Giving Circle Update
The Giving Circle Team has been working with two groups on their projects to present to you for a vote in this first round of the GAP Fund: Grace Sim with Morlivly (Tualang honey in Malaysia) and Daniel John with Biliroo (low cost phototherapy for newborn jaundice).
The Year 1 fund size is approximately $20,000, with the goal of $30,000 by the end of the year. We are still finalizing the arrangements with both founders. The intent is to keep Year 1 simple and revisit the structure in early 2027 once we have a year of real experience behind us.
The Year 1 arrangement is an idea I picked up from one of our teachers, a senior executive in Cluj, Romania. He recommended that in the first year we sign founders to a "Founders Pledge" to support the work of Resource Global as they grow in revenue rather than complicate things with equity, loans, or convertible notes.
If their company succeeds, the founder commits to donate a percentage back to their local RG chapter to fund the next generation. No equity. No loans. No legal entanglement. Just a hand-shake and a heart for the Gospel.
Grace Sim, founder of Morlivly · Resource Global Malaysia alumni
Grace is a Resource Global Malaysia alumni. Tualang honey is her Gospel Action Plan: building a sustainable honey product line out of Southeast Asia through her work with farmers in Malaysia through her startup, Morlivly.
Tualang honey is a really rare wild honey from Malaysia. It comes from these massive Koompassia trees deep in the rainforest, and the only way to get it is for indigenous foragers to climb up and harvest it by hand. You can't farm it.
Tualang honey tests higher in antioxidants and flavonoids than Manuka honey (which most people think of as the gold standard). It's known to help with stamina, inflammation, and immune recovery.
Based on published research on Tualang honey and traditional use in Malaysia. Statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Grace is using indigenous farming methods that actually help REVERSE deforestation. So the local First Nation communities in Borneo have a real economic reason to protect the rainforest instead of selling it off for palm oil.
From the GAP Fund, Grace is asking for $10,000 to help support the next phase of Morlivly's growth.
Daniel John, founder of Biliroo · US medical student
Daniel John is a US medical student building Biliroo, a low cost phototherapy device for newborn jaundice. It replaces a traditional electric blue light machine with a cloth sling and filter that harnesses sunlight, making treatment accessible in low-resource settings.
Study conclusion: BiliRoo effectively filters harmful UV while delivering adequate therapeutic blue light at a range of caregiver angles in a bench model. Next steps: usability testing and clinical feasibility, safety, and efficacy trials.
Roughly 24 million newborns each year are at risk of complications from jaundice, and about 6 million don't have access to the phototherapy they need. The standard hospital machine costs thousands of dollars and requires reliable electricity. Biliroo's carrier brings the treatment to a parent's chest, with the sun doing the work, and keeps mother and baby in skin-to-skin contact throughout treatment.
Daniel needs to raise $300,000 for additional testing to bring the device to Africa. From the GAP Fund, he is asking for $10,000 to help support testing this summer.
The Giving Circle is making its final decision on Year 1 funding for these two founders. Your vote matters. Cast it below, and add a comment if you have one. We will keep the form open through the end of May.
Tualang honey in Malaysia. Grace Sim, RG Malaysia alumni.
Low cost phototherapy for newborn jaundice. Daniel John, US medical student.
Opens the GAP Circle Fund voting form in a new tab. Takes 30 seconds.
A separate, self-funded project. Shared with you because it lives in the same vision.
This is a related venture that Tommy Lee has launched. It does not need a GAP Fund grant, but it is part of the same vision for marketplace impact.
Social Media One is a social media agency built on a team of trained young Christian professionals in Johannesburg, South Africa, serving US organizations, companies, and leaders. We are also working to develop people who can build videos using AI and exploring what the role of an AI manager is.
Tommy is leading and self-funding the project. We trained an initial group of six and selected five of them to work on real client projects. The team is now in place and we are working to lock in the first US pilot clients.