2025 Wrapped

Closer to the ground

I asked ChatGPT how I should frame this year compared with 2024- and the word ‘closer’ emerged - Physically closer to Myanmar, closer to crisis, closer in relationships & closer to commitment. Poetic, but true indeed, and something I’m grateful for 🙏

I’m writing this from Myanmar, having just flown in on 26th December, on my 8th & final trip here this year. The first of three election phases has just passed, largely uneventfully.

Back at this restaurant that I first visited 12 years ago when I was still a student. A plate of Briyani cost 1,800 mmk back then, now costs 9,500 mmk!

A Year in Motion 🌍

Yours truly sitting in the Kasubi Tombs in Kampala, Uganda

This year took me across Thailand, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, the Middle East (Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait), Taiwan, and of course repeatedly back to Myanmar. Highlights included:

• Traveling with my now-fiancé (she said yes in October ❤️) with both our mothers

• (Re)visiting Africa + meeting Singaporeans in Rwanda 🇷🇼

• A family vacation to Taiwan 🇹🇼 (last one was >10 years ago)

• Crossing the 75 countries visited milestone, something fewer than 10,000 people worldwide are estimated to have done (According to Google’s Gemini)

But movement wasn’t just about flights and borders.

Me and Peter, cooped up in a small guesthouse on Day 4 of Walk for Hope- after I crashed out and was bed ridden after ~140km of walking.

In the wake of USAID cuts, I set out on a 500km Walk for Hope to raise $150k SGD in support of the Mae Tao Clinic. This was a continuation of the 2000km Cycle for Hope fundraiser that I embarked on in 2024 from Singapore to Bangkok. With the strong support of Peter, Aaron, and 300+ generous donors, this was by a long shot the biggest challenge of my life, once again marked by a miraculous lack of rain throughout.

Myanmar Earthquake 🫨

One hour after arriving at Mae Tao Clinic, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar. From the Thai-Myanmar border, the two-storey office building I was in shook, but it was also the worst quake that had hit Myanmar in the past century. With little time to catch my breath, I arrived to Yangon the following day and over the course of the subsequent 3 weeks:

• Missed 10 flights [back to Singapore, a personal trip to India and joining my fiancé in Australia]

• Witnessed firsthand how critical it is to have capable, values-driven people close to the problems (50+ volunteers were mobilised to purchase, pack and distribute essential aid)

• Over a dozen NGOs and volunteer groups coordinated on the ground

• Led a team to clean up 800 bags of trash in the Amarapura area of Mandalay

• Launched the Helping Hearts Scholarship Programme, initially earthquake-focused, later expanded when it became clear the quake was only the tip of the iceberg

Appearing briefly on a CNA938 programme to share our response to the crisis

Check out this newsletter for more information on what transpired. It reinforced something I’ve believed for a long time:

We don’t have too much to lose, but we have far too much to give.

Crossworks Turns 7 🎂

Its not been the easiest year… but one rich in lessons and experiences nonetheless.

At Crossworks, we made a hard decision last year to only hire people physically based in Myanmar, with no intention to relocate. The cost were real, in flat company and headcount numbers this year. On the surface, it may seem like we’re not making much progress, but I believe our team has been greatly strengthened and quietly building capabilities throughout the year. Highlights:

• All but three of my team members have crossed the 1-year mark, with the average tenure being north of 2.5 years with the company, making this the most mature team we’ve ever had

• 5+ returnees this year and a renewed push on our Repatriate Programme:
  one-way plane ticket + one month’s accommodation for Myanmar nationals in Southeast Asia who secure roles with us and return home

• Monthly training & engagement credits (launched in 2024), now widely used for learning, community, essential goods, and donations while we allocated funds to match donations and stockpile essential goods and increase our internal income replacement pledge to give every Crossworker an ease of mind whilst working.

The gang celebrating Christmas last week (without me 😢)

Lowlights:

• Closed the career bootcamp due to high dropout rates

• Newly launched career club didn’t find product-market fit

• Multiple employer partner closures led to layoffs of over a dozen talent (thankfully we were able to find employment for more than 75% of the affected individuals within 3 months)

Team trip to Chiangmai last month to wrap up the year!

Common Cents & Letting Go

This year also marked the formal closure of J Rental Centre as the hosting server expired, a quiet end to a decade long chapter. J Rental Centre Pte. Ltd. was officially renamed to Common Cents Pte. Ltd., and this year, the following was achieved:

• 4 pitch nights under the Common Cents banner + international founders networking night in conjunction with SWITCH in Singapore

  

• Monthly Myanmar makan sessions with entrepreneurs

• Setting up the Common Cents Shop, including a small Christmas pop-up

• Organising a sold out 28th December financial workshop with my father who agreed to contribute his trainer fees toward Myanmar scholarships for needy university students [next run on 31st Jan 2026, fully Skillsfuture Credit claimable]

The name and format may be different but the mission to connect people remains.