Pivoting to a Social Enterprise: Empowering B40 Women

In this episode of Paranoid Founders, co-host Michelle sits down with Yap Sue Yii, co-founder of Komuniti Tukang Jahit (KTJ), a social enterprise dedicated to empowering the B40 women community in Malaysia through upskilling and job opportunities in sewing.

Sue Yii shares the story of how KTJ pivoted from her initial startup, Royale Demure, to become a community-driven enterprise that now provides sustainable income to women working from home. She discusses the hard truths of entrepreneurship, including the moment she knew her first business model wasn’t viable, and how KTJ was born from leveraging the strengths of her previous efforts.

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This conversation dives deep into the challenges of balancing a social mission with profitability, managing a growing team, and the responsibility of maintaining sustainable livelihoods for the community. Sue Yii also opens up about KTJ’s journey through the pandemic, the operational hurdles they faced, and how they stayed agile through rapid changes.
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Key Highlights

• How Royale Demure pivoted into Komuniti Tukang Jahit and the lessons learned along the way.
• The importance of recognizing when a business model isn’t working and knowing when to pivot.
• Balancing social impact with profitability in a social enterprise.
• The impact of COVID-19 on KTJ’s business and how they thrived by innovating with timely products.
• The challenges of managing supply and demand with gig workers and ensuring sustainable orders for their community of tailors.
• Sue Yii’s leadership philosophy, including “flexible stubbornness” and the importance of leading, not just instructing, her team.

Tune in for: Insightful discussions on pivoting business models, maintaining a social mission in business, and practical strategies for scaling impact while navigating operational challenges.

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Guest: Yap Sue Yii, Founder of Komuniti Tukang Jahit (KTJ)
Host: Michelle, Co-host of Paranoid Founders and part of the Contingent

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About Komuniti Tukang Jahit

Komuniti Tukang Jahit (KTJ) is a social enterprise that empowers the B40 women community consisting of single women, single mothers, the OKU group, and stay-at-home mothers. They provide certified upskill training and job opportunities for home-based tailors to earn a sustainable income through sewing orders.

For more information, visit https://ktjmalaysia.com/

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About Contingent | Digital Business Insurance Solutions for SMEs in Malaysia

Contingent is a digital-first insurance provider, specialising in affordable and customizable business insurance solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia.

Leveraging over 40 years of industry expertise through its partner company, Contingent is committed to simplifying the insurance experience for business owners with a focus on transparency, speed, and ease of claims.

Their tailored solutions cover fire, burglary, group personal accident, public liability, and more, ensuring that businesses are protected from everyday risks. Contingent combines modern technology with deep industry knowledge to offer seamless digital insurance services that empower Malaysian businesses to grow with peace of mind.

For more information, visit ⁠⁠www.contingent.com.my⁠⁠