From culinary arts in West Malaysia to international business ventures in East Malaysia, this defining step was what led Jordan Chang to where he is today.
While most were enjoying their university life, Jordan Chang took the opportunity to actively develop useful connections within the Swinburne Sarawak community.
Shortly after graduating, he co-founded theStudio with two partners he had connected with at Swinburne Sarawak. The digital marketing agency was established to ensure Kuching remains competitive in the digital market. theStudio did this by bringing forth the algorithmic changes and updates implemented by social media giants.
Under his leadership, theStudio has contributed to the growth of Sarawak by providing training and capacity building to educational, commercial, and government-backed agencies. Its impressive clientele includes SEDC Energy, Samsung, and local F&B players, SugarBun and Pezzo.
In true entrepreneurial fashion, his dedication to using technology and social media for the greater good of his community has also led him to co-found a non-governmental organisation, The Generations.
The Generations was inspired by the lack of connectivity between different generations and the absence of a platform for them to network Photo by The Generations
This initiative was inspired by the lack of connectivity between different generations and the absence of a platform for them to network.
With the aim to increase youth involvement in social issues while developing the diverse community in Sarawak, The Generations has organized multiple talk sessions with industry experts through social media platforms. The topics of the sessions ranged from women’s empowerment to digital transformation in Sarawak.
Being a young leader of an NGO at the age of 26 is certainly no easy feat, and the experience Jordan gained as the president of Swinburne Sarawak’s Leo Club proved to be invaluable in shaping him into both the steady leader and reliable team player he is today.
Driven strongly by his passion for youth empowerment, education and networking, Jordan keeps the NGO active and exciting with relevant events. To date, the most prominent event The Generations has organised is its youth-empowering event – Creatively Unique.
Jordan (right) with the Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, YB Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (second left), at the Creatively Unique event Photo by The Generations
Held in February 2023, the event was supported by major agencies and clubs, including the Sarawak Tourism Ministry. With 73 vendors and a whopping 8000 visitors, the two-day event was a huge success. Creatively Unique is expected to make a return in 2024.
Following the success of this major event, Jordan is not one to rest on his laurels; he is already working on developing a large-scale event with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to encourage healthy hobbies among the youth.
Of course, all that he has achieved has come with a lot of support along the way.
Aside from the support his fellow teammates in both theStudio and The Generations have given him, Jordan shares that his lecturers have been instrumental to his career success.
“While studying in Swinburne, I was able to receive dedicated support and one-on-one sessions with my lecturers. They were open-minded and receptive to my ideas, and this gave me the confidence I needed.”
While he acknowledges that the early years of the entrepreneur journey may be financially challenging, he advises up-and-coming entrepreneurs to leverage networking and working with other organisations to gain much-needed support and assistance.
This is part of our inspirational series where our alumni share stories of overcoming challenges, setting up pioneering projects and how they bring about positive change in the community.