Which famous person do you have the most chemistry with?

For me, it’s got to be Chris Gardner. The depiction of his early life in The Pursuit of Happyness moved me in a way like none other. Failure was not an option, and the way he overcame numerous obstacles through sheer hard work and grit continues to inspire me.

That’s the thing about dreaming. If you put your head down and keep working towards your dream, what you can achieve becomes limitless.

What is the most uncommon thing you own?

Every version of the notes and coins that was ever circulated in Singapore, including those banana notes used during the Japanese occupation. Well, everything will be digitalized soon and I am a big fan of treasuring the old-school stuff.

Outside the office, what do you have a heart for?

Family. It’s all about the family and our hopes and dreams for them. That’s what makes you wake up, reset, and work hard every day.

As the Co-founder and Managing Partner of TNB Aura, Charles leverages his extensive fund management, VC and PE investment experience to lead the group’s venture capital initiatives across Southeast Asia.

Prior to TNB Aura, Charles founded Capital Associates, a boutique advisory to VC funds across Asia, as well as worked as a management consultant with Booz & Company with a key focus on corporate strategy and M&A. Charles also served as Entrepreneur in Residence at Groupon in Shanghai. 

Charles graduated from Harvard Business School as a George F. Baker Scholar (top 5% of class) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales (first-class honours, and recipient of the University Medal).

Share an uncommon opinion/belief that you have.

“Steady improvements and rapid iterations are often more valuable than a perfectly laid plan”. In our world of venture, being bold of purpose, welcoming of change, and willing to walk the unbeaten path leads to the uncommon reward. On this journey, success is closely tied to the speed at which one learns from feedback.

This too holds true for us at TNB Aura. Since 2015, we started with a simple belief to bring our unique brand of “thesis-led, high-conviction and value-added venture investing” to SE Asia, and each day we iterate and move closer to that goal is a rewarding one.

Name your top 3 hustle essentials.

Morning workout – This is my time to “boot up” before the rest of the world wakes. As an early-riser, I’m usually up pre-dawn 3-5 days a week at the gym, outdoor suspension training, or something else that allows my mind to ease into gear.

Good night’s sleep – I find people too often trade off effort vs. sleep. The realization, admittedly only after I hit my 30s, was that the most urgent and important demands in life are typically non-linear / non-rote, therefore the ability to retain mental dexterity and malleability is critical. And a good night’s sleep is absolutely essential in providing this.

Purpose and alignment – I enjoy investing time in pursuing high levels of purpose and alignment as many aspects of my life as possible, whether this be how TNB Aura and our teams are designed, to how I (try) to encourage the right behaviours with my kids. When this works, the whole really does become significantly greater than the parts.

Outside of the office, what do you have heart for?

Ongoing growth – I try to pick up something new every few months (e.g., a new language, skill, etc.). It’s unlikely I’ll ever become a master at the said activity, but over time, the pursuit of greater knowledge and skills is enough in and of itself!

Glen joins TNB Aura as a managing partner, covering operations, buy-side and sell-side opportunities in Indonesia.

Prior to TNB Aura, Glen has an extensive experience in banking and financial industry from his time building SI company that delivers high complex solutions, which includes core banking, anti-money laundering and risk management systems for major banks and governmental institutions in Indonesia.

Glen’s first internet venture was RoomMe. As CEO & cofounder, he raised 4 rounds of venture financing and led the company to be one of Indonesia’s fastest growing proptech startup.

Glen Graduated with a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS)

Which famous person do you have the most chemistry with?

Mark Cuban. A bold serial entrepreneur and investor with unambiguous views and perpetual success doing what he loves.

Share an uncommon opinion you have.

Bored is only in the mind of the boring.

Outside of the office, what do you have a heart for?

Hiking, Diving, Skiing.

David, Managing Partner at TNB Aura, covers the Philippines market and assists the team with due diligence, deal sourcing in the startup ecosystem, and other portfolio value adding activities. TNB Aura has been actively involved in the ecosystem, and David plays a crucial role on the ground as the market approaches maturity, especially with an uptick in venture activities in the Philippines in recent years.

David is the Founder and CEO of Bridge Southeast Asia, a social impact venture builder focused on emerging markets.

Prior to Bridge, David was Managing Director of New Leaf Ventures, a Philippines-based technology investment fund. David has over 20 years of experience investing in, managing, and exiting startups, and serves as a director in multiple for-profit and non-profit organizations in the Philippines.

Which famous person do you have the most chemistry with?

I really admire Alexander Hamilton and the energy he put into whatever he did.

Share an uncommon belief that you have.

In a world of OR look for AND.

Outside of the office, what do you have a heart for

Outside of the office, I have a lot of hobbies and am into multiple sports. I really enjoy painting, writing poetry, and reading history. I also play tennis, box and practice Arnis / Kali (which is a Filipino Martial Art). I’ve also been very active with social and community work, managing and serving on boards of NGOs, including the Real LIFE Foundation and Habitat for Humanity Philippines.

