Meet SEAM Cohort 2

Angel Community Enterprise is a social enterprise dedicated to empowering communities that are marginalised, including Persons with Disabilities (PwD), single mothers, and the elderly. The organisation offers a supportive platform that enables these individuals to kickstart and grow their businesses, particularly focusing on homemade food products.

By providing economic opportunities, networking, and community-building activities, Angel Community Enterprise helps its beneficiaries achieve financial independence and improve their quality of life. They also promote sustainability through circular economy initiatives, waste management, and the use of renewable materials.

Batik Boutique is a social enterprise founded 13 years ago by Amy Blair, aiming to break the cycle of poverty in Malaysia. Specialising in traditional batik fashion, home goods, and accessories, they collaborate with over 400 artisans, impacting more than 1,700 beneficiaries from communities that are marginalised, including refugees and women from low-income backgrounds.

Batik Boutique partners with local artisans, provides sewing training and financial literacy. Their impact includes improved safety standards, digitalisation, and enhanced production facilities. Their environmental efforts focus on reducing waste through natural fabrics and low-impact dyes, and cutting plastic packaging.

Brutti is a bespoke sustainable furniture social enterprise based in Kota Kinabalu. Through skilled artisan work, they create dignified livelihood for B40 youth communities in Sabah. Using reclaimed pallet wood, they create bespoke furniture for homeowners, B2B clients while diverting over 57 tonnes of waste and preserving an estimated 600 trees.

Dodo Vegan Hut is a halal-certified plant-based food enterprise creating healthy, sustainable food while providing employment opportunities for B40 communities. From frozen vegan meals to SAKRAE coconut ice-cream, Dodo Vegan Hut has expanded their portfolio to hotels, restaurants and cafes across Malaysia.

Earth Heir has spent over a decade empowering artisans and promoting sustainable practices, while preserving cultural heritage. The organisation has generated MYR 2.3 million in income for artisans, with a focus on inclusive employment and circular economy initiatives, supporting communities that are marginalised, including micro-entrepreneurs, social enterprises, and impact organisations.

Through training, mentoring, and market access, Earth Heir promotes social procurement in supply chains, advocating for fair trade principles and environmental sustainability. Their initiatives include upcycling waste materials, designing durable products, and contributing to reforestation efforts, having planted 4,000 trees to date. Their vision is to build a legacy of sustainable, impactful practices for future generations.

Enable OKU Solutions (ENOKU), works to improve the employment opportunities and workplace inclusion for persons with disabilities (PwD) in Malaysia. Through DEI training, tailored employment placement and long-term inclusion frameworks, ENOKU partners with some of Malaysia’s most recognised multinational corporations to create workplaces where PwD can contribute meaningfully and grow.

Green Shoots is a sustainability-focused social enterprise that transforms corporate spending on gifts and packaging into meaningful social and environmental impact. Through circular product design and responsible production, Green Shoots creates dignified income opportunities for underserved women while reducing waste and reinvesting revenue into therapy support and wellbeing initiatives.

Heartworks Solution creates flexible, meaningful employment for persons with disabilities, single mothers, caregivers and women who face barriers to traditional work. Through its virtual assistant model, Heartworks provides paid opportunities alongside training, guidance and ongoing support, helping talents build skills, regain confidence and achieve greater financial independence. Supported by corporate clients including Naluri, SEEK Asia and Malaysia Food & Travel, its growing community of 30 virtual assistants demonstrates how inclusive outsourcing can create dignified livelihoods while expanding what inclusive employment can look like in Malaysia.

Ibupreneur creates pathways from financial vulnerability to sustainable entrepreneurship for Asnaf women and single mothers from B40 communities. Through its Maker Hub marketplace and Academy, 659 mothers across 11 states have increased their incomes by an average of 86% within 12 months, supported by corporate clients including Mandarin Oriental and Banyan Tree. Ibupreneur shows what’s possible when women are given the right tools, support and access to markets.

Jiwa Asli Organik, founded in 2022, empowers Orang Asli communities in Malaysia through skills training and promotion of integrated organic farming. The organisation helps these communities transition from forest dependency to sustainable farming, with a focus on making organic food affordable, improving livelihoods, and protecting the environment.

Since its inception, Jiwa Asli Organik has trained 25 Orang Asli in organic farming, with 17 now engaged in chicken farming. The organisation’s mission is to restore dignity to the Orang Asli, equipping them with valuable skills and fostering respect for their role as guardians of the forest.

