The Inno-Visionary: Kevin Au-Yeung 創新令世界變得更好:歐陽浩東

English: Joyce Fung + Melissa Haggerty | Chinese: Keira O

AS FEATURED IN EDITION NO. 7 OF FETE CHINOISE MAGAZINE: PERSPECTIVE 覺•渡

Venue: Nobis Headquarter, Canada Art Direction: Deborah Lau-Yu & Melissa Haggerty Production coordinator: Christina Li Photographer: Jackson Huang, Ikonica Assistant: Yamiko Miyamoto, Ikonica Stylist: Ashley Galang Attire: Nobis, Harry Rosen.

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I f you were to read Kevin Au-Yeung’s resume, you would undoubtedly be impressed. It goes like this: President and Founder of InnoVision whose subsidiaries include Nobis and FanInk. Board Member for SickKids Foundation. Current President of the Association of Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurs (ACCE). Father. Husband. Son. Community Leader. But in speaking to him, he not only plays down all accomplishments, he tells us he feels he should be further ahead than he is!

One of the first things he wants our readers to know is that he hasn’t done any of this by himself. He credits the people he’s met along the way who share his values and vision for helping make him the business person and man he is today. “I’d rather not call out my achievements — I’d call it more like a bunch of collective experiences I’ve had with different people. I really enjoy the people that I meet and the collage of collaborations we’ve had — the common thread though, is that they are all a reflection of my core values.”

While Nobis is a Great Canadian Success Story, it’s evident that things haven’t always been easy; nor, as any entrepreneur can attest, has the journey from A to B been a straight line. There have been many twists, turns, peaks, valleys and plenty of dead ends along the way. 

This story starts in Kevin’s teenage years. After immigrating to Canada with his family, he found himself needing treatment at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. His parents were focused solely on him getting better; nothing else mattered. As a result (and unlike any Asian parent one may have ever met), his parents didn’t push him to study or try to get into the best universities. This left him rudderless and also, in his own words, “lazy.” Thankfully this was a temporary state and he eventually obtained his Masters of Economics and ended up in Investment Banking. Alas, duty called and he moved into the family business of making hats and scarves. He painstakingly learned the trade from the inside out but quickly discovered there was very little room for creativity; he was mostly a middle man. He decided it was time to carve out his own path and, unknowingly, integrated one of his beliefs into what would become a mantra: pick a relatively “boring” industry — because boring often means there’s less competition — and then innovate and disrupt the heck out of it. 

With that credo in mind, Nobis was born. Right from the start, they combined unusual materials like integrating skiwear-like functionalities and technical membranes into the outerwear. He adds, “In the first 10 years, we focused more on the product and less on marketing. We approached things completely opposite to how most businesses do. We were almost scientists as we experimented with fabrics, closures and durability — anything it took to make our offering something we were really proud of.” 

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創新令世界變得更好。何為創新？「先擾亂常規，再以真誠的創意，給予更方便的良方。」破舊立新從來艱辛，青年才俊歐陽浩東（Kevin Au-Yeung）卻忠於「真誠創新」這個信念，他旗下品牌近年的成功印證了，領袖和跟風者的區別就在於創新。説到集奢華時尚與科技的頂級加拿大羽絨品牌，Nobis這名字，便立即躍上腦海。歐陽浩東就是這品牌創辦人，他與團隊只耗了十五年時間，令品牌便紅遍全球，受國際紅星、頂級運動員熱烈追捧。Nobis的成功絕非偶然，Kevin領導的母公司InnoVision Holding Corporation 轄下另外五個衣帽、科研品牌，均享譽盛名。Kevin對回饋社區亦不遺餘力，兼任加拿大創業協進會（ACCE）會長及病童醫院基金會（Sick Kids Foundation）董事。同時，他也是顧家的好丈夫、好父親。當大家都認為Kevin已經踏上了成功之路，他卻告訴我們，他的理想之旅才正式開始！

The Function Niche in Fashion 

With their unusual blend of science and art, Nobis has found themselves uniquely positioned in all markets. Who else could get a mention one month from Vanity Fair Magazine highlighting their collaboration with former Toronto Raptor Serge Ibaka and then a shout out from Popular Science Magazine the next, heralding Nobis as “the last jacket you will ever need?” This dichotomy delights the nerd in Kevin more than anything else as brands often have to choose between high fashion and technical excellence. He promises that as long as he’s involved, Nobis will continue to straddle the combination and be both. He calls it the ‘Duality of our DNA”.

He further reflects that COVID-19 has been a double edged sword: in one regard, it has been the most challenging thing his business has ever faced, as so much of it is retail-related. On the other hand, the forced slow down has allowed for reflection and the chance to identify new opportunities and force themselves out of their comfort zone. This has also allowed them to work on more projects that would not have been possible in a ‘normal’ year.

