Every meaningful journey starts with an idea. Sometimes, all you have at the beginning is a belief that things can be done differently.

For me, that was how ONEORVE began.

The vision came to me in 2023. After more than 25 years working across different industries, mainly in information technology and infrastructure, I started asking myself a simple question:

What can I do with all the knowledge and experience I have gained that can benefit others, rather than simply generate more profit?

I wanted to build something that used technology for a bigger purpose, something that could help startups, SMEs, nonprofits and organisations that may not always have access to the resources or expertise they need.

That became the foundation of ONEORVE.

Today, our philosophy remains simple:

Technology should create value for people, communities and the environment, not just shareholders.

This is reflected in our focus on responsible digital transformation, data protection, governance, innovation and sustainable impact.

The First Setback

The idea developed further throughout 2024, and ONEORVE was eventually incorporated in Singapore in January 2025.

At the beginning, I wasn't doing this alone. A few former colleagues joined me in trying to build the foundations of what we envisioned.

But one by one, they stepped away.

It was understandable. Everyone had their own responsibilities, full-time jobs, families and personal commitments. Building something from scratch requires time, energy and a level of commitment that not everyone can give.

Was I disappointed?

Of course.

But I also learned something important.

People don't always leave because they don't believe in the vision. Sometimes, life simply takes them in a different direction.

I had to accept that.

And if ONEORVE had to be built by one person at the beginning, then so be it.

But there was also something during those early days that I will never forget.

Someone Who Believed

When I first shared the vision of ONEORVE with people around me, I never expected that someone would actually put his own money behind an idea that was still largely just a vision.

But an ex-colleague, Ansar, did.

Ansar was the first investor in ONEORVE.

At that time, ONEORVE was still very much in its early stages. There was no established business, no proven model and certainly no guarantee of where the journey would lead.

There was simply an idea, a vision and a belief that technology could be used to create something more meaningful.

I had shared that vision with Ansar, and he chose to support it.

I will never forget that.

For an entrepreneur, especially at the beginning of a journey, that kind of support means much more than the financial contribution itself.

It is a reminder that someone else has seen something in your vision and believes that it is worth taking a chance on.

What makes it even more meaningful to me is that Ansar didn't simply invest and disappear.

He has continued to keep in touch and support the work that ONEORVE is building.

That kind of encouragement is difficult to put a value on.

There will always be people who join the journey for a while and then move on. That is part of life.

But there are also people who quietly remain in the background, checking in, encouraging you and continuing to believe in what you are trying to build.

Those people matter.

And Ansar is one of them.

I am genuinely grateful for that early belief and support.

Rethinking What I Wanted to Build

Being left to build much of the foundation myself gave me a lot of time to think.

I began questioning the conventional path many of us follow.

We grow up being told to study, get a good job, earn a salary, buy a home, take on commitments and spend much of our lives working to maintain the lifestyle we've been encouraged to pursue.

There is nothing inherently wrong with that path. It works for many people.

But somewhere along the way, I realised that I had been following a path without really questioning whether it was the path I wanted.

I had spent years chasing things I thought I needed. Looking back, I realised that many of those things were driven more by expectations than by purpose.

That realisation changed how I looked at ONEORVE.

I stopped looking for people simply because they had impressive credentials or experience.

Instead, I started looking for people who believed in the purpose.

People who wanted to learn.

People who wanted to contribute.

People who were willing to build something without expecting everything to happen immediately.

Most importantly, people who understood that impact takes time.

Sometimes You Just Have to Keep Going

While ONEORVE was slowly taking shape, I continued working full-time.

During the day, I had my professional responsibilities.

In whatever time I had left, I worked on ONEORVE, developing the ideas, building the foundations, researching, writing, planning and figuring things out one step at a time.

There were plenty of moments when I wondered whether I was wasting my time.

But I kept going.

Because sometimes you don't need to know exactly where the journey will take you.

You just need to believe enough to take the next step.

Then, something unexpected happened.

I met Conrad while attending the Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance (ACLP) programme at the Institute of Adult Learning.

What started as a simple encounter eventually became part of the ONEORVE story.

Later came Tint and gradually, the idea that had once existed mainly in my head began to become something that other people could see, understand and contribute to.

And that changed everything.

From One Person to Something Bigger

ONEORVE has continued to evolve since those early days.

What began as a personal vision has gradually developed into a broader ecosystem, including ONEORVE & CO. and the Network of Industry Professionals & Consultants (NIPC), bringing together professionals, consultants and emerging leaders who want to learn, collaborate and contribute meaningfully.

The journey has not been straightforward.

There have been setbacks, uncertainty, changes in direction and plenty of things that didn't work.

But perhaps that's what building something from scratch is supposed to be.

You build. You fail. You learn. You adapt. And you keep moving.

Today, ONEORVE is no longer just an idea I had in 2023.

It has become a reality and more importantly, a journey that others are now becoming part of.

And this is only the beginning.

There is still a long way to go, and I don't pretend to have all the answers.

But I do know one thing:

I would rather spend my time building something meaningful than simply building something profitable.

Because at the end of the day, success should not only be measured by how much we make.

It should also be measured by how much we contribute, who we help, and what we leave behind.

And sometimes, success is also found in the people who believe in us before anyone else does.

People like Ansar, who supported ONEORVE when it was still only a vision.

People who remind us that even when the journey feels lonely, we may not be walking it entirely alone.

This is ONEORVE.

From a vision, to a foundation, to a community, one step at a time.

More of the ONEORVE story will follow.

ONEORVE Founder