This March, as we celebrate B Corp month and International Women’s Day, we go #BehindTheB to shine the spotlight on some of our wonder women.
It’s a spotlight that isn’t just being turned on for one day – it’s been on since we can remember, and we’re never turning it off. We may have often brushed past one another, exchanged morning greetings at our workplace, or even bit the bullets during meetings… but beyond these interactions, how well do we actually know them? Let’s find out!
Meet Jean. Growing up, she had dreams of being a zoologist studying big black cats in the jungle, but she soon realised it may not be sustainable as a career.
She wanted to do work that encompassed greater meaning, so she hopped on the Bettr boat, and fast forward 11 years - she’s here to stay. As one of Bettr's co-founders, Jean is a multi-hyphenate, in-charge of several aspects of the business, also a trainer with the Academy and a big coffee tech junkie.
A cuppa a day is never enough for her and here’s another fun fact - her daily caffeine fix depends on the time of the day. In the morning, she reaches for a Double Shot Oat Milk Bettr Latte (of course!), but when noon strikes… all hail the Teh C Kosong!
Q: What are you most proud of doing?
“The thing that I’m really proud of is the team that we have here at Bettr. They are all super dedicated - giving their 100%, sometimes 125%. I’m also very proud of the work that the team has done with our beneficiaries and the people that have come through our doors.”
Q: If you're given a chance to have super powers, what would it be?
“I want to be a transformer. I want to be able to transform into whatever I need to be that is right and best for every situation. If it’s something that requires me to think hard, with a super big brain… like Pinky and the Brain? If it’s something more physical, then strength will be my superpower. If I’ve got things that I don’t have enough time for, then speed - just like Flash.”
Q: What would you like to tell your 15 year old self?
“In 5 years you’re gonna’ be turning 20-30 years old… enjoy it. Learn as MUCH as you can because you’re never gonna’ have that kind of energy again as you get older in life.”
Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
“International Women’s Day is a day for us women to celebrate our power and our contributions to changing the world, and making the world a better place.”
Meet Suyin, our Head of Social Programmes. Bubbly and approachable, she had the vision of being an educator since young and later on pursued her career in teaching. Don’t ask us why she ended up at Bettr, but we’re truly glad she did.
With a big heart and smile, she’s not only a mentor, but also a friend to the beneficiaries of our Bettr Work Training Programme and Holistic Training Programme for marginalised groups. Contrary to her bright and cheery disposition, she actually loves her coffee black - an Iced Americano would be best.
Q: What are you most proud of doing?
“One of my proudest moments in the last 2 years was really working alongside my team on the Social Programmes. I think the last 2 years have been particularly challenging for our beneficiaries, but we managed to support over 39 of them. At the end of the year, we saw all of them graduate and being able to come together physically at our graduation ceremony was one of the proudest achievements I felt. Especially since it has been a hybrid of virtually and physically meeting people, there were very few in-person meetings. Seeing everyone in the same space felt a little more concrete - a warm, fuzzy feeling that’s quite unexplainable.”
Q: If you're given a chance to have super powers, what would it be?
“I want to have the power of being able to manipulate time. 24 hours is not enough, I want to have 48 hours within a short span of time. I don’t need to go to the future, I don’t need to go to the past. I just want to make sure that whatever time I have in the present, I’m able to do everything very quickly - so if I’m able to do my 8 hours of work in 1 hour, I’ll do that, and then spend the rest of my day having fun!”
Q: What would you like to tell your 15 year old self?
“I used to be a very angry kid, I’ll just lie in bed, listen to my music and wallow in self pity. I think I’ll tell my 15 year old self to just keep doing what I’m doing, so long as you’re a good person, focus on overcoming the challenges and it’ll get better. As long as you keep at it, one day, you’ll be proud of who you are, doing the work that you do.”
Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
“Well, it’s a very important day that we celebrate as young women. I think being a Singaporean, I’ve been very lucky to receive compulsory education growing up, and also having a job, being able to enjoy the work that I’m doing. This is a privilege that has been given to me because of the context and place that I grew up in. What is important is to celebrate the successes of women all over the world and also to continue to remember our privilege, that this is not something all women get to experience - compulsory education, employment, because of cultural roots and opportunities in other countries. International Women’s Day really means alot to me in a sense - for one, I appreciate the privilege, and the other, is to continue doing the advocacy work for women and young girls around the world.”
Meet Lydia, our manager at the Academy, who ensures that the day-to-day operations run smoothly to provide enjoyable student experiences. On some days, Lydia also gets hands-on and takes on the role of a trainer - teaching Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Specialty Coffee, SCA Brewing Foundation and SCA Barista Skills Foundation classes.
