Randall Chong didn’t plan on becoming a social entrepreneur. In fact, he only wanted to do one thing that scared him each year — a personal challenge that led him, in 2017, to trek solo to Everest Base Camp. That hike changed everything. Along the way, he encountered young Nepali children working instead of schooling, and began to ask: What could he do?

Back in Singapore, a short sabbatical turned into Books Beyond Borders, a second-hand bookstore-turned-social enterprise that funds education for underserved communities in Nepal. His bedroom filled with donated books. His grandfather’s spare room became a makeshift storeroom. Today, the initiative runs a storefront in Maxwell and a sister brand called Two Storytellers, selling artisan gifts made by Nepali women.

“I didn’t leave everything behind to run a bookshop,” Mr Chong says. “I wanted to support girls’ education and do it in a way that sustains itself.”

Through scholarship programmes, craft collaborations, and sheer bootstrapped tenacity, Mr Chong has built a venture that exists somewhere between the commercial and the compassionate. It’s not always easy but he’s never looked back.

Ler Jun: How did Books Beyond Borders begin?

Randall Chong: It started as a personal challenge, honestly. I’d promised myself to do one thing that scared me each year. In 2017, that thing was hiking solo to Everest Base Camp. During that trek, I met a young porter named Madan who had stopped going to school to work. Later, I visited a rural school and saw how under-resourced it was: no books, unmotivated teachers, just kids going through the motions. When I came back to Singapore, I couldn’t let it go. I started raising money, thinking it’d be a one-year project. I baked cookies, gave up birthday presents, sold second-hand books. It snowballed from there.

Ler Jun: What was the turning point where you realised this wasn’t just a side project?

Randall Chong: When people began showing up, donating books, offering help, spreading the word. I wasn’t expecting that. I thought it’d be a one-off sabbatical, then back to corporate life. But the momentum built. Eventually I opened a bookstore, and that turned into a proper social enterprise. I think the support from the community gave me the confidence to keep going.

Ler Jun: Was it scary leaving your full-time job in Bangkok, Thailand?

Randall Chong: Extremely. I had a comfortable job in a tech startup doing sales and strategy. Switching to selling second-hand books to fund education in Nepal felt far-fetched. But the funny thing is, the skills I picked up in my old job helped me build the foundation. Fundraising, operations, thinking in terms of sustainability … it all came into play.

Ler Jun: What kinds of projects has Books Beyond Borders supported?

Randall Chong: In the beginning, we funded school libraries. Then we moved on to classroom grants, partnering with Teach for Nepal to support local teachers who had great ideas but no funding. Eventually we launched a two-year scholarship programme for girls who would otherwise drop out after Grade 10, or post-secondary school. Many of them live in rural areas without schools offering higher education, and they’re expected to stay home or start families. Our scholarship helps them complete Grades 11 and 12, and from there, they can either go to university or enter the workforce with qualifications.

Ler Jun: You also launched a gifting brand, Two Storytellers. Why?

Randall Chong: That idea came during a visit to a scholar’s home. Her mum was weaving baskets, and it struck me: if mothers had a stable income, they’d be less likely to pull their daughters out of school. So, we started working with Nepali women artisans to co-create gifts using traditional crafts. Now, our bookstore carries these products under the Two Storytellers brand. We’ve even launched themed collections, like one inspired by pets. The idea is to tell stories through products.

Ler Jun: How do you balance purpose with profit?

Randall Chong: I always say: You can’t give from an empty cup.

Ler Jun: Do you face any misconceptions about what you do?

Randall Chong: All the time. Some people think we’re a charity or a mission group. We’re not. We don’t take donations or rely on fundraising. We’re a social enterprise, which means we run a business with a social mission. I always make that distinction clear.

Ler Jun: Why Nepal, and not Singapore?

Randall Chong: Singapore already has many amazing organisations supporting education. If I were to contribute here, I’d join an existing effort rather than reinvent the wheel. Nepal is where the story began and where the need is clear. It’s also where my heart is. That connection is important.

Ler Jun: What keeps you going on hard days?

Randall Chong: Sometimes it’s the small things, whether it is seeing a customer drop off books, or hearing from a scholar who just passed her final exams. I remind myself that it all started with one scary step, and it’s okay to take things one step at a time. I’ve also grown more empathetic to young people trying to build something, to anyone going against the grain. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

Ler Jun: Last question, what’s a book that changed your life?

Randall Chong: It’s called Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood. I found it at a secondhand bookstore in Kathmandu after my trek. It’s about a corporate executive who quits to start a literacy non-profit. I didn’t even know social entrepreneurship was a thing until I read that book. Years later, I got to meet him in person. That was a full-circle moment.

Interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

By Sng Ler Jun

Photo Credit: Randall Chong