Sharing is Caring

Being Neighbourly x Adnan Riaz, Foundation for Shared Impact

Author/ Being Neighbourly
26 September 2025

In a world still navigating economic uncertainty, I see my role as telling the stories that need to be told, building connections where there were none, and making sure that impact isn’t just a concept, it’s something we create, share and live together”, enthuses Adnan Riaz, Community Business Associate at Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI). FSI is a registered charity built on the belief that when people share, knowledge, resources and time, greater social change can be achieved.

Co-founded by David Bishop, who founded charity, Soap Cycling, and John Pedersen, FSI was seeded when Bishop’s first steps, on the Soap Cycling journey, introduced him to numerous social entrepreneurs who shared his vision, but faced challenges that slowed their growth.

Enter FSI as a one-stop platform to support the ethnic minority demographic in Hong Kong, bringing together different sectors to collaborate, share and drive systemic change.

Riaz, as a Hong Kong-born and bred Pakistani, whose linguistic skills encompass South Asian languages and Cantonese, would seem to be the perfect man for the job.

“Our mission is to help the people who help people, supporting social impact leaders, under-resourced entrepreneurs and communities,” he explains.

Lest anyone think otherwise, ‘shared impact’, is both the philosophy of FSI and their modus operandi. Their work includes pro bono legal clinics, compilations of practical tools like their Entrepreneur’s Toolkit, ensuring that entrepreneurs have the knowledge and resources they need to grow; and their mentorship program for ethnically diverse entrepreneurs — which involves the selection of just 10 teams, being invited per yearly intake.

During the mentorship program, which takes place over a six-month period, each team is matched with a mentor and coach and is addressed by expert speakers in useful workshops on helpful topics. The price of programme participation is a tiny portion of similar programs offered elsewhere, and the 1,800HKD is fully redeemable upon completion of 80 percent of the course.

FSI entrepreneurs are also aided by interns undertaking their Youth Empowerment program, which again, bring together multifarious parties for shared impact.

Riaz sums up the program course content, whereby FSI prepares young people for the transition from school to work through hands-on learning and leadership development. “Ethnically diverse youth aged 16–24 work directly with grassroots entrepreneurs, to provide direct business support; translating menus into multiple languages, optimizing Google business profiles, and boosting social media presence. These real-life projects give youth career-ready skills while helping small businesses reach more customers.”

“A big part of my role is managing and guiding interns, so they can shape and deliver their own action plans, contributing meaningfully to our mission of shared impact,” volunteers Community Business Associate Riaz, adding that through mentorship, they help the youngsters grow as community leaders, encouraging them to be conscious, inclusive and observant of the social challenges around them. “I remind them that even if an issue doesn’t directly touch their lives, it matters to humanity, because opportunities are not equal, and equality matters,” says Riaz.

“It’s about connecting sectors from grassroots communities to corporates to share resources, knowledge and expertise freely. By building resilient communities and changing the way we do business for good, we aim to create solutions that last,” opines Riaz.

Project GuideFong is another FSI vehicle that aims to uplift the territory’s small businesses, through public engagement. This occurs through both a yearly bazaar and online Directory. The charity has over 250 micro and small enterprise listings.

“We focus on small and grassroots businesses. Inclusion is open to businesses that align with our values of social and economic inclusion,” says Riaz about the Bazaar and Directory.

FSI bazaars celebrate the multicultural spirit of Hong Kong, often featuring members from FSI mentorship programmes alongside other ethnically diverse entrepreneurs who are just starting their business, and who rarely have their own physical shop.

“Spaces are generally allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. At this year’s Know Your GuideFong event, for example, we hosted 19 GuideFong businesses, including four “GuideFong Lab” participants who tested their concepts, gained visibility, and made real sales,” says the Community Business Associate, adding that for them, the events are not just markets, but a celebration of their vibrant entrepreneurial community, quintessential of Hong Kong.

“By sharing lived experiences, whether it’s the struggles of a small business owner or the resilience of a marginalised community, we aim to help people understand the depth of the issues that exist in our own neighbourhoods.”

What does the future hold for FSI and Guide Fong?

“We are working on scaling our core programmes to cultivate more effective leaders amongst youth and working professionals, to facilitate broader cross-sector collaboration to optimize the sharing of resources and knowledge to capacity-build social impact organisations and businesses, and reinforce our position as a thought leader to drive dialogues on issues such as trust-based philanthropy, shared impact, harnessing so-called ‘ethnic minorities’ as a homegrown talent pool to address Hong Kong’s brain drain, and more.

“From my perspective, there’s no better time than now to do something good. I want to see our communities thrive. My hope is that, through our shared impact philosophy, we’ll keep turning lived experiences into lasting change.”

What is the best thing about the work that you do?

“For me, this work is deeply personal. As a Hong Kong-born Pakistani, I’ve witnessed first-hand the barriers that ethnically diverse (ED) communities face, and I’ve dedicated years to researching, understanding and bridging that gap,” says Adnan Riaz, Community Business Associate at Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI).

Riaz has simultaneously spent six years volunteering with Project Empowerment, leading a team of youth leaders to mentor and guide ED youth, helping them build skills, gain knowledge and create action plans that lead to higher education and early career opportunities.”

“The best part for me is seeing the change happen and feeling the empowerment that flows both ways. The support and love from the community fuel my purpose. Working in a small, impact-driven team means wearing many hats, from strategy to grassroots outreach, and every project is unique. This role allows me to live my values daily, turning lived experience into tangible opportunities for others.”

Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI)
Room 10, 2/F, Block A, Kam Ling Court, 532-538 Queen’s Rd W, Shek Tong Tsui.