Genashtim has been awarded “Best Employment Support Enterprise 2024” by APAC Insider as part of the Singapore Business Awards. For Thomas, this accolade adds to Genashtim’s previous recognition in 2021 as the Leading Pioneer in Online Learning by APAC Insider, reflecting the company’s continued growth and the impact of its employment and business practices within Singapore’s dynamic business ecosystem. 

The Singapore Business Awards 2024 celebrates outstanding and innovative companies and individuals that have demonstrated remarkable growth and adaptability despite challenges such as budget changes and economic shifts. 

Established in 2008 as a fully remote startup, Genashtim began with Thomas’ mission to uplift and empower people with disabilities (PWDs) through sustainable employment. Today, the for-profit social enterprise has grown into a global team of 143 employees spanning six continents. Alongside its commitment to remote work, Genashtim has gained recognition for its pioneering efforts in providing stable employment opportunities for individuals who face barriers to traditional job markets. 

Thomas coined the term “the forgotten workforce” to describe individuals who are often sidelined from the mainstream workforce due to prejudice, stigma, and preconceived notions. While serving as a trustee at a blind school in Manila, he observed that blind students with exceptional computer skills couldn’t find employment. This prompted him to employ them himself, eventually leading to the conception of Genashtim. Today, the company focuses not only on employing people with disabilities, but also refugees, seniors, individuals from the LGBTQAIP community, women in oppressed environments, and many others from disadvantaged groups. 

A company’s backbone is its people, and Thomas has always placed strong emphasis on recognizing the abilities of Genashtim’s employees. Despite debilitating medical conditions and other challenges, many employees develop ingenious ways of working and use assistive tools to deliver strong performance. Their needs are supported through Virtual Office Training (VOT), medical reimbursement, and continuous improvements to the virtual workplace to support holistic growth. Genashtim continues to demonstrate that, with the right support and accommodation, everyone can work. Going further, JEDI Jobs, an online remote job portal created by Genashtim, facilitates remote employment by connecting job seekers from different backgrounds and locations with legitimate global employers. 

For Thomas, this recognition from APAC Insider is more than an accolade. It affirms the purpose behind Genashtim’s mission to provide long-term, stable, and sustainable employment opportunities for job seekers from all walks of life. More importantly, it reinforces his belief that businesses can create meaningful impact by looking beyond conventional assumptions about who can contribute to the workforce. Thomas is deeply honored by the recognition and sees it as further encouragement for Genashtim to continue creating opportunities for those who are too often overlooked.