Matt from MyBhutan has built something truly inspiring in the paradise that is Bhutan.
An explorer at heart, Matt left his Accenture job in the UK to consult for the Bhutanese government, eventually leading him to focus on socio-economic development. That’s where MyBhutan comes in.
The company is focused on helping build business and facilitate economic growth in Bhutan, which is exciting, but also quite complex due to the infrastructure and development challenges that exist in the country. Though its most prominent and front-facing service is the tourism business that helps bring tourists into the country and plan their trip.
When Matt isn’t at his office, you can find him exploring nature, or if he gets the chance, surfing the most technical waves out there.
He lives by this Stephen Hawking quote and it definitely shows through his body of work, both professional and personal.
We explore because we are human
Read on to find out what Matt had to share with us.
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Sell us your company/service in 300 words?
MyBhutan builds technologies that provide businesses of all sizes worldwide with advanced and cost-effective tools to better market, transact and deliver their products or services to the international market.
We provide a toolkit of APIs that enable these businesses to instantly build an online portfolio, collect payment securely and perform necessary administrative work. This helps efficiently execute sales and delivery of their products or services – all with little to no coding required.
With additional tourism-related functionality, the platform also provides a comprehensive suite of services that has finally made Bhutan an extremely easy destination to visit. This integration opens a foreigner’s access to the country and cuts their costs. It also enables entry for more locals to participate through its peer-to-peer network with customers and social influencers – in an effort to offer Bhutan’s most diverse collection of authentic experiences.
We’ve partnered with the Bhutanese banking system to create Bhutan’s first payment gateway. Through this, we provide the technical, fraud prevention, and banking infrastructure required to most safely perform international commerce.
This technology allows for customers to engage directly with the provider, eliminating numerous third-party costs and exchange fees commonly associated with conducting foreign business.
The final component of the platform incorporates a social contribution model that aids local communities and their surrounding environments. We hope this strengthens the likelihood for a long-lasting relationship to be formed between the customer and the business or place.
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What is stopping you from having the largest company in the world?
Striving to become the world’s largest company has never been one of our team conversation points.
We focus on identifying gaps and devising solutions to better user experience. We will continue to connect businesses online across the world and, concurrently, expand economic opportunity.
I have yet to identify any limitation to our business model that may prevent its growth prospects.
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If you could change one thing about the tech industry in Southeast Asia, what would it be?
Culture in Southeast Asia has a lasting and meaningful impact on the wellness of its people. Further, Southeast Asia largely remains one of the last remaining natural habitats on our planet.
Sustainability of Southeast Asia’s culture and the environment is essential for the future growth of its economies. I’d encourage more businesses to develop inclusive-growth models that support the healthy progression of these two elements in countries with fast developing economies.
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Name one person in the region, who is making a difference in Technology?
His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck has prioritized happiness (GNH) as Bhutan’s leading public policy. While GNH promotes socio-economic development, environmental conservation, cultural preservation and good governance. It simultaneously hosts the ideal environment to incentivize companies to focus their technologies on bettering livelihood.
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What would you want people to remember you for, 100 years from now?
I’d like for people to remember us for having extended reach for businesses to participate in the global economy. Also for their customers to receive the most authentic form of return.
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Matt DeSantis is a business strategist and IT specialist by trade. After leaving his job as a consultant for Accenture and moving to the Kingdom of Bhutan to consult for the Royal Government, he began to apply his expertise into the sphere of socio-economic development.
This career move evolved into the formation of MyBhutan, an enterprise that Matt conceived with His Royal Highness Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck – MyBhutan’s Patron Founder. This combined their enthusiasm to develop local working communities and aid the philanthropic activities of Bhutanese nonprofits.
Whether it be crossing uncharted natural terrain, living in small villages or working with the private and public sectors to identify gaps in developing economies, Matt continues his quest to study less frequented regions of the world — and builds complementary technologies that boost local opportunity and provide access to foreigners – so that, in the end, all may participate in the art of exploration.
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Views expressed by the interviewee are not necessarily shared by Tech Collective. Some minimal editing is done for clarity’s sake.
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