1 - MinJi Ong
> Managerial Director in EXCEPTional Pte Ltd (SG),
> Business Dev. Director of Beyond Marketers, Inc. (US),
Mr. MinJi Ong had been an entrepreneur since 1999. MinJi Ong started as a youth entrepreneur in his polytechnic days,with business projects like Zhan, WizPassion and Strat-Exchange. After National Service, MinJi Ong served as a freelance consultant of Gatecrash Ticketing Pte Ltd (SG), Uniqva Technologies (SG), and BeyondEdge (SG) for four years, and built a strong foundation in the field of Information Technology and business management.
During his years in the USA, MinJi Ong developed the US outsourcing arm of Inttree, LLP; founded his business marketing facility, Beyond Marketers, Inc. for all his different start-ups ventures; built a partnership with EMT Alliance, LLP which made more 200% ROI consecutively for two years. He also developed real estate investment business with Ennis Property Management, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
Today, he draws on a wealth of experiences from years of being a central figure in several different businesses in Singapore and the United States, such as EXCEPTional Pte Ltd (SG), Beyond Marketers, Inc. (USA), BM Business Centre Pte Ltd (SG), Continental Investment Services Pte Ltd (SG), BM Impressions Pte Ltd (SG) and Inttree, LLP (SG).
In 1998, MinJi Ong entered Nanyang Polytechnic (Singapore) School of Information Technology to pursue a Diploma of Information Technology (DIT) with 7 distinctions in his GCE-’O’ levels and as the top student of his secondary school - Deyi Secondary School. The move to go to a polytechnic instead of a junior college was deemed suicidal at that time; MinJi had to face numerous confrontations and challenges from family and friends to rescind this decision as it is considered equivalent to destroy one’s future by not following the “right and proven” path of Junior College.
With the burning determination and passion of an entrepreneur, he graduated from the DIT program with the highest honour of receiving the OCBC Gold Medalist Award and as top student of the course with 31 distinctions in his studies. Even with an excellent academic and extra-curriculum activities records, MinJi faced much difficulties to secure a scholarship to go overseas for studies because most Singapore’s scholarships are generally offered to Junior College students only. However, MinJi did not give up, he persisted and spent a lot of weekends during his National service to find a scholarship that would bring him overseas to fulfill his dream of receiveing an international education.
After spending one year in search, MinJi secured a prestigious full merit-based and bond-free scholarship from an AIG subsidiary – Freeman Foundation to Wesleyan University in the USA in 2003. He studied Personality, Management and Organization Psychology in depth. He graduated as a Bachalor of Arts with a high of GPA of 3.91/4.00, despite his intensive commitments in business development in the USA.
Before 1999, MinJi Ong had won himself a number of scholarships due to his excellence in his studies, amongst which were the ones from Fu Jian Hui Guan were the most prestigious.
In 1999, MinJi with his two other friends Tang Chee Weng and Tan Meng Siah, won the first place in the Creative Award organized by Nanyang Polytechnic. With the prize money they started their first business venture - Zhan.
Also in 1999, MinJi represented Nanyang Polytechnic student leaders to attend the Singapore Student Symposium. In 2000, MinJi represented Nanyang Polytechnic student leaders to have a dialog with then Prime Minister Mr. Goh Chok Tong.
In 2001, MinJi was awarded the OCBC Gold Medalist Award for his academic excellence as a top student his class of 200 over students. In the same year, he also won the Singapore IT Youth Award (Finalist) that aims to recognize outstanding youth achievements in technology and entrepreneurial development in Singapore.
In 2001-2003, during MinJi’s national service, he was hand-picked to help develop IT application systems for the School of Signal, SAF. He developed management support system and instructional materials for trainees in Signal Institute. MinJi received a letter of commendation as a recognition to his outstanding contribution to the SAF School of Signal. His projects also won the Gold and Bronze awards Pride Day (Administration category) for innovative improvements made to the department’s workflow.
In 2003, MinJi won a prestigious scholarship from the Freeman Foundation which funded his entire education in the USA. Throughout the years in Wesleyan, MinJi was on the dean’s list.
In 2005, MinJi founded Wesleyan Entrepreneurs, and started spreading, sharing and encouraging the idea of Social Entrepreneurship in Wesleyan. With his expertise he assisted the members to set up two ventures based on the principles of philantropy and social entreprneurship.
In 2006, MinJi Ong even developed the business model – “Profit Sharing Marketing” for Beyond Marketers, Inc. and brought the business to new heights with strong partnerships like EMT Alliance, LLP, and collaborations like DHL, USA.
In 2007, MinJi grew his businesses to new heights and is able to buy his first property in the USA without any mortgage to derive passive incomes for his future ventures. Later in 2008, he joint-ventured with his friend Arthur Nazarian to buy another property before MinJi headed back to Singapore to manage EXCEPTional Pte Ltd full time.
In 2008, MinJi with his team of Daniel Ong and Luke Low turned the formal Gatecrash business around and started developing new ranges of products for EXCEPTional Pte Ltd to propel the business to new and innovative heights.
In 2009, MinJi with his team of Daniel Ong, Luke Low, and CP Chong founded Continental Investment Services Pte Ltd (Singapore). Within the same year, MinJi founded BM Business Centre Pte Ltd (Singapore) and BM Impressions Pte Ltd (Singapore).
