Growing up dyslexic, Mint Lim knew exactly what it felt like to be the 'odd one out.' She had to work twice as hard as her peers to succeed, but the kindness of teachers who believed in her made all the difference. Today, Mint is on a mission to pay that kindness forward.
After internally processing her childhood experiences, Mint founded School of Concepts to address the marginalisation of neurodivergent children. Her goal is ambitious but vital: to provide every child equal access to quality education through brick-and-mortar schools, hands-on toy kits, and mobile game applications.
Her work has already impacted over 25,000 children under the age of 12. In 2023, her efforts were recognised globally when she was awarded Fellow for the Cartier Women’s Initiative.
Mint’s mission began with a bold experiment: she built a school in a low-income area where parents could pay whatever they desired. While the 'pay-as-you-wish' model didn't result in financial gain, the fulfilment Mint felt confirmed she was on the right path. She refocused her efforts to make the business financially viable while keeping its soul intact.
To scale her vision, Mint recruited Jason Lek, a creative veteran with thirty years of experience in animation and design. Together, they developed Alphabet Explorer, a mobile application that utilises Augmented Reality (AR). Operating under the belief that you can 'either embrace technology or get left behind,' the app uses interactive games to teach reading skills, described by Jason as a 'Netflix for kids.'
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How do you capture a child's attention in the digital age?
From the psychology behind their catchy songs to their future expansion plans for Southeast Asia, there is much more to uncover about Mint's journey. To read the full feature, check out ASCENSION, the 3rd volume of INTERLUNAR’s zine.
