Hustle Studios acquires independent cultural publication RICE Media

Hustle Studios, the creative division of Hustle Singapore, has acquired independent digital publication RICE Media. The announcement was made on 29 March 2026, marking the end of RICE Media's decade-long run as a standalone editorial outlet.

Hustle Singapore is an accredited training provider operating under Singapore's SkillsFuture framework, a state-supported initiative designed to promote lifelong learning and workforce adaptability. The acquisition formalises a relationship that predates the transaction.

Hustle Singapore had previously served as a training partner for RICE Media, collaborating on the development of creative skills and narrative writing courses deductible via SkillsFuture credits.

From publication to platform

Since its founding in 2016, RICE Media has occupied a distinct niche within Singapore's digital media landscape. The publication built its readership around narrative-driven features and essays examining identity, work culture, and social expectations among younger Singaporeans.

Under the new ownership structure, RICE Media is set to evolve beyond its traditional digital publishing model. The platform will be integrated into Hustle Singapore's ecosystem of learning and facilitation, with a focus on creative industry programmes and community-led workshops.

The acquisition reflects a broader convergence between cultural publishing and structured learning frameworks. Traditional advertising-supported editorial models have faced sustained pressure globally from platform algorithm changes, declining advertising margins, and audience fragmentation.

Partnerships with educational institutions and community organisations have emerged as one pathway for sustaining editorial brands while diversifying revenue streams. By integrating RICE Media into a SkillsFuture-accredited training framework, Hustle Studios positions editorial storytelling simultaneously as cultural output and as a gateway into structured professional development programmes.

Founders' statements

Outgoing founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Tan stated that the publication was established to provide Singaporeans with honest and thoughtful storytelling, and that the team had largely accomplished that mission over the past decade.

Co-founder Julian Wong described the platform as having evolved into a community for those seeking to reflect on their place in Singapore. Julian Wong characterised Hustle Studios as the appropriate home for the brand, citing a shared vision for the creative talent ecosystem.

A representative from Hustle Singapore described RICE Media as an integral part of the country's cultural and creative infrastructure, and stated that Hustle's role would be to support the next phase of the brand's evolution through increased public participation.

Strategic rationale

For Hustle Singapore, the integration of an established editorial platform provides access to an existing audience with demonstrable alignment to the creative sector. This may reduce customer acquisition costs for training programmes while strengthening brand credibility within creative industries.

Reader surveys conducted by RICE Media in 2025 identified professional burnout and a desire for creative expression as recurring themes among its audience. The acquisition is framed in part as a response to those findings.

Both organisations have indicated they intend to create new spaces for Singaporeans to reflect and connect, including an expansion into creative industry programmes that build on the audience the publication has cultivated over ten years.

SkillsFuture context

SkillsFuture initiatives have increasingly emphasised lifelong learning and workforce adaptability in response to technological change and economic restructuring. Creative sector training has been positioned within broader national efforts to encourage innovation-driven growth and portfolio careers.

The integration of an editorial publication into an accredited training provider represents a hybrid structure that combines cultural production with institutional learning frameworks. Neither organisation has indicated that the acquisition will alter RICE Media's editorial positioning.

Transition arrangements

During the transition period, both Mark Tan and Julian Wong will remain with the company in an advisory capacity. The arrangement is intended to provide continuity as the publication explores new programming and community engagement models.

RICE Media will continue its editorial operations at its existing web address. The leadership has indicated that further announcements regarding specific new programming and community-led initiatives will follow in the coming months.

Hustle Singapore is known for developing accessible pathways into the creative economy through workshops, design, and digital skills training, in partnership with industry stakeholders and government agencies.