Koperasi Penternak Akuakultur (KoAKUA) is a cooperative that supports coastal fishing communities in Kelantan by pooling resources and strengthening distribution for its 50 members. By reducing dependence on intermediaries, KoAKUA helps traditional fishermen and farmers earn more equitable returns and build more stable livelihoods. The cooperative is currently developing new products, including salted duck egg and smoked duck, to create additional income streams beyond the fishing season.

LemmeLearn Resources is a pioneering vocational training service in Penang, Malaysia, focused on providing training and employment opportunities for adults with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Founded by Eileen Soon, inspired by inclusive practices during her studies in San Francisco, LemmeLearn addresses the gap in vocational services for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) in Malaysia.

The organisation partners with businesses to offer practical training, internships, and employment opportunities, helping PwDs integrate successfully into the workforce and society. Their mission is to create a more inclusive environment where individuals with disabilities can thrive both professionally and socially in Pulau Tikus.

Moms Village Asia Sdn Bhd is a social enterprise focused on empowering women from vulnerable groups, particularly those from the lower-income community and single mothers. Founded by a survivor of domestic violence, the organisation creates a safe and supportive environment for women to rebuild their lives, gain financial independence, and achieve personal and professional growth.

Moms Village’s initiatives include Magic Seed, an eco-friendly corporate gifting product, and Giglearner, an online learning platform. These exposure equips women with the tools and resources to thrive while promoting sustainability and responsible consumption.

Oupus Organics was founded 4 years ago by Vellarry, driven by a personal mission to create eco-friendly skincare and support underprivileged mothers. Inspired by her own challenging background and the 2020 pandemic, Vellarry named the enterprise “OUPUS,” meaning love, symbolising resilience and sustainability.

The organisation utilises Borneo’s natural resources to produce sustainable skincare, providing flexible jobs and skills training for women who are marginalised. Oupus Organics empowers vulnerable groups, including single mothers and stateless children, through education and partnerships. Their environmental initiatives focus on using discarded raw materials, promoting a circular economy, and supporting local agriculture.

PichaEats creates dignified, sustainable livelihoods for refugee communities in Malaysia, empowering Syrian, Afghan, Myanmar, and Palestinian individuals as professional chefs, caterers as well as culinary apprentices. Through catering, meal box deliveries, cultural dining experiences and skills development, PichaEats connects the culinary heritage of displaced communities with customers who value both quality and impact. With over 10 years of experience, PichaEats continues to create opportunities while advocating for greater inclusion of refugees in Malaysia.

Sagemaker Asia is a community-powered production enterprise that connects marginalised artisans to skills development, employment and commercial opportunities. Through its Rumah Sage production house in Ampang, over 70 Sagemakers produce sensory materials, upcycled products and bespoke corporate merchandise for clients including PETRONAS and Pos Malaysia.

Graze Market, is a social enterprise dedicated to addressing food insecurity, reducing food waste, and promoting environmental sustainability. Founded by Wan Li-Shan, the organisation focuses on rescuing surplus and imperfect produce that would otherwise be discarded, transforming it into nutritious, affordable food products.

By creating a sustainable food system and providing economic opportunities to communities that are marginalised, Saving Graze empowers lower-income communities, smallholder farmers, refugees, migrants, and Persons with Disabilities (PwD). They also promote circular economy principles, sustainable agriculture, and inclusive employment practices.

The Asli Co. empowers Orang Asli women in Malaysia by offering sustainable income opportunities through the production and sale of handcrafted goods. Starting with just one mother crafting cement pots, the initiative has expanded to over 30 active mothers and a diverse product line.

The Asli Co. supports 75 indigenous mothers from 8 villages, providing training, equipment, and materials for handicraft production. Their efforts have generated RM 2.5 million in income for the Orang Asli community and employ 6 full-time Orang Asli women. Their long-term vision is to fully fund their NGO, AJAR Society, which offers free tutoring and rewards for Orang Asli children, promoting both economic self-sufficiency and education.

Upcycled by Fuze Ecoteer empowers lower-income communities, single mothers, and at-risk youth in PPR, Lembah Subang through plastic waste reduction and upcycling initiatives. Driven by a passion for sustainability, the organisation collects plastic waste from rivers and local communities, transforming it into products like coasters, pots, and accessories. Since its founding, Upcycled by Fuze Ecoteer has processed 2.9 tonnes of plastic, creating over 25,000 upcycled items. These initiatives reduce pollution, promote responsible consumption, and support economic growth within communities that are marginalised.