OHKF Insight Series: “Do Well and Do Good – Invest in Happiness”

(27 September 2023, Hong Kong) Our Hong Kong Foundation (OHKF) Insight Forum presented a special session yesterday, Do Well and Do Good – Invest in Happiness, featuring Mr Eric Ng, Chief Executive Officer of Happiness Capital, a subsidiary of the Lee Kam Kee Group, as the keynote speaker. Financial Services Development Council Director & Head of Policy Research Dr Rocky Tung moderated a dual discussion held after the keynote.

The session shed light on how businesses could aid the creation of a sustainable planet, serving the entire humanity, and the development of future generations through impact investing which is built on four core happiness elements: trust, food, health and environment. Along each value chain, it remains critical for how various elements, conditions and stakeholders that determine happiness are measured and identified. By a systematic calculation and an investment dashboard, to review each investment’s performance, and happiness return and to process quantifiable analysis. Enriching the concept of sustainability and its application into the society and business genre, achieving both impact and return at the same time.

Mr Eric Ng expressed that everyone has their own pursuit of personal happiness, but few businesses invest resources to create happiness for the world. He stated, “It is through investing in startups which offer the new and innovative technology can sustain this planet. As a certified ‘B Corp’, we aim at investments that will create happiness not only for its shareholders but for all stakeholders, including employees, customers, the next generations and every human on the planet.”

A diverse range of issues on Impact Investing were raised and discussed at the dual discussion. Dr Rocky Tung expressed, “I strongly believe 'Do well' and 'Do Good' can be achieved and attained simultaneously. Currently, stakeholders, including investors and consumers, in Hong Kong and the entire Asian market are taking their pace to grasp the true meaning of 'Impact Investing.”

Addressing the forum in an opening speech, OHKF President Dr Jane Lee said, “ ‘Happiness’ can go beyond individual, group, societal, and as far as to the national and global levels. I find it unique and critical to see how Eric has tied ‘Happiness’ with ‘‘Impact Investing’. Impact investing has been evolving in recent years, it talks about financial return, but also on values bestowed.”

She further stated, “The distinctive feature of ‘Impact Investing’ is the wide incorporation of innovation: adopting innovative mindset and creating innovative services to answer the most prominent questions of humanity, including climate change, food crisis, energy shortage, aging population and hindrance on the young generation’s development. Today, we are honoured to have Mr. Eric Ng here to share with us how the relationship between ‘Happiness Return’ and ‘Financial Return’ can move from conflicts to partnership, and how to build a unique ‘Impact Investing’ ecosystem by investing in young startups.”