[Sponsored article] If it takes guts to switch professions for a completely different industry then Natalie Chan must have a healthy supply. In the span of a decade, the Hong Kong native, 32, who spent her high school and university years in the United States, has held five unconnected professional roles since graduating from the University of Southern California in 2009 with an engineering and business degree. Ultimately the universities of the future will be defined by industries and driven by what they need, so we are reverse engineering how that learning should be like for students Natalie Chan, founder and CEO, OWN Academy She was an IT adviser, human capital consultant, co-teacher and then film producer and assistant to photographer-cum-conservationist Sean Lee-Davies, before becoming founder and CEO of OWN Academy. Her start-up offers Hong Kong youth “experiential learning” in professional settings – through partnerships with companies in various industries – to help them find their passion. “I’m a typical millennial,” Chan jokes. “I am curious and interested in trying different aspects of life.” Yet it is through making the call to set up OWN Academy in 2016, which already has helped some 4,500 young people, that she has found her purpose in life. “I felt – and this may be esoteric – a force telling me that this is the path that I have to go on: it’s my calling,” Chan, the eldest of three children, says. “And when you know you’re on the right path, everything just conspires to help you in your journey – as [Brazilian novelist] Paul Coelho often preaches in his books.” Empowering herself to empower others OWN Academy has a grand mission – to introduce a new education ecosystem which better bridges the gap between industry or real-world needs and what is taught in the classroom. “I don’t want to create just another educational centre; I want to open young people’s minds to more possibilities.” She says schools need to equip students with the set of skills and knowledge that matter in the real world. When you take charge of your own destiny is when life will make sense to you Natalie Chan “Because what’s the point in spending so much time, money and resources on education when it’s not delivering the results?” she says. “We need to rethink how education is being structured and done.” Chan’s goal is to empower young people to take ownership of their own lives – just as she has done – but in a more direct way – hence the name of her academy. “When you take charge of your own destiny is when life will make sense to you and that’s when you will become motivated and ready to take on any challenges.” Her strategy involves teaming up with industry leaders and big companies to create a five-day career taster programme which captures the unfiltered essence and behind-the-scenes insights into various professions so students can truly understand all aspects of the job. “Ultimately the universities of the future will be defined by industries and driven by what they need, so we are reverse engineering how that learning should be like for students,” Chan says. Making the call; finding comfort in the discomfort Taking the plunge to build her foundation towards such an ambitious result was not an easy feat. Chan took years to mull over the idea, but hesitated to take the next step. “Eventually I got tired of and frustrated with myself for just thinking all the time, without actually doing anything,” she says. “So, one day, I thought, you know what, I should just get started. If I believe that I can be part of a change and make an impact, then I just need to put action to it.” You can never be 100 per cent ready. But having tried so many different things and learned so much, I figured I should just give this vision I have a shot Natalie Chan Having accumulated the wide range of experiences from the various roles she stepped into over the years also made Chan feel more confident that she has gained enough skills to pursue her goal. “You can never be 100 per cent ready,” she says. “But having tried so many different things and learned so much, I figured I should just give this vision I have a shot.” Along the way however, like most entrepreneurs, Chan grew familiar with the self-doubt that can sometimes creep up. “The self-doubt comes in waves – there are good days and also days where you feel everyone is shutting you down and not responding to your idea.” The trick she says is to simply take a pause. “I personally go for a walk or sleep in a little earlier,” Chan says. “As entrepreneurs, we tend to keep looking forward to what more we have to do, instead of looking back to the things that we have already achieved. We often forget to give ourselves credit for what we’ve already accomplished. Understand and accept your limitations, keep pushing until you become comfortable in the discomfort – then push yourself a little more Natalie Chan “We need to remind ourselves that it’s OK not to get everything done right now, and just be patient.” Dare to dream – and do Positive outcomes along the way certainly helped to reaffirm her bold decision. Chan cites being asked by a school to create a one-week programme for 220 students as one example. “That was a dream come true because I had always – until that point – been working with about 10 to 15 students at a time.” Being selected as one of the 50 young people from around the world to attend last year’s 49th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, was another reassuring “pat on the back”, she says. Chan’s recommends that students: “Be courageous and just keep going. “Understand and accept your limitations, but keep pushing further until you become comfortable in the discomfort – and then push yourself a little bit more. “I think that’s how you challenge yourself beyond what you think was possible.”