Mr Prakash Somosundram, Chair of the ACE Communications Subcommittee, speaks to SPRINGnews in the final instalment of a seven-part Q&A series with the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE).
SPRINGnews: What were some of the key initiatives undertaken in 2012 to raise awareness of ACE and entrepreneurship in Singapore?
Mr Somosundram: 2012 was a year when we laid the foundation for the future. We began our foray into social media, establishing our presence on platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. Another initiative was the ACE Starter Kit, an online collection of discounts and free subscriptions for start-up related products and services.
To support more entrepreneurship-related events, we set up the Feed the Founders Programme, which encourages start-up networking events by providing the social lubricant – the all-important food and drinks. The new ACE Booster Pack is a bag full of goodies and toiletries to give start-ups a morale boost for the long hours that they have to put in.
SPRINGnews: What has the response been to these efforts?
Mr Somosundram: I think ACE’s profile as a friend and supporter of entrepreneurs in Singapore has grown. By engaging the entrepreneurship community, we have gained greater insights into the challenges entrepreneurs are facing. This allows us to further develop our online platforms so that we can go beyond the traditional model of supporting events to one where support is available anywhere and anytime.
SPRINGnews: What is in the pipeline for the Communications Subcommittee in 2013?
Mr Somosundram: Building on the momentum in 2012, we are developing a new initiative called ACE Conversations. This will be an engaging series of interactions with start-ups to look at how they can contribute to a more vibrant start-up community in Singapore.
SPRINGnews: 2013 marks the 10th year since ACE was set up. How do you plan to celebrate ACE’s 10th anniversary?
Mr Somosundram: This will definitely be an exciting year, both for ACE and for me. I started as a participant in the early years and moved on to contribute as an EXCO member. Ten years is an amazing milestone and I am proud to say that ACE has played a key role in shaping the dynamic entrepreneurship ecosystem we have today. We are planning a month of entrepreneurship events to mark the anniversary.
We are also working towards launching ACE’s new branding in conjunction with this key milestone. While we will retain
the heritage and brand equity of ACE, we also want to add more dynamism to depict the new direction that ACE will be heading towards in the next 10 years and beyond.
SPRINGnews: What are your wishes for ACE and Singapore’s start-up scene over the next 10 years, and how can they be realised?
Mr Somosundram: My wish is for ACE to continue working closely with Singapore’s entrepreneurs, to serve them in the best way possible. To achieve this, we need to have both the private and public sectors striving towards the common goal of building and sustaining a vibrant, exciting entrepreneurial community in Singapore.
Reproduced with permission from SPRINGnews February 2013 Issue. Published by SPRING Singapore.