Meet: Evan Ismadi

Hi, I’m Evan! I was an alumnus of the NFTE programme from 2021, and a mentee from the 2022 NFTE Graduate Mentorship Programme (GMP). I’m currently studying sports management at ITE College East.

What was one of the highlights of your NFTE experience, and how did your learnings from this programme expand your perspective?

There’s many to name, but one of them is the e-learning journey to Google’s office, which was conducted via Zoom. As it was held during the later stages of the pandemic, we didn’t get to visit Google’s physical office in-person, but it was still deeply engaging, and one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had through this programme.

This was our first ever e-learning journey, and we had the chance to interact with stakeholders such as the head of Google Singapore. One of them was the social media department, where part of their scope included choosing the right influencer to sponsor one of their products. It was interesting to learn about Google’s role in connecting and promoting other businesses. This made me reflect on how I would push my business idea – a care package, where I aim to offer online lifestyle coaching and nutrition and health products to keep everybody active – further.

Prior to joining NFTE, I had zero ideas about business, but completing the whole NFTE journey gave me a better understanding of entrepreneurship. Now, I’m in a business school in ITE, and I can see how the exposure to business skills and the entrepreneurial mindset that I’ve gained with NFTE have helped a lot with my current course, enabling me to guide teams who are new to business through my projects, and give them a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship.

What was one of the most impactful lessons/mindsets/qualities you’ve learned from your NFTE journey? How did this change the way you lead your life in the present?

Having to communicate and interact with others from different backgrounds encouraged me to be more confident and outspoken when meeting a new community. Because if you can’t talk to people, you’re not going to go further in life.

As you go on, there are a lot of people that you need to talk to, especially when you are going out into the working world. Being confident and able to talk to others is the most important part. I used to be concerned about what others would think of me from my first impression. But now, I just focus on being myself and being confident.

What were some of your most memorable moments, and what were some things you learned and experienced that left an impression on you?

The NFTE Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (NYEC) 2021! I never expected to learn so much from those four memorable days. It was challenging because we stayed in school working on our business ideas, from 9AM to 5PM. On the last day, we stayed from 8:30AM to around 9PM, just hustling all the way, improving our business deck, and creating our prototypes.

I found myself getting to be more outspoken than usual, as I moved from presenting my idea to my classmates, to showcasing my idea to students from other schools, and external judges. That taught me to not let myself be affected by what others think of me.

In imparting entrepreneurial mindsets and skill sets, how can NFTE inspire young people to enact change in their own lives and how has it shaped your own approach to life?

Young people can change their point of view when they look at something, such as a business. With a new discovery, it is possible that you can help others, which is one of the things I wish to do in my life – helping others. I’ve learnt to appreciate what I have, and make the most of chances and opportunities given to me as they are hard to come by. Sometimes, you have only one chance at something that could change your life.