Speakers at Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025

Andrea currently drives the national agenda to foster a thriving AI hub in Singapore, characterised by the attracting of frontier AI companies, accelerated AI adoption, and the advancement of new job opportunities and better lives for Singaporeans.

She is also one of the leaders of Singapore’s international cooperation on AI governance, putting Singapore at the forefront of responsible and inclusive AI development, for AI to serve the public good.

Andrea has had an extensive career in the Singapore Government, spanning a wide range of roles in education, economic development, trade negotiations and international diplomacy. Prior to her technology stint, Andrea was based in the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC, where she was dedicated to strengthening our trade and digital ties with the US, and securing supply chains at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Andrea graduated with First Class Honours in English from University College London, and has a Masters with Distinction in Modern English Literature from the University of Oxford. She also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Distinction) from the National Institute of Education.

Andrew Ure is Managing Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Southeast Asia at Google. He has been at Google for over ten years, working on policy issues across the Asia-Pacific. His expertise is in technology policy, workforce skilling and the economics of the digital economy.

Prior to this he was Managing Director of OgilvyEarth, a sustainability consultancy. He also spent ten years in a number of senior roles with the Australian Government, including as a diplomat in the Middle East and as a climate negotiator and chair in UN and World Bank processes.

He started his career as a strategy consultant based in London. He has a Masters in International Law from the Australian National University and an undergraduate degree from Oxford University.

Antha N. Williams leads the Environment program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. Under Williams’ direction, Bloomberg Philanthropies supports environmental initiatives to improve sustainability and air quality in cities around the world, to advance clean energy, to protect the ocean, and to help mobilize the private sector to accelerate the global transition. Outside of philanthropy, Williams has worked as a campaigner and organizer, directing large scale voter protection efforts and serving in leadership positions for five years with Green Corps, a training program for aspiring environmental organizers.

Arthur Sletteberg is a Managing Director at Abler Nordic. Formerly known as Nordic Microfinance Initiative, Abler Nordic invests in financial inclusion companies globally. As the financial inclusion field has developed over the past 15 years, Abler Nordic has evolved along with it. A focus on traditional microfinance matured into investing in a broader range of services that enable people to strengthen their overall financial health and build resilience, which is reflected in the new name.

Prior to joining Abler Nordic, Arthur held the position of Executive Vice President responsible for financial investments at Ferd AS. Throughout his career, he has held several senior roles across Norway’s financial sector, including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Investment Officer at Oslo Pensjonsforsikring, Investment Director at Storebrand Asset Management, Deputy Head of Treasury at DNB and Consultant at the Norwegian Central Bank.

Arthur brings extensive experience in both private and public investment management. At Ferd, he oversaw a broad portfolio of financial assets. Arthur also served as the Chairman of the Investment Committee at Norfund. Arthur currently serves on the board member at Arctic Securities AS.

He holds an MSc BA in Business Administration from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), and a Master’s in International Economic Policy Research from Institut für Weltwirtschaft in Germany. His career reflects a strong commitment to responsible investing, development finance, and institutional asset management.

Mr Benedict Cheong is the Chief Systems Integration Officer of Temasek Trust Ltd (a Singapore philanthropic entity). He was appointed on 1 November 2023 and leads a team that works in the areas of systems thinking, knowledge and innovation, to help harness the capabilities Temasek Trust and philanthropy and content partners towards greater collective impact. From April 2022 till October 2022, he was Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Foundation Ltd (a Singapore philanthropic entity supported by Temasek Trust Ltd) with specific responsibilities in impact-outcome strategy, institutional relationships and organisational planning. Before this, he had served in Temasek Foundation since April 2007 as Chief Executive Officer, Temasek Foundation International, leading the work in regional and international programmes.

Mr Cheong’s first employment was with the Singapore Government in the Police Force where he served for 15½ years from 1982 till 1998 in various appointments at headquarters and in the operational units. He then served as Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Social Service for 9 years till 2007, coordinating the work of the social sector agencies and organisations in Singapore.

Mr Cheong currently also serves on a few organisations and committees in the public and non-profit sectors in Singapore.

As the chair of the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates shapes and approves foundation strategies, advocates for the foundation’s issues, and sets the organization’s overall direction. He works with grantees and partners to further the foundation’s goal of improving equity in the United States and around the world. 

