Pour Decisions by Airwallex, Get Started HK & What You Building?
Wednesday, 4 November 2026 | 6:00 to 8:00 PM | 📍 Hong Kong Island
Pour Decisions: Drinks & lessons learned from start-up mistakes
Building a startup in Hong Kong is full of opportunity—and a fair share of avoidable landmines. The wrong company secretary, an outdated finance setup, or a corporate structure that isn’t able to scale with you usually aren’t obvious until they start costing you time and money.
Pour Decisions is an evening of unfiltered stories over drinks. No generic keynote speeches or corporate sales pitch! Just an honest, open discussion of the real-world friction founders face when scaling, and the battle-tested strategies to overcome them.
What We’re Covering
Insider Case Studies: Airwallex and Get Started HK break down real client scenarios to highlight the operational, financial, and structural bottlenecks that slow startups down.
Founder War Stories: Successful founders Tommie Lo (Preface) and Ryan Black (Buddy Bites) hit the stage to share their own "Pour Decisions" — the actual stumbles they faced building high-growth ventures, what those lessons cost, and what they would do differently today with 20/20 hindsight.
Open Networking: Connect over drinks and light refreshments with fellow founders and entrepreneurs who are also in the trenches building.
Co-hosted during Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK, this is a space to swap war stories, gain sharp operational clarity, and build meaningful relationships while the city's founder community is in full force.
Agenda
5:45 PM — Doors Open · Registration & Refreshments
6:00 PM — Welcome Remarks
6:05 PM — Case Studies & Founder Fireside Chat (featuring Preface & Buddy Bites)
6:45 PM — Open Networking & Drinks
8:00 PM — End
Speaking
Tommie Lo, Founder & CEO, Preface. Preface is an Asia-based technology and upskilling company operating across Hong Kong, London, Singapore, and Tokyo, delivering AI-powered training to corporates and individuals. Tommie sits on the Global Panel of MIT Technology Review and the Advisory Council of Harvard Business Review.
Ryan Black, Co-founder & CEO, Buddy Bites. Buddy Bites is a Hong Kong-founded pet nutrition brand combining vet-approved subscription delivery with a sell-two-give-one pledge to animal shelters. Founded in 2020, the company has donated more than 15 million meals, raised USD 4.2 million in Series A funding, and is expanding into Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.
Who This Is For
Founders setting up or expanding a Hong Kong entity.
Established founders reviewing their current finance stack, compliance, or corporate governance setup.
Overseas entrepreneurs and operators weighing Hong Kong as a regional base during FinTech Week.
Registration and Privacy
By registering, you consent to the collection and use of your personal data by the hosts and Luma for the purposes of processing your registration, managing attendance, and sending communications about this and future events. Your data will be handled in accordance with Hong Kong's Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.
Personal data collected at registration will be used for event administration and post-event communications by What You Building, Airwallex, and Get Started HK only, and will not be shared with third parties.
This event will be photographed and may be filmed. By attending, you consent to the use of your image in event recaps, social media, and future marketing materials. If you prefer not to be photographed, please let a member of the host team know on arrival.
Registration is non-transferable. The hosts reserve the right to decline or revoke any registration at their discretion.