From drugs, jail and bankruptcy to social enterprise cafe for ex-offenders

Drugs. Bankruptcy. Failed marriages. And prison. But Mr Matthew Poh is not letting his past define him.

- Hedy Khoo

The managing founder of social enterprise and cafe The Caffeine Experience says being sent to jail at age 44 was the jolt he needed to find his purpose. Now 53, he is focused on helping fellow ex-offenders find employment and restart their lives.

"During my time in prison, I reconnected with my faith and hit upon the idea of starting a social enterprise to help former offenders learn new skills and provide stable employment. I picked coffee because making coffee can be learnt quickly."

One can learn to make coffee in 1½ days and become a barista in six months, he notes. "Instead of cooking drugs, the ex-offenders on our staff now cook pasta, and roast and brew coffee."

He knows how easily one's life can be derailed. At 23, he started an interior design business which quickly became lucrative. However, it also led to a life of extravagance and partying.

His then girlfriend, who became his first wife, introduced him to party drugs and, over time, his drug habit escalated.

While his business was flourishing – at one point, he had a $1.8 million contract and 60 people working under him – his personal relationships were failing.

He married his first wife when he was 30, but the marriage lasted only a few months. His second marriage, to a Chinese national, in 2011 also broke down and the couple filed for divorce in 2016.

In 2013, his mother died and Mr Poh began a downward spiral. His second marriage was in trouble by then, and he indulged in substance abuse to escape from reality.

He neglected his business. Even as clients filed lawsuits against his company for unfulfilled contracts, his addiction worsened when his friends introduced him to methamphetamine.