The lane less travelled: One Monash alum’s detour to global impact

11 December 2025

Struggling with school and his mental health, Nathaniel Diong found himself disengaged from the future everyone expected of him. One excursion, taken for the wrong reasons, set him on a path that has empowered thousands of young people worldwide.

Nathaniel Diong grew up in a family that prized academic achievement.

His parents had migrated from Malaysia and believed education was the path to security and success.

“I grew up watching my parents juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet, so education was drilled into me as the most important thing in the world,” he said.

But that model crumbled when he failed a subject.

“I went into a really difficult place and began to disengage. I struggled with depression for a long time,” he said.

School “stopped making sense,” so at age 16, when an excursion offered a chance to escape class, he jumped at the opportunity.

It took him somewhere unexpected: a room full of doctors, lawyers, and engineers who announced they would “solve the healthcare crisis” in 48 hours.

It was a hackathon - an intensive challenge to design solutions under tight time constraints.

“That was the moment I realised learning could be fun and exciting,” he said.

He returned determined to replicate the experience, organising an entrepreneurship program across five schools.

That project evolved into Future Minds Network, which has now reached more than 13,000 young people across 22 countries.

“The conventional advice is to pick a lane and stick to it, but my advice is: don’t pick a lane - take a detour. It will often teach you more and take you further than the straight lane ever could,” he said.

Hands-on learning, global reach

What began as a small, student-led initiative has grown into a global social enterprise, delivering programs to equip young people with practical skills, mentoring, and pathways to employment.

Through six-week innovation programs, young people build businesses and tackle real-world challenges.

They learn ideation, technology, design thinking, and business strategy, work with mentors, and pitch solutions to councils, investors, and community audiences.

A select group are choosing to continue scaling their own businesses, provided with free, dedicated market space at local festivals, shopping centres and retails hubs.

Outcomes are impressive: 96% of participants go on to engage in new training or opportunities, and 74% are more confident in finding a job after high school.

“It’s so inspiring - seeing young people turn ideas into reality,” Mr Diong said. “It’s an incredible job to do every day.”

His efforts have not gone unnoticed. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree, Commonwealth Young Person of the Year finalist, Diana Award winner, Young Australian of the Year finalist, and World Economic Forum Global Shaper, Mr Diong recently added Monash Business School’s 2025 Emerging Talent Alumni Award to his achievements.

An exciting next chapter

A key focus of Future Minds Network is supporting young people in regional communities, where opportunities are limited and unemployment is higher.

“A lot of regional young people are being left behind. They’re three times more likely to be unemployed - around 15% compared to 5% in cities. School completion is about 30% lower. There are far fewer long-term pathways,” he said.
Future Minds Network provides career guidance and the tools for young people to create their own jobs locally.

Mr Diong and his team are now building the Future Schools Academy, a national learning platform that will deliver digital programs, masterclasses, and industry mentorship to students in remote areas.

“We’re in a really exciting chapter,” he said. “It’s our chance to scale nationally, remove barriers for schools and deliver this work digitally. It has the potential for major impact.”

For Mr Diong, the work is deeply personal.

“For so long, I’d believed that doing well academically made you a better person, and when that stopped working for me, it was a big blow to my identity,” he said. “Future Minds Network became my canvas for helping young people to make a difference in the world.”

Learn more about Monash Business School’s annual alumni awards.