One Sneak Peek Into A Greener And Fairer Future

What do investing in commodities, reducing air conditioning, and advocating for the disadvantaged have in common? 

For Louis, they all represent a commitment to building a more just and sustainable world. 

After graduating with a pharmacy degree, he found himself drawn to a different kind of medicine – the healing of our planet.

By day, he guides an investment holding company towards a sustainable future, ensuring the responsible sourcing of minerals crucial for the energy transition. 

The company invests in the commodities space and he helps them to find ways and strategies to reduce carbon intensity and also looks into other aspects such as biodiversity and impact on the local communities

After work, he spends time working on his startup, Greenbix, which has a patented product that can reduce energy consumption from air-conditioning by up to 30 per cent.

His co-founders are both mechanical engineers, and Greenbix recently just received investments from the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP). 

In addition, Louis is a trustee for the LGBTQIA+ awareness charity, ReportOUT, where he is in-charge of the overall sustainability strategic direction and governance. 

Lastly, he is also the co-founder of Chthonia Consulting, a consultancy that helps transform pre-seed/Stage A start-ups with strategic counsel and powerful ideation, 

And regularly volunteers in his free time with social enterprises and for his constituency. 

1. Why did he not pursue a career as a pharmacist?

“Along the way, I started to realise that Pharmacy is (rightfully) strictly regulated locally. As a pharmacist, you can’t really innovate and implement changes that quickly, which really didn’t suit my personality. 

So I did a few internships and one of them was in Deloitte, in sustainability. I enjoyed all of my internships in this space.

In fact, I did some part-time internships alongside school. That’s how I realised in year 2 or 3 that pursuing a pharmacy profession might not be right for me. There were semesters where I did two internships, and the way that I sourced for them was through the NUS Internship Portal and LinkedIn. 

My honest opinion is that as long as you have a willingness to learn and if you really believe and like what you are going to do, you will be able to find a job that you like, regardless of your major in university.” 

2. His motivations

“I like to explore what I can do with my time, although I believe that you should not spread yourself too thin. I am someone that likes to cope with pressure and knows how to regulate myself. 

I don’t find charity and volunteer work a chore as it keeps me internally balanced. I intend to have kids in the future, so I hope to preserve a planet that future generations can live on. 

Personally, I stand for empowerment and for equity. I can’t stand discrimination and am willing to fight for elderly causes. We will all become old one day, and I don’t want to be discriminated against because of my age.” 

3. Advice for undergraduates

“If you can cope with the workload and have time, gaining professional certificates does help. Although, they are very theoretical and I find internships more useful for work experience. For example, passing the CFA just shows the employer that you are willing to put in the hard work to succeed, but may not actually put you in a stronger position against peers with real life experience. 

To protect my mental health, I go out for nature walks every week. In fact, I just had a walk in Toa Payoh, where I would just appreciate everything around me. We should remind ourselves that who we are today is who we wanted to be 10 years ago, and many people would want what we have. We shouldn’t be too greedy. 

I also go out often with my friends to just have drinks and chat. Finding friends that are willing to support one another is very important. You should seek mentors who are able to listen to you and give you suggestions. My mentors are very helpful and I am truly grateful to all of them. So, I spread this kindness shown to me by mentoring others myself.

Lastly, I feel that everyone should work in a startup at least once. It will be a good learning experience.” 

4. Time Management 

“I wake up at 6am daily to exercise — I will either go to the gym or do muay thai. It keeps me happy and lets me know that by seven or eight o’clock in the morning, I will have accomplished something off my list. 

I keep lists on notebooks where I will write down what I have to achieve and tick it off once I have achieved it. 

I will allocate one to two hours for each task. It is important to be self-conscious and accountable to yourself as it will be sad if you cannot accomplish what you set out to do for the week.” 

Connect with Louis here: linkedin.com/in/chan-jin-wei-louis 

Follow our telegram channel: https://t.me/onesneakpeekinto

And that is all for today’s One Sneak Peek Into.

Stay tuned for more insights from our interview series as we continue to explore the stories of trailblazers breaking barriers and redefining success.