Born and raised in Hungary, KAROLA HORVATH SZOVATI moved to the US for her university studies and also began her career there in corporate finance. It was work that brought her to Hong Kong – and she’s been living here for 17 years. We talk to her about her charity in Hong Kong!
Karola’s involvement with her social enterprise Twopresents was accidental. It wasn’t until she had her two children and joined the “typical” weekend activity of attending multiple birthday parties that she saw the opportunity to change the way people celebrate these events.
Lightbulb moment
“The idea of Twopresents came from experiencing the often overly lavish nature of children’s birthday parties, which in some extreme cases seemed like mini weddings,” she says. “As a new parent, I made the effort to attend every birthday party my kids were invited to, and also to invite everyone from those parties to our own.”
The result? Parties with very long guest lists – and a subsequent overflow of birthday gifts.
“Watching my own kids open these gifts, often many of them duplicates and unnecessary, coupled with the gradual loss of interest and excitement, just didn’t feel right. Not to mention seeing the wrapping and packaging waste pile up in a corner, as well as the challenge of where to store the presents in a city where most apartments are quite small!”
Karola was left wondering whether there might be a way to keep the joy of celebrations and receiving a gift while doing it in a more meaningful, less wasteful manner.
“I kept asking myself: do the kids really need so many gifts to be happy? Isn’t less more? Can we somehow make sure children receive just one meaningful gift that they will really cherish and play with, while perhaps sharing their joy with others in need?”
It didn’t take long for a handful of other frustrated parents to join Karola and help create Twopresents. Mia, Mike and Shirin each brought their own particular expertise into the mix, from graphic design to networking, and it wasn’t long before the idea became a reality. The social enterprise launched in 2013.
How it works
Twopresents is an online invitation platform with a charitable twist. The platform allows the birthday person or host to send online invitations and choose a charity they would like to support (from a current list of 48 charities) and a gift they would like to collect money for.
Instead of bringing gifts, guests are invited to contribute money online towards the host’s gift and charity fund. When the party is over, Twopresents splits the funds: one portion is sent to the celebrant to buy the wished-for gift and the other is sent to the birthday person’s chosen charity. There is the option of donating from 15 to 100 percent of the gift or fund to the charity.
What’s more, the organisation takes care of the whole party management process, including sending online invitations, party reminders, collecting RSVPs and contributions, and managing thank you notes. In doing this, it reduces the environmental footprint of hosts and guests by limiting the waste generated at parties. It also facilitates charity visits so that donors can see firsthand how their donations are making a difference.
“This charity in Hong Kong was initially set up for children’s birthday parties,” says Karola, “but it’s also being used for ‘grown-up’ events such as big birthdays, weddings, leaving parties, and anniversaries. In essence, any occasion that involves gifting is a good occasion to use Twopresents!”
Find out more at twopresents.com.
This article first appeared in the Autumn 2025 issue of Expat Living magazine. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy!
