VU’s “Start. Hustle. Shift.” Takes a Fresh Look at Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is rarely a straight line. It starts with an idea, gets shaped by persistence and setbacks, and sometimes takes an unexpected turn. This was the message behind “Start. Hustle. Shift - Real Journeys of Entrepreneurship”, held on Friday, 28 August at JC Hall 3, Sunway University.

Around 150 students, staff and colleagues gathered at JC Hall 3, Sunway University for Start. Hustle. Shift – Real Journeys of Entrepreneurship.

Bringing together around 150 Victoria University (VU) students, staff, Pre-U students and colleagues from across Sunway, the four-hour session took a different approach to the usual entrepreneurship talk. Rather than focusing only on success stories, the event explored the realities behind starting, building, struggling, adapting and moving forward. Presented in a live podcast-style format, the conversation featured three entrepreneurs and creative professionals at very different stages of their journeys

The event featured a live podcast-style conversation with guests at different stages of their entrepreneurial journeys.

START featured Geetha Nithi, Founder and CEO of KAYA, whose journey highlighted what it takes to move from an idea to actually doing something about it. As a young entrepreneur and recent Victoria University graduate, Geetha shared the uncertainty and hesitation that often come before taking that first step.

HUSTLE brought Chef Liang (Tan Chung Liang), Founder and Owner of Red Red Botak Head, into the conversation. From his earlier career in entertainment and F&B to the setbacks, reinvention and eventual return to entrepreneurship, Liang’s story showed that building a business is rarely a smooth or predictable journey. Sometimes, the road forward starts with having to begin again.

Chef Liang shares candid moments from his entrepreneurial journey.

Finally, SHIFT explored a different side of entrepreneurship through Wong Jun Min, Creative Director at HTBB and former Founder & Creative Director of Make & Makers. His experience raised an important question: what happens when entrepreneurship is no longer the chapter you are in? For Jun Min, stepping away from one entrepreneurial chapter did not mean leaving those experiences behind. Instead, they became part of what shaped his next one.

Moderated by Steve Lam, Programme Coordinator and lecturer at Victoria University at Sunway College KL, together with Isabelle Ho, Head of Product and Curriculum at Champ Code Academy, the discussion deliberately went beyond business plans and polished success stories. The speakers spoke openly about fear, uncertainty, failure, identity, sacrifice, reinvention and the decisions that rarely make it into the highlight reel.

Students engage with the conversation throughout the session.

The session also gave students an opportunity to see entrepreneurship from multiple perspectives: START — having the courage to begin, HUSTLE — staying the course when things get difficult, and SHIFT — recognising when it is time to change direction.

Moderators Isabelle Ho and Steve Lam (in earlier session) lead the conversation with guests Geetha Nithi, Chef Liang and Wong Jun Min.

The underlying message was simple: entrepreneurship is not necessarily about becoming a business owner. It is about learning to recognise opportunities, create value, take action and adapt when circumstances change. For Victoria University students, the event also served as more than an inspirational session. For some, it marked the beginning of their entrepreneurial learning journey, allowing students to encounter real entrepreneurial experiences before exploring the theories, frameworks and practical tools behind them in class

Organising committee members and VU academic staff, as well as student helpers for the event.

With laughter, candid stories, challenging questions and plenty of audience interaction throughout the morning, Start. Hustle. Shift ultimately reminded students that there is no single formula for entrepreneurship - and no single definition of what success looks like.

Sometimes you Start.

Sometimes you Hustle.

And sometimes, you Shift.