This M’sian gave up a 5-figure salary to teach kids as young as 7 to think like entrepreneurs

Forget the traditional route of memorising facts and figures until your brain feels like mush.

Rich Hero Edu isn’t your typical classroom. It’s on a mission to revolutionise the way children learn by igniting their passion for exploration and problem-solving through entrepreneurship education.

Eugene Lee, a young entrepreneur who discovered his calling later in life, founded the company in December 2020.

But he wasn’t always set on this path. After venturing into data analysis and automation, he realised there was more to life than just crunching numbers.

While his background experience was not related to education, it significantly shaped his work ethic and belief in lifelong learning.

During this time, he also pursued side hustles like property investment and coaching, broadening his perspective on life and career.

“The inspiration to venture into education didn’t happen just because of one, but many life experiences I had in my early 20s,” he said.

A pivotal moment came during his quarter-life crisis when he questioned his purpose and direction.

Despite earning a five-figure salary at 25, he found himself asking deeper questions about life and reflecting on the many people he had met who were financially and personally lost. This introspection led to the realisation that practical lessons and entrepreneurial skills should be taught from a young age.

From stock market smarts to lemonade stands

Rich Hero Edu’s journey wasn’t a linear path. It was fraught with challenges, from designing lessons without formal teaching experience to finding a clear niche and mission.

Initially, lessons were impromptu and unfocused. However, through persistent self-learning, feedback from parents, and iterative improvements, the vision became clearer to focus on entrepreneurial education for tweens and teens.

Entrepreneurship, encompassing financial literacy, self-confidence, global awareness, and practical experience, became the focal point.

“I choose to focus on entrepreneurial education for tweens and teens because the learning of these valuable mindsets, knowledge, and opportunities to practise should start from young before it’s too late. Kids can learn new things the fastest. They have the energy and they are curious. They are much easier to mould,” he told Vulcan Post.

Transforming classrooms into mini-entrepreneurship hubs

Eugene brings Rich Hero Edu’s vision to life with project-based learning (PBL), where students engage in real-world projects, interact with professionals, and develop valuable life skills.

Collaborations with entrepreneurs, social enterprises, and NGOs provide practical experiences, from tackling plastic pollution with Selangor Maritime Gateway to running a lemonade stand for financial literacy.

“We teach kids about budgeting, sales, profit, loss, and more, all by giving them a small capital to start their lemonade stand in The Food Merchant, one of our working partners. They have to decide what they need, do it, set their price, and sell it.”

“At the end, based on their results (either profit or loss) we reflect and debrief with our students. There’s always something to learn from our students whether they make a profit or a loss,” shared the founder.

This method not only equips them with valuable skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, but it also helps them develop a sense of agency and purpose.

From shy students to confident changemakers

The impact is undeniable. Rich Hero Edu has witnessed shy students blossom into confident communicators as they learn to pitch their ideas and navigate customer interactions.

They’ve seen firsthand the power of resilience and emotional intelligence as students learn from setbacks and bounce back from rejections encountered during their “marketplace” projects.

Eugene’s ultimate goal is to instil a love for learning, encourage self-discovery, and prepare students for future challenges.

By aligning their projects with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), they’re not only equipping students with entrepreneurial skills but also inspiring them to become changemakers who can tackle global challenges like poverty, climate change, and inequality.

As of now, Rich Hero Edu has impacted over 300 students from the age of seven to 17 through various workshops and programmes. The shift from fully online to a hybrid (online and physical) learning model has enhanced the learning experience, Eugene shared.

The vision for the future

Looking ahead, Eugene has ambitious goals for Rich Hero Edu.

He dreams of a future where entrepreneurship education becomes a cornerstone of the national curriculum, empowering every student to become a problem-solver, a leader, and a force for positive change in the world.

“Under local conventional education (primary and secondary schools), there is a lot of rote memorisation, a lack of personal exploration, expression, and self-taught ability.”

“However, I see our entrepreneurial education as a consistent and relevant way to help students explore various industries, build the right attitude (such as grit), identify opportunities, and handle uncertainties (plus many more qualities, to be honest) more realistically. Which later helps them to better pursue whatever they wish to do, be it a career or business,” he said.

He is actively seeking partnerships with schools and educational institutions to realise this vision.

In the meantime, Rich Hero Edu is constantly innovating. Eugene is exploring ways to turn student-generated business ideas into reality, potentially through partnerships with large corporations. He also wants to expand their team to accommodate a growing student body.

Rich Hero Edu isn’t just about teaching; it’s about inspiring. It’s about igniting a passion for learning, fostering a growth mindset, and empowering young minds to become the world’s future leaders and changemakers.

• Learn more about Rich Hero Edu here.
• Read other articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups here.

Featured Image Credit: Rich Hero Edu