As an intern at FSI’s Impact Lab Course, Vivian Seo realized that the social impact sector can be as innovative, commercially successful, and competitive as the private sector. That lesson, as Vivian later realized, would continue to guide her through critical decision-making in her career.
We recently spoke with this Impact Lab alumni, former Goldman Sachs analyst, social entrepreneur, and freshly minted FSI Executive Director. Read our interview to learn more about Vivian’s journey of learning and growth at FSI, the many other hats she wears to enrich life experiences for herself and others, the importance of living authentically, and her plans to magnify shared impact through her new role at FSI.
It’s been three years since we first interviewed you, when you first joined FSI. What has changed?
Vivian Seo The first interview was done in August 2021 when I had just joined FSI as a project manager, so it’s been two and a half years, but it definitely feels longer!
Given this was my first experience working as a full-time staff at a small-sized NGO, I had a lot of “first-time” experiences in the past few years. I delivered my first pitch to funders, failed to get the funding for the first time, but I succeeded in getting another funding for the first time and had the very fortunate opportunity to design and execute a full year-long program for FSI’s Community Business Support Program. I also made my first hire for my team, and went through multiple rounds of nurturing young talents through FSI’s Impact Lab Course.
These layers of first-time experiences helped me find joy in venturing something out of my comfort zone. What has really changed is now I feel a greater sense of belonging and connection with the community we built together, backed by the like-minded and compassionate supporters, entrepreneurs, educators, and social impact and corporate leaders of Hong Kong.
Let’s go back a little in time. You were an Impact Lab student intern working for Fair Employment Agency. You then worked at Goldman Sachs for three years before joining FSI. What led to your working at FSI, first as our Community Business Support Program Manager, now Executive Director?
My objective was rather simple when I left Goldman Sachs – I wanted to expand my horizons and work at a place where I am bringing positive impact to my community. The Impact Lab internship at Fair Employment Agency, my first-ever internship actually, set the fundamental grounds for me on how the social sector can be as innovative, commercially successful, and competitive as the private sector. I really wanted to get my foot in the social entrepreneurship space.
Hence when I first joined FSI, the job title actually was not that important – it was a general “project manager” role. But as I engaged in the multiple projects we were running, I was especially attracted to the direction our Community Business Support Program was going at that time. We were facing a time when we wanted to try supporting our community of entrepreneurs in a more structured way, especially targeting the under-resourced or grassroots entrepreneurs. I thought there could be no better option for me to not only experience the entire program management but also contribute to establishing a sustainable community of like-minded entrepreneurs.
As I eventually landed on managing our Community Business Support Program, I had the fortuitous opportunity to build a new program from scratch, from fundraising to designing, executing, and assessing the effectiveness of our now annual Mentorship Program for Ethnically Diverse Entrepreneurs.
I think this experience of going through the full cycle of a program taught me so many valuable lessons of how projects actually work in the NGO sector and what we can do better to truly serve our communities.
Now as I take on the new role as the Executive Director, I am facing yet another extremely rare and lucky opportunity to learn how to see things from a bigger picture and strategize long-term solutions.
Tell us about your new role and responsibilities?
I will be responsible for ensuring that all of FSI’s programs and projects are mission-aligned, and to work with the team members to build a more long-term growth strategy for the organization. I will also spearhead more initiatives to seek external collaboration and partnership, so that we can continue achieving true “shared impact” with the different stakeholders of the ecosystem.
At FSI, we want to enhance our own profile and visibility in the sector as the thought-leader, so I will actively find opportunities for FSI team members to share their opinions and contributions and to engage in public dialogues to drive systems change.
Internally, I also want to focus on the FSI team, further building our diverse, open-minded, and innovative organizational culture and becoming even more efficient. We have always had a diverse group of team members who support each other’s empowerment and growth, and I want to try introducing some more structured initiatives to facilitate such a process.
How would you describe FSI, as an organization that serves other impact-driven organizations as well as a workplace?
I would describe FSI as a diligent ecosystem builder and a sandbox for other impact-driven organizations to find resources, knowledge, and networks of people to achieve and scale their goals. All of our programs aim to start from empowering individuals – youths, entrepreneurs, members of the community, leaders of social impact organizations, and corporate professionals – and further provide the environment for individuals and organizations to build their capacity and grow their scale by sharing resources and building collaborative connections.
FSI is also a very exciting place to work in. We’re full of people who are extremely driven and capable, coming from different cultural and academic backgrounds, ready to jump on any initiative and to pivot to changes in circumstances. That creates a very agile (which can easily become a bit hectic too, I must admit!) and experimental working environment where everyone supports each other to try and actualize their ideas to better the community.
Tell us about yourself. Apart from being the Executive Director of FSI, what other hats do you also wear?
Apart from my role at FSI, I am also the Executive Director at Gowld Art Centre (GAC), a social enterprise that I run with my best friend and partner, Kaisha Woo, to bring arts closer to everyone’s lives in Hong Kong.
At GAC, my official role is mostly in business development and operations but practically I am the seatbelt of the team (haha), making sure there are procedures and measures in place to execute our projects. I was never trained in arts but I love creating things with my hands – painting, pottery, crafts, and more.
I am also a certified personal colour consultant, so I conduct consultations and workshops to help people find colours that best support their facial features, personal image, and personality. It’s growing in popularity here in Hong Kong, especially in beauty and fashion, but in my opinion it’s really about personal expression and being comfortable in what colours you surround yourself with. If you’re interested – feel free to check out this CNN Style article that I was featured in!
I love wearing multiple hats because it allows me to dip my toe in areas that may seem totally unrelated to each other, but which, together, really make my life experience richer.
What is the best advice you received?
To actively network and not be shy to reach out to people for catch-up over coffee. As months and years pass by, I increasingly realize how the majority of my work or accomplishments are really never mine alone, but possible only because I am lucky to be surrounded by amazing people. It’s not only a humbling experience to learn about others’ perspectives, their purpose, and ways of life, but also a great asset for both personal and professional growth.
I have mentors from different fields with whom I regularly meet, and I also keep in touch with people whom I’ve met throughout my career path. This network of people has always provided me with inspirations, opportunities, and collaborations.
What has been the greatest life lesson you have learned?
I’ve recently learned by direct and indirect experience that self-resilience and grit do not often look or feel rigid and strict but rather vulnerable, flexible, and tolerant. There are currents in life that, I realized, I simply have zero control over, and if I chose to focus on disciplines and principles alone, things would have fallen apart. I’ve learned from watching my colleagues and mentors that the admittance of vulnerability does not mean weakness, and it is way more important to accept and acknowledge hardships as they are, trusting yourself that you have the flexibility to bend and spring back one day. Learning this life lesson also helps me be less judgmental and more open-minded and respectful to others.
What gives you joy in life?
The small but meaningful moments of positivity that I find in my community. It could be as swift as an exchange of smile and a friendly greeting with a random person I bump into while getting a nice cup of coffee on the weekend, or being asked for the direction to the MTR station by a grandmother on the street in Cantonese and proudly responding with a few passable words in my best accent possible. Noticing the kindness people have to offer to others proves the existence of compassion and humanity.
What is the best thing about being Vivian Seo right now?
I like how I am open to new challenges, new environments, and growth – and I know that I am young enough to continue doing so! 😊 I do not trust myself to be able to do everything and overcome all hardships, but I do trust myself deeply to make something out of anything and grow. I used to be way more uptight and tense, so maybe it’s the true adulting experience that is coming to me in my 30s!