Off work hours, you may find this loving fur mom perfecting her baking skills, working towards realising her dreams of owning a bakery someday! Make a guess… What's her favourite cuppa? So long as it’s black coffee, anything goes.
Q: What are you most proud of doing?
“What I feel most proud of doing is when I know that the people I’ve come across through various touchpoints in my teaching career that they still remember the values and skills I’ve taught them and they continue to apply them in their various life stages.”
Q: If you're given a chance to have super powers, what would it be?
“I want everything! But if there’s only one choice, I guess it’ll be teleportation - to be able to teleport myself from place to place. We don’t just play one role, we play many roles. At work, I’m a bubble head. I’m also the mother of my dog, daughter to my parents and a wife to my other half. So there’s a constant need to be at different places fast and seamlessly.”
Q: If you woke up a millionaire one day, what's something you would do?
“I’d like to improve the living conditions of the animal shelters in Singapore, to better support the lives of the unwanted and homeless companion animals, which I think requires a lot of money. If I have the time, I guess that’s when I retire… I hope to be able to create or establish more sustainable fundraising methods that could help these animals in Singapore.”
Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
“International Women’s day is a day to celebrate and embrace women individuals as who we are and that we are able to create change and make impact in everything that we do.”
Meet Sally, our Student Support Executive! This proud mother of two is yet another member of our coffee academy who plays an integral role in the student’s learning journey, handling enquiries about our courses such as registrations and rescheduling of classes. Life’s a simple pleasure for her - all she wishes for is a stable career and a happy family, which she’s really grateful she’s been blessed with.
So zen, contented and blissful - that’s our Sally for you, and we sure are basking in her happiness too! Did we also forget to mention that a warm cup of cappuccino or latte would be perfect to get her going every morning?
Q: What are you most proud of doing?
“I’m proud of being able to raise two wonderful kids. My son’s 21 years old and my daughter just turned 19 years old. They’re currently still studying but so far, I’m really thankful that they haven’t given us any problems… except, maybe their school fees!”
Q: If you're given a chance to have super powers, what would it be?
“I think I’d love to have the power to heal. Because of the pandemic, I want to heal those who are sick physically, emotionally and mentally. I believe that when we’re healthy, we can do anything. We can work better, study better and do anything that we want.”
Q: What would you like to tell your 15 year old self?
“Strive to do good and be better in everything you do in the future, so that you’ll become a better person to help more people and be happier in your life.”
Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
“International Women’s Day means celebrating women all over the world, being empowered, and being equal with men. These days, women can do anything that men could do too, so we should celebrate that!”
Last but not least, meet Jo! One of our Social Programmes trainers, Jo is a dedicated mentor to the students she teaches, imparting not only coffee skills but also life skills beyond their classroom learning.
Once aspired to be in the creative field of work, she grabs hold of every opportunity to incorporate creativity in the programme curriculums. With every intake of students, we’ll see a different surge of energy in Jo as she enjoys meeting new faces and tackling new challenges.
Her day to day is always full of surprises and she’s ever ready to face them. Don’t assume that she only speaks about coffee… She certainly knows how to appreciate a wine or two at dinner too!
Q: What are you most proud of doing?
“For me, achievement is just… little things that you do. The joy that I get is actually seeing the students coming to a better place and that they appreciate it. That’s when you know that they will succeed in whatever they do or want in life.”
Q: If you woke up a millionaire one day, what's something you would do?
“If I have a million dollars… I think I’ll buy all the things I’ve always wanted, treat myself and my family to a good sumptuous dinner. I also need a holiday. Because I appreciate me, all the day to day struggles that I face, so I deserve something like that, why not pamper myself and my family? You need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. After this, I’ll take care of others. I feel it’s perhaps a little cliche to say that I’ll give it to charity, I think I need to do more than that. It’s like the proverb - give a fish to a man and he’ll just have fish for a day, but if you teach him how to fish, he’ll have fish for the rest of his life, so that’s exactly how I feel in terms of helping others. But our social programmes here at Bettr are already doing that, so I guess I don’t need a million dollars to be doing that? It’s just about giving back to society, teaching someone to help themselves.”
Q: What would you like to tell your 15 year old self?
“I’ve always been interested in literature. Though I’m not always present for my literature classes all the time, I still aced the subject, which made me realise that if I really want to do something, I’ll be able to achieve it. I think I’m a fast learner, and I got to where I am now, doing things that I enjoy, having fun with it. So I’d say to my 15 year old self - YOU GO, GIRL!”
Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
“I’m a woman, so why not celebrate! I guess that’s partly to say that I’m proud just to be me despite all the ups and downs. I always get through those challenges despite the struggles… so it’s the time to celebrate me, as a woman!”