Empowering Business Through Conscious Practices

I’ve always been the kind of person to speak up about what’s going on in the world. Activism has always been a core part of my life; I’ve been going to protests for as long as I can remember. At the same time, I’ve always been a businessman. From selling chocolates on the side of the street in my neighborhood to owning 4 businesses today, I’ve learned to appreciate the art of building something from the ground up. Through my businesses, I want to prove that business can be both profitable and purposeful, because ethically run businesses can change the world.

In my experiences, political systems are complex, bureaucratic, and riddled with corruption. Major issues affecting society such as climate change, systemic injustice, and global equality are only addressed after long periods of time, and most of these problems are tied directly to how some businesses operate, from the military-industrial complex to Coca-Cola and Nestle depleting water in villages and towns around the world. Many also lobby governments to look the other way, ensuring they can continue harmful practices without conscience. If businesses themselves commit to ethical practices, they can address the root cause of a lot of global problems, instead of relying on a system bought and paid for by corporations to make change.

Businesses are present in almost every part of our lives. They employ most people, provide the goods and services we buy, and fund government services through taxes. If businesses are run ethically, they can create immediate and meaningful change through things like fair wages, charitable donations, or community projects. I’ve put this into practice with THE ZH GROUP, where a portion of proceeds from each business goes to different charities. At On Point Chai House, every drink sold contributes to a specific charity, proving that companies can actively generate profit while making a difference.

My hope is to grow this concept so that businesses themselves can lead the way to create positive change, rather than relying on government intervention. The current system we have is exploitative and harmful, prioritizing profits at the expense of communities, workers, and the environment. If businesses don’t take initiative, governments often won’t either, because of lobbying from various companies. By proving that ethical business is both possible and profitable, I aim to show that companies can break this cycle by taking the first steps to improve society directly.

Profit and ethics don’t have to be opposites. Through my businesses, I aim to show that companies can be both successful and purposeful, and that they can create immediate, meaningful impact in the communities that they serve. By leading with ethics, we can show that change doesn’t have to wait for governments paid off by corporate lobbying or influenced by powerful interests. So, if businesses do truly have the power to change the world, I’d like to be able to say mine changed the world for the better.