By Lee Xuan (Chairperson)
Welcome one, welcome all! We are the Raffles Entrepreneur’s Network, REN for short (often confused with RAM when said out loud). If you’ve seen people wearing these iconic shirts (below):
That’s us (shameless plug – if you haven’t gotten your shirts, look out for our REN merch sale coming in May @shopren.co)!
Of course, there’s more to our CCA than our shirts! Let’s delve further into the adventure that is REN. It’s a whirlwind experience, but if we had to summarise it in three words, it would be this: opportunity, innovation and community.
Opportunity. In REN, not only will you get the opportunity to form precious connections and gain invaluable experience, you will also get the opportunity for boundless exploration. Networking is an integral part of REN. In this CCA, you’ll get to meet like-minded individuals with varying amounts of experience and equally diverse skill sets. More importantly, you’ll make cherished friends, forging bonds through the shared experiences that come from working together.
Externally, we have many capable alumni and other speakers from varying industries who gladly share their insights to help you navigate your journey through entrepreneurship. Of course, passively absorbing information won’t be enough. As the common saying goes, the best way to learn is by trying it for yourself. In REN, you will have many of those chances, from participating in world-renowned business competitions that build your brainstorming, business analysis and pitching skills to internships that will help you learn the ropes of the business world. We even organise our very own Raffles Business Symposium annually, where students from JCs around Singapore create innovative solutions for current business trends.
My experience in the FedEx JA ITC was nothing short of exhilarating and eye-opening! It helped me unearth my potential, hone my collaboration skills, and learn how to come up with innovative ideas under pressure and pitch them succinctly.
REN member Harishiga, who attained 3rd place in the AP finals, on FedEx Express JA International Trade Challenge
Raffles Business Symposium 2022, where the theme was sustainable tourism!
In addition, our members participated in internships at the end of the year with enterprises such as ExpertConnect Asia and Momiji Kids, helping our members to deepen their understanding of business models and management.
As REN members, you’ll get the opportunity to design and produce your own products, igniting your spark of creativity and exploring what you can create with our school-based sales and external collaborations. In fact, we recently had an industrial attachment with IDE(A)S Lab where some REN members got to turn their own ideas for sustainability focused products into real, tangible prototypes.
Creating products is definitely interesting, but that’s not all there is to it. REN creates products for a cause. As a social enterprise, you’ll get to channel your innovation towards working for the people, working with various non-profits to empower marginalised communities.
Entreweek 2022 featured tasty cookies hand-made by APSN (Association for Persons with Special Needs), TeddyThotz (who work with the elderly, single mums, the poor and disadvantaged, crafters and indie designers to create merchandise to generate income for them), and other social enterprises championing sustainable lifestyles.
In a nutshell, the REN community extends the opportunity for you to explore your own exciting entrepreneurship journey. If you’re passionate about being at the forefront of change, what are you waiting for? Join us every Wednesday from 8.30am to 10.30am and find out for yourself just how far you can go!