T imothy’s journey through HKUST Business School is a story about an inclusive and globally-minded educational environment that fostered his can-do attitude. Timothy knew that progress in business and life comes from embracing and exploring different points of view, and the diversity and ratio of international students at HKUST caught the budding entrepreneur’s eye. While his peers were determined, focused, and competitive like him, they were also supportive, friendly, and shared a spirit of camaraderie. Timothy was impressed: “Everyone at HKUST wants to strike a good career after graduation. Whether it’s getting into banks, consultancies, or starting their own businesses, there’s a friendly competitiveness that pushes you to achieve more.” Case competitions were one of the places where Timothy saw this in action. “We usually have around 24 hours to prepare a business solution for a company, like HSBC, and present our proposal. It’s intense but incredibly rewarding.” The pace, demands, and challenges of these competitions weren’t their only benefit. “They were a fantastic way to meet students from other schools around the world,” he says. Timothy travelled to Thailand and Denmark to take part, and here in Hong Kong, met visiting international students who opened his mind to how business problems are approached differently across cultures. Timothy’s time at HKUST included a year- long exchange at Harvard University. “That opportunity came about thanks to the immense support from HKUST faculty and peers,” he notes, “The breadth of opportunities to go overseas for exchanges and international exposure at HKUST is unmatched.” HKUST’s encouragement to explore different paths inspired Timothy. “Some of my peers followed more traditional career paths, but HKUST encourages you to build projects and start your own business,” he says. In 2014,
during his second year, Timothy co-founded a postcard business. Although the idea was well-intentioned, it faced a few hurdles and lacked scalability. Drawing on the knowledge he gained in his course, he continued to fan the flames of his entrepreneurial drive and paved the way for his next venture. The company he is known for today, Spread-It, is a platform for micro-influencers that was directly inspired by his time at HKUST. Realising there was a demand from brands to reach university students, Timothy turned his attention to the popularity of social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which were widely used by the students around him. Along with his business partner, he turned a trend into a solution by packaging a service that provided access to online KOLs. His business earned him a spot on the list of Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia in Media, Marketing & Advertising in 2020. Timothy attributes much of his entrepreneurial success to the generalist approach of the HKUST business curriculum. “The business school trains you to be a generalist. You don’t specialise too much, but this broad knowledge is crucial when you’re starting a business,” he says. Understanding various aspects like HR, accounting, marketing, and raising capital allowed Timothy to navigate the complexities of building a company. “There’s an Entrepreneurship Centre at HKUST where you can get mentorship and chat with peers who have similar problems,” Timothy notes. The practical guidance he received on issues like finding clients, dealing with company politics, renting office space, and raising capital was invaluable. “Chatting with different faculty members, peers and seniors who had started their businesses helped me navigate the thousands of problems that occur with a startup.” For those interested in developing their careers in the business world or starting their own company, Timothy has some words of advice when making your choice: “The diversity, extensive growth opportunities, and supportive environment at HKUST will help you achieve your goals.”
Integrate
It was clear that HKUST was an inclusive and welcoming school where I would also learn a lot from my peers.”
Timothy Ng Bachelor of Business Administration Global Business and Economics Class of 2016
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