Cheryl Sew Hoy is a trailblazer in every sense of the word. As the founding CEO of MaGIC (Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre), she played a crucial role in shaping Malaysia’s startup ecosystem, putting the country on the global map for innovation. But her entrepreneurial journey began long before her time at MaGIC. Let’s take a look at how Cheryl’s early ventures, challenges, and personal experiences led her to become the influential leader she is today.
The Early Entrepreneurial Spark
Cheryl’s entrepreneurial roots were planted early in her life. Growing up in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, she was inspired by watching her mother run her own marketing business from home. Her mother’s leadership and confidence had a huge impact on Cheryl, sparking her ambition to follow a similar path. This early exposure to entrepreneurship set the stage for Cheryl to dream of leading her own business and making a difference in the world.
After completing her secondary education in Malaysia, Cheryl was awarded a scholarship by the Public Service Department of Malaysia (JPA) to study in the United States. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Cheryl wasn’t just a brilliant student, she was also deeply involved in campus life, earning the Lester Knight Scholarship to pursue a master’s in Engineering Management, blending technical skills with her entrepreneurial ambitions.
The First Ventures
Her entrepreneurial spirit took off in 2010 when she co-founded CityPockets, her first startup. CityPockets was one of the first digital wallets and secondary marketplaces for daily deals, tapping into the growing trend of group buying and online shopping. The company quickly gained attention, supporting over 50 major deal sites like Groupon, LivingSocial, and Gilt City, and was featured in top publications like TechCrunch, CNN, and Forbes.
Despite early success, Cheryl faced challenges in the fast-evolving daily deals market. In 2012, she pivoted and launched Reclip.It, a personalized shopping list app with digital coupons from top retail stores. Reclip.It was recognized by InStyle Magazine as “2012 Best of the Web” and praised by TechCrunch and Huffington Post for its innovative approach.
In 2013, Reclip.It was acquired by Walmart Labs, the retail giant’s innovation arm, marking a significant milestone in Cheryl’s career. The acquisition solidified her reputation in the startup world, and she was recognized as one of nine self-made women millionaires making a difference in the U.S. economy.
Leading MaGIC
With her success in Silicon Valley, Cheryl returned to Malaysia in 2014 and was appointed as the founding CEO of MaGIC by the Malaysian government. MaGIC was launched with a mission to foster innovation and support the growth of startups. It became a hub for entrepreneurs, offering resources, mentorship, and funding to help them scale both locally and internationally.
Cheryl played a key role in establishing and growing MaGIC, launching programs like the Malaysia Accelerator Program (MAP), which brought together entrepreneurs from across ASEAN, and Distro Dojo, a growth-stage accelerator funded by 500 Startups. Her leadership attracted global investors, connecting Malaysian startups with funding from countries like China, Japan, Singapore, and Australia. Under Cheryl’s guidance, MaGIC helped thousands of startups and put Malaysia on the global entrepreneurial map.
A Personal Mission to Impact Families
After stepping down from MaGIC in 2016, Cheryl continued to be involved in the entrepreneurial world, mentoring startups and offering advisory roles. However, it was her experience as a mother that led her to a new mission: improving family health through microbiome science.
In 2018, Cheryl’s daughter, Charlie, struggled with eczema, food sensitivities, and disrupted sleep. This prompted Cheryl to dive deeper into researching the microbiome, the collection of bacteria in our gut. She learned that the microbiome plays a crucial role in children’s immunity and overall health, particularly during the first 1,000 days of life.
This personal experience led Cheryl to found Tiny Health in 2020 a platform designed to offer evidence-based microbiome testing for babies, children, and families. Tiny Health’s tests use advanced shotgun metagenomics technology, providing a more comprehensive picture of gut health than traditional methods. Based in the US, Tiny Health has expanded globally in just a few years, helping thousands of families understand their microbiome health.
A Legacy of Impact
Cheryl’s time at MaGIC will always be remembered for shaping Malaysia’s entrepreneurial landscape. But her journey is far from over. With Tiny Health, she’s continuing her mission to help families thrive by improving our understanding of health. Her work proves that true leaders never stop innovating and finding new ways to make an impact. For Malaysians, Cheryl’s story is a reminder that the journey to create meaningful change is ongoing, and anyone can follow in her footsteps.
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