Joel Neoh

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Joel Neoh Eu-Jin
Joel Neoh, on the cover of The Sun
Born	October 11, 1983 (1983-10-11) (age 24) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Education	Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with honours (Monash University)
Occupation	Youth Entrepreneur, Model, TV Personality
Website Joel Neoh's Official Website

Joel Neoh (born 11th October, 1983), is a Malaysian youth entrepreneur who was the first candidate to win Malaysia's first corporate reality television programme, The Firm.

[edit] Early years

[edit] Education

Born and raised in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Joel Neoh is the youngest son of two veteran educationists. Having received previous education from Taylor's College, Joel graduated from Monash University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering (Hons) in 2005.

During his undergraduate years, Joel participated in the annual Warman Student Design-and-Build Competition and grabbed the winning title for the year 2006, subsequently earning himself entry at the competition’s national finals which was held at Powerhouse Museum, Sydney^[1].

[edit] Sports

Joel was an active sportsperson during his earlier years. He was professionally trained under World Junior Champion squash player Ong Beng Hee.^[2] In year 2003, Joel was part of the National Youth Rock Climbing team where he represented Malaysia in the Asian Youth Climbing Championships, eventually bagging the gold medal for both Men’s Individual Open and Team Event for the National Rock Climbing Competition 2004.

[edit] Modeling

Joel first appeared in the local fashion scene at the age of 20. During his years as a model, he has walked for acclaimed local fashion designers as well as global fashion brands such as Guess, Esprit, Adidas, Nike, Quiksilver and Levi’s. He has also shot for numerous esteemed apparel brands for fashion magazines^[3].

As a model, Joel has been interviewed by The Star, Cleo, Seventeen, Marie Claire, FHM, China Press, Nu You and I-Remaja on his journey in the fashion and entertainment industry^[4].

[edit] The Firm

Joel Neoh was one of the candidates for Malaysia's first corporate reality television programme, The Firm (season 1) in 2007, and was the youngest of the 10 contestants^[5]. The youth entrepreneur, at 24, was placed alongside other corporate high-fliers (who were comparatively more seasoned with experience in their respective industries) in dealing with various disciplines in business. Having gone through 10 weeks of entrepreneurial tests, Joel impressed the judges, Peter Pek, Chan Boon Yong and Tengku Zafrul Aziz, with his creativity and enthusiasm ^[6]. He was ultimately declared the winner at the conclusion of the programme by the CEO, after terminating 30 year old entrepreneur Ernie Chen.^[7]

[edit] Youth Entrepreneurship

In an apparent need to distinguish himself from the other 9 contestants, Joel positioned himself as a youth entrepreneur^[8], thus coining the term "youth entrepreneurship" - a terminology referring to young people aged 30 and under taking a proactive approach to their respective careers, creating jobs rather than awaiting for employment opportunities to come by.

[edit] YouthMalaysia.com

Equipped with passion and sheer belief in the youths of the country, Joel spearheaded YouthMalaysia.com, an NGO with objectives to empower and inspire young Malaysians to excel in their respective lives ^[9]. Currently standing with the support of over 4000 members online, the organization, under Joel's leadership, has won the AYA Dream Malaysia Youth Friendly Company of the Year 2006 title.^[10][11]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Site
• YouthMalaysia.com