It was 8pm on a Wednesday when I hopped on a Zoom call with Kai Chua.
She had just wrapped up an eight-hour shift and was running on minimal sleep after days of juggling two businesses, one of which being Singapore’s latest matcha craze. Yet, the 26-year-old entrepreneur showed no signs of exhaustion.
Instead, she greeted me with an easy, infectious laugh. Her energy came through the screen effortlessly.
Today, Kai is managing two ventures: BBOLD, a creative agency, and Gotcha Matcha, a matcha brand she co-founded with her best friend whom she met during her first corporate job in sales six years ago.
But life wasn’t always this sweet. Her path to entrepreneurship has been anything but linear.
First Attempt at Running a Business
Growing up, she watched her father hustle to build a better life for the family. Coming from a modest background, he worked his way up — from juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet since 16 to building a secondhand car business that’s been around for decades.
“I would often follow my dad to work,” she shared. “He really shaped my mindset. It wasn’t so much about continuing his legacy, but his attitude towards life and work. He believes nothing is impossible and that one should always give back.”
Kai’s first taste of business came in polytechnic, studying supply chain management with a minor in entrepreneurship. Her earliest project? A smart pen that could write anywhere and digitise notes.
Although the idea never took off, she discovered her love for building things from scratch. That passion eventually led her into marketing and brand strategy, forming the foundation for her own agency.
Curious and constantly experimenting, Kai went on to explore different side hustles. She even dabbled in multi-level marketing (MLMs) and online coaching.
But not every venture sat right with her. At one point, she felt like a fraud selling things she didn’t believe in. The guilt from those early missteps forced her to take a step back and re-evaluate what truly mattered.
That turning point led her to launch her first major venture: a creative agency she co-founded with close friends.
Though the agency showed early promise, Kai realised her approach wasn’t healthy or sustainable in the long run.
“I had a big ego back then. I thought if I could make a lot of money, I should make even more,” she said candidly. “I wanted to close deals no matter what, without thinking if I could genuinely help.”
That chase for quick wins and control ended up straining not just the business, but her friendships too.
The Birth of BBOLD
After stepping away from her first agency, Kai turned to freelancing and began solo travelling in 2022. First to Thailand, then to Indonesia, sometimes bringing her family along.
Those months on the road helped her rebuild her confidence, and along the way, she picked up freelance gigs and creative projects through friends-turned-clients. With each experience, she refined her values and creative direction. Eventually, she knew it was time to start again, but this time, alone.
That clarity led to the launch of BBOLD, a creative agency grounded in purpose, not ego. The name captured her new philosophy: to take risks, to try even if it means failing.
“If we fail, we fail. At least we tried,” she said. For Kai, being “bold” wasn’t just about taking risks. It was about staying true to herself, learning from mistakes, and building businesses that felt genuine, not driven by ego or quick wins.
This time, she was selective with projects, choosing to work with brands that aligned with her values. The shift paid off; she landed clients like Japanese eyewear brand Zoff and began building a portfolio rooted in meaningful storytelling.
Riding that same wave of purpose and boldness, Kai also co-founded Gotcha Matcha with her best friend, Soo, and partner, Vin.
Noticing a gap in the market for creative and on-the-go matcha, they launched their brand with pop-ups at pasar malams and focused on creating unique matcha drinks, such as their top-selling Vanilla Cinnamon Matcha Cloud.
Their very first booth at Woodlands MRT on 25 May drew crowds, marking the beginning of rapid growth. Subsequent pop-ups continued to thrive, fueled by community-driven buzz and a focused, limited-menu strategy.
But this wasn’t just a passion project. From the start, Gotcha Matcha was designed to give back. As a proud cat mum and long-time adopter, Kai pledged 5 percent of the brand’s profits to the Cat Welfare Society (a cause she’s deeply connected to).
That sense of purpose also extends to people. Kai shared plans to eventually open permanent stores and introduce a co-ownership model to enable aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those without access to funding, to run future outlets.
“We want to help people who want to start but don’t have the resources,” she said.
Life Outside Work
Despite her packed schedule, travel remained a big part of Kai’s life.
From spontaneous trips to Thailand to reconnecting with friends while backpacking in Vietnam, travel has been both an escape and a source of growth.
“Travel taught me that I can survive on very little. Human connection matters more than anything,” she said.
This belief in genuine connection has shaped her approach to work. Rather than fixating on competition, Kai focused on building meaningful relationships with her team, clients, customers and collaborators.
But most importantly, whether she’s whisking matcha, designing the next brand campaign, or travelling solo, Kai embodies the belief that success is sweetest when it is meaningful and shared.
What made you bold?