“Start-ups” is currently a big buzz word all across the developed world – from San Francisco to Istanbul to Singapore, aspiring entrepreneurs are having a go at starting their next company hoping to make it big one day. Here in Tajikistan, there is also a wave of start-ups being created, driven by women who dream of creating a better life for their families. In a small district outside the city of Khujand in Northern Tajikistan, I had the chance to meet with a very different kind of start-up business. The CEO/CTO/CFO of this one-man start-up is Mukaramjon, who is also a widowed mother... Continue Reading >>
Terence grew up in the tiny island-state of Singapore, and grew to embrace a global outlook through his personal and professional travels which have allowed him to journey to more than 35 countries to date. At the University of Illinois, Terence picked up an interest in social entrepreneurship and was first exposed to the concept of microfinance during a trip to the village of Casa Blanca in Ica, Peru in 2008. He believes that an appreciation of other languages and cultures will help build a more open, peaceful and connected world. An entrepreneur at heart, he went on to found the largest language exchange community in Singapore, and wishes to continue using his professional skills in consulting to do good. As a Kiva Fellow, he understands that he is only a small piece of the market-based solution to alleviate poverty, but hopes that the better flow of capital through Kiva and microfinance institutions may go a long way to make the world a better place. Terence currently lives in Austin with his fiancée, Lysia. He is also a budding Capoeirista and passionate minimalist.
Fellows Blog Posts by Terence Yeo
Apr 15, 2015
Tajikistan
“Start-ups” is currently a big buzz word all across the developed world – from San Francisco to Istanbul to Singapore, aspiring entrepreneurs are having a go at starting their next company hoping to make it big one day. Here in Tajikistan, there is also a wave of start-ups being created, driven by women who dream of creating a better life for their families. In a small district outside the city of Khujand in Northern Tajikistan, I had the chance to meet with a very different kind of start-up business. The CEO/CTO/CFO of this one-man start-up is Mukaramjon, who is also a widowed mother... Continue Reading >>
“Start-ups” is currently a big buzz word all across the developed world – from San Francisco to Istanbul to Singapore, aspiring entrepreneurs are having a go at starting their next company hoping to make it big one day. Here in Tajikistan, there is also a wave of start-ups being created, driven by women who dream of creating a better life for their families. In a small district outside the city of Khujand in Northern Tajikistan, I had the chance to meet with a very different kind of start-up business. The CEO/CTO/CFO of this one-man start-up is Mukaramjon, who is also a widowed mother... Continue Reading >>
Mar 6, 2015
Tajikistan
I am sitting in a Lada 1500, zooming down a pothole-filled tarmac road in the middle of nowhere, Tajikistan. This is a 2004 Russian-made car, which at its time of production had a few enhancements that included a clock and improved sound-proofing. What it lacked were airbags, seat belts and doors that did not feel like they could fall off anytime. We were going 90 miles an hour, swerving around potholes, in a decade-old Russian car that we would probably not want the insurance company to know about. This is also known as the process of borrower-verification, where we head out into the field... Continue Reading >>
I am sitting in a Lada 1500, zooming down a pothole-filled tarmac road in the middle of nowhere, Tajikistan. This is a 2004 Russian-made car, which at its time of production had a few enhancements that included a clock and improved sound-proofing. What it lacked were airbags, seat belts and doors that did not feel like they could fall off anytime. We were going 90 miles an hour, swerving around potholes, in a decade-old Russian car that we would probably not want the insurance company to know about. This is also known as the process of borrower-verification, where we head out into the field... Continue Reading >>