Bill co-founded Microsoft Corporation in 1975 with Paul Allen and led the company to become the worldwide leader in business and personal software and services. In 2008, Bill transitioned to focus full-time on the foundation’s work. Through his private office, Gates Ventures, he pursues his work in climate change and clean energy innovation, Alzheimer’s research and other healthcare issues, interdisciplinary education, and technology. He is also the founder of Breakthrough Energy, which works to address climate change by supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs, big thinkers, and clean technologies. 

In 2010, Bill, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett founded the Giving Pledge, an effort to encourage the world’s wealthiest families and individuals to publicly commit more than half of their wealth to philanthropic causes and charitable organizations during their lifetime or in their will. 

Bill grew up in Seattle with two sisters. His late father, William H. Gates Sr., was an attorney and civic leader who served as a co-chair of the foundation from 2000 to 2020 His late mother, Mary Gates, was a schoolteacher, University of Washington regent, and chair of United Way International. Bill has three children.  

Carol Liew is the founding Managing Director of ECCA Family Foundation, bringing 15 years of experience in impact-driven philanthropy and international development. She leads ECCA’s philanthropic grants and impact investments focused on ocean sustainability, biodiversity, and underserved communities. Under her leadership, ECCA partners with NGOs, community leaders, government, and academia to drive collective action and scale locally led solutions. Previously, as Head of Philanthropy at North-East Family Office, she shaped strategic giving for families, including establishing ECCA. Her eight-year tenure in humanitarian and international development spanned eight Asian countries, managing multi-million-dollar programs in climate adaptation, sustainable livelihoods, and resilience. ECCA is committed to shifting power in philanthropy and mobilizing resources where they are needed most.

Chavalit Frederick Tsao is the fourth-generation steward of TPC (Tsao Pao Chee), a family business with more than 120 years of history, established in the late 1800s during the Qing Dynasty. He was born in Hong Kong, China, and after completing his education at the University of Michigan, Chavalit joined the family business at the age of 20 and became the chairman at the age of 37. He also served as the chairman of Intercargo, where he established innovative platforms to promote collaboration within the maritime sector.

Chavalit's background and experience gave him unique insights into global sustainability challenges and founded East West Cultural Development Centre in 1995 to research this topic. He discovered that integrating ancient wisdom and modern science creates a holistic approach to cultivating leadership for this era.

Chavalit champions the belief that businesses should be purpose-led, beyond profit. This belief is at the heart of his efforts to transform his family business, TPC, with a new mission: “To Serve Well-being of Life and Create Wealth at the Same Time.” He has also pioneered OCTAVE, a unique business model that fosters an integrated life journey towards well-being, demonstrating his commitment to his vision.

Chavalit’s insights are shared in three books he has authored. He advocates for the urgency of a shift in humanity’s consciousness and for business to lead the way. He has commissioned research and published more than 35 Chinese books.

Associate Professor Chua Mei Chien is senior consultant and Head, Department of Neonatology at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. She holds concurrent appointments as Deputy Chairman, Division of Medicine and Academic Vice Chair (Clinical), Paediatric Academic Clinical Programme.

An experienced clinician,  she is passionate about implementing evidence-based programs to impact long term health outcomes. Notably, she serves as Director of the KK Human Milk Bank, the first and only donor human milk bank in Singapore,  which she established in 2017. The program has benefitted more than 8000 preterm and sick infants , improved their health outcomes and gave them a better start in life.

She is a key lead in the Healthy Early Life Moments in Singapore program which aims to stem the tide of metabolic diseases, following a life course approach, by incorporating the research findings of the GUSTO and S-PRESTO Singapore cohort studies into new models of care for maternal and child health.  

She is current president of the Association of Breastfeeding Advocacy Singapore and leads in national breastfeeding promotion efforts and the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. She also advocates for health in children as the president of the College of Pediatrics and Child Health , Singapore.

Corinna Chan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore International Foundation (SIF), a non-profit dedicated to international peacebuilding and development.

Prior to joining the SIF, Corinna was the Head of Programmes and Impact at the Philanthropy Asia Alliance under Temasek Trust. There, she led the team in developing projects to advance environmental and social causes. She was instrumental in the launch of the flagship Philanthropy Asia Summit that served as a collaborative platform to convene, connect, and catalyse partnerships.

As Senior Director at Temasek Foundation, she helmed the annual Singapore Summit, bringing together business and finance C-suite executives to discuss the implications of geopolitical, social, and technological developments on economic growth, financial markets, and industries. She also developed programmes that supported regional cooperation and integration, and social resilience in Singapore.

