Meet Dr. Patrick, a visionary leader and changemaker, who has changed the business and leadership landscape with a remarkable track record of success. Having played a pivotal role in listing more than three companies across three different industries in three different countries, he has proven his ability to navigate and thrive in diverse markets.
Passionate about education and innovation, Dr. Patrick developed what is arguably the first multimedia online learning program on entrepreneurship, empowering countless individuals with the knowledge to build and scale their ventures. A sought-after keynote speaker, he has shared the stage with global icons such as Bill Clinton and Anthony Robbins, further cementing his influence in the business and leadership landscape.
You have successfully helped list 3 companies across different industries in different countries. What is the key to navigating such diverse markets and achieving success?
Years ago, I rephrased a very famous law called the Law of Relativity to guide people in achieving success, and it’s called E = mc4. E stands for excellence. It does not matter what you do or what you have; you must pursue excellence.
M stands for mission. I think we all need to know our life mission—what will help us make the most positive impact and achieve the greater good. C to the power of four stands for four Cs: commitment, character, competence, and compassion. I would like to add a fifth C, called cohesion, which represents teamwork.
To be successful, you need an honourable character, worthy of emulation and followership. Commitment is crucial; even the most talented person without commitment will fail to make things work. Competence involves KASH: knowledge, attitude, skills, and habits.
Compassion is essential because people care less about what you know and more about whether you care for them. Finally, cohesion, or teamwork, is vital because great organisations rely on great leaders and teamwork.
What inspired you to develop the first multimedia online learning program on entrepreneurship?
I always feel that entrepreneurship is the ability to study gaps, to analyse markets that are unserved, underserved, or could be better served with improved offerings. I started arguably the first, online multimedia business during the dot-com boom. In the mid-1990s, the internet was a new and powerful tool, allowing me to serve more people worldwide.
I realised that the best thing was to provide online learning and education. However, the journey was tough. Within the first three years, we lost $4.6 million. At one point, Temasek even offered to invest in our company, but I didn’t believe in taking someone else’s money when we were losing money without a clear turnaround plan.
We fought back, and by 2008, we were making US $16 million annually with customers in more than 61 countries. We had approval in principle to list the company on NASDAQ, but the Lehman Brothers crash in September 2008 derailed that dream.
Having shared the stage with global icons like Bill Clinton and Anthony Robbins, what was one of the most memorable moments or lessons learned?
It’s not just the lessons I learned from these great speakers, trainers, and gurus but how they triggered me to reflect on my life. For example, Anthony Robbins led exercises that made me think deeply about my purpose, mission, and values. This reflection led me to develop my identity as a “number two man.” Why a number two? Because behind every successful person, there is someone encouraging them. I want to be that person.
My mission is to inspire others to greatness. They can optimise their potential and become shining lights in their communities. The values I adopt include love, inspiration, growth, and positive impact. I see myself as a dream maker—helping people rekindle their dreams and turn them into a blazing fire of achievement.
Personally, I aim to empower the next generation and inspire people to achieve greatness in leadership, entrepreneurship, and investment.
How do you identify and nurture investment opportunities that align with your vision for impact and growth?
I developed a model combining entrepreneurship and investment called “entrevestment” or “investpreneurship.” Entrepreneurship involves starting, planning, growing, and controlling a business to generate active income. Investment is about putting your hard-earned money into assets with the hope of getting good returns as passive income.
Labels can limit potential, so I combined entrepreneurship and investment to create a synergistic effect. For example, I buy properties as investments but think like an entrepreneur to grow their value. When I got married, I was earning $10,000 in rental income from a shophouse and paid only $1,600 to rent a beautiful house—yielding an $8,400 monthly gain.
By applying this model, I became financially free, achieving financial, time, lifestyle, and contribution freedom.
As a humanitarian and philanthropist, what are some initiatives you are most proud of, and what motivates your charity work?
Over the years, I have led, started, and groomed charities. What excites me most is being a catalyst. More than ten years ago, I started the Giving Back Pledge Movement. We challenge people to make a written pledge to live well, achieve more, and do good by donating their time, talent, and treasury to help the poor, needy and disadvantaged.
This movement has inspired over 10,000 people to give back, with more than 2,500 actively involved in charity work. It’s a butterfly effect—when one person gives back, it creates a tsunami of good. We engage individuals, families, organisations, businesses, and universities to join this movement.
What trends do you foresee shaping the future of entrepreneurship and investment in the next decade?
I am very excited about the new era. Some call it the New World Order or the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The world is changing faster than ever, and what worked in the past may not work in the future. Entrepreneurs and investors face tremendous opportunities.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a prime example. Initially, AI seemed to progress slowly, but a group of young innovators in China recently created DeepSeek, an AI technology that is cheaper, faster, and often better than existing options. This demonstrates that a single person or small group can disrupt giants.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to create both financial success and meaningful impact?
I advise young people to focus on the five Ps: Purpose, Personality, Passion, Performance, and Priority. Purpose: Understand your calling and live it to achieve your highest potential. Personality: Leverage your strengths instead of trying to do everything on your own.
Passion: Love what you do and do it with excellence. Performance: Develop KASH (knowledge, attitude, skills, and habits) to excel. Priority: Know what’s important and start with small steps before pursuing bigger dreams.
Where do you see yourself, and what’s your vision for Singapore in the next five years?
Personally, I aim to empower the next generation and inspire people to achieve greatness in leadership, entrepreneurship, and investment. I have developed many successful leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors and continue to dedicate my life to this cause. Every morning, I pray for the chance to inspire just one more person to rise and fulfill their dreams.
For Singapore, my vision focuses on four areas. Heartware: Returning to the soul of society beyond mere economic values. Hardware: Developing the models, structures and systems for sustainable growth. Software: Improving the quality of life for the people. Soulware: Building a nation that will make a positive impact on the world.
Connect with Dr. Patrick: LinkedIn.
