Our journey and why we built CapStacked
We've lived through financial uncertainty and seen how easily money worries can sideline dreams.
Our combined experiences—one rooted in overcoming hardship through investing and the other in leveraging real estate for stability—led us to found CapStacked…
Ben
Growing up
As a kid, I was obsessed with science and dreamed of becoming a scientist.
I worked very hard for it and even won the Young Scientist Award four years in a row. I admired Benjamin Franklin’s work on the lightning rod so much that I took his name as my own.
However, my family's finances were tight. My dad’s printing business collapsed, forcing him to take on various jobs like taxi driver and security guard to make ends meet. My mom, a receptionist, worked 20 years without a pay raise.
This was me when I was taking part in a food science competition. My team and I incorporated the benefits of ginseng into a commonly used gravy for cooking.
My dream crashed
When it was time for university, my dream of becoming a scientist vanished due to the high cost of science degrees, which my parents couldn't afford.
Disappointed, I opted for a business degree, borrowing $25K from relatives and missing out on overseas exchange programs.
I realised this issue was part of a generational cycle, with my grandparents also lacking financial skills.
A journey of growth and gratitude
After a decade of discipline in saving and investing, I fully funded my MBA without student loans. This investment paid off, leading to better-paying roles at companies like Microsoft, Google, and AWS.
For a long time, I resented my parents for their financial struggles. But then I came across Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings. He said, “It’s not that our parents don’t love us; they’re just unskilled at it.”
That hit me.
My parents weren’t failures. They were victims of financial illiteracy, just like their parents before them. Yet, despite their struggles, they sacrificed everything for me.
My mother once saved for months just to surprise me with a Game Boy Colour. They did their best with what they knew.
I stopped blaming my circumstances and embraced the lessons I learned.
|| With a longer investment horizon, more savings from a higher-paying career, and better investing strategies, my life transformed. Luck plays a part, too.
Turning COVID-19 into opportunities
When COVID-19 struck, the world collapsed.
Markets crashed, jobs disappeared, and fear spread rapidly. Friends fell into panic and depression as their investments vanished in days.
I couldn't just watch; having spent a decade navigating financial crises, I started helping others through the chaos.
What began as conversations grew into a movement, and now I've guided over 6,000 people to make better investment decisions—even during tough times.
Knowing a degree wasn’t enough, I aimed for an MBA while working full-time and tutoring on weekends.
|| To make my money work for me, I began investing in REITs, which provide stability and regular dividends.
While I'm not financially free yet, I’m determined to plan for my family's future and break the cycle of financial struggle.
|| If I can do it, so can you.
Vann
For the longest time, I believed what most people do—work hard, save more, buy a home, and stay put.
With a stable career at Airbnb, then Meta, Adyen, and TikTok, I thought I had my future figured out. After all, I was earning well, and my CPF would take care of retirement.
What more did I need?
Then reality hit me—twice.
First, I saw it happen with my own parents. With just one smart property move, their retirement funds grew significantly.
|| No crazy investments, no complicated strategies—just a well-timed decision that changed their future.
And that’s why I’m here.
I don’t just believe in real estate. I’ve seen firsthand how the right property move can build wealth, secure retirements, and save businesses.
I want to be the catalyst for others to make those life-changing decisions before they have to.
Now, ask yourself: If life took an unexpected turn, would you have an option? Would you feel safe if you had none?
|| Because in the end, having options is what true financial security looks like.
Work hard, save hard
Shifting beliefs
More options, more stability
Then COVID happened.
Many of my friends who ran F&B businesses saw their revenue collapse overnight during lockdowns. However, those who had invested in property managed to survive by selling or refinancing their assets. Without their properties, they would have been wiped out.
|| That’s when I realised: Property isn’t just a home.
It’s an escape route when things go wrong. It’s the backup plan you don’t know you need until you do.
Breakthrough
The convergence
The perfect duo
Our journeys started differently—one in investing, the other in real estate. We thought we were walking separate paths. But as we dug deeper, we saw something bigger.
|| Investing and real estate don’t just coexist. They fuel each other.
Most people see investing and real estate as two separate strategies. But the real power? It’s in the combination.
You can use investments to grow a bigger fund for a property down payment.
You can cash out from your property to invest and multiply your wealth.
One gives you agility—fast growth, liquid assets, and immediate opportunities. The other gives you stability—tangible assets, leverage, and long-term wealth protection.
|| Together, they create financial resilience.
CapStacked
Build wealth with purpose
We invest not just for money. It’s bigger than that.
Money, by itself, means nothing. It’s just numbers in a bank account, paper changing hands. But what it can do—that’s where the real value lies.
|| It buys time. It creates choices. It gives freedom.
CapStacked
And that’s why we’re creating CapStacked—a community for people who want the same.
A space for those who don’t just want to work hard and hope for the best but want to take control of their finances. For those who see investing and real estate not as separate paths but as powerful tools to build a life with options.
Too many people feel stuck—trapped by rising costs, job uncertainty, and financial fears. They settle, not because they want to, but because they think they have no choice.
We’ve been there.
And we know that with the right strategies, those struggles can turn into stepping stones.
We invest not just to build wealth, but to live life on our own terms.
We want to travel—not just for vacations, but to truly experience the world. To walk the streets of foreign cities without worrying about annual leave.
We want to spend time with our family—not just during weekends or rushed holidays, but when it matters most. To be present for the little moments, the milestones, and the unexpected joys of life.
|| We are building wealth with purpose.
CapStacked exists to help solve financial pains so people can enjoy life’s pleasures.
Because in the end, wealth isn’t the goal. Freedom is.
|| And that’s what we’re here to help people achieve.