According to the Cambridge Family Enterprise Group, family businesses dominate Southeast Asia and form a critical part of its economy. More than half of the region’s largest companies, and nearly all of its conglomerates—both private and listed—are family-controlled. These include household names such as SM Group (Philippines), Charoen Pokphand Group (Thailand), and the Sinar Mas Group (Indonesia). These businesses account for a significant percentage of employment and economic development in the region.

Family businesses in South-East Asia are therefore a crucial economic force to work with if we wish to pursue impact activities and have a better tomorrow for this region. 

In a positive trend, family businesses are transiting to the next generation who are in their 20s to 40s who are more exposed to issues of climate change and sustainability. So what are their views on implementing impact solutions into their businesses? And how can startups engage the Next Generation business owners to enact impactful change.

To answer these questions, I speak to Mei Tan, Co-Founder and CEO of the Innovatif+ community & platform for NextGen Family Businesses across Asia, for her expert insights on how the NextGen family businesses are looking at impact technologies.