SEEd.Lab empowers Malaysian changemakers at open day

• Showcased which they have developed over 12-18 months
• Centred on issues around food, health, education, financial security

Social Enterprise Education Laboratory (SEEd.Lab), an incubator programme powered by Petronas and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), debuted six social ventures from its second cohort.

The Open Day is an avenue for the programme’s participants, dubbed SEEd.lings, to showcase the solutions they are developing and validating for their respective social ventures over the course of 12 to 18 months, Petronas said in a statement.

Aidonna Jun Ayub, programme manager at SEEd.Lab said the three social enterprises from its first cohort have collectively impacted more than 10,000 lives and counting.

“However, it takes a concerted effort from all individuals and groups, organisations large and small to create an ecosystem for impactful, widespread and lasting social change to happen.

“This year’s Open Day for Cohort 2 is not only a platform for these six new social ventures to showcase their ideas and validate their proposed solutions, but also rally more partners and supporters to collectively create a more positive impact for Malaysian communities,” said Aidonna.

For its second cohort, SEEd.Lab aims to address specific social challenges that exist within four domains, including food, agriculture, health and hygiene, education and skills, and personal and financial security. 

Amongst the social ventures making their debut at the Open Day were Enoku, which seeks to provide employment for persons with disability; Fundamental, which aims to provide accessible and trustable mental health care for teenagers; OneWay, which looks to enhance business sustainability for Sabahan entrepreneurs with focus on logistics;

Others include Sapot, which provides innovative, credible and accessible mental health services for young adults; Sejolly, which empowers parents of children with learning disabilities; and Niagable which empowers street food vendors with relevant insights to make informed, timely and profitable business decisions to grow their business. 

As the main forces behind SEEd.Lab, Petronas and TCS said they contribute their resources to accelerate the journey of these social enterprises by providing business and leadership mentoring, technical expertise for solution development, funding for solutions, market testing and commercialisation, to name a few. 

The graduates from the programme will then continue to have access to the support system built within their time in SEEd.Lab for the next 12 months.

Sazali Hamzah, executive vice president and chief executive officer of downstream at Petronas said, “For its second cohort, Petronas and TCS work to equip these newly established social ventures with the right knowledge and know-how to address specific social challenges within the identified four domains.

“We will continue to empower these young Malaysian changemakers, leveraging our resources and industry networks as a springboard for these ventures to unleash their potential and bring their ideas to sustainable fruition, long beyond commercialisation,” said Sazali.

Girish Ramachandran, president, TCS Asia-Pacific said “At TCS, we firmly believe that businesses exist to serve the needs of the people and technology has the power to create greater futures for all.” 

“To this end, we are heartened to be able to create upskilling and job opportunities for youths in Malaysia through the work we are doing for SEEd.Lab and look forward to collaborating further with Petronas to holistically address societal challenges and leave a positive impact on the community.”

Click here for further information on SEEd.Lab.