Randall Chong
Randall Chong | |
|---|---|
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| Education | Diploma in Business Studies (Marketing Major) Bachelor's Degree in Marketing (Business Management) |
| Alma mater | Ngee Ann Polytechnic RMIT University |
Randall Chong (born 1992) is a 33-year old Singaporean entrepreneur and social bookstore owner best known as the founder of Books Beyond Borders, a social enterprise and independent bookstore that blends commerce with purpose. He stepped away from a conventional corporate career to build a business that supports education initiatives, particularly in rural Nepal, using books as the medium for fundraising and community engagement.[1][2]
Background and early life
Before starting Books Beyond Borders, he worked in sales and strategy for tech startups in Bangkok and Singapore.[2][3] While his parents were initially unsure about his unconventional career path, they have since become strong supporters of his work.[1] A pivotal book that inspired him is Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood, a story about corporate social responsibility that he found in a Kathmandu bookstore.[2][4]
According to his LinkedIn, Randall graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic in 2012 with a Diploma in Business Studies. He later pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing at RMIT University, graduating in 2015.[5] Randall’s professional career began as a Senior Business Expansion Executive at GetLinks, where he worked his way up to become the Head of New Markets over the course of two years. During this time, Chong set a personal challenge for himself to do something that scared him each year. This led him to take a sabbatical to embark on a solo, unguided trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal.[1][2][6] During this expedition, a life-changing encounter with a 16-year-old porter named Madan, who had to drop out of school to work, deeply affected him.[3] Witnessing the educational barriers faced by children in rural Nepal, particularly girls, planted the seed for a mission.[1][2] Upon returning to Singapore, Chong was determined to help raise funds for education in Nepal. He decided to sell his personal collection of books and those donated by friends and family, a project he initially planned as a one-year endeavor.[2][3]
He has also taken on a role as a Freelance Product Manager at Powerlinx for a year before venturing into entrepreneurship.[5] In 2018, Randall founded Books Beyond Borders, a social enterprise dedicated to promoting education through book sales. Prior to his entrepreneurial journey, he also worked as a Director at Khode Solutions for two years and a Digital Marketing Consultant at Zeal Salon for one year.[5] He started this venture from his own bedroom and later moved operations to his grandfather's spare room in an HDB flat, which became his first makeshift warehouse. This humble beginning was the genesis of Books Beyond Borders.[1][3]
Career
Books Beyond Borders
The bookstore's primary mission is to fund scholarships for girls in Nepal to complete Grades 11 and 12 (upper secondary education), a critical point where many drop out due to poverty or cultural expectations.[2][4] The enterprise has provided full scholarships for multiple girls, helping them relocate to Kathmandu for their studies. To date, the initiative has raised over S$50,000 for various educational projects in Nepal, including libraries, classroom resources, and teacher training.[1]
The store also supports its sister brand, Two Storytellers, which works with over 50 women artisans in Nepal.[1] These artisans create handmade goods such as wool toys, pouches, bags, and journals made from traditional lokta paper, which are sold in the bookstore.[1][2] By providing these mothers with a sustainable income, the initiative aims to reduce the economic pressure to pull their children out of school.[2][4]
Evolution of the bookstore
Books Beyond Borders initially started out from a warehouse called "The Book Barracks" near Marymount, focusing on weekend sales. However, the location was inconvenient for customers, and the reliance on discount sales was not a sustainable long-term strategy.[4]
In July 2023, Chong pivoted to a brick-and-mortar model, opening "The Bookstore by Books Beyond Borders" in a shophouse at 33 Erskine Road, just behind Maxwell Food Centre.[4][7] This move brought the enterprise closer to its target audience of working professionals and allowed it to build its brand identity as a community-centric space focused on its social mission, rather than just a discount book outlet.[4]
References/Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Oh, Ethan. “S’porean quits tech startup to start bookstore, raises over S$50K for children’s education in Nepal” Mustsharenews, 11 December, 2025. Accessed 18 December 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 “Gen Grit: Books Beyond Borders’ Randall Chong on Balancing Profit with Purpose” Singapore National Co-operative Federation, 28 May, 2025. Accessed 18 December 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 “Giving back through books: The SG store supporting charity” Australian & New Zealand Association, 10 December, 2025. Accessed 18 December 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Lam, Diane. “Beyond Bestsellers: Preloved Reads For A Good Cause At This Cosy Indie Bookstore In Maxwell” Wonderwall, 30 December, 2023. Accessed 18 December 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Randall Chong" LinkedIn. n.d. Accessed 16 January 2026.
- ↑ “Randall Chong on his journey behind creating the social enterprise Books Beyond Borders” Tatler Asia, 29 May, 2025. Accessed 18 December 2025.
- ↑ hanapoo. “2nd-hand Bookstore at Maxwell!” Lemon8, 14 May, 2025. Accessed 18 December 2025.