Cofounders, Foreword Coffee Roasters

Nadi Chan and Lim Wei Jie

Nadi Chan and Lim Wei Jie are the co-founders of Foreword Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee startup in Singapore serving with a social mission by providing employment opportunities to persons with disabilities and special needs.

Founded in 2017 by Nadi and Wei Jie, Foreword first started out as a hole-in-a-wall cafe at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and has now expanded to 5 physical outlets, with 2 running along Orchard Road to date. Under their leadership, Foreword became the 17th business in Singapore to receive a B-Corp Certification for its environmental and social impact. The business has also won international accolades for its coffee, with Yunnan Ou Yang winning the Silver and Bronze medals in the Australian International Coffee Awards 2020 and 2022 respectively.

“It’s easier to start something and fail when you are young,” said the founders when asked to provide advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. “There isn't much commitment to worry about and you will not be too far behind your cohort if you end up doing something else. So start young and fail fast.”