Launched in 2019 in Singapore, Kalpha is a mobile application allowing individuals to connect and share skills, experiences and knowledge on a one-to-one basis. In 2019, the education startup raised a 6-figure seed round investment with Vietnam-based VC firm Nest Tech, becoming the leading peer-to-peer platform in Singapore and nabbing the “People’s Choice 2019” prize at ASEAN Rice Bowl Startup Awards.

The brainchild of Singaporean entrepreneurs Jack Soh and Jaden Teo, Kalpha’s leadership team now counts among its ranks Tri Nguyen, a Vietnamese startup entrepreneur turned social media influencer. Tri joined the team as a co-founder and CMO for Vietnam’s operations when Kalpha expanded into the market.

Kalpha App – Meetup. Learn. Share

Having studied in Singapore and the UK, Tri chose to return to Vietnam and contribute to his country’s growth. Before becoming an influential YouTuber, Tri worked in the advertising industry as well as serving as the CMO of xpath.co, a travel startup connecting tourists with local tour guides. Accustomed to fielding invitations to join startup teams, Tri was in no rush to commit to anyone while he was waiting for the right opportunity. That moment finally arrived with Kalpha’s expansion into Vietnam.

We ask Tri about Kalpha’s potential to transform Vietnam’s society and learn why it was important for him to join a company whose founders’ vision chimed with his own outlook.

Kalpha team

What trends have you observed in Vietnam’s education system?

Vietnamese are still relying heavily on traditional teaching materials which might not be updated with relevant real-life knowledge. But I believe that there are different ways to learn, not just from school, but also from practical experience.

There are many successful individuals who are self-taught and didn’t go through the traditional education system: businessmen running multi-million dollar companies without an MBA degree, coding wizards who didn’t bother with a computer science diploma or successful athletes who skipped sports academies.

These individuals won’t be employed as teachers in traditional schools because in the eyes of academia they do not have the right qualifications. But they have great real-life skills and practical experiences that they can impart as mentors.

How is Kalpha helping to improve the education system?
Everyone has some knowledge that they want to learn, and everyone has some knowledge that they can share. By allowing everyone to share their knowledge on Kalpha, Kalpha provides the local community access to vast options of affordable yet quality knowledge that they are not able to obtain from traditional schools.

Kalpha is now creating a valuable community where individuals can learn affordably any real-life skills, knowledge and experiences: career-related, self-development, languages, overseas experiences, arts and crafts, music, sports, etc.

You can be a mentor to someone who is getting started in your field and do it pro bono or make it a source of income. We also see ourselves as a connector, a cross between Facebook and LinkedIn, connecting people for both personal and professional reasons.

Source from vietcetera.com