In this Get To Know, we speak to Cash van Halder, Partner at Castian Global. Cash and María’s paths crossed serendipitously through mutual connections. In 2020, Aquí was given the opportunity to work on Castian Global’s brand identity and web refresh. During the process, we have been exposed to the world of legal consultancy and gotten to know it a little bit better thanks to Cash, whose passion and dedication towards helping small businesses have constantly inspired us.

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Aquí: Hi Cash! Could you introduce yourself and Castian Global to our friends?

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Cash: Hi everyone, I’m Cash and I founded Castian Global five years ago, after a decade of a wonderful but very demanding professional life as a corporate and private equity lawyer. Castian Global is a specialist impact consultancy service based in Singapore that offers legal and commercial advice and support to socially conscious and sustainable organisations of all sizes across a variety of sectors and countries.

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Aquí: We know that you’ve worked for some of the top-tier international law firms in the past decade. What’s the story behind starting Castian Global and leaving that behind?

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Cash: At the time, I was learning so much about entrepreneurship and had been offered great opportunities to engage with companies on advisory boards. I grew to recognise the needs of businesses that, for the most part, cannot afford top tier legal and consultancy services that should be accessible at an affordable price without compromising on the quality of advice being given.

In 2017, after becoming a mother for the first time, I decided to take a step back from the traditional private practice career I had forged and saw an opportunity to help those businesses. I now consider myself a “reformed lawyer” that enjoys helping businesses and their teams grow and thrive.

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Aquí: What does ‘impact’ in Impact Consulting mean at Castian Global?

Cash: Impact to me means making a difference, no matter how big or small, having a greater sense of purpose and a mission that is implementable and that can effect change that is meaningful.

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Aquí: We love the ethos - to make a positive social and environmental impact on the world - and are aware that Castian Global works with and supports socially conscious and sustainable organisations. What are some of the biggest challenges that some (or one) of these organisations are facing that you are helping to navigate?

Cash: Running any kind of business is challenging, time-consuming and all-encompassing. Smaller organisations or those that are not for profit tend to have the added pressure of cost constraints, and the lack of internal or external resourcing and specialist knowledge outside of their core commercial objectives. 

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Having run various NGOs and businesses myself and being brought up around two amazing and entrepreneurial parents, I feel that I can help add real value clients in this space - leveraging my professional experience to provide quality and sound advice (in a language that makes sense to them) whilst understanding their business needs, realities and priorities.

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“Impact to me means making a difference, no matter how big or small, having a greater sense of purpose and a mission that is implementable and that can effect change that is meaningful.”

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Aquí: What is one thing you enjoy the most about your work and why?

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‍Cash: Learning about all of the amazing work that my clients do gives me a greater sense of joy and fulfilment - there are some incredible people out there who really care about the planet and the fact that I can play a small part in helping them achieve their goals gets me up in the morning with a smile on my face! And if I’m being honest, the work I do can be complex, bespoke and intellectually stimulating. I am a true lawyer geek at heart after all!

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Aquí: It’s been five years since starting Castian Global. What has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of starting your own business?

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‍Cash: As a mother of two young girls, having my own business has given me great flexibility to balance my work and personal life. It comes with its own set of risks and rewards but it also means I can really dedicate real time and effort to each client. I am not a volume-driven business and ensure to conduct due diligence on each of my prospective clients, as they should of me. As someone who loves what she does and can take full control of the work and effort that goes into Castian Global, I wouldn’t have it any other way for now!

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Aquí: What is 'good design' to you?

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Cash: Similarly to what Castian Global aims to achieve, I think good design needs to make a positive impact. I think it needs to express what you stand for personally and professionally in a way that mirrors the intended emotions - funny, serious, playful, or otherwise. Thanks to Aquí, I feel that the design created for our brand does just that - showcases what we do for our clients and helps us stand out and communicate our mission. 

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‍You can learn more about Castian Global here.