Mario Ho stresses resilience, perseverance in entrepreneurial journey

Young entrepreneur Mario Ho stresses the importance of facing challenges head-on and maintaining a resilient mindset during an entrepreneurial journey.

At the age of 29, Ho stands as one of the youngest CEOs of a publicly-listed company worldwide, NIP Group. The company went public on Nasdaq in July, officially becoming the first e-sports stock from China.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Ho reflected on his early attempts that did not achieve the desired success which he sees as valuable experience in shaping his current ventures.

"When I first started, I wanted to make a platform for bookings. I tried AR, I tried AI, I tried other versions of games. None of those things took off. Then again, I don't exactly blame myself because I was very, very early. So but then again, looking back, those are very valuable experiences that helped build land today," Ho said.

Ho points to a key moment in his career when his group secured a significant sponsorship deal with BYD, which enabled them to attract more sponsors.

"I think my first bucket of gold for NIP Group had to be when we signed the sponsorship deal with BYD. That was our largest sponsorship deal. That really kick started everything, because after BYD, numerous other very recognizable brands came into the group and became sponsors as well. We were able to unlock a lot more partnerships, and we were able to use those funds to actually buy some new star players, which ended up winning us, I think, four or five trophies. So that really was a key moment," Ho said.

Giving advice for fellow young entrepreneurs, Ho stressed that obstacles are inevitable in the path and encourage them not to give up.

"Don't give up. I think that is the most important thing when it comes to entrepreneurship. Understanding that problems are always going to arise. That's the nature of entrepreneurship. So you can't run away from it. You can't procrastinate. You have to be at war mode, at any point in time in your career. But most importantly, you are going to get defeated. You are going to lose, you are going to succumb to certain pressures and issues that you're not able to solve. However, as long as you don't give up, you give yourself another fighting chance, another day. I think that has to be the most important advice I can give," Ho said.

Mario Ho stresses resilience, perseverance in entrepreneurial journey

Thousands of Greenlanders, joined by government officials, marched across the capital Nuuk on Saturday to protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to take over the territory.

In Nuuk, people began gathering from early afternoon, chanting "Greenland belongs to Greenlanders."

The protest drew broad participation, including Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who waved a Greenlandic flag. Many participants wore caps bearing the words "Make America Go Away."

Before marching to the U.S. consulate in Nuuk, the crowd gathered for a minute of silence.

Then they sang Ayaya songs, a traditional Inuit way of sharing experiences, resolving conflict, and de-escalating tension.

Orla Joelsen who organized the protest said Trump should stop the psychological threats against Greenland.

The psychological impact of Trump's threats is being felt strongly by many there.

"I live in danger. I also don't get so much sleep because in all the news there I see is about Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland, and Greenland is not for sale, and we will never be for sale," said Parnuna Olsen, a protester.

When asked about how she felt in terms of Trump's threat, another protester named Jane said: "Stomachache, nervousness, how this is going to end. Because I know he wants revenge. I don't know any nice words about him."

"I have completely lost for words for what he is doing now. It is just completely insane," said Malik Dolleruk Sehebel, another protester.

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with Copenhagen retaining control over defense and foreign policy. The United States maintains a military base on the island.

Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his interest in Greenland, from "buying" the island during his first presidential term, to the current employment of "a range of options" including "utilizing the U.S. military" to seize the autonomous island.

Later in the afternoon, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States will impose 10-percent tariffs on all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland over Greenland issue starting on Feb 1.

Those tariffs would increase to 25 percent on June 1, and would continue until a deal is reached for the United States to purchase Greenland, Trump said on social media.

Greenlanders march across Nuuk against Trump's threat of takeover