The entrepreneurial spirit of the global Cambridge community continues to thrive. This month marks the launch of the CAMentrepreneurs Malaysia Chapter at the British Council in Kuala Lumpur, expanding our vibrant network across continents. Singapore also welcomes CAMentrepreneurs, strengthening our footprint in Southeast Asia’s innovation landscape.
We feature an inspiring interview with Ali Draycott, City Leader for CAMentrepreneurs Dubai, on building entrepreneurial communities in the Gulf.
The CAMentrepreneurs Malaysian Chapter was officially launched in Kuala Lumpur under the leadership of Dash Dhakshinamoorthy, in the presence and auspices of Richard Lucas, Global Founder of CAMentrepreneurs.
The launch was supported by the British Council Malaysia and the National Institute for Entrepreneurship (INSKEN), reflecting a the strong spirit collaboration and partnership that exists in Malaysia where government organizations and private insitutiitions come together to support the spirit of the enterprise.
Over 35 participants attended the launch, representing a vibrant mix of veteran ecosystem builders, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and supporters from across Malaysia’s entrepreneurial landscape. Notably, several new faces - young professionals and aspiring founders also joined the event, signalling a new generation’s enthusiasm to explore and contribute to Malaysia’s growing entrepreneurship movement.
Malaysia’s startup ecosystem, now nearly three decades in the making, began with a small group of passionate pioneers who believed entrepreneurship could transform lives and society. Dash was one of these early fire-starters. He played a pivotal role in shaping the ecosystem’s foundations bringing to Malaysia some of the most impactful global entrepreneurship programs and initiatives that inspired a new wave of founders. It is therefore fitting that CAMentrepreneurs Malaysia is now led by someone whose expertise, credibility, and long-standing contribution to the ecosystem continue to influence its growth and direction.
The event featured inspiring insights from guest speaker Yunus Sajad Hussein, alongside respected ecosystem voices such as Mr. Sai Kit (VC, Artem Ventures), Inbaraj (Founder, Jom Hack), Dr. Yunus (President, ASTI), and Mr. Peter Tam (Angel Investor). Each speaker shared reflections on collaboration, innovation, and the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship in Malaysia.
A special note of thanks goes to Vani Mahadevan from StartupMalaysia.org and act2.life and her team, Hannah and Rina, together with volunteers Min Hui, Izmir, and Ray, whose commitment and coordination made the event possible. We also want to thank PichaEats for catering our event, serving amazing and delicious food, and for the meaningful work they are doing as a Malaysian social enterprise empowering refugees.
In his speech, Dash highlighted the importance of collaboration and cross-pollination between CAMentrepreneurs and other ecosystem players, positioning CAMEntrepreneurs as a valuable addition to the already rich tapestry of Malaysia’s entrepreneurial landscape. Richard Lucas reinforced this message, speaking about the spirit of volunteerism, inclusivity, and professionalism, and emphasizing that CAMEntrepreneurs’ mission extends beyond Cambridge alumni - it welcomes anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to make a positive impact.
Ali Draycott is a strategist, entrepreneur, and community leader whose experience spans the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. As Lead of CAMentrepreneurs Dubai and founder of Egg Advisor, she integrates strategic insight with a commitment to purposeful innovation. In this interview, she discusses Dubai’s evolving entrepreneurial landscape, the role of values in sustainable growth, and approaches to fostering lasting community connections across global cities.
You’ve lived and worked across both the UK and Dubai. How have these two ecosystems shaped your perspective as an entrepreneur and community builder?
Whilst the UK offers a strong academic and investor base with deep sector expertise Dubai, by contrast, brings speed, ambition, and desire to constantly build a new future. This contrast has shaped my approach to be both values-led and velocity-driven.
Dubai’s startup scene has grown rapidly in sophistication and diversity. From your experience leading CAMentrepreneurs there, what do you consider to be the key factors that have driven this transformation?
Three forces stand out: government vision, international talent, and capital flow. Dubai’s leadership has been strategic about creating frameworks — from visas schemes, ease of business set up as well as a wealth of accelerators — that support entrepreneurs. Add to that a diverse, educated population and increasing investor confidence, and you have a recipe for rapid growth.
Building a community across high-mobility cities like Dubai can be challenging. How do you sustain engagement and continuity among members between events?
Continuity in a transient city comes from creating a network that connects people to home. Our strategy has been to design events that appeal to a large school of people — whether that’s through collaborative events with other people or inclusive topics. We are lucky to be building off a strong Oxbridge Alumni network in the UAE which has grown to have over 1300 members.
You’ve described CAMentrepreneurs Dubai as a “broad church” that welcomes cross- university collaboration. How do you balance inclusivity with maintaining the Cambridge identity and values at the community’s core?
Welcoming founders, investors and alumni from beyond the Cambridge alumni base allows us to cross-pollinate ideas, but we always ensure that there is a core of any event that reflects Cambridge be that in the speakers, the subject matter or the attendees.
Your venture, Egg Advisor, and your participation in the SPARK program have both gained attention — including coverage in Forbes. What lessons from building Egg Advisor have you applied to your work with CAMentrepreneurs?
