I have recently become very interested in anything that has to do with innovation and creative thinking after being expose to my new job. So I got excited when I was invited by DBS to be one of the bloggers to view the DBS Sparks Episode 6: New Beginnings.

DBS or The Development Bank of Singapore Limited is a multinational bank and a leading company on banking & finance in Singapore that supports innovation and champions in social entrepreneurship. I am a happy client of DBS for years and it has been my first bank I trusted with my finances when I started living in Singapore.

What is DBS Sparks? Inspired by true stories, SPARKS is an industry-first mini-series that follows a group of young bankers as they challenge the status quo, going above and beyond when solving unusual client challenges. Check out the other DBS Sparks Episodes online. Through this mini-series, DBS hopes to convey the true meaning of banking, and to change the perception that banking is not only about transactions, but also to spark new ideas and inspire possibilities.

We didn’t only get to preview the DBS Sparks brand-new episode, we also get to hear from a panel of four impressive social innovators as they discuss the challenges and opportunities faced when small & medium-sized enterprises digitalise and innovate for scale and impact.

The venue was at the spacious DBS Asia  X which is specifically designed as a space for creative thinking and gathering of innovative people to brainstorm ideas & projects. It was a wonderful mix of group of bloggers, bankers, media people and entrepreneurs. I helped myself with a yummy spread of finger foods before the program started.

By 6:30 PM, the program started. Ms. Karen Ngui, Managing Director and Head of Group Strategic Marketing and Communication, started the program with the opening remarks. Then we got to take a first look in the DBS Sparks Episode 6 entitled New Beginnings.

It was a touching beautiful story about banking with a cause. I love that the themes are about innovation, education, feminism and love. Things that I am passionate about too. I couldn’t help but notice how gorgeous and good-looking the bankers are in the mini-film and I was very happy to see Adrian Pang in it (What that really him?). He is one of my admired talented actors in Singapore. We also got a glimpse of Zaya Learning Labs, a company that brings education to children in underserved communities through innovation.

Check out the trailer of this episode:

Then we got to hear the four remarkable and surprisingly young social entrepreneurs interviewed by Ms. Karen Ngui.

1. Dr. Alex Lin, Head of Ecosystem Development for SG Innovate Pte Ltd and DBS Business Class Advisor

2. Neil D’Souza, Founder of Zaya Learning Labs, bringing education to children in underserved communities through innovation

3. David Pong, CEO of WateROAM, an award-winning water filtration innovation that provides clean water to disaster-hit areas within seconds

4. Gillian Tee, Co-Founder and CEO of Homage, a complete service for in-home senior care that combines trained and curated caregivers with technology, allowing seniors to age at home with grace, control and dignity.

I learned so much from them. It is nice to know that passion and unceasing hardwork will result to wonderful results. Dr. Alex Lin, the more experienced and senior among the group shared a lot of great insights in pursuing social entrepreneurship. It is all about being stubborn, to remember why you are doing it in the first place and getting good mentors to help you in your journey.

We got to take home a good bag with munchies in it so we have some snacks to eat while we binge-watch on the several DBS Sparks Episodes we haven’t seen yet. We got to talk to several nice people and take photos in their photo booth.

Thank you DBS for the invitation!

Do watch the DBS Sparks Episodes here.