WHAT'S IN MY PORTFOLIO

What's In My Portfolio: Matthew Zachary Liew

02 Jun 2025

Matthew Zachary Liew is the Founder of Maverick Movement.

"As the Founder of Maverick Movement, my mission is to guide the next generation through life’s crossroads, helping them navigate identity, purpose, and personal growth. At the heart of it is a commitment to ‘being the person we wish we had during our own teenage years.’ What started as a ground-up initiative in Singapore has now gained traction, with growing interest to bring our programmes to countries like Indonesia and Vietnam.

The idea was born out of my own journey. Raised by a Korean tiger mom, I grew up in a world of high expectations – one where achievement was the only language of success. I pushed myself to meet those standards, from hosting the Youth Olympic Games’ Opening Ceremony to interviewing national leaders and ranking in the top 1% of my field. On paper, I was thriving. But behind the scenes, I was battling anxiety, burnout, and a persistent sense of inadequacy. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom in my twenties that I realised the most important lessons in life aren't found in textbooks or trophies.

Maverick Movement is my way of passing forward what I wish I had: A space where teens can be seen, heard, and supported as they figure out who they are. In a culture where stress, self-doubt, and burnout have become alarmingly common, we offer a different approach – one that prioritises emotional resilience, confidence, and clarity over conventional definitions of success.


(Related: What's in My Portfolio - Marcus Leow, Belimbing)

"In a culture where stress, self-doubt, and burnout have become alarmingly common, we offer a different approach – one that prioritises emotional resilience, confidence, and clarity over conventional definitions of success."

While we’ve been humbled by the achievements and accolades along the way, what I’m most proud of are the personal transformations we’ve witnessed. We’ve seen shy, lost, and disillusioned teens evolve into school captains, scholarship recipients, and leaders in their own right. Many have mended fractured relationships with their parents and begun walking the path of becoming confident, grounded individuals who are ready to contribute meaningfully to the world.

We’re building a bold new stage where teens are the headliners, for their ideas, courage, and real-world action. Our goal is to break the belief that ‘you’re too young, wait your turn.’ To spotlight youth who are genuinely making a difference, beyond the noise of social media, we’re launching a nationwide Maverick Youth Awards to celebrate the bold, the brave, and the brilliant. These are young people leading movements, building startups, contributing to society, and reimagining the future. We're also inviting companies to get behind this effort, with the vision of scaling it regionally, and eventually to an international level.”