Events

What Went Down at CTRL+Growth Marketing Lab 2025

From real frameworks to late-night pickleball—here’s what had 100+ founders, marketers, and builders staying till the end.

Community Manager

Catherhea

On 18 June, over 100 founders, marketers, and operators gathered at The PxP Pickleball Club for a night built on one simple idea: skip the fluff, focus on what works.

‍CTRL + Growth wasn’t just another marketing event. It was a working room—where people came not just to listen, but to learn, share, and build.

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Real Insights. No Buzzwords.

A powerhouse lineup: Leo Tan (CEO, BeBit SEA), Tengku Wazir Aziz (MD, Tactus Agency), Shermaine Wong (CEO, Cult Creative), Roshan Kanesan (producer, BFM), Daryll Tan (Co-Founder, OpenMinds®), and Michelle Phang (MD, OpenMinds)

The evening kicked off with a sharp, substance-over-slogans panel moderated by BFM’s Roshan Kanesan. Together, four industry leaders unpacked what modern marketing really looks like in 2025:

• Leo Tan (beBit SEA) – on personalizing across the full customer journey
• Daryll Tan (OpenMinds®) – on the messy realities of MarTech execution
• Shermaine Wong (Cult Creative) – on scaling UGC and creator ecosystems
• Tengku Wazir Aziz (TactUs) – on linking marketing performance directly to business results

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Frameworks You Can Use—Right Now

Then came a no-nonsense funnel masterclass by Michelle Phang (OM Digital). Attendees didn’t just take notes—they walked away with actual workflows and frameworks they could apply immediately.

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What Made It Different?

People didn’t just come and go.
They stayed.

Dinner conversations turned into pitch decks. Ideas got tested on the spot. Collaborations began mid-convo. And by 9:30PM, people were still around—some on the pickleball court, some deep in discussion.

Spotted: On The Rise Founder Kate Sarginson and Heartworks Founder & Tatler Front & Female 2025 Award Winner Fiona Tan

Pictured here: just some of the incredible women founders in the room, including Yan Ling Ng, Fiona Tan, Anabelle Co-Martinent (Co-Founder of Elevate Social Club), and FFMYSEA Co-Founders Emily Chin and Lily Sim

Nicole Yap (Founder, 8sian) came through with copies of 8sian magazine, joined by Yan Lim (CEO, iOli Communications), a standout in the PR and branding space. Also pictured: Yan Ling Ng (Founder, Lily & Lou), Melly Ling (CEO, Mole), and Fiona Tan (Founder, Heartworks)—a powerhouse lineup across fashion, tech, and impact.

It was a marketing event that felt real. Grounded. Energised. And surprisingly fun.

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Thank You to Everyone Who Made It Happen

This event wouldn’t have come together without the support of some incredible partners:

Co-organising partners: OpenAcademy, TactUs
Tech partners: beBit SEA, MoneyMatch, OpenMinds®, Constant Contact, Cleve.ai
Energy partner: Organicule
Community partners: BFM 89.9 – The Business Station, BEAMSTART, Female Founders in Malaysia & Southeast Asia (FFMYSEA), Growth Charger, 22 Hub
Venue partner: The PxP Pickleball Club

From venue to stage—partners, organisers, and speakers who made CTRL+Growth what it was: Kyan Yap (Founder, The PxP Pickleball Club), Roshan Kanesan (Producer, BFM 89.9), Shermaine Wong (CEO, Cult Creative), Celine Ting (CEO, OpenAcademy), Daryll Tan (Co-founder, OpenMinds), Melly Ling (CEO, Mole), Leo Tan (beBit SEA), and Tengku Wazir Aziz (MD, TactUs)

And to the Mole Community—Thank YOU.

You showed up with energy, curiosity, and generosity.
You made this more than just another event.
You made it feel like a checkpoint—a moment to pause, rethink, and push forward.

Let’s keep this momentum going.

See you at the next one!

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