How Hong Kong entrepreneur Tommie Lo went from doing schoolwork at sea to building a career around education
- Asked how he would spend HK$8 million, Lo says he aspires to develop new solutions for dog welfare, an issue he is passionate about
- The founder and CEO of ed-tech start-up Preface has had his business and wealth principles shaped by his humble upbringing in a fishing village
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Preface founder and CEO Tommie Lo answers the question of how to spend HK$8 million
If given HK$8 million (about US$1 million) to spend, entrepreneur Tommie Lo would invest in something that is close to his heart and also benefits society: rescuing dogs.
“I want to do something new that is meaningful and impactful,” Lo says. “I’m a big dog lover, and I think there might be a better solution I can work on to help dogs live a better life.”
Lo, who describes himself as an entrepreneur and educator, is the founder and CEO of Preface, an ed-tech start-up that leverages artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to provide personalised technology training courses. The company’s goal is to make education in new technologies accessible to everyone, from corporate professionals and entrepreneurs to children.
Preface was developed around the concepts of decentralising the traditional classroom experience and transforming the learning environment. This is demonstrated at Preface Coffee and Wine, Lo’s lounge-style space that has been designed to encourage learners and industry experts to meet, collaborate and innovate.
“It’s actually quite ironic, because I’m someone without regular schooling,” Lo says, reflecting on his career path.
Lo grew up in Po Toi O, a small, traditional fishing village in the Sai Kung district of Hong Kong. As a child, he regularly accompanied his father out to sea for weeks at a time, doing his schoolwork on the boat.
