In December 2020, King Sze Yip (left) and Jane Griffiths (right) joined The Spike Lab (TSL) team in Hong Kong as Senior Advisors. In this post, they talk about their shared history and what drew them to The Spike Lab’s work.
Finding each other
King Sze: Jane and I met 14 years ago when our first children were still in their diapers. We stayed close by through the years and have known each other’s subsequent children since their births. Jane and I faced the challenges of motherhood together, along with a group of dear friends, and we are now emerging out of the intensive phase of parenting and want to do something together using our experiences.
Jane: King Sze and I wanted to expand our shared experiences into something that would benefit children; not just our own. With this intention, we were introduced to TSL through our mutual friends – and I must say, the right opportunity fell into place at the precisely perfect time.
What drew us to The Spike Lab
Jane: Schools place so much emphasis on exams and achievements, so we really like how TSL helps kids identify their passion and turn it into something viable. This process empowers kids with practical skills—vital for life after formal schooling. The Spike Lab’s track record of impressive and consistent college placement is a natural byproduct of a purposeful “life in action”. For us, the skills of self-discovery—of finding purpose—is the missing piece in kids’ journey to adulthood.
King-Sze: No family has all the right answers, so it really takes a proverbial “village” to raise a child. No one can thrive growing up with just teachers and tutors, kids also need an extended network of coaches and mentors. The challenge, of course, is finding these special people and optimizing our children’s time, balancing demands from school, college application, and other goals. We see The Spike Lab as the modern solution of building a village, a portal to connect like-minded families and coaches, to build community.
We want to let people know there are alternative approaches to these teenage years. College applications don’t have to come at the expense of well-being. Good grades don’t have to suck the life out of our young people, and growth doesn’t just stop at the achievement level but includes the spirit that empowers them for years to come.