News

January 19, 2024

SHARE:

Across Asia, a new wave of second- and third-generation business heirs is redirecting family enterprises toward sustainable investments, challenging traditional profit-centric businesses.

Komal Sahu, Chief of Sustainable Finance at AVPN, the largest network of social investors in Asia, notes that younger generations are recognizing their family’s wealth as a catalyst for positive transformation. By integrating environmental, social, and governance factors into their investments, these heirs aim to drive positive change while maintaining financial viability.

Al Jazeera has shared three business heirs across Asia that exemplifies this:

In Malaysia, 27-year-old Abe Lim, an heir to a lubricant and cleaning products business, departed from her father’s profit-focused approach, despite being groomed to take over the company. Instead, she founded Purpose Plastic, successfully transforming discarded plastic into home decor and other products while emphasizing sustainability.

Image Source: Al Jazeera / Abe Lim

In some cases, the older generation encourages innovative thinking to secure the ongoing success of their businesses. The Lopez family in the Philippines, known for success in telecommunications and energy, divested from coal in 2016 to focus on renewable energy. Marianna Lopez Vargas, partnerships manager at the Oscar M Lopez Center, believes that a complete transition to renewables is achievable with the right incentives.

Singapore-based Fernando Scodro, responsible for his family office’s investment strategy, is educating his family about socially conscious investing, which leads to impactful investments like COGNI, a Brazilian startup focused on energy efficiency.

As these Asian business heirs redefine success, their commitment to sustainable investments signals a profound shift toward a more socially and environmentally conscious business landscape.

Featured Image Sources: Al Jazeera, Esquire PH, X

Related Articles

Image Source: Variety

News

Veteran News Correspondent John Yang To Sit As PBS News Weekend’s Newest Anchor

Beginning this December 31st, John Yang will take over as the new host of PBS News Weekend.

The 64-year-old veteran news correspondent and commentator covered politics and international events for most of his career. He had been exposed to these topics since the 1980s, not long after receiving his degree from Wesleyan University.

He worked as a journalist for The Boston Globe, Time, The Washington Post, and NBC News before joining “NewsHour” in early 2016 as a national correspondent covering the election and the first year of the Trump administration.

Since that time, he has concentrated on reporting more about the Supreme Court and intends to continue doing so.

Yang pledges to deliver the same sorts of subjects that are vital to the weekday audience which according to him can only be seen on “NewsHour” with his new position.

“Getting out in the field is really what gives my work energy,” he adds.

Yang will also be allowed to blend in other stories that may surprise viewers, according to Rachel Wellford, executive producer of the half-hour weekend program.

“Viewers may anticipate a combination of the lighter fare that people like to watch on weekends, including interviews with musicians, artists, and athletes. Weekends allow us to cover a wide range of topics that we may not have time to cover during the five-day-per-week “PBS NewsHour” program. On that, we’ll keep expanding,” she said.

Yang will take over for Geoff Bennett, who will join Amna Nawaz on the daily version of PBS NewsHour, following Judy Woodruff.

Image Source: SMCP / Weibo

News

50-Year-Old Chinese Flight Attendant Who Lost Job Due To Age Limits Received Got Hired At A Foreign Airline After Learning New Languages

Age sets no limits for a 50-year-old flight attendant from China who lost her job and instead sought to better herself by studying English and Finnish, which caused her to receive numerous offers and land a new job at a foreign airline.

“Use all your strength and courage to deal with life. Live in the moment, and never regret every step you’ve taken,” Ms. Hu says in South China Morning Post.

The Chinese cabin crew is one of the numerous people who are subjected to discriminatory age restrictions in China, as airlines do not hire anyone older than 40.

The Beijing-native woman was dismissed from her six-year employment at Norwegian Air Shuttle during an internal restructuring.

Hu’s video received popularity online and positive comments from internet users who praised her as a shining example for women.

“She is so encouraging. Everybody, let us learn from her to improve ourselves,” an online reader commented.

The lady is now on her 8th month at her new job. Sharing her beauty regimen, she said “I exercise routinely, and I insist on eating a healthy diet. These are major reasons that I am still able to handle this physically demanding job which requires flying for long hours.”

Her life story gained notoriety as an inspiration, which helped raise awareness of age discrimination in the mainland job market.

Image Source: Getty Images

News

Famed Manga Series ‘My Hero Academia’ Adaptation Is Now Available On Netflix

More than a year after its announcement, the eagerly awaited live-action film adaptation of “My Hero Academia,” produced by Mary Parent and Alex Garcia of Legendary Entertainment, has finally disembarked at Netflix.

Shinsuke Sato, who directed Alice in Borderland, is the film’s director and executive producer marking her first-ever English-language feature.

The film was written by veteran Joby Harold who is known for “Obi Wan Kenobi,” “Army of the Dead,” “Edge of Tomorrow,” John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum,” “The Flash,” “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,” “Robin Hood,” the upcoming Netflix film “Atlas”  and 2023’s “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.”

With over 65 million copies in print worldwide, including digital editions, Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia is one of the most well-known manga series in the world.

The protagonist of the narrative is the superhero enthusiast Izuku Midoriya (also known as Deku), who gave up on his dream of attending the University of Arizona since he was born without a “quirk”, a kind of “special skill” that 80% of people on Earth have developed. 

The unusual power hindered him from going to U. A. High School, the most reputable center for hero training, and becoming the next “All Might,” or the greatest hero the world has ever known.

Midoriya, however, promises to work as hard as he can to become a symbol of peace and a beacon of hope for the world after having a chance encounter with All Might himself.

Both the manga and the ongoing anime series by Bones Inc. & TOHO Animation are regarded as some of the greatest of the 2010s. The award-winning series has been a part of publisher Shueisha’s Weekly Shnen Jump since 2014.

Image Source: Chinese Parade / Mark Andrew Boyer / KQED

News

Rich Ting Leads First San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade After Pandemic

Chinese American actor Rich Ting will serve as the grand marshal of San Francisco’s Chinese New Year parade in 2023.

The 42-year-old was reared by an athletic family, was born in Torrance, California, and spent time growing up in both Southern and Northern California.

Not only did he focus on being an athlete growing up, but also trained to be a Hollywood actor just what he always dreamed of. He made this goal come true by appearing in several films and TV shows, including Chicago P.D., NCIS: Los Angeles,  and Salt.

Succeeding Daniel Wu in leading the city’s Chinese New Year’s Year of The Rabbit parade, Rich stated “I am beyond words to express my gratitude for including me in such an iconic cultural celebration” in The San Francisco Standard.

The Chinatown exhibition will be celebrated for the first time since the pandemic with Harlan Wong serving as the parade’s director. Harlan Wong revealed that several rabbit sculptures will be placed throughout the city as part of the festivities and then sold at auction to benefit charities.

Michelle Yeoh, Jon Chu, and Mayor London Breed were hailed as grand marshals in prior years.

The Lunar New Year will be celebrated on January 22 at events hosted by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, although festivities will get underway at Chinatown’s Flower Market on January 14.

On February 3, the Miss Chinatown Pageant will take place the day before the parade.