Today we’d like to introduce you to Mel Lim.
Hi Mel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Mel Lim, the Founder & CEO of Chateauz™. I am also a global technology strategist, successful serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, author, award-winning designer, rule-breaking innovator, and board advisor.
I grew up in Malaysia, in a business-centric household, where at age 13, I apprenticed for my mother and designed hotels and office spaces. My upbringing, and the sacrifices I saw my mother make to achieve success, taught me essential lessons about integrity, character, community, family, treating people well, and cultivating a legacy of success through positive impact.
I am a third-world dreamer, a Malaysian immigrant (and now an American citizen) who had the audacity to arrive in America at age 19 on the eve of the Asian economic crisis. Though penniless and my parents were bankrupt, I dared to put myself through one of the world’s most prestigious and expensive private art institutions: the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. By the time I graduated, I had accumulated almost four years of full-time experience in the industry, earned a full scholarship, helped design monumental architectural spaces, apprenticed under design legends, and received top job offers from renowned architectural firms nationwide.
After several years of working with top firms, I became an entrepreneur. Over the years, I have evolved my skill sets and offerings in real-time with changing markets and technological innovations. My success is the product of good and tough decisions, which I continue to make to this day. I own every step of my journey, am accountable for my actions, and am driven to create innovative experiences that propel and motivate others to work harder, dream bigger, and create a better world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Mine is a story of resilience and laser focus, thriving and succeeding despite the recession, economic hardship, or personal difficulty. From childhood on, throughout my entire life, challenges, sacrifice, tough choices, economic uncertainty, hard work, accountability, insistence on excellence, strategic planning and prioritizing, and unfailing optimism have been the persistent themes that have shaped me.
When I came alone to America, I grew up fast. I had no safety net. I was starting from zero in a strange land. I had no money, job, or intention of being deterred from my goal. Every decision I made needed to be correctly calculated and timed. Mine was a hardscrabble existence, with no money for proper meals. I lived on Ramen Noodles and dreams as I paid for my own tuition. I took on four TA jobs and applied for the best-paying internships that aligned with my focus on architecture. I worked between 80-120 hours weekly, carried 18-21 academic units every term, maintained the highest GPA, and ensured every class gave me a new tool or edge to apply in my paid work. I learned 3D animation, motion graphics, cad, and rapid prototyping tools that even seasoned architects and designers had not yet mastered. I became indispensable, and my letters of recommendation from bosses and professors increased my scholarship funding and helped me rise professionally. My life was a chess game. Every move was strategic.
When my marriage ended in my late 30s, I had two little babies and zero assets. I quickly tapped into my internal strength and talents and rebuilt my life and business. Nothing could keep me down, and I had no time to waste. Every decision was grounded in my core and reflected my values, my commitment to family, my drive for meaning, purpose, and security, and my determination to build bigger and better, seizing opportunities for growth that are as expansive as my thinking.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The 4th wave of computing has arrived. Most companies don’t know where to begin. And most service and platform providers are focused on functions and features. None is long-term, focused on real enterprise needs or business challenges/use cases. This is where my company, Chateauz™, sets itself apart.
Chateauz™ is an enterprise-focused, metaverse engine created to help enterprises solve critical adoption and scaling challenges. Chateauz™ powers the physical paradigm in the Future of Work and Commerce at 100x the cost savings and 10x the speed of adoption by placing BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE at its core.
We help enterprises address 3 vital issues: HOW TO . . . 1) use the metaverse for business; 2) scale their brand experience; and 3) determine their ROI. We deliver premium design and curated experience, helping enterprises and brands traverse beyond the metaverse with the right actionable business insights to scale and move at the speed of market and technology trends.
At Chateauz™, our mission is to onboard more than a million businesses into the metaverse by 2030.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I never quit, exude energy and enthusiasm, and always deliver the exceptional. As CEO and Founder of Chateauz™, investors and clients can count on my integrity, insight, and commitment to putting this company at the core of every premium-designed, global metaverse experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chateauz.io
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/chateauz.io
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chateauz/
- Other: www.mellim.com
Image Credits
Shawn Chateauz™
Chateauz™
