PETALING JAYA: Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd recently hosted a sold-out third edition of its flagship Alliance Bank BizSmart Business Conference 2026 in Kuala Lumpur.
The conference drew the largest turnout in the series to date, with a crowd of more than 900 entrepreneurs, business leaders and ecosystem partners.
Themed “From Local Champions to National Icons”, the conference equipped micro, small and medium enterprises with the strategic toolkits, financial frameworks and cross-border networks required to scale nationally and beyond.
Alliance Bank Group CEO Kellee Kam said, “Alliance Bank is committed to walking alongside entrepreneurs at every stage of their business expansion as their lifetime growth partner. As ‘The Bank For Life’, we provide the comprehensive business ecosystem, critical insights and financial innovations that Malaysian MSMEs need to transform from local champions into national icons. When our homegrown businesses grow, the nation’s economy grows with them.”
A diverse line-up of 32 speakers and moderators – including business leaders, industry experts and ecosystem partners – came together to unpack the challenges of modern business scaling over curated panel discussions and fireside chats focused on accelerating enterprise growth. The conference was supported by sponsors and partners which included Printcious Malaysia, Kee Nguyen, Cleverus, Biri-Biri Malaysia, OneCredit, and Superanium with Meta Small Business Growth Academy.
The conference also examined the growing global appetite for Malaysian-born brands. Speakers included business leaders such as Christy Ng from Christy Ng, Zare Lee from Trapo, Faisal Fadzil from Tanamera Tropical Spa, Callie Chan from Oriental Kopi, Emir Fauzi from Bayu Somerset and Carmen Toh from Kantin, who shared their experiences in bringing distinctly Malaysian brands, stories and values to regional and global audiences.
Beyond commercial expansion, the discussion explored the delicate balance between growth and cultural authenticity, and how homegrown brands can preserve their roots while remaining globally competitive.
Datuk Yong Yoon Li of Royal Selangor International reflected on the art of building enduring heritage brands that transcend generations, while Bryan Loo of Loob Holding shared lessons on transforming local success into regional and global opportunities.
CK Chang from OxWhite, Jared Chuah from Nateskin, and Leo Tan from beBit TECH provided a blueprint for direct-to-consumer growth and modernising traditional business models, while digital logistics and cross-border infrastructure were addressed by Clarence Leong from EasyParcel alongside Lawmence Wong from Cleverus.
The conference also featured a forward-looking showcase of business-to-business artificial intelligence solutions by Johnson Goh from MindHive, an emerging technology company.
Capital raising and exit strategies were explored by venture ecosystem leaders, including Bikesh Lakhmichand from 1337 Ventures, Karen Lau from Sunway iLabs, and Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke from Cradle Fund, with the session moderated by Lennise Ng from Redwood Global Capital.
Beyond the conference, the bank continues to champion long-term enterprise growth through the Alliance Bank BizSmart Challenge, an accelerator programme providing Malaysian SMEs with crucial funding, mentorship and market access.