“The most powerful words do not begin on a stage. They begin with the willingness to look within, understand what we carry and give it expression. When we speak honestly, we do more than inspire others. We begin to see ourselves differently.”
Adeline Yeo founded Ministry of Public Speaking (MPS) in 2023 to help others live out those words. It was not her first venture. In 2009, she left a successful 20-year career in technology to start an education business. That business eventually closed, leaving her with a painful but formative experience.
Adeline then entered public service, where she spent the next 12 years contributing to national initiatives. Through those years, the pull of entrepreneurship never quite faded. She realised she did not want to spend the rest of her career only building other people’s visions.
Finding Her Voice
Returning to entrepreneurship was daunting. The public speaking training market was already crowded, and Adeline would have to build credibility from scratch while still holding down her day job. Although the thought of becoming an entrepreneur again frightened her, she knew she would regret it if she never tried.
What spurred her on were memories of her younger self. As a child, she spoke so little that people called her “mute”. They assumed she had nothing to say, but the truth was that she had thoughts she did not yet know how to express. Those memories give her deep empathy for the people she works with today and keep her passionate about helping others find the voice and confidence she once lacked.
This time, Adeline built her business around something she was both skilled at and passionate about. Toastmasters had revealed her flair for public speaking. She began winning speech contests and was invited to run speechcraft and communication workshops as a volunteer, and she discovered that helping others gain confidence was even more rewarding than speaking herself.
Her first paying client was an MOE vice-principal whom she coached. Seeing the improvement in her confidence and delivery gave Adeline the conviction that communication training could become both meaningful work and a sustainable business.
A Different Approach
Conviction did not make the road smooth. Even the name, Ministry of Public Speaking, required some back-and-forth with the authorities before it was approved. Adeline also had to make sure her new venture would not share the fate of her first.
She saw an opportunity to approach communication training differently. Alongside speaking techniques, her programmes address self-doubt, fear of judgement, and the internal beliefs that shape how people communicate. Her approach combines public speaking, voice work, coaching, reflective practice, movement, and experiential learning. She describes it as being “about helping people become better versions of themselves.”
That experience taught her to nurture the person before the speaker. When participants seem nervous or tense, Adeline knows there is often more beneath the surface than a lack of technique. She creates a space where they can reflect and speak in their own way, without ever being pushed to share more than they wish. “When people look within, put words to experiences they have carried silently and feel genuinely heard, they begin to see themselves differently.”
Let Them Speak
As MPS grew, so did Adeline’s desire to give back. MPS created Let Them Speak, a movement for young people aged 11 onwards that uses public speaking as a vehicle for self-discovery and meaningful expression, guiding participants towards a real stage and an audience willing to listen. Adeline describes the vision simply: “Think TED Talks, but for teenagers who have never been given a mic.”
She also volunteers with community organisations, offering public speaking programmes to youths from underserved backgrounds. All of it stems from a desire to nurture in others the self-confidence she once lacked.
Staying Relevant in a Changing World
Adeline’s first business taught her that passion alone is not enough to survive. She has to keep learning and stay relevant. “The ability to remain a practitioner, not just a business owner, is one of my most important risk management tools.”
She has observed that young people may communicate constantly online while still finding face-to-face expression, emotional articulation, and interpersonal connection difficult. That calls for communication programmes to evolve beyond traditional presentation techniques, a challenge Adeline relishes.
AI, too, is reshaping the landscape. Generative tools can produce a polished script almost instantly, but Adeline believes the harder and more valuable work lies in judgement and live connection. “AI can help us prepare our words, but it cannot replace the human ability to read a room, respond in real time, and make another person feel understood.”
Still Standing, Still Building
Adeline began as a child who rarely spoke, spent two decades in technology, experienced a painful business failure, rebuilt her career in public service, and returned to entrepreneurship in her fifties. She now hopes to grow MPS into a recognised Singapore communication academy and a scalable communication and leadership development platform that reaches beyond founder-led workshops and, eventually, beyond Singapore.
She also hopes to correct a common misconception: that good speakers are simply born confident or charismatic. Adeline wants to show that speaking can be developed, and that everyone can communicate with clarity, conviction, and presence.
Her work is guided by three Chinese values, 真善美. 真 stands for authenticity, 善 for acting with kind intentions, and 美 for carrying ourselves and treating others with dignity and confidence. “Entrepreneurs carry a deep responsibility to their employees, their customers, and the broader society,” she says.
Opening the Next Door
Adeline understands the fear of failure that new entrepreneurs face, and she is candid that it never fully disappears. “Even the most successful entrepreneurs live with the fear of failure every single day, because the stakes only grow higher as you succeed. What matters is your mindset.”
She also encourages them to reinvent themselves without forgetting where they came from. “My story has moved through technology, education, public service and entrepreneurship. Every chapter gave me skills, experiences and perspectives that I now bring into my work.”
Her journey, she says, has been about opening doors one at a time. “Your first door may not lead to your treasure, but it will lead you to the next door, and the next.”
The child once called “mute” is now building the stage she once needed. “Do not let being overlooked at the beginning determine where you will end. The most powerful change begins when you look within, give expression to what you carry and see a new possibility for yourself.”
Website: https://www.mps.com.sg/
AUTHOR BIO
ALAN KOH
Alan Koh is the Founder and CEO of Impossible Marketing, a group of companies renowned for hyperlocal marketing strategies tailored to businesses in Singapore. His professional journey began in the banking sector, where he quickly rose through the ranks, garnering eight industry awards in just four years.
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