creator if I couldn’t win this competition.

In the following year, I took a service industry job at Chipotle and completely stopped making videos. By the end of that year, I felt a renewed sense of fervor and determination to pursue my career in content creation. The skills I learned from my job at Chipotle, such as executing with excellence to avoid repetition, transferred to my work ethic for content creation.

By doing something that wasn’t creative, it shifted my perspective with content creation and allowed me to pursue my passions with more fervor and focus. I realized that I would only be a failure if I gave up since you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. This experience resonated with the Japanese proverb, “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”

Over the next three years, I moved to Los Angeles, California, and gained over 1 million subscribers, turning content creation into a full-time job. I learned that if I could visualize my goals, they could become my reality, or even exceed beyond my imagination.

LOOKING AHEAD

My greatest accomplishment would be giving my parents a better life and inspiring kids to foster their talents and pursue their passions.

Looking ahead, my goals for the future are centered around bringing joy and delight to the world with my food and creations. I aspire to represent Asian Americans, who are under-represented in American media and encourage my Asian community to share a piece of their culture with others.

My dream is to become the first Cambodian American to bring a taste of Cambodia to every home with Snack Yay’s on a global scale. Bringing exposure to the Cambodian community would be a true fulfillment of my mission in life.

ABOUT HIS BRAND YAY’S

My Grandma, known as ‘Yay’ in Khmer, has been crafting beef crisps since the early 90’s to cover her apartment rent in Stockton, California. Beef crisps consist of thinly sliced marinated beef air-dried to a delightful crunch with flavor profiles that offer a symphony of umami, sweetness, and spiciness. Consumer goods expert Kathryn Tuttle described them as a fusion of ‘Beef Carpaccio meets potato chips meets bright Asian flavors.’ What sets these apart from traditional American beef jerky is their light and crispy texture. While regular beef jerky takes about 3 hours to dehydrate, beef crisps demand up to 20 hours for that perfect crispiness.

Growing up, I thought beef crisps was a snack that was readily available in stores. My earliest memories involved enjoying this delectable treat outdoors, helping my grandma sell them to our community. The concept of making Yay’s as a brand first came to me in December 2017. Though the idea took root then, I didn’t start the business until June 2023. Pioneering and expanding something unprecedented like this has not been an easy feat. It was very discouraging at first to reach out to over 57 different manufacturers and be told numerous times that it couldn’t be done because of the technical hurdles in producing beef jerky with this level of crispiness.

Yay’s is currently self-manufactured to ensure we use the highest quality ingredients. Every bag we send out meets our standards because we take the time to slow-dry the meat for over 20 hours, while typical beef jerky takes 3 hours to produce.

We initially started out in a small commercial kitchen in Camarillo, California, and transferred to a medium-sized commercial kitchen in New Jersey this year to increase production. We are sourcing USDA Prime meat from the same suppliers that many Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City use. Every bag of Yay’s is handcrafted because we value quality. For me, the possibility of sharing a taste of Cambodia to the world is a dream come true.

MARLIN CHAN’S INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE TO YOUNG AAPI INDIVIDUALS

Never give up. Remember to focus on your own journey because you are uniquely you, and your authenticity is your ultimate gift to share with the world. Being referred to as a miracle baby since birth has shaped my perspective to preserve through the seasons of life and be grateful of the blessings in my life. Maintaining a positive attitude is a powerful tool to develop unwavering confidence in your potential to achieve anything you set your mind to.

CONNECT WITH MARLIN CHAN

Instagram: @marlinramseychan

Youtube: @snackmarlin

Yay’s Instagram: @snackyays

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He Used to Dislike Food, But Now He’s a Chef Mastering Asian Flavors

Chef Jeremy Pang’s journey into the world of cooking took an unexpected turn from his childhood aversion to food. In his early years, he confessed that he had a distaste for meals.

However, his life took an exciting turn when his family relocated to Singapore, exposing him to open-air food markets, where culinary artisans specialized in single dishes. This experience transformed his perspective, igniting a passion for Asian cuisine that would shape his career.