Egg Advisor is all about empowering women to make better decisions around fertility preservation through access to better information. That same principle applies to community building. With CAMentrepreneurs, we try to create environments where people can ask real questions, challenge assumptions, and be open about uncertainty. At the same time, there are plenty of opportunities to learn from CAMentrepreneurs, Egg Advisor is a community, we are building a strong brand that has its own tone of voice, its own values and own standards of excellence.
Entrepreneurship often demands long hours and global travel. How do you personally manage the balance between your professional commitments and private life, especially across multiple countries?
It’s a constant negotiation and I’m not sure I’ve nailed it.. I try to say yes only to projects and partnerships that resonate with my long-term vision and wherever possible work on projects that bring benefits across a number of spheres of life.
In your view, what unique strengths does Dubai offer entrepreneurs compared to other global innovation hubs like London or Singapore?
Dubai offers an unparalleled ability to test and scale fast. The market is small enough to get around, leadership is accessible, and there’s a culture of optimism that encourages bold ideas. Unlike some cities where legacy systems slow things down, Dubai is still in “build mode”and that’s incredibly exciting for entrepreneurs who are ready to lead rather than follow.
As CAMentrepreneurs continues to grow, what kind of impact do you hope to see —both in Dubai and across the wider global network?
As a volunteer group, we have to balance ambition with realities of course but I’d love to see CAMentrepreneurs deliver more and more value and work with Founders across the whole value chain from vision to venture. That means supporting more founders from idea to investment, fostering meaningful cross-border collaborations and where possible, bringing the network of investors into the picture.
What advice would you give to alumni or professionals in international hubs who are considering launching their own regional CAMentrepreneurs chapters?
Start small and start with people who are genuinely passionate and vested in the subject of entrepreneurship. You don’t need a huge committee or a perfect plan, just a strong sense of purpose and a willingness to get stuff done. Partner with existing networks, spotlight local alumni doing interesting work and try new things.
For those inspired by your journey, where can people follow your professional updates, and how can organizations, alumni, or individuals best support or connect with your mission?
I’d love to connect. You can follow or reach me via: eggadvisor.com / LinkedIn – Ali Draycott / LinkedIn Egg Advisor
For speaking, collaboration or mentoring opportunities: ali@eggadvisor.com. For updates and information follow Instagram @egg_advisor.
CAMentrepreneurs hosted two remarkable events celebrating collaboration and innovation with leading London institutions. The Spark Night with London Business School brought together innovators, students, and professionals for an energetic evening of networking and inspiration. Likewise, the joint event with London School of Economics featured fascinating guest speakers, further strengthening entrepreneurial ties in London. Read more about the London Business School Spark Night here : Pre-event/ Post-event. And about the LSE event here.
Global Founder Richard Lucas recently visited Singapore to explore the creation of a local CAMentrepreneurs chapter. During his trip, Adam Lan and Edward Elson Kosasih hosted a small reception to welcome him and connect Cambridge alumni residing in the city.
The gathering provided a valuable opportunity for face-to-face networking and discussions about building the chapter’s presence in Southeast Asia. CAMentrepreneurs extends sincere thanks to Adam and Edward for their spontaneous efforts in organising this warm and engaging welcome.
Na’amal is a non-profit and social enterprise creating pathways for refugees and underrepresented communities to access dignified remote work. We believe talent is everywhere but opportunity is not.
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After the launch of this initiative last month, I had plenty of startups from our network ask me for introductions. I was able to supply many but not to all projects, sadly.
Therefore, my request this month is that if you are a VC or an angel and you invest in UK startups, please do reach out to me on LinkedIn. It would be great if you could tell me your investment parameters (sectors, rounds etc). There are a lot of fantastic startups in our network and I’d love to find a funding home for all of them.
As a reminder to our founder community: if you a UK startup and have a founding member from the University of Cambridge and are currently fundraising, give me a shout on Linkedin. Any sector, any stage. Let me know the key details (elevator pitch; sector; stage; round size; any special considerations) and I’ll see what I can do. And please be patient if you can (I am doing this in my ‘free’ time whilst running my own startup!). Hopefully we can find you some great intros.
Pete is a seasoned marketing expert who helps founders, CEOs, and investors grow their brands and traffic.
He can help you:
Build your LinkedIn presence
Grow your Twitter/X audience
Increase traffic with SEO
No AI fluff—just real marketing results with a personal touch.
“Pete made finding my authentic voice easy and enjoyable.”
—Isaac Flath, AI Consultant & Software Engineer
Reach Pete at pete@highsignal.io or book a call.
20th November CAMentrepreneurs London x HEC: Entrepreneurial Showcase. https://luma.com/2v5chhhu
26th November CAMentrepreneurs Berlin Launch https://luma.com/w4ppvu2q
5th December Open Coffee Cambridge with Innovate Cambridge.
11th December CAMentrepreneurs London and Bayes Business School Demo night https://luma.com/oyhznbor
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CAMentrepreneurs is a volunteer led official alumni group of Cambridge University. We support business and social entrepreneurship among alumni, current students and faculty, and others in many cities around the world.
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