Allen is no stranger to entrepreneurism, having started several companies that blossomed into successful enterprises. It was his unique experiences in each start-up that resulted in discovering his appetite for tea and his desire to share the art of tea with the world. After graduating from hotel management school in Switzerland, Allen formed Open Creative, a boutique web design firm that grew with the expansion of the Internet. He later joined Ogilvy Interactive to establish their presence in Hong Kong but still felt that his calling was in entrepreneurship. Allen left Ogilvy Interactive in 2000 and co-founded The Kitchen Limited and subsequently Whatever Branding Inc., pioneers in through-the-line marketing solutions. During his creative and experiential tenure at these two companies, Allen utilised his innovativeness and know-how to build cutting-edge brands for individual clients, but realised that he could also use the same skills to create a product that could be appreciated by many more. He spent a year honing a product that could embody his vision of being creative and innovative, yet distinctly personal to himself and customers, and thus Or Tea?™ was born in 2010.

In 2012, Allen faced a crossroads—whether to continue to allocate a significant portion of his energy to client work, or fulfil his dream of creating a meaningful product for consumers by devoting himself fully to Or Tea?™. At this juncture, Allen decided to commit to Or Tea?™, expanding the company’s line-up to include a range of products and branching out to Holland, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, UK, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, UAE, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and USA, with more countries on the horizon. Or Tea?™ is on its way to becoming a globally recognised brand; it is differentiated by its growing international clientele, yet continuing to be defined by its roots in Hong Kong. Its loyal customers appreciate Or Tea?™ for being so different from other tea brands—for striking a balance between the traditional and contemporary. A passionate dreamer, Allen believes that everyone’s dream can come true if you put your greatest effort into it.