The pandemic prompted a shift in Pang’s family dynamic, leading him to cook with his son and discover his preferences. Through this shared experience, they explored crafting homemade pizzas and flapjacks. This is when they found out that his son really likes the flavors of Chinese food, like light and tasty dishes with fish and crispy veggies.

An advocate of the Asian tradition of feasting, Pang believes that sharing multiple dishes is integral to the dining experience. This philosophy, deeply ingrained in his approach to cooking, led him to create “Simple Family Feasts,” a guide designed to make the concept accessible to all.

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Central to Pang’s culinary finesse is his artful balancing act of flavors and textures. He highlights the significance of contrast – harmonizing crispy and tender, soft and resilient, while incorporating fresh vegetables or quick-fried selections. This balance is the key to an unforgettable dining experience.

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JFERRER’s Mission to Empower Young Asian Creatives Through His Documentary

JFERRER is a talented Creative Director from Southern California. His journey began in high school when he discovered his love for film. Little did he know that this passion would lead him to an incredible path of self-discovery and empowerment.

It was in college that JFERRER embraced his cultural heritage as a Filipino American, realizing the significance of being Asian in shaping his identity. Despite facing doubts from others, he remained determined to pursue his dreams. This led him to create a documentary titled “DO WHAT I WANT,” shining a spotlight on the incredible work of young Asian creatives.

Now, JFERRER is gearing up for his next mission with “DO WHAT I WANT: SPIN OFF EDITION,” focusing on up-and-coming Asian American DJs in Southern California. Join us as we delve deeper into his story and his mission through an insightful interview with Asian Hustle Network.

THE ARTISTIC VOYAGE OF JFERRER

The world of music has been a constant inspiration for me. When I listen to a song, my mind instinctively creates music video scenes that synchronize perfectly with each beat. I knew that I had to make these vivid visions into reality and on the screen. I started taking clips of videos and putting them into music and created a whole new vibe and energy for the song. It was exciting to help people experience the song in a whole new way.

As my passion for storytelling through visuals grew, so did the scope of my aspirations. Beyond music videos, I became interested in capturing and celebrating diverse narratives and talent. This interest and experience took on a life of its own and I became involved with crafting and managing live events tailored specifically for emerging creatives.

These events became platforms for budding talents to shine, fostering a community of artistic expression and collaboration. I realize that creativity knows no bounds and I want to unleash it and inspire others to find their own creative gifts.

THE IMPACT OF HIS CULTURAL UPBRINGING ON HIS CREATIVE DIRECTION

I grew up in a Filipino American family. Throughout my life, I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by creative family members and friends. Knowing the immense talent and gifts of Asian Americans around me, yet seeing the simple, one-dimensional portrayals of Asian/Asian American characters in movies and television was disappointing.

I want to showcase the rich diversity and talents of Asian Americans and promote positive and authentic representation.

BREAKING BOUNDARIES WITH “DO WHAT I WANT”

Asian Americans do not rely on their creative side to make money. If we wanted financial stability, we would typically look at careers in the medical field, business, or engineering, right? Creative energy would just be reserved for hobbies. But why can’t it be our full-time career? That’s what I wanted to challenge in “Do What I Want”. I wanted to break free from the stereotypes and challenge the notion that you can’t be successful doing something creative and fun. 

I believe in eliminating the fear of pursuing our passions and going against the grain. We have the power to choose our own paths and find immense success in doing what we love. This is the essence of the documentary I want to create – to shine a light on a community of like-minded individuals who have shattered barriers and defied expectations.

In this documentary, we will meet incredible artists, each driven by their unique passions and determined to leave their mark on the creative world. They stand as living examples of why this project exists – to showcase Asian creatives who fearlessly pursued their dreams, despite parental and societal pressures.

The title “DO WHAT I WANT” embodies the spirit of this documentary, as each person featured chose to follow their heart’s desires. They rejected the notion that their career should be dictated by others and, instead, embraced their true calling. This is a celebration of those who broke free from the confines of societal expectations and carved out their own path to success.

