Leveraging the alumni network to democratize data analytics
Leveraging the alumni network to democratize data analytics
The Kellogg-HKUST EMBA program has facilitated startup launches and new enterprises in many ways. While several businesses have been formed by classmates or alumni who met through the KH alumni network, Aki Katayama and Khai San Banh, co-founders of Sprint Milestone, were already colleagues at HSBC.
Believing they could take the knowledge of data analytics they had gained in banking to other industries, the pair launched Sprint Milestone in 2013, soon after Khai San graduated from KH in 2012.
“We are a data analytics advisory firm that focuses exclusively in the area of automation, analytics and AI,” Khai San explains. “We try to help our clients leverage the latest and greatest technologies to help them solve very key use cases or business pain points they may be experiencing.”
The company is now operating in 13 countries, with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, and plans another base in Cambodia. Across these territories, Sprint Milestone currently has over 100 customers, covering sectors including financial services, industrials and B2C.
While the pair spotted an opportunity to ‘democratize’ existing software to help businesses select, implement and operate the data analytics technology they need, Aki says there was also another motivation. Both Aki and Khai San observed global companies were not particularly good at adapting to local conditions when they came to Asia. On the flip side, a lot of local businesses and talent say they want to participate globally, but they continue to operate in their regular local way.
“Whilst we want to be profitable, we’re also trying to figure out how we could be a community of like-minded people who help develop the region,” Aki says.
Khai San, who is also the company’s CEO, thinks the way in which her and Aki’s skills complement the other’s has been an important factor in enabling Sprint Milestone’s growth. But the connections made through the KH network have also played a key role.
“As in the KH program we’re trying to create a community of people who, no matter where they’re from, can come together and collaborate,” Khai San says.
Aki agrees. “When we were setting up the company, our initial clients, and who we were testing our ideas on, were from my class.
Two of my classmates became our clients, and one of our staff was from KH,” he adds there are other values their business shares with KH EMBA. “Professional services advisory is based very much on trust.”
Other alumni are now working with Sprint Milestone, have become clients or have joined the advisory group that’s helping the business progress to a new level.
Neither Aki or Khai San were thinking of striking out on their own when they enrolled on the EMBA. “But the program definitely opened my eyes to the possibilities beyond banking,” Khai San admits.
