GMF#31 | The Stories That Change Lives—and the People Who Tell Them
TL;DR:
At Give.Asia, we started young—and it showed. We made plenty of mistakes, but we learned to grow by copying what works, standing on the shoulders of giants, and partnering with people who care deeply about the craft of storytelling. One of the greatest blessings in our journey has been our partnership with the Asian Boss team, whose stories opened eyes and touched hearts across Asia. We're learning from the best so we can keep sharing stories that inspire people to give, help, and care.
Give.Asia began with more passion than experience, and we learned fast by adapting and copying what works.
Apprenticeship and humility in learning have shaped how we approach innovation and storytelling.
Our biggest challenge has been getting people to care—and stories are the key.
Thanks to Asian Boss, we’ve learned how to tell stories that touch hearts and move people to action.
We’re teaming up with more storytellers across Asia to build a kindness movement—one story at a time.
How We Learned to Tell Stories That Inspire Giving
One of the biggest blessings of Give.Asia is that we started it as students at the National University of Singapore.
Back then, we had no idea what we were doing. We just knew we wanted to build something that could help people in need. But the truth hit fast and hard:
We didn’t have the experience.
We didn’t have the wisdom.
And we had to learn—fast.
Why We Believe in Apprenticeship Over Reinvention
Personally, I’ve always loved the idea of apprenticeship—to learn under someone who’s walked the path before you, to hone your craft under a master, and to take those lessons to heart.
At Give.Asia, we often talk about copying what works first, before trying to innovate.
One book that said it best described how Toyota’s culture deliberately worked to overcome the “not-invented-here” bias. And that really stuck with us.
Why build from scratch when you can stand on the shoulders of giants and carry their work forward in new ways?
Our Struggle: How Do You Get People to Care?
One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced at Give.Asia is simply this:
👉 How do you get people to care enough to give?
Everyone’s busy. Life is full of distractions.
And most of the time, we’re trained not to look at things that are too painful or uncomfortable.
We didn’t have the answer.
We weren’t the OGs of storytelling.
But luckily, we met people who were.
Enter: Asian Boss and the Power of Storytelling
A serendipitous moment changed everything.
During a class at NUS, I met John, who was on a student exchange from Korea.
He was kind enough to volunteer with us while in Singapore. But the story didn’t end there.
When he returned to Korea, he reached out again and said:
“What if I team up with some friends at church to tell stories of people in need in Korea? Maybe Give.Asia could help.”
That small idea grew into something much bigger.
Because that’s when Stephen and Kei, the founders of Asian Boss, stepped in.
They’re the real OGs of storytelling.
From the grandma collecting cardboard to survive, to the single father who changed the law just to love his daughter—they were the ones who knew how to capture stories that made people stop, feel, and care.
We were just lucky to be part of it.
If you would like to support the single father’s mission in the video - link
Telling Stories Across Asia, Together
Since then, we’ve kept asking:
“Could we do more of this… but across Asia?”
Could we tell stories about:
Malnourished children in Malaysia who just need fortified milk to grow strong?
Community heroes like Hani, whose dedication comes not from duty, but from love and joy shared by her entire family?
If you’ll like to support the $2.50 meal shop and other like it across Singapore - link
Because stories matter.
They’re not just content. They’re connection.
They’re what helps a stranger become someone you care enough to help.
This Is the Dream: A Platform of Kindness
Our dream has always been simple:
👉 Inspire more people to be givers.
And we know, without a doubt, that storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to do that.
So, to the Asian Boss team—thank you.
And to the content creators we’ll be working with in the months ahead—we’re so excited to build something meaningful with you.
Because the dream of Give.Asia is to be a platform for kindness—powered by the stories that remind us what being human is really about.
Best post ever!! Truly appreciate the journey we've been on — and we're only going to grow stronger and create even more meaningful impact together. This is just the beginning :)