Starting work as an internet cafe keeper when he was in high school in Pontianak, life led Benny to get a scholarship for IT study in Jakarta. Benny started his first business from university days, and continued to build impactful businesses thereon. In 2016, he received recognition from Forbes magazine’s 30 under 30 Asia category as an influential young leader. His first tech firm Kreavi was acquired, and the following venture, Qlapa, was shut down. Still, he bounced back harder and is now driving from the front seat again as the co-founder and CMO of Lifepal.

Community members can ask Benny questions here.

The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

KrASIA (Kr):A decade of entrepreneurship experience—building up Kreavi, Qlapa and Lifepal. The previous one, Qlapa, got shut down. Could you share with us how things went?

Benny Fajarai (BF): Everything started back when I was in college. I was broke. I started a digital agency providing design, videography, and other creative services to big companies. I realized that it was really hard to find creative talents, because there was no place to gather and showcase their work. That’s how the idea for Kreavi came about.

After building a network of 30,000 curated designers, illustrators, motion graphic artists, and many more, I aspired to be a model where we connect brands to 30,000 amazing creative minds on a platform. We organized design contests, talent management, and more. It eventually became a profitable agency business.

To continue reading this article, click here to read on Oasis, the brainchild of KrASIA.