Meet William: our Program & Community Associate

William is our Program & Community Associate, you’ll catch him engaging with our Amplify startups on Slack, sharing resources and helping keep our programs running smoothly! Amplify live sessions officially start Feb 11, find out more.

Tell us a bit about yourself? 
Hi Everyone! My name is William Lee, and I’m currently a student studying at Yale-NUS College. Prior to college, I served in the Singapore military and studied at an international school in Beijing, China. Throughout my time there, I’ve developed a keen interest in product design and development.

During my time in high school, I also found great interest in green technology as I competed in the International Science and Engineering Fair. I was also a student ambassador and loved meeting new students and faculty, which is why I decided to also be a part of our college’s admissions team.

In college, I am now a director in my entrepreneurship society and a member of the Global Team in Global China Connection and also involved in our student investment group. Having been mentored by professionals across industries, I’m confident and excited to utilise and better my skills at Accelerating Asia. Besides professional development groups, I’m also involved in music (I’m in a band!) and volleyball. 

What is one thing that people might be surprised to learn about you? 
I vlog and have a YouTube Channel!

What are you looking forward to most about working with startups? 
I really look forward to interacting with founders from across the ASEAN region and learning about their backgrounds and motivations. Being able to work with individuals who founded startups excites me as I can feel their passion through their projects. Thus, it is invigorating for me to foster a community of passionate founders that are willing to share and learn from each other as I believe this is where ideas can  transform into something tangible and valuable to the world.

Opportunity & Why Accelerating Asia 

What most excites you about joining the Accelerating Asia team? 
I’m extremely excited to learn from all of the amazing people that run the show! Being able to talk to the founders and work closely with the team is not only exhilarating, but also humbling as you realise how much you can learn from the way they work.

I decided to venture into the startup ecosystem when I realised that I was able to pursue many of the things I enjoyed doing in high school. I ultimately decided to join Accelerating Asia because of the amazing team that supports me on my learning journey. The openness of the team enables me to take on initiatives and provides me with opportunities that expand my view of the startup world.

In your role as Program and Community Associate, what are you looking forward to doing or learning? 
I’m looking forward to meeting different startup founders and teams while building an open and passionate community with them together. By sharing and exploring different opportunities and resources with these startups, I hope to learn about all of the nuances of a budding company and ultimately build meaningful and lasting relationships with them.

Any advice for grads looking to get into the startup ecosystem? 
Having an open mindset while working with people and dealing with problems is vital to the startup ecosystem. It is sometimes difficult or even uncomfortable to stray from what you know, but it is nonetheless extremely important. Also one more note, the startup ecosystem goes fast. Really fast. So make sure you fasten your seatbelts as you embark on this exhilarating journey!