Multi-Screen Mind, Market-Changing Ideas
Ken Koh is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, and third-generation leader of Nanyang Sauce. With over 20 years of global talent development experience, he has trained leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship across multiple continents, mentored founders in diverse industries, and co-founded the non-profit T Foundation. Since 2018, he has transformed Nanyang Sauce into a leading Southeast Asian heritage brand while pioneering ventures in wellness and microbiome research.
Quotes
“The best way I can describe my mind is like having six TV screens running at once. To someone else, it might look chaotic, but that’s where my best ideas come from. When I let those screens interact, that’s when breakthroughs happen.”
“Whatever industry I’m in, I always look for unmet gaps. We dare to dream, we dare to do, and we dare to deliver.”
“Once I stopped forcing myself to be like everyone else, I started flowing with my natural rhythm, and that’s when the magic happened.”
Discovery About ADHD
I’ve never had an official ADHD diagnosis, but I’ve lived with the signs my whole life. I always knew I thought differently. I couldn’t focus on just one thing for too long, and I always seemed to have a dozen projects running in my head. A friend’s mother, who’s very familiar with ADHD, once told me, “You know, you probably have it.”
For years I tried to “fix” myself, thinking I had to operate like other entrepreneurs who stick with one business for decades. But that’s not me. My brain thrives when it’s jumping between ideas, spotting patterns across industries, and building connections no one else sees. Once I stopped forcing myself to be like everyone else, I started flowing with my natural rhythm, and that’s when the magic happened.
A Multi-Screen Brain
I can be working on soy sauce fermentation in one “screen,” thinking about microbiome skincare on another, and planning a new training program on the third.
When I let those screens interact, that’s when breakthroughs happen. My background in hospitality helped me reimagine Nanyang Sauce not just as a cooking ingredient but as a premium cultural gift. My experience in training helped me design leadership workshops that drew lessons from food production.
The Soy Sauce Transformation
When I joined my family’s business, Nanyang Sauce, in 2018, I knew I didn’t just want to keep it alive, I wanted to transform it. This was a heritage brand dating back to 1959, but it was in danger of being forgotten in a market flooded with mass-produced sauces.
We shifted the narrative from “just soy sauce” to an artisan product with a story. I introduced brewery tours, created gift sets, and worked with chefs to showcase recipes that celebrated the sauce. We made it something people wanted to give, not just use at home.
That’s what I mean when I say: “Whatever industry I’m in, I always look for unmet gaps. We dare to dream, we dare to do, and we dare to deliver.”
Leaping Across Industries
ADHD has made me fearless about crossing into completely different industries. From artisan soy sauce, I went into skincare by realising the fermentation techniques were similar. That led to a microbiome-focused beauty brand.
Now, with partners, I’m building Remission Biotech, a company exploring how microbiome health can support cancer recovery. People ask how I can leap from condiments to biotech. My answer is simple: I see the connections others miss.
One of ADHD’s lesser-known strengths is the ability to think under pressure and find solutions in messy situations. If you have a problem, give it to somebody with ADHD, they will find a solution. That’s been true in every business I’ve touched. Whether it’s rescuing a project that’s about to miss its deadline or figuring out how to turn a batch of over-fermented soy sauce into a new premium product, I thrive in those moments.
It took me years to stop forcing myself into a “single business” mindset. Once I accepted that I’m wired to handle multiple ventures, I stopped burning energy on trying to be something I’m not. That’s when I found my flow.
Today, I actively manage three businesses and co-own two others with partners. While one venture is maturing, I use the time and energy freed up to seed the next one. The variety keeps me engaged, creative, and motivated.
Advice to My Younger Self
If I could talk to my younger self, I’d say: stop trying to shrink yourself to fit in. The very things you think are weaknesses may turn out to be your biggest strengths. Your restlessness? That’s your curiosity. Your inability to focus on just one thing? That’s your ability to connect dots across disciplines.
And don’t be afraid to fail fast. ADHD minds can pivot faster than most. If something’s not working, move on and try something new. The past two decades have been about building skills, networks, and brands. The next two are about impact — specifically, improving human wellness through the microbiome.
That’s the beauty of having a multi-screen brain. I don’t see separate industries – I see one interconnected map of possibilities. And with ADHD, I can move between them at speed.
I used to think my way of working was a disadvantage. Now I see it as my edge. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
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