Three months ago, I started the Spotlight on TW blog series to uncover Taiwan’s quiet innovators, community builders, and culture shapers. My goal: to share their stories so others can be inspired, encouraged, and empowered to act.
I was delighted and moved when talking with 11 incredible people (one through his team due to his health condition) in various walks and lives. I want to share a summary of the learnings with you.
What drives them?
Passion wasn’t what drove them — at least not at first. One sought freedom, one followed curiosity, others worked with what was at hand, or answered a call to change paths.
But behind every story was one force: Care — for family, community, culture, nature, and the next generation.
Care sustained them through failure, fueled resilience when told ‘not possible,’ and inspired creativity to find another way.
What’s also interesting is that all but 1 (employed) run their own businesses/ operations but only 1 seemed to choose intentionally. Most become an entrepreneur/ creator by doing what’s needed with the circumstance or may never call themselves as such.
How do they define success?
For them, success isn’t about revenue, titles, or awards — though most do make a living through their work. Success means honoring loved ones, doing the right thing even when it’s hard, learning from failure and continuing to improve, and helping others think differently.
Their goals are open-ended, giving them courage, purpose, and balance.
What makes them special, successful?
They lead by example, live with resilience, and build trust-based communities with purposes beyond profit. Many blend tradition with modern practice — in art, farming, health, or education. They adapt, diversify income streams, and in more scaled efforts, create supporting ecosystems.
What’s challenging?
Challenges remain. Organic farming still struggles with perceptions of cost, taste, and purpose. Fast-changing society and tech focus have disconnect people from nature, culture, and even family. Many leave hometowns, chasing ‘good jobs,’ yet feel rootless and anxious.
Tradition risks being lost — cultures, crafts, farming, stories — while conventions can both help and harm: humility is virtue, but undervaluing ourselves breeds dependency on external recognition; education builds Taiwan’s foundation, but obsession with elite schools, fame, and money narrow choices and stifle creativity.
The challenge — and opportunity — is to blend: honor tradition while inventing for the future. ‘How to do it well’ relies on all of us to think and act.
How might you go from here?
If you’re inspired, dive deeper into each story (links below). Share them to raise awareness and shift mindsets. Contact or visit these change makers to learn, experience, and collaborate.
• 張威光 (Weiguang Zhang): wood carving, Carve of Love and Imagination
• 洪新富 (HsinFu Hung): paper art, Living Art Learning, Solving, Creating Value
• 徐超斌 (Dr. Chao-Bin Hsu), known as Superman doctor: 南迴 (South-Link) devotion, Start from Love Reimagines Rural Health, Education, and More
• 何明賢 (Jacken Ho): gourd art, Crafting a Future Art Education and Village Revival
• 黑貓姐 (Black Cat Sister): marine protection and culture education, Black Cat Clear Heart a Different Kind of Movement
• Dr. Fa-Hsien Lee (李法憲) and Dr. Ching-Hsiang Hwang (黃慶祥), known as 田龜(farm turtle): organic agriculture and life learning, Two Educators One Purpose: Planting Seeds, Growing Purpose
• 陳榮三 (Rong-San Chen), known as 阿三哥 (A san Ge): organic agriculture, quiet forces behind Leezen, Cultivating the Next Generation of Organic Practitioners
• 美蘭 (Meilan) and 野狼媽媽 (wolf’s mom): group shopping, The Quiet Power of 團媽 (Group Shopping Moms/Leaders) — Trust, Action, and Organic Community-Building
• 張顥嚴 (Hao-Yen Chang): organic tea, The Roots of Change — Taiwan’s Organic Tea Farmers Rethinking Taste, Soil, and Success
And for yourself: believe, act, and put ‘heart’ into what you do — using creativity, being resilient, building a community/ ecosystem around you — to support you go further.
As Superman doctor said, Love isn’t where we’re going but where we start! Together, let’s shape a smarter, healthier, and more equitable world — prosperity for all!