Joe is currently a Partner at TNB Aura. He is mainly responsible for the fund’s operations in research, investment and portfolio management.

Prior to joining TNB Aura, Joe worked for Fosun RZ Capital with a focus on investments into growth stage tech startups in Southeast Asia. Before starting his investment career, Joe gained wide experience in venture building, technology consulting, wealth management and engineering. Joe was a top MBA graduate from National University of Singapore and holds an Engineering degree from the same school.

What is the most uncommon thing you own?

My time, experience and memory. Each individual is unique.

Share an uncommon opinion/belief that you have.

We are making history every single moment

Outside the office, what do you have heart for?

Basketball, Chinese Rap, Family

As the Country Partner for Vietnam at TNB Aura, Viet covers the Vietnam market through on-the-ground due diligence and deal sourcing via TNB Aura’s top-down thesis. Viet also supports other value adding activities for our portfolio companies as well as within the startup ecosystem. Viet leads TNBA VN Scout’s initiatives, a dedicated investment vehicle founded by TNB Aura with a mandate for early-stage investments across Vietnam, where he assists with early access to high quality deal flow in Vietnam.

In addition to his role at TNB Aura, Viet also serves as the CEO of Leadvisor Sanei Hospitality Holdings (LS Holdings), a joint-venture between Leadvisors Capital Management and Sanei Kenchiku Sekkei.

Viet has over 10 years of experiences in finance and investment industry, working as the M&A Analyst at Morgan Stanley (USA), Investment Director at Ecopark Township (Vietnam), and advising global funds and corporations to invest into Vietnam. Prior to joining LS Holdings, Viet served as the CEO of BioSpring, a biotechnology company.

Viet holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an M.S. in Industrial Engineering and a B.A. in Economics from Stanford University.

Which famous person do you have the most chemistry with?

Ben Horowitz, who wrote “The Hard Thing About Hard Things”.

What is the most uncommon thing you own?

11 kindergartens since 2013.

Outside of the office, what do you have heart for?

I’ve been a strong supporter of social impact, non-profit organizations since my college days time (VietAbroader, SEALNet, etc.).

Cherie heads up Corporate Development at TNB Aura covering investor relations, fundraising, partnerships and strategy of the funds.

Prior to TNB Aura, Cherie began her career in the industry at an early-stage venture builder and family office Eight Mercatus, bringing along her past experiences from the startup scene which defined her passion for the space. Cherie holds a Bachelor of Business Management and Information Systems from The University of Queensland.

Share an uncommon belief that you have.

I live under the assumption that panic is optional

Outside of the office, what do you have a heart for?

Being an experience-junkie for new skills and obsessions, from alt rock bands to weird fishes to mastering all board sports

Which famous person do you have the most chemistry with?

The world of Philip K. Dick

Amanda Nway Htwe is a Corporate Development and Sustainability Manager at TNB Aura and is responsible for various value creation activities within the firm such as ESG and Human Resources, as well as Corporate Development Initiatives in the VC ecosystem.

In her role as ESG Officer, Amanda champions all ESG related initiatives across the funds, spearheading, advising and working closely with portfolio companies on ESG risk assessments, mitigation measures and impact management. She hopes to continue working with the different portfolio companies to leave a cleaner and more sustainable impact on the world.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Myanmar born and raised in Singapore, her interest in the Southeast Asia startup space took off due to her diverse background. Amanda speaks three languages – English, Mandarin, Burmese.

Share an uncommon opinion/belief that you have

“There is no competition but me.”

Name your top 3 hustle essentials.

A good night’s sleep, a good cup of coffee, and the beach.

Outside of the office, what do you have a heart for?

Anything food-related – trying out new restaurants or cooking new food recipes.

As part of the investment team at TNB Aura, Natalie Ng leads the overall end-to-end investment process, including thematic research, outbound sourcing, due-diligence, investments and portfolio management.

Prior to her career in venture capital, she was part of the Strategy & Operations team at Salesforce ASEAN, where she worked closely with sales directors, advising them on their pipeline and top-line numbers. Additionally, her past experience in SMEs, startups, and technology consulting has given her valuable insights into the Southeast Asian tech startup ecosystem.

Natalie graduated from Yale-NUS College (a joint venture between Yale University and the National University of Singapore) and holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Global Affairs.

Share an uncommon opinion/belief that you have.

Don’t just get by, life’s too long for that. Don’t sweat the small stuff, life’s too short for that.

Name your top 3 hustle essentials.

Coffee, Coffee, wait have I mentioned coffee?

Outside the office, what do you have heart for?

Education as a social leveller is not just a concept for me but a lived experience. As a society, we need to transition from equal to equitable opportunities and I am committed to furthering this daily through advocacy & mentorship.