FIVE MINUTES WITH

Five Minutes with Aaron Lee

Dash Living founder Aaron Lee breaks down the success behind the serviced, co-living community. By Cheyelene Fontanilla

Living in the middle of a bustling city is a thrill unlike any other. You never feel alone. You’re hardly ever left wanting more, whether it’s food, entertainment, business, opportunities or nightlife. This is especially true for those who stay at Dash Living, a Hong Kong and Singapore-based serviced co-living company or as founder Aaron Lee puts it, ‘the new generation of rental solutions for urban professionals’.

Dash Living’s locations are chosen very carefully. Designed for millennials and anyone who’s ever grumbled about their overpriced rent or ridiculously long commute, Dash is at the heart of the most happening neighbourhoods in Hong Kong and Singapore. “We like to talk about quality of life. My mom and dad used to measure quality of life with ‘How big is your house? How much do you make?’ But in our generation, it’s all about community, it’s all about the people. The places we go, the things we learn and experience. So at Dash Living, it’s all about experience, the interactions and the people that you get to meet.”

As a serial entrepreneur, Lee is no stranger to using technology to disrupt traditional industries – a skillset that won him a place on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2016. The industry he’s disrupting now? Real estate. “I’ve always enjoyed solving problems. That’s what inspired me to become an entrepreneur, because essentially, being an entrepreneur is not so much about the money. The bottomline is important but it always comes down to solving problems for people.” When it comes to Dash Living, the issue he’s managed to tackle is one we’re all familiar with. “Every one of us can relate to paying expensive accommodation, right? Especially in dense cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. Everyone can relate to that, which is why this is one of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever built,” says Lee.

Being at the helm of burgeoning businesses in Asia seems to be Lee’s joie de vivre, having been the CEO of Groupon Hong Kong, a Board Director at Time Auction and the co-founder of multiple businesses. Taking a close look at how Dash Living operates, it’s easy to see that he has thought out every element of living. “Let’s say we have 10 buildings, instead of all of them having their own facilities, like a gym or a co-working space, we outsource it all. We actually have over 50 perks that our tenants can redeem at other businesses. So our buildings’ facilities are focused on essentials, like a cooking space, laundry space, things that are used daily. When you walk into a normal building, you see the gyms are usually empty. That’s a waste of real estate. Here, we value cost efficiency and a sharing economy.” Spoken like an entrepreneur who knows what he’s doing. To top it all off, Dash’s frontline operations teams have professional backgrounds in five-star hotels. “It’s not just about living. Quality of life is something that we always focus on in every touchpoint.”

When asked what his biggest “we made it” moment was, he responded simply, “Honestly, I’m very proud of the team, especially during these tough times. We emerged as a way better company after these two years of struggle. It’s worth acknowledging.”