Prior to this, Corinna worked at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for more than ten years, holding various portfolios. As its Head of International Finance, she supported the development of MAS’ policies on international monetary and financial issues, enabling MAS to play an active role in international financial forums. She represented MAS at regional forums such as ASEAN and APEC. She led free trade agreement negotiations on financial services and was also responsible for MAS’ participation at the World Trade Organisation.

Desmond Kuek is CEO of Temasek Trust, the philanthropic arm of Temasek Holdings. Prior to this, he has held pinnacle leadership roles across sectors: as Divisional Vice Chairman (Global Wealth Management) at UBS and Global Head of its Sustainable Finance Group (2019-2022); President & Group CEO of SMRT Corporation (2012-2018); Permanent Secretary in the Singapore Ministry of Environment & Water Resources (2010-2012); and Chief of Defence Force (2007-2010), Chief of Army (2003-2007) and Director of Joint Intelligence (2000-2003) in the Singapore Armed Forces. Through the years, he also served on the boards of Housing & Development Board, International Enterprise Singapore, Jurong Town Corporation, Defence Science & Technology Agency, Civil Service College, Singapore Technologies Engineering and its subsidiaries. He held senior advisory roles in SAP (Asia Pacific & Japan), Toyota Tsusho (Asia Pacific), Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, Nanyang Technological University’s College of Engineering, and Singapore Centre for Green Finance. Desmond holds a Master of Arts (Engineering Science) from Oxford University, a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University, and is an alumnus of IMD Switzerland.

As Data Products and Solutions Lead at CGIAR Hub for Sustainable Finance (ImpactSF), Dr Burra plays a crucial role in transforming how finance meets sustainability in agri-food systems. Leveraging his expertise on artificial Intelligence, gig data , and his experience in data products and solutions, his team has designed and scaled science based, data-driven solutions that help financial institutions to identify what to invest into and where, and how to monitor these investments at scale and at low costs. His team designs solutions for investors that not only de-risk their investments but also generate and report on social and environmental impacts from their investments into sustainable, climate-resilient food systems.

Emily Landis is the Global Climate & Ocean Director for The Nature Conservancy. She leads the global effort to mainstream the values of ocean and coastal ecosystems to reduce climate risks through policy, science, partnerships and supports implementation in over 15 countries. This involves a broad portfolio including projects on blue carbon markets, incorporating the ocean into international policy agreements, community-based conservation and building out the global science and awareness of the role of the ocean for biodiversity and people. Emily is also the TNC representative for The Global Mangrove Alliance, Global Mangrove Watch, International Partnership for Blue Carbon, scientific member of the Blue Carbon Initiative and serves as an ocean focal lead on the UNFCCC’s Nairobi Work Program on Ocean and Adaptation.

Emily holds a graduate degree in Biodiversity, Evolution and Conservation from University College London, with a focus on valuation methods of ecosystem services, and during her tenure she worked directly with the Zoological Society of London. She also holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Policy and Environmental Science. Her previous work experience includes the Global Ocean Commission, Pew Charitable Trusts and Rare.

Faye Ong is an Executive Director and member of J.P. Morgan Private Advisory, a cross-disciplinary group of over 100 global specialists who collaborate to deliver innovative and forward-thinking strategies, working closely with Private Bank Advisors to help clients make well-informed decisions and achieve their goals.

Faye is part of the Philanthropy Centre team and provides clients with insights and services to help meet their financial and philanthropic goals through advice, thought leadership and learning opportunities.

Legally trained with a strategy consulting and international relations background, Faye has over 20 years of Private Banking experience in Singapore and Hong Kong, where she was focused on philanthropic and family office advisory, and trust structuring for her clients in Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

Prior to joining J.P Morgan, Faye was the Asia Head of Family Office and Philanthropic Advisory, as part of the Global Family Office Group at Citi Private Bank. She was responsible for developing the business offering and leading the advisory business in Singapore and Hong Kong. She advised clients on the strategy, legal set up and implementation of their family offices, philanthropic foundations and donor advised funds.

Faye has been deeply involved in the philanthropic sector over the past 25 years. She sits on the Board of Centre for Fathering, Singapore and is strategic adviser to several charitable organizations in Asia. She has set up her own charity, The Awaken Foundation, under the Singapore government qualifying grant-makers scheme to create a legacy of charitable giving.

