ENTREPRENEUR BIZ TIPS: The Enterprise of Second Chances – From convict to entrepreneur | Jabez Tan | TEDxPickeringStreet

Here’s Great Tip: The Enterprise of Second Chances – From convict to entrepreneur | Jabez Tan | TEDxPickeringStreet

Here is Something You Should See…


We all make mistakes, we all need second chances. And those who need them most, ex-convicts, don’t get them.

Recipient of the President Challenge Award for Social Change and ambassador of HOPE, Jabez Tan is an ex-offender with total 13 years imprisonment and 12 strokes of cane due to drug related offenses. With strong determination to break away from his addiction and his old lifestyle, Jabez decided to pick up cooking skills in Changi prison during his last term. Jabez started off as a kitchen dishwasher. He soon became main chef due to his outstanding culinary skills. Later on, Jabez came up with a Bak Kut Teh recipe from scratch and started his F&B business with a good cause.

In 2011 Jabez started a Bak Kut Teh eatery mainly employ ex-offenders with a social mission to give ex-offenders a meaningful career and a new start in life with a stable income and with a mission to raise up ex-offenders to help ex-offenders.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at