Q: How would you advise companies who are considering building their teams in Singapore?
A: If your talent is in Singapore, they can benefit from the diversity of incredibly welcoming professional communities here. Everyone in the market understands the idea of open collaboration, and this really shines through.
When I first moved to Singapore, I quickly became involved in three different groups, one is an extension of a Silicon Valley and India community I had been part of for years, and the other two are groups of senior women in tech including fellow entrepreneurs, tech leaders and investors. They are incredibly insightful, helpful, and fun communities and I treasure the WhatsApp conversations and monthly dinners we have. I found these groups so valuable that I also recently started one for younger women in tech who have not yet broken into senior ranks to create a sense of community and mentorship.
Q: What aspects of Singapore’s business ecosystem have you benefited from as a professional?
A: Singapore is so well connected (both virtually and physically) to the rest of the region that it makes running teams and growing the business not feel so distant. Additionally, the government's thoughtful, long term-oriented, and business-friendly approach creates a number of advantages that make operating in and from Singapore so relatively seamless. This enables entrepreneurs and leaders to focus on seizing their own unique opportunities and growing their businesses.
Q: How have you and your family experienced Singapore as a city to live in?
A: As a parent of two young children, there is nowhere else on earth I would rather raise my kids. Their grandparents in the United States are disappointed to hear that, but it is true! The educational opportunities available are world-class, and the supportive systems the government has in place to enable exceptional care in the home are a parent's dream.
Despite being such a dense city, it is also so green and well-designed that we thoroughly enjoy spending the weekend with the kids in the bike seats, riding all over the island to new parks, beaches, museums, and attractions
Most of all, we love the community feeling. For example, every Sunday morning, my two kids and I volunteer in a nearby community garden with other aunties and uncles from the neighbourhood. Beyond learning life's lessons of patience, persistence and satisfaction in the care of plants, they learn most importantly that they have people in the community they can depend on and give back to. This is such a unique and beautiful aspect of what it means to live and raise a family in Singapore.
