An in-person founder conversation · Bangsar

Scaling Malaysian Brands Beyond Borders

Three founder stories. One honest conversation about taking a Malaysian business into new markets.

Illustrated map of Malaysian brands expanding abroad, with portraits and names of CJ Lee, Lennise Ng, Yishen Law and Ray Chou

You’ve built a business here. What happens when you start looking beyond Malaysia? Join CJ Lee of MOVE Private Fitness, Lennise Ng of Redwood Global Capital and Yishen Law of STTOKE to hear how they approached timing, hiring, capital and culture as their businesses expanded.

Three short keynotes lead into a panel moderated by Ray Chou of Owners Circle, followed by an open floor Q&A. Bring the questions you’re weighing for your own business.

See what you’ll learn
Date
Wednesday, 7 October 2026
Time
2:00 pm–3:45 pm MYT
Venue
MOVE Private Fitness Bangsar Studio
Admission
Free
Event begins in

Look beyond Malaysia

What if Malaysia is your starting point, not your ceiling?

Illustration of one business reaching several larger markets through connected storefronts

You’ve built a business that works at home. Customers trust you. Your team is growing. And the question starts creeping in: “Could this work in another country?”

A larger audience, revenue in other currencies and economies of scale could make more of what you have already built. But how do you know you’re ready?

Perhaps no one has invited you to see your business as a regional brand before. Even if you have, practical guidance can be hard to find. There is no single playbook for scaling beyond borders.

The decisions behind expansion

What changes when your business crosses a border?

A new market brings questions that a growth announcement rarely answers. Who do you hire first? How do you fund the next step? What needs to adapt, and what should stay consistent?

CJ, Lennise and Yishen bring experience across fitness, investment, commerce and consumer products. They’ll share the choices behind entering new markets, including what became harder once growth moved beyond familiar ground. That is why we are hosting this talk.

Two entrepreneurs considering routes and choices beyond a paper threshold

Meet the people behind the brands

Three founders. Three paths beyond borders.

Portrait of CJ Lee

CJ Lee

Co-Founder, MOVE Private Fitness

Co-Founder of MOVE Private Fitness, Southeast Asia’s largest premium personal training studio network, with 25 studios across Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

With 19 years in the fitness industry, CJ and his team have transformed MOVE from a single studio into a regional brand without franchising, private equity or venture capital funding. Instead, MOVE’s growth has been powered by a community of believers, a strong internal culture and a people-first model that invests deeply in the education, leadership and long-term careers of its coaches.

CJ is regularly invited to speak on international stages, including Beyond Activ, Asia Fitness Conference and IDEA Korea, where he shares honest, battle-tested lessons on scaling a premium service brand across borders without losing its people, culture or soul along the way.

CJ enjoys challenging conventional thinking about leadership, entrepreneurship and what Malaysian brands are capable of achieving globally.

Portrait of Lennise Ng

Lennise Ng

Founder, Redwood Global Capital

Lennise Ng is the founder of Redwood Global Capital, a privately held investment house backed by family offices, investing in AI, deep tech, energy and infrastructure. She previously built Borong, a B2B commerce platform serving MSMEs across ASEAN. Borong was ranked #1 on the Financial Times' 2026 list of APAC's fastest-growing companies and named among JP Morgan's APAC Top 100 Women-Powered, High-Growth Businesses. At Borong, she mobilised over USD 240 million in bank credit facilities to reach merchants the financial system overlooks. Lennise is a Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 and Prestige Asia 40 Under 40 honouree, and an UNCTAD eTrade4Women Advocate.

Portrait of Yishen Law

Yishen Law

Co-Founder & CEO, STTOKE

Co-founder and CEO of STTOKE, a premium drinkware brand born in Melbourne and grown into an international business across Asia and beyond. Over the past decade, he has helped turn a bold idea into a global brand, building partnerships with names such as Starbucks, CHAGEE, and Ralph’s Coffee. His journey has been shaped by opening new markets, building lasting relationships, and navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship with resilience, courage, and purpose.

Portrait of Ray Chou

Moderated by

Ray Chou

Serial Entrepreneur & Business Growth Coach

A multi award-winning serial entrepreneur, having founded/co-founded or invested into 19 companies over the last 30 years and eventually exiting 3 of them. He has also been a member-elected President in 4 different business organizations.