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真心真意 坦誠相待

經濟系碩士的Kevin，本以金融專業為終身職業。直至父親傳召拓展家族生意，才開始接觸製衣帽行業。從基本學起，在極短時間內，經已掌握父業，並創辦自家的新品牌Nobis。他説：「第一季的Nobis只有精品系列。之後，我們不斷求變，投入科研，發展更多產品。目標是令每件產品揉合創新、實用與美感於一身。過程當中，超過一半的構思或產品都是失敗，但我們會以『真誠』專注地做好產品。不走捷徑、不吹噓，這是讓品牌走得更遠的基礎。」

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Nobis生意很快上了軌道，受到世界各地銷售商的青睞及自薦叩門訂貨，銷售額幾何級增長。這個時候問題出現了！訂單開始消化不下、銷售點亦偏離原定計劃。Kevin需要立即解決一大堆問題，而每次作重大決定時，他仍然以真誠為最大原則。寧願忍痛取消百萬元訂單，也不讓產品或分銷伙伴冒險，拒絕蒙混過關。Kevin說真誠創新這個「信仰」，帶領他跳出傳統框架，以不同角度思考。其中一個他經常思索的項目，是他背後的團隊。他說：「我希望建立一支卓越、快樂的團隊，讓每個成員發揮所長，在崗位上發光。團隊是成功的關鍵。」

So, What’s Next?

This was a great segue for us to probe a little more about what might be in the pipeline. When asked what kind of lasting impact he hopes to have on the world, he paused before answering thoughtfully: “It’s still a work in progress, but one day, I’d really like to be a part of some kind of breakthrough thinking in businesses that solve problems. I want to make a difference in a meaningful way — not just a typical way — especially in developing nations. As my horizons broaden, so does my reach. I have a fascination with Recommerce and sustainability; I would love to explore how to really effect change on a big scale in this arena.”

He jests that he could’ve been 10 years ahead if he hadn’t been so lazy when he was younger. Once the laughter subsides, we can see this is clearly a source of regret. However, on the flip side, it shows it is never too late. And that this just might be the reason he’s so driven now.

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以身作則 傳承文化

這些年頭，全球紛紛出現排華歧視的情緒，世界級品牌主理人又怎樣看這議題呢？「我以華裔加拿大人這身份為榮。加拿大的多元文化，加上中國傳統價值觀，是完美的融和。只要堅持以誠待人，歧視的情緒會慢慢減緩。我會把自小學習的謙虛有禮、韜光養晦這些中國傳統觀念傳承下去，希望下一代的世界也可以平和。」自小家人已灌輸儒家思想概念，但沒像普遍華人家庭一般給他讀書壓力。Kevin說因為幼時體弱多病，長時間待在病童醫院。長大了，反而自愧年少時沒盡努力，所以現在做任何事都付出雙陪努力、做到更好。他認為求知若飢，虛心若愚，才得以進步和創新。

Community Love

We wondered aloud how Chinese principles have molded Kevin’s personal journey. Again, he pauses to consider his answer before sharing that his main, guiding sense of duty comes from witnessing how the Chinese community values and cares for seniors. He adds that “While this may not directly affect my business decisions, it moves me deeply as a person. Western communities spend so much time thinking about the future but don’t think about the past enough.” He credits the values that were instilled in him back in Hong Kong in his early days, which is that honouring, revering and respecting seniors is of supreme importance. And that this is something that the younger Chinese generation could do to remember... 

In terms of the considerable community outreach he has taken on over the years, he becomes self-effacing once again and says that he’s gotten involved in so much because he is “terrible at saying no!” He admits, though, that the blessings that have come from not saying no to people, have resulted in many people and organizations benefiting greatly from his involvement, including the Nobis Community Rally for SickKids and widely loved teddy bear campaign. “I’ve met so many great people — many who have become good friends. It has enriched my view of the world and I feel so fortunate.”

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We sense that, no matter what Kevin does in the future, one thing that will never change is his constant determination to approach problem solving in business thinking. When he came up with the name InnoVision years ago, he didn’t even realize how meaningful the name was to him but he now recognizes that with whatever he tackles next, “There will always be innovation, but with a vision in it too.”

Yes, Nobis is the core of InnoVision and what thrust him into the spotlight. However, Kevin is certain that in the next few years, it won’t be. Rather, Nobis will be one chapter in his story and just one of the ways he will be remembered. “I don’t chase things for the quick buck — if I did, I would’ve stayed in the easy lane in trading. Instead I chose the harder path, carving something else out to prove it to myself.” 

For us, there is very little Kevin needs to prove; but we are certainly going to enjoy watching how he uses that drive and determination to make the world a better place, one disruptive idea at a time.

膽敢前瞻 浩東本性

新冠疫情後，電子商務成為了必然的商業模式，歐陽浩東看準電子商貿的契機，促其下FanInk團隊拓展人工智能（AI）及區塊鏈（Blockchain）項目，並將這前瞻元素注入傳統的聯賽足球隊衣帽市場。「我們即將於韓國市場推出一個嶄新的特別企劃。透過全新科技，收藏家可以在電子虛擬世界中，蒐集限量版電子聯賽隊帽。最有趣的是，這些電子帽一一可以訂購為實物，非常好玩！」企劃將會推廣至其他衣飾市場，是傳統電商的突破。善用時間 家庭為重不難發現，Kevin喜歡科技、熱愛創新，原來他的家庭觀念卻非常傳統。他説：「如果時光機能夠帶我碰到十年後的自己，會提醒自己把更多時間分配給家人。」能夠如此自如地穿梭於事業、慈善、及家人之中，真的不能不佩服這位時間管理大師對任何事情的二百分努力及抱以真誠的堅持。歐陽浩東的理想就是令世界變得更好。

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