By Ajay Shamdasani (Host, Regulatory Ramblings Podcast)
Recently had a memorable and engaging chat with Karena Belin, co-founder of AngelHub and WHub, the former of which is the new organizer of HK Fintech Week (starting October 30). Tune in for our chat on the next episode of Regulatory Ramblings on July 26 at 12:30 pm (HKT). Her enthusiasm for Hong Kong is contagious – Karena possesses the right attitude to have as an entrepreneur: ever the eternal but cautious optimist, she is the city’s most ardent cheerleader, as well as its most trenchant critic. At a time when much of the outside world continues to disparage the territory, she believes the SAR needs to proudly tell its success stories and define its own narrative, rather than have it defined by the mainstream Western media.
This also applies to individuals charting their paths to professional success. Based on Karena’s own example of going from the corporate world to becoming a tech entrepreneur, her words are heartening: 'There is no one educational path' because every enterprise needs all sorts of people, she says. Therefore, those that are not techies should not be deterred from pursuing their dreams of a career in fintech and crypto.
It’s a point worth noting for all students that one need not be a computer programmer to have a career in the world of tech, so long as they bring other relevant skills to the table and are willing to learn. Learning, as Karena agrees, is a lifelong endeavor that does not end on graduation day when a person dons a mortarboard cap and a gown and is handed their degree.
To that end, HKU’s three (3) module Professional Certificate in Fintech offers (Karena and her business partner, Karen Contet, are amongst the cavalcade of top-tier lecturers in the programme, and they teach equity crowdfunding) a great start to those who want to enter the fray.
HKU-edX Online Course: Professional Certificate in FinTech
RR Podcast: https://www.hkufintech.com/regulatoryramblings