Social Collider: Supporting Social Entrepreneurs To Create Impact

Social Collider is a Singaporean impact aggregator that acts as a champion for social enterprises. They empower these businesses through workshops, investor connections, and collaborative workspaces. Social Collider goes beyond individual success. They bridge the gap between social enterprises and government or corporations, fostering partnerships for greater impact. By providing resources, connections, and a collaborative environment, Social Collider accelerates the success and social influence of these change-making businesses in Singapore. With that, why don’t you join me in learning more about Social Collider with its Founder and CEO, Russ Neu.

Could you tell us about yourself and how has your career led you up to this point? 

I was a teacher in Singapore for 10 years. I believe that experiences shape action, the things you do will most likely push you to act on certain things. During my time as a teacher, I came across a heart-wrenching situation with one of my students. She'd been missing school for days, and when I visited her home, I found her in agony from a severe pain in her arm. Part of a low-income family, she wasn't getting proper medical care – they just couldn't afford it. Self-medication was all they had. Six months later, the shocking news came - it was stage 4 cancer. She fought hard for a year, but sadly, the illness took her. This experience left a deep mark on me. It was like living in two worlds. The extravagant wealth portrayed in "Crazy Rich Asians" seemed so close by, yet here was this young girl robbed of a chance simply because of money. This encounter became a turning point for me. It highlighted the harsh reality that a lack of resources can stand in the way of basic necessities and well-being.

To add to this, during my masters in Tsinghua University, I came to know about the Chi Heng Foundation. This foundation supported children who were impacted by AIDS in China. In the mid 90s, there were a lot of pharmaceutical companies who went to a Chinese province to buy blood. There was a huge demand for it, so a lot of villagers wanted to sell their blood. Because of that, the hospitals could not cope with the demand. As a result, underground activities sprouted. Lack of education coupled with hygiene breaches and re-used needles enabled the spread of AIDS in the village. After 15 years of this, I went to this village and interviewed the children who contracted this disease and realized how their parents did what they had to – which was selling blood – to feed their families. They simply had no choice but to do what they had to.

I’m a firm believer that together, we can alleviate poverty, but not completely eradicate it. We can help impoverished families alleviate their current status by teaching them how to do business and make it sustainable. Additionally, I also believe that money is not the root of all evil. It is the lack thereof that gives rise to evil.

What is Social Collider and what inspired its creation? 

In 2018, we started Social Collider. Within a year, we were well known in the impact space in Singapore. In 2020, I was appointed as a visiting professor under the United Nations Program. 

What services does Social Collider offer? 

We support the ecosystem through the 4Ps: People, Products, Processes, and Profit. We try to support anything related to labor and transform it to its most sustainable form. For Products, every time one of the community members has a new product, we always take a look at it and give feedback. For Processes, we offer mentoring sessions. I’ve mentored more than 100 startups in Singapore and we are not limited to just within Singapore. We have also mentored some startups in China, South Korea, and within the region as well. Lastly, for Profit, I believe that we support companies in terms of their sales. They need to be able to prove that they can grow and scale their business.

What differentiates Social Collider from other players in the market? 

We believe collaboration is key. We don't just offer resources and support, we create a space where social enterprises can connect, share knowledge, and even partner on projects. This co-working and co-innovation environment allows everyone to learn from each other and maximize their impact. But we go beyond individual success. We act as an "impact aggregator," connecting social enterprises with government, corporations, and other stakeholders. By facilitating partnerships and funding opportunities, we amplify the collective positive change social enterprises can create in Singapore.

Our vision extends beyond existing businesses. We're building a movement. Through the Social Collider Academy, we educate and inspire aspiring social entrepreneurs. We want to cultivate a generation of passionate individuals who can tackle social and environmental challenges through innovative businesses.

Can you provide some specific examples of how Social Collider's approach has led to successful outcomes in past projects? What metrics do you use to measure success?

I had a mentee who was blind, his name was Edwin. He had tertiary education and was very well educated. However, since he was blind, people suggested that he be a masseur given his condition. He refused to accept this fate since he had other, more powerful ambitions for his career. He really liked playing chess and even represented Singapore in the Paralympics. I suggested that he put up a business that set up chess tournaments. Initially, we didn’t charge any money. But slowly after that, we started to charge more and more. Through this, he was able to create a business. Now, he charges around 50 Singaporean Dollars per person per tournament.

To us, this is a success story. It is a story about poverty alleviation and putting up a sustainable business. This is something that Edwin believes in and can use to survive in the real world. He is just one of the many success stories that we have. As long as it's financially stable, then that is a success to me.

What is your vision for the future of Social Collider? How do you see the company impacting the alleviation of poverty through economic development?

I hope to focus more on alleviating poverty through sustainable models. We are advocates for responsible businesses and would like for this to continue.

Russ Neu is Founder and CEO of Social Collider. Russ is responsible for strategic direction, program development and implementation, connecting communities, and providing leadership and guidance to not only Social Collider but to the business it supports as well. He is an important figure in supporting the alleviation of poverty through sustainable business. As seen in him, Russ is incredibly passionate about working towards the alleviation of poverty. He is a firm believer that the lack of money is the root of all evil, and that by providing underserved communities with a sustainable business or livelihood, then money would flow and poverty would be alleviated.

Visit www.techshake.asia if you would like to know and connect more with Social Collider.