Bend it Like Benz

ceo of kemana.com, christopher benz, is a hardcore multi-tasker. he dives, he makes films, he plays the guitar, he graphic designs, he plays sports, he helps handicapped children and he brings extraordinary success to online businesses

Waiting for the man behind online store kemana.com – Indonesia’s version of Amazon.com – to come out and greet me, I sit and flip through the website’s press release for the third time, not wanting to sound like an airhead during the Q&A. When I learned that I was assigned to interview a Christopher Benz, 32-year-old online entrepreneur nominated as America’s most promising social entrepreneur by BusinessWeek [American version] in 2009, I was expecting a younger version of Bill Gates. I prepared myself for the interview by digesting as many techy jargons as I could wrap my tiny brain around. Little did I know…

All of a sudden, Christopher Benz walks in, hand held out for me to shake, a boyish twinkle and a warm smile radiating from under his glasses, which I find out later are not his favourite thing to wear for photos. Unfortunately.

Before I can say anything more, he leads me to the front door and mutters, “Let’s go and do this at the café up front, I definitely need an excuse to get out of here.”
Well, alrighty. I’m definitely not dealing with Bill Gates here. And rightly so, as it turns out Benz holds an Organisational Communications major with a minor in Film Studies. He was even nominated for Best Short Film at the Asian Underwater Film Festival in Singapore for an underwater documentary he created-nothing Silicon Valley about that. But it is Silicon Valley that greatly influences the young entrepreneur, having taken part in an MBA programme called The Global Social Benefit Incubator at Santa Clara University’s Centre for Science, Technology and Society – the heart of Silicon Valley itself. This programme assists entrepreneurs in developing business plans that enable their organisations to reach increasing numbers of beneficiaries. Plainly speaking, because of his socially oriented business, Benz was chosen to participate in this highly reputable programme.

Social entrepreneur? Filmmaker turned online store guy? Okay let’s rewind a little.
Nine years ago, Benz moved to Bali after a bout of globetrotting. He did so because he instantly fell in love with the island (not a surprise, I can relate with that). Born in Manhattan and having grown up in London, Benz refers to his mother as his biggest source of inspiration.

“She’s a very socially conscious creature. She shaped the way I look at things,” he explains. “I was lucky to have been brought up in a family that’s, well, we were well off. Very well off. Liam Gallagher is my neighbour in London. But this upbringing – and that trip around the world – were exactly what made me realise that I had to do something that wasn’t only profitable, but also beneficial to other people. Knowing about other people’s way of viewing things really opened my eyes. It was the richest experience ever. I had to give back.”

Thus, Benz then founded his first online business in Bali, called craftnetwork.com, connecting artisan producers in Indonesia with wholesale and retail customers worldwide, basing his project on a strict concept of fair trade and equal profit sharing. This project of his received recognition from many organisations and institutions, including the World Bank, who then partnered up with him and provided him with a lot of materials to further develop his business.

Five years later and he already has two online businesses blooming (the other one is sourcingindonesia.com), in addition to the recent kemana.com, scheduled to be officially launched this month.

Being a total cynic, I ask Benz what makes this online store so special. He welcomes my cynicism with a sarcastic smirk and patiently explains all the perks this particular online store has to offer.

From his passionate explanation, I learn that kemana.com is an all-round cyber store. First of all, it provides everything you’re looking for on the face of the Earth – from electronics, to books, to fashion and everything in between – integrated with completely secure payment systems (they give you the option of paying with your credit card or through ATM machines), 24-hour customer service, supported IT management based in New York and trusted shipping and handling. And secondly, it’s also been designed so that you can create a “wish list” that you can share with your friends or the public.

“Celebrities do this for charity. They share their buy-me-a-one-dollar-gift with the public to raise money. Our customer can use this for their birthdays or weddings,” he adds. And also, for the Narcissus among us, the store lets you create your own personal profiles where you can upload your pretty pictures so the world can adore you and all that jazz. “It’s not only for people in Indonesia. It can also be for millions of the Indonesians who are currently abroad and want to buy something for their families or friends in Indonesia,” he points out. Okay, okay, my cynicism admits defeat.

All this at the tender age of 32. I’m curious. “How did you do it?” I ask. Leaning back in his chair and taking a gulp from his glass of iced tea, Benz laughs and replies, “I don’t know, you know, it was just really organic. Everything that happens in life is just a series of events and chance encounters. I think with me, it was just luck mixed with opportunity. When life throws an opportunity at you, you have to seize it and make something out of it. Make something happen, be open to everything.

Don’t dwell on the negative, and just know your limits. Know when to quit, know when to stop. Just do something, and keep at it.”

This mentality sounds familiar to me and I just had to ask, “When is your birthday?”
“May 24th. Why?”

Aha I knew it. Classic Gemini traits.

“A Gemini. It takes one to spot one,” I reply with a smirk, my hand raised in the air to give him a high five. “So, I suppose you’re a hardcore multi-tasker too, then?”
“Haha, well, I dive, I make movies, I do graphic design, I play guitar, I play basketball and soccer [editor: It’s football, mate] and I help handicapped children.

Not much going on, really.”

Sarcasm dripping, he leans in smugly as if about to divulge a top secret federal conspiracy, and whispers, “Listen, life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself and being the best at what you do.”

And that is how Christopher Benz taught me the secret of life.

To start online shopping and experiencing this latest trend visit www.kemana.com