Jakarta-based restauranteur Dinda Dwita Puspasari is always looking for ways to improve and grow her business, which includes seven franchise restaurants and a fine-dining establishment.
For her, choosing The NUS MBA to expand her knowledge was a no-brainer. “In Indonesia, the programme is known for its academic rigour, its focus on entrepreneurship and access to a vibrant alumni network. I wanted to strengthen my business knowledge, which will be useful in the long run”, said Dinda.
The programme has so far exceeded her expectations, especially when it came to immersive experiential learning opportunities.
In her first year alone, Dinda participated in three case competitions, including the Alira Healthcare Business Competition at Bocconi University in Milan. While her team did not clinch a podium spot, the opportunity to travel, solve real business problems and compete with MBA peers was worthwhile. “It was an honour to represent NUS in Europe in my first semester,” she said.
Dinda (right) with her teammates
From kitchen to classroom
Inspired by her case competition experiences, Dinda used business challenges from her restaurants for case discussions in class. “My classmates even brainstormed solutions to the problems I raised,” she added. The ideas include cost-cutting plans and marketing strategies for multiple customer segments.
The MBA Programmes Office has been providing Dinda with numerous networking opportunities. “I love these opportunities and the relationships I built from them,” she said.
I connected with NUS alumni chapter Jakarta, and the alumni came to support one of my restaurant’s grand opening. They have been offering a wide range of business advice, and even helped promote my restaurants.
Dinda was also recently introduced to a social entrepreneurship expert. “This is a topic I am very keen to learn more about.”
Dinda (second from right) at a networking session
Studying can be challenging for Dinda as she has to remotely manage her businesses back in Jakarta while attending school here in Singapore. “I have learned prioritise and manage my time better. While the MBA programme has so much to offer, I have to be disciplined and only pursue the ones that I felt would serve me best,” she said.
Adapting to the pandemic situation
Unfortunately, the pandemic situation hit her businesses in Jakarta hard. She had to temporarily close one of her restaurants while the other branches saw sales drop by 90 per cent.
She managed to rush back home when the governments in the region were preparing to introduce lockdown measures and ban air travel. “Fortunately, the School arranged for me to go back to Indonesia before the circuit breaker so that I could be with my family during the crisis,” she said.
Undeterred, Dinda saw an opportunity in the catering market and opened a new business called “Dinda’s Kitchen”. “Companies in essential sectors would hire catering services to provide meals for their employees. This is why I decided to go into this space and offer a range of options that can be tailored to customers’ preferences.”
Returning home after a year in the MBA programme, Dinda found herself applying her newfound knowledge to her business. “The insights I gained from the Corporate Strategy class, such as industry analysis, gave me the confidence to try out the ‘Dinda’s Kitchen’ idea.”
As the lockdown also took place during Ramadhan, she initiated a charity programme called “Iftar for All” which delivered break fast meals to those struggling to make ends meet.
Dinda added she was also inspired by the learnings from the “Leading with Impact” module during this challenging time. The class taught her the importance and impact of being a better, more empathetic leader.
Working towards her dream
Despite the coronavirus, Dinda is continuing her learning journey with The NUS MBA and exploring new opportunities.
On top of classes and running her business, she has also started work as a teaching assistant, tutoring the School’s undergraduates on Marketing in a Digital Age.
As she looks further ahead, she feels there are even more opportunities in other industries to explore. Dinda is also keen to make further inroads to her long term dream of becoming a social entrepreneur and help underprivileged children in Indonesia. “With my MBA experience, I now feel I have what it takes to make all these dreams come true.”