Since 2020, he has been dedicating his life and majority of his time towards helping entrepreneurs to achieve exponential business growth through his coaching and specially crafted experiential training programs. Many businesses have achieved successful growth through him because unlike some trainers or coaches out there, he does not train to make a living... but rather, he has already made a living and now trains to share experiences and passion.

Ray has been invited to speak in 52 cities globally and shares a lot of his knowledge freely on his social media too.

What you’ll learn

The questions worth asking before you scale

Two people consider a clock and branching decision paths
01

When is the right time?

Hear how founders thought about readiness before entering another market.

Two people review team and operations tiles across a paper bridge
02

What breaks first?

Explore the hiring and operating challenges that surfaced across borders.

Two people review a growth plan beside capital stacks
03

How do you fund growth?

Compare the choices behind different expansion journeys, including MOVE’s organic growth without VC or PE funding.

Two people carry a green ribbon through distinct gateways
04

How does culture travel?

Consider what each founder protected as teams and markets changed.

Your vision can reach beyond borders.

Get closer to the real decisions behind three expansion journeys. Bring your ambition, your questions and an open mind about where your brand could go.

Who it’s for

Is this conversation for you?

  • You own or operate a business built in Malaysia and are considering another market.
  • You are working through hiring, capital, timing or culture as your business grows.
  • You want to hear how leaders in fitness, investment, commerce and consumer products approached expansion.
  • You value a smaller gathering with time for open questions.

The event format

Three stories, then a conversation with the room

01

Three short keynotes

CJ, Lennise Ng and Yishen Law each share a scaling story in their own words.

02

A moderated panel

Ray Chou connects the common challenges and different choices across their journeys.

03

Open floor Q&A

Bring a question about the next decision facing your business.

The gathering is designed as a smaller group, with room for a genuine conversation.

Bringing the community together

Host & event partners

MOVE Private Fitness

Event Host

Built around premium one-on-one personal training, MOVE Private Fitness has expanded from Malaysia to a network of 25 studios across Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. Its growth reflects a commitment to coaching, strong culture and meaningful client progress.

Co-Presenting Partner

Owners Circle is a Malaysia-based business academy for scale-up entrepreneurs, built around practical courses, owner-level coaching and mastermind groups. It is co-presenting the event and contributing to the founder conversation.

STTOKE

Freshly Brewed Coffee

Enjoy a fresh cup brewed live while the founders share what it takes to grow beyond borders. STTOKE’s shatterproof ceramic cups will be on display too.

What free admission includes

A founder conversation built for the room

Free

  1. A place in the room: Join an in-person founder conversation with time for questions.
  2. Beyond the success story: Get closer to the people, choices and challenges behind each brand.
  3. Meet ambitious minds: Connect with entrepreneurs and people shaping what’s next.
  4. STTOKE in the room: Fresh coffee brewed live and a display of STTOKE cups.

Join us in Bangsar

MOVE Private Fitness Bangsar Studio

Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Wednesday, 7 October 2026 · 2:00 pm–3:45 pm MYT

Meet us at MOVE Bangsar

14-1, Jln Telawi 3, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Get directions

Questions, answered

Before you join us

Who is this event for?

Entrepreneurs, operators and investors who want to hear how brands approach growth across borders and bring their own questions to the conversation.

What is the format?

Three short keynotes, followed by a moderated panel and open floor Q&A. The event is designed as a smaller gathering.

Can I ask a question?

Yes. The event closes with an open floor Q&A, so bring the decisions or challenges you would like the speakers to discuss.

What happens after I register?

You’ll receive a confirmation email with the event details. Keep it handy for the day.

Thinking about your next market?

Bring your questions. Hear how others made the move.

Join three founders and a moderator for a grounded conversation about the choices behind international growth.

Event registration

Join the conversation in Bangsar

Wednesday, 7 October 2026 · 2:00 pm–3:45 pm MYT · MOVE Private Fitness Bangsar Studio · Free

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Save the date

Scaling Malaysian Brands Beyond Borders

Wednesday, 7 October 2026 · 2:00 pm–3:45 pm MYT · MOVE Private Fitness Bangsar Studio · Free

Hosted by MOVE Private Fitness · Co-presented with Owners Circle · Freshly brewed coffee by STTOKE