Michelle Ong

I started off my career as a chartered accountant with KPMG for 7 years before I joined my family business, Keefer Laundry Ltd.  I became a third generation operator of a commercial linen business founded by my grandfather in the early 1900’s in Chinatown, where linen was originally delivered to clients from horse drawn carriages. 

In my 10 years of operating this business, I got a taste and fascination for entrepreneurialship and creativity, and at the same time learned about the challenges of working in a family business environment.  I developed a desire to make a difference for other families in business and from 2005-2007, I served on the advisory board of the Business Family Center, Sauder School of Business. 

Each year I am a guest speaker for David Bentall’s undergraduate course at UBC sharing with the students what challenges I faced, the mistakes I made and what I do differently.  In 2004 I spearheaded the sale of our family business to a US public company as part of our succession planning.  This led me asking myself, “What’s next for me?”  I saw this as an opportunity to really create something that I was passionate about, which was an expression of my own creativity that was designed around my lifestyle. 

I had two young children, I was committed to my lifestyle of travel, workouts, spending time with friends and family and was going to have it all.  People at work were going to be empowered, excited to come to work, explore their creativity, and live life to the fullest.  It is from this desire that I co-created RADPlus with Mark Holland, my business partner.  Together we are committed to your life being extraordinary, and having your business inspire you and work around your lifestyle, for wealth is about fully experiencing life.