A Look Back at 2017 GSEA With the First Runner Up

Sadira Yeong Min Yi was a student at the University of Malaya when she competed in the 2017 EO Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA). After earning a spot as a finalist, she traveled to Germany to take part in the Global Finals—where she won first runner up! 

What company were you running when you competed in the 2017 Global Student Entrepreneurship Awards (GSEA)?

Readpublic, which is a book comparison platform where we curate and compare the price of different online bookstores, it also serves as a marketplace where people can buy or sell used books.

Today, I have moved on to a new venture—a healthcare and cosmetic OEM business. Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur!

What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?

I believe it is the driven motivation in wanting to bring an impact to the society and business is the best tool in achieving my personal goal.

What is your favorite memory of GSEA?

The networking session for all GSEA participants! Our deep connection could be felt. We all had a mutual passion and undying motivation—albeit all of us come from different background and countries.

Describe your journey to EO GSEA Global Finals.

It was a very humbling journey. There were few mentors assigned to me and guided me prior to the finals in Germany, they were radically open-minded to the idea and gave very constructive feedback that helped a lot in developing my self-awareness. And I deeply believe it is this self-awareness that allowed me to find my positioning and strength.

Upon arriving in Germany, it was another exciting journey because I was able to make friends with like-minded people and meaningful bonds were formed. It was extremely humbling and heart-warming to meet other students who are constantly challenging themselves to strive forward.

Did you compete in any other business competitions? How does GSEA compare with those?

Yes, in fact, I joined a lot of business competitions prior to joining GSEA. GSEA differs a lot from other business competitions because GSEA is the ONLY competition where the panels focus on the character and mindset of the participants instead of business metrics. The bonds that were formed in GSEA were deeply meaningful.

What do you wish you knew back when you were a student entrepreneur?

I wish I knew the importance of having a very logical mindset over emotional—left brain>right brain—and the importance of being radically transparent and radically open-minded.