Wong Sokwei received the RP Higher-Year Scholarship (Max Lewis Scholarship in 2019 and RP Scholarship in 2020) twice and won various module prizes while studying at Republic Polytechnic (RP).
A curious individual, she would often ponder why people are enticed to buy certain products based on packaging. Her interest in psychology and the motivation to better understand insights led her to enrol into the Diploma in Consumer Behaviour & Research at RP since the course allowed her to pursue both her interests. She graduated in 2021 and is now an undergraduate at the National University of Singapore, studying Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).
Sokwei is a strong believer of sustainability. She co-founded a start-up, Suskin, The Sustainable Leather Co. with her good friend from RP. The start-up provides a vegan alternative to leather that is durable, sustainable, and ethically sourced. Suskin, The Sustainable Leather Co. has garnered the interest of many stakeholders, including Bynd Artisan, a market leader in the leather industry, and Bushwick Kombucha.
To work on their prototype and fund their business, Sokwei and her friend participated in multiple competitions where they clinched top prizes such:
- People’s Choice Award and Overall Champion in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Competition
- Best Innovation Award and 2nd Runner-Up in the iDARE Entrepreneurial Challenge
These achievements gained them exposure across media outlets including Mothership; LianHe ZaoBao, MONEYFM 89.3, Asia One, IncoRPorate and Samsung’s YouTube Channel.
During her three years at RP, she also pursued Diploma Plus in Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The course enabled her to gain more insights and knowledge on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. The experiences and knowledge obtained proved to be useful as she was able to leverage them for her start-up. Furthermore, the Diploma Plus programme introduced Sokwei to design thinking, the concept of market validation, and go-to-market strategies—all of which made the success of Suskin, The Sustainable Leather Co. possible.
Sokwei was also one of the selected students to participate in the Harvard Business School Club Mentorship Program. This six-month programme seeks to provide meaningful mentoring experience focused on the personal and professional development of students. Through the programme, she gained extensive entrepreneurship knowledge and skills from her mentors as well as fellow mentees.
A caring individual, she believes in giving back to the society. Sokwei has been volunteering regularly even before her RP days. Currently, she volunteers with the Women’s Integration Network Council, and is also an active member of Youth Corps Leader; providing guidance and mentorship to others. Driven by her passion for sustainability, Sokwei is often involved in ad-hoc events and talks held by Youth Corps Singapore, particularly within the environment cluster.