March 31, 2016 – Established in April 2015, Galaxy Entertainment Group Foundation (“the Foundation”) advocates in giving back to the community in Macau and the Greater China Region through engaging in philanthropic activities, in particular with nurturing young people in developing their positive moral and life values, as well as enhancing their education and employment opportunities to enable them to contribute to the community in which they live. In celebration of its first anniversary, the Foundation is delighted to launch its first two projects – “GEG Young Entrepreneurs Business Advisory Service” (“the Advisory Service”) in collaboration with the Macao Young Entrepeneur Incubation Centre and the Faculty of Business Administration of the University of Macau (“FBA”) and “GEG Venture Philanthropy Fund” (“the Fund”) with the Macau New Technologies Incubation Centre (“MANETIC”).

Galaxy Entertainment Group Foundation Anniversary Celebration and “GEG Young Entrepreneurs Business Advisory Service” and “GEG Venture Philanthropy Fund” Launch Ceremony was held at the ballroom of The Ritz-Carlton, Macau on Thursday, officiated by Mr. Tai Kin Ip, representative of Secretary of Economy and Finance Acting Director of Macao Economic Services (“DSE”), Ms. Xu Ting, Director General of the Department of Culture and Education and Department of Youth Affairs, CLO, Ms. Vong Yim Mui, President of Social Welfare Bureau of Macau, Mr. Pun Weng Kun, President of Sports Bureau of Macau, Mr. Leong Man Ion, Deputy Director of Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau of Macau, Ms. Vicky Leong, representative of Director of Education and Youth Affairs Bureau Chief of the Department of Education of Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Mr. Chan Ka Hou, representative of Tertiary Education Services Office Acting Deputy Director of Tertiary Education Services Office, Professor So Yuk Chow, Dean of FBA of UMAC, Dr. Yau Chuk, Chairman of Board of Directors of MANETIC together with Mr. Francis Lui, Vice Chairman of the Foundation and Mr. Lao Ngai Leong, Trustee of the Foundation, signifying a momentous occasion for the Foundation.

Mr. Tai Kin Ip, representative of Secretary of Economy and Finance Acting Director of DSE, said, “I would like to thank GEG Foundation and the University of Macau. I hope that the partnering of community, tertiary institutions and the Government will further enhance the support for our young entrepreneurs, and thus provide them with fertile grounds in which our local young entrepreneurs can be nurtured and developed.” Mr. Francis Lui, Vice Chairman of the Foundation, said, “As a Foundation, we are an ‘enabler’, in that in addition to providing financial support, the Foundation’s key role is to evolve ideas and to initiate and develop these ideas into viable projects to help nurture our young people to start or expand their own businesses, which will lead them towards a bright future.”

Professor So Yuk Chow, Dean of FBA of UMAC, said, “These projects are unique in that they also include graduate and undergraduate business students on the consulting teams. Apart from assisting young entrepreneurs in solving their problems, this project allows students to experience first-hand the process of starting a business and to go beyond their textbooks to gain valuable knowledge and practical experience they otherwise would not have learnt from their classes.” Dr. Yau Chuk, Chairman of Board of Directors of MANETIC, said, “GEG Venture Philanthropy Fund provides selected start-ups with funding to pursue and expand on promising technology ideas that may, in turn, become sustainable businesses, and ideas that will ultimately benefit the economic diversification of Macau.”

In partnering with Macao Young Entrepreneur Incubation Centre and FBA, the Foundation offers, on a pro-bono basis, “GEG Young Entrepreneurs Business Advisory Service” for young entrepreneurs who have successfully obtained funding under the Young Entreprenuers Aid Scheme (“the Scheme”) from DSE. The Advisory Service includes customized consulting advice, addressing specific business issues and providing the young entrepreneurs with strategic options or recommendations at various stages of business development in areas spanning market research to financial analysis, marketing and business modelling, among others. Consulting teams headed by a faculty member, together with undergraduate and postgraduate students from FBA will address the issues raised.

To encourage and nurture local entrepreneurship while promoting venture capitalism, the Foundation collaborated with MANETIC and launched the “GEG Venture Philanthropy Fund”. The Fund “invests” and assists start-up businesses incubated under MANETIC to pursue and expand on promising technology ideas that may, in turn, become sustainable businesses, and ideas that will ultimately benefit Macau as a whole. Any return on investment will be injected back into the Fund to perpetuate itself for further investment into other ventures.

Focused on educating and nurturing the youth in Macau in developing positive moral and life values as well as encouraging entrepreneurship to enable their positive contribution to the community, the Foundation will continue to support the Government in its various promotional programs that encourage entrepreneurship, venture capitalism and local talent development.