Rachel Teo

Teo’s mother, Goh Soo Khim, is one of the most revered figures in Singaporean dance, and trained at the Australian Ballet School. While Soo Khim was dancing in Melbourne, she met Teo’s father, architect and property developer Daniel Teo, who was studying at the University of Melbourne.

The family left Australia when Teo was young, but she soon returned to finish high school and take up a Commerce degree at her father’s alma mater.

“I grew up in a family that did a lot of arts things together, and the art scene in Melbourne was fantastic,” she said.

A Private Museum for everyone

Years later, the connection between art and family re-emerged with the foundation of The Private Museum. In 2009, word got around that Singapore’s National Arts Council were calling for an empty building to be turned into an arts space for the community. With prior experience running the Wetterling Teo Gallery, Daniel Teo encouraged his daughter to heed the call. Teo wasn’t completely sold, but when she saw the potential to grow the arts scene in Singapore, she came around.

“I'd always had this idea about a private museum where we encourage these collectors to share their collection, right? Because otherwise they won't be seen or they get lost,” she said.

Moving souls

Teo recalls the earliest days, when the not-for-profit faced an uphill battle building a supportive community within the relatively small niche of artists and collectors in Singapore. The biggest challenge was convincing the first collector they exhibited to temporarily hand his work over to the Museum.

When she asked the patron why he collects, he responded simply: "because art moves my soul".

“Well, how about we try to move more souls?” Teo replied.

14 years later, TPM is flourishing. Last year, they relocated into a new exhibition space more than four times bigger than their initial home.

A love of community

Teo’s leadership has also been invaluable to the University of Melbourne’s Singapore Alumni Association. Since joining the association in the 2000s, she’s played a vital role serving on their committee, in addition to a stint as president. For Teo, her commitment to the association pays off the most when she has the opportunity to speak with and mentor younger people facing the same challenges she did.

“When I was that young, I wish I would have had that kind of mentorship where you could share your experiences and ask questions.”

Some of Teo’s fondest University memories, however, come from her time staying at International House. Today, she’s still in touch with some of the friends she met back then and recommends college life to anyone.

Learning from family

Much of Teo’s career has been inspired by her parents. She continues the family’s interest in real estate, though in a more modern way. Along with Oliver Siah, Rachel is the co-founder of Fraxtor, a real-estate platform that uses blockchain technology to allow investors to reach otherwise lofty opportunities. They currently have investment projects all across the globe.

In the spirit of her parents, Teo is determined to continue embracing opportunities as they arrive. Her current focus is to understand how business can advocate for sustainability and action on climate change. In looking to embrace the challenge, she’s joined The Nature Conservancy’s community in Singapore.

“I think it’s an issue we all face,” she said.

“I joined trying to look for answers, for hope, for positive messaging.”