NAVIGATING CHALLENGES AND SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES AS A YOUNG CREATIVE

In the realm of young creatives today, networking their art stands as a paramount challenge. Excelling in their craft is undoubtedly crucial, yet without the ability to effectively brand their work and themselves, opportunities for exposure may be limited.

Embracing the significance of self-branding, however, holds the key to unlocking a broader audience and creating a multitude of opportunities that lie ahead. So, dare to showcase your true potential, and let your art shine brightly in the vast sea of possibilities. Together, your creativity and strategic branding will pave the way for a remarkable journey of growth and success. Keep believing in yourself, and the world will undoubtedly take notice of your inspiring creations.

A MESSAGE OF EMPOWERMENT FOR ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS THROUGH DO WHAT I WANT

I believe that “DO WHAT I WANT” has the power to ignite a flame of empowerment within the Asian and Asian American communities. It serves as a reminder for individuals to embrace their authenticity and follow their true passions, refusing to conform to societal norms or the cookie-cutter lifestyle. I envision a wave of inspiration, encouraging people to break free from limiting beliefs and embrace the unique paths that await them.

“DO WHAT I WANT” carries a profound significance for Asian American youth. As they witness the success and creativity of these artists, they can find a sense of connection and envision their own future selves achieving greatness. The documentary not only inspires confidence but also fosters a sense of community and unity among Asian Americans, reminding them that they too, can embrace their dreams and make a lasting impact in the world.

INSIGHTS AND ADVICE FROM JFERRER

Throughout my creative journey, the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is the importance of letting go of seeking validation from others. Happiness cannot be solely dependent on the approval of others. While I appreciate and consider the professional opinions of others when it comes to my work, I firmly believe that I must retain ownership of my decisions. Embracing this mindset empowers me to stay true to my vision and creative expression, paving the way for genuine fulfillment and growth.

By freeing myself from the need for constant validation, I can embark on a path driven by authenticity and self-belief. This newfound sense of independence fuels my creativity and allows me to push boundaries without being confined by external expectations. As I continue to evolve creatively, I welcome constructive feedback and embrace the opportunities to learn and grow, but I will always hold firm to my convictions, knowing that the true essence of my work lies within my passion and dedication to making a meaningful impact.

CONNECT WITH JFERRER

Instagram: @itsjferrer

  • 6 min read
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News

How Aziza Aznizan Launched A Non-Profit Initiative During Her Teenage Years to Support the Marginalized

At the age of 18, Aziza Aznizan embarked on a remarkable journey that would shape her life’s mission and inspire meaningful change. Today, she stands as a model, a PhD student, and the co-founder of Paint The World Malaysia, a non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to supporting marginalized communities.

Born and raised in Sarawak, Malaysia, Aziza’s early experiences in diverse environments fueled her desire to create a more inclusive world. Despite being a minority in her Chinese-stream private secondary school, and later as one of the few Muslims at the United World College Atlantic (UWC Atlantic) in the UK, Aziza used these situations to cultivate friendships across nationalities and ethnicities.

However, Aziza’s journey was not without challenges. During her stay in the UK and the US, she faced anti-Muslim sentiment, experiencing hurtful incidents due to her hijab. Rather than succumbing to negativity, she chose to channel her experiences into raising awareness about her culture and religion. Aziza firmly believes that greater inclusivity fosters understanding among different races, religions, backgrounds, and values.

In 2015, Aziza and fellow students founded Paint The World, advocating for inclusivity and youth empowerment. Aziza established the local branch in Malaysia, focusing on creating a supportive community for underprivileged youth. Support from Malaysian ministers and community leaders bolstered the organization’s growth.

Paint The World Malaysia’s projects have included language courses for Rohingya refugees and the United World Academy, an educational platform for disadvantaged youths. Aziza’s education in International Relations and International Law equipped her to navigate challenges and advocate effectively.

Featured Image Source: New Strait Times

  • 2 min read