Explore | Interview
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WEMPY DYOCTA KOTO :
MENTORING INDONESIA ’ S FUTURE LEADERS
Interview by Juliana Photography by Hendra Wiradi Wahab
40-year-old . “ It proves to me where Indonesia is at ,” contemplates Koto . “ We are so hungry for education , so hungry to be guided . That is my fuel and my inspiration , and also why I believe in the absolute value of mentorship .”
In 2015 , Koto established The Wempy Dyocta Koto Award . The award prizes 12 Indonesians around the globe with mentorship from 12 extraordinary Indonesian mentors and 12 inspiring international mentors for 12 months .
Koto himself serves as a mentor to some of Indonesia ’ s trailblazing entrepreneurs . Muhammad Ajie Santika , founder and CEO of Tinker Games , a Bandung-based digital entertainment and mobile-game developer , was on the brink of bankruptcy when Koto stepped in . In just a year under Koto ’ s mentorship , Tinker Games reported a healthy revenue of US $ 800,000 .
Another mentee , Muhammad Alfatih Timur , is the co-founder and CEO of KitaBisa , Indonesia ’ s first crowdfunding platform , which has raised over US $ 4 million for over 3,000 initiatives . Timur also joins 16 other Indonesians who were recently ranked as Asia ’ s top promising young leaders , daring entrepreneurs and game changers in the Forbes ‘ 30 under 30 ’ list .
Indonesians are so hungry for education , so hungry to be guided . That is my fuel and my inspiration , and also why I believe in the absolute value of mentorship .
Born in the small town of Padang Panjang in West Sumatra , Koto moved with his family to Sydney , Australia , when he was just three years old . He earned his bachelor ’ s degree in Communications from the University of Technology Sydney and a master ’ s in International Studies from the University of Sydney . Koto is also a graduate of the THNK School of Creative Leadership in Amsterdam .
While Koto is currently based between London and Jakarta , he is constantly on the move . “ I believe that travel is one of the greatest investments we can all make ,” he says . “ If you can see the world through different perspectives , that ’ s what it ’ s all about .
“ Garuda Indonesia is my preference ,” Koto says , admitting that he takes it easy whilst travelling by spending his time on board “ usually catching up on work , watching a few movies and getting some much-needed rest . I travel everywhere to educate ; but , truly , the lessons are coming back to me . That goes back to what my mother and father told me , which is that , for education , travel to the ends of the world .”