Andy is an energy sector veteran that has brought his knowledge and skill into the startup world with NewEra Energy or NERA. A former competitive dancer and as someone who lives by the Simon Sinek quote, “What good is an idea if it remains an idea? Try. Experiment. Iterate. Fail. Try again. Change the world.”, Andy is looking to change the world and open up the growing carbon credit trading market to be accessible by the masses.
In his own words, “Many a time, we get hampered by theories and instead of trying, we stop in our tracks before we actually give it a chance. While I am not advocating massive rollouts and committing huge resources based on gut feeling, I encourage entrepreneurs and innovators to put ideas into action, however small in scale, and that is where progress can actually happen.”
With NERA, Andy is hoping to leverage blockchain and create a positive social change by involving the masses in carbon trading. What is carbon trading you ask? Well.
Carbon trading is the process of buying and selling permits and credits to emit carbon dioxide.
Sourced from Fern.org.
When you can’t find Andy in his office, he’s probably putting on his dancing shoes, as he still retains the passion for dance. In fact he credits his time as a professional dancer to helping improve his confidence and introduce discipline into his daily life.
Find out his story below.
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Sell us your company/service in 300 words?
NewEra, is a new Proof-of-Green protocol based on a blockchain-enabled carbon credits certification platform that aims to, for the first time, open up the growing carbon credit trading market to be accessible by the masses. Get rewarded with NERA and participate in the US$52 billion carbon credit trading industry that is expected to grow to a US$1 trillion market by 2030. NERA has created a platform, that rewards users for their green actions in a very simple, fun and rewarding way, and there is no knowledge of carbon credit trading required. We aim to leverage on blockchain and the vast outreach of the internet to create positive social change and financial inclusion.
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What is stopping you from having the largest company in the world?
Ironically, what will stop us will be if we no longer need to worry about climate impact and environmental issues.
That is a good thing for the world and if that happens, our company will be transformed into a platform to incentivise the masses to continue the trajectory of keeping our planet in a sustainable and desirable state.
However, Steven Hawking has famously given the human race 100 years more to live if we continue down this trajectory. There is a lot to do at a massive scale, and we aim to create a sustainable and rewarding system to mobilise the masses. We feel the battle against climate has always been a top-down approach – and it is not working. We are going from a ground-up approach and the best way, is for our users to realise the actual value in a fun and rewarding way.
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If you could change one thing about the tech industry in Southeast Asia, what would it be?
Southeast Asia is a breeding ground for innovative tech that aims to disrupt with the aim for profits. This has largely been the trend in an environment where everyone wants a chance to be the next unicorn. This is understandable as we are in a region of high growth and everyone is chasing a better life. However, there also lies the problem. Being in Southeast Asia, we are also the most familiar with real social problems on the ground and around us. Yet, these problems are not being addressed by the most innovative minds as the rewards are simply not as attractive as compared to someone who has a commercially viable product. If I could change one thing, I would like to see more rewards and incentives given to social technopreneurs. We have seen how technology can make a difference and the impact from the vast outreach of the internet and mobile phones today.
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Name one person in the region, who is making a difference in Technology?
Jack Ma. I have been an avid follower of Jack Ma’s entrepreneur journey and how he has transformed the shape of China’s payment landscape that benefitted the unbanked and general masses. He understood that inclusiveness is extremely important for massive adoption and he has rightfully tailored his approach and technology for this. Having solved this layer, it gave even more room for further innovations and has accelerated China’s advancement in web and mobile application adoption.
Editor’s note: Though not a Southeast Asian entrepreneur, Jack Ma’s influence in the region is significant enough to warrant inclusion.
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What would you want people to remember you for, 100 years from now?
100 years is a very interesting number because of Steven Hawking’s famous claim that we have only 100 years left on Mother Earth, or we will have to find a way to inhabit on another planet. If we survive past 100 years, I hope to be part of the group who made a difference by switching the focus from a top-down approach, to focus on mobilising the masses. It is for our kids and the kids of our kids. The thought of living in a world where it is no longer sustainable, it’s a fearful thought.
About Andy
Andy Tan is the Founder and CEO of NewEra Energy (NERA). He brings more than 8 years of regional working experience in the Energy market and over 5 years in the IT industry, with a specialization in Cloud implementation and software applications. As the CEO of NERA, Andy focuses on Regional Business Development to promote strategic investment and implementation.
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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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