On February 20, 2025, marking the 15th anniversary of Dialogue in the Dark Foundation (DIDF) in Hong Kong, SmartAge was invited to its celebration gala. At the INCLUSIVE & DIVERSITY APPRECIATION AWARDS 2025, SmartAge received the INCLUSIVE Employer Award, becoming one of the few startups to earn this honor.
Since its founding two years ago, SmartAge has closely collaborated with DIDF, supporting and hiring Empower Programme graduates. Each graduate actively contributes their best, significantly impacting SmartAge.
This award wouldn’t be possible without the support of InnoPort at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, which provided an inclusive workplace, enabling us to implement diversity policies and become an inclusive startup.
During the gala, founder Jason and PoD talent Isaac shared their collaboration experiences.
Jason said: “I admire Isaac’s eagerness to learn and openness to feedback. Adapting to a real work environment, rather than special treatment, fosters his growth. Our team has supported him in building confidence—from initial shyness to confidently handling calls and now independently managing candidate interviews, showcasing remarkable progress.”
Isaac added: “Thanks to Jason and DIDF for this opportunity to achieve possibilities I never imagined in an IT company. Though I lack formal IT training, I’ve self-taught AI applications, image processing, and coding, and I treasure this job, giving my all.”
Jason concluded: “Every company and task has unique strengths and challenges. The key is understanding and adapting to them—everyone has their own unique talents.”
