On his 27th birthday, SMU alumnus and Group Chief Executive Officer of Ebenezer Holdings Lawrence Kim, who was then still studying, pledged $17,500 in the company’s name to fund a scholarship and a book prize for fellow students. With the donation, the Kim’s Entrepreneur Scholarship supported one student entrepreneur from the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business with a cash grant of $3,000 and rewarded the top performing SMU business management student each year with $500. In the same year, in 2009, Lawrence also launched a $100,000 angel fund on behalf of the company to provide mentorship and help finance the start-ups of student entrepreneurs, with priority given to those from his alma maters SMU and Singapore Polytechnic. His keen understanding of the “pain of being a student entrepreneur” contributed to his desire to give back to those who may have similar aspirations. Ebenezer Holdings, led by Lawrence, has been recognised as an Honouree under the Leadership for Good category as part of the Brands for Good awards, which aim to recognise businesses that not only make a difference but also commit as stewards for a positive impact.