Dr Gina Samaan is the Regional Emergency Director of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific. She is an infectious disease epidemiologist with a career focus on pandemic risk management. For over 15 years she has served WHO at the country, regional, and headquarters levels, where she coordinated global initiatives to strengthen preparedness and resilience, the Global Genomic Surveillance Strategy, and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, among others. During COVID-19, she established a response unit focusing on country support, technical monitoring, and liaison with the UN country teams through the UN Development Coordination Office. She previously worked and consulted for agencies including US-CDC, USAID, DFAT and DoH Australia, IOM, RTI International to design or implement public health initiatives.

As Vice President of Global Contracts at Equinix, Grace Khor spearheads a dynamic legal team focused on maximizing the effectiveness of commercial deal negotiations across global sales, specialized sales initiatives, and supplier agreements.

 

Grace is a Board Member of the Equinix Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Equinix dedicated to creating a more accessible, equitable and interconnected digital future for everyone, everywhere. Driven by a passion for making a difference, Grace believes in the power of individual action to create positive and lasting impact and sees the Equinix Foundation as a vital platform for advancing digital equity in communities around the world.

 

Grace holds a law degree from the University of London and is a member of the Singapore bar and admitted to the roll of Solicitors in the United Kingdom. She is also a board member of the Singapore Association for Mental Health, a non-profit focused on mental health and wellness.

Danwei HUANG is the Deputy Head and an Associate Professor of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He is a joint appointee of the Department of Biological Sciences, as well as a research affiliate at the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions and Tropical Marine Science Institute. He received his education and training at NUS, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and University of Iowa, before returning to NUS as a faculty member. His research integrates the fields of ecology, evolutionary biology and marine conservation, using the coral reef as a model system to address questions on biodiversity. The questions his team is addressing are motivated by the fact that coral reefs are one of the richest and yet most threatened ecosystems on Earth, so he seeks to gain understanding of the origins, maintenance, and loss of marine biodiversity at the local, regional and global scales.

Jamie Choi is the CEO of Tara Climate Foundation, an Asia-based philanthropic organisation focused on accelerating progress on the region’s most urgent climate challenges. Under Jamie’s leadership, Tara has grown to provide support to a diverse network of over 250 grantees spanning across 13 Asian geographies. Jamie brings  two decades of global experience in civil society organisations and philanthropy, with a primary focus on climate and environmental issues across Asia. A native of South Korea, she has lived and worked extensively across various continents, including Asia, North America and Central America, and speaks four languages. Jamie earned both her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Brown University.

Ms. June Kunugi assumed the role of Regional Director for UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Region in July 2024, bringing over 30 years of dedicated service to the organization. In this capacity, she oversees UNICEF’s programs across 28 countries, leading efforts to advance children's rights and well-being throughout the region.

Prior to this appointment, Ms. Kunugi served as Director of UNICEF’s Public Partnerships Division at the organization's New York headquarters, where she led global resource mobilization and advocacy initiatives. Her extensive career includes roles as UNICEF Representative in Myanmar, overseeing development programs and humanitarian responses, and leadership positions in the State of Palestine, Japan and the Republic of Korea, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the Gulf area countries. She began her journey with UNICEF in Communications, with assignments in Viet Nam and Bangladesh.

A national of Japan, Ms. Kunugi holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in East Asian Studies and Romance Languages and Literatures from Wesleyan University, and a Master of Science in Journalism from Columbia University.

Laurence Lien is Co-Founder and founding CEO of the Asia Philanthropy Circle. Laurence is also the Chairman of Lien Foundation, a family foundation established in 1980, that has become well-regarded for its forward-thinking and radical approach in the fields of early childhood development and care for seniors. 
 
Laurence was the CEO of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre in Singapore from 2008-2014. In 2008, he founded the Community Foundation of Singapore and was its Chairman from 2013-2019. He is also Board Member of the Lien Centre for Social Innovation at the Singapore Management University. 
 
Prior to his work in the non-profit sector, Laurence served in the Singapore Administrative Service, which forms the top echelon of public service leaders in Singapore. Laurence holds degrees from Oxford University, the National University of Singapore, and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. In 2010, Laurence was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship. He was also a Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore from 2012-2014. 

Dr Lee Fook Kay is the Head of the Pandemic Preparedness office at Temasek Foundation, which develops and executes philanthropic outreach and projects for preparedness and countermeasures for future pandemics. Their work supports regional networking of scientific communities and health policy makers and promotes capacity building and data sharing in scientific networks and the surveillance of emerging infections and neglected tropical diseases with pandemic potential. Dr Lee was previously Chief Scientist at Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs and was instrumental in building national S&T capabilities in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence for national security. Dr Lee was awarded a Ph.D in Chemistry from the National University of Singapore in 1990 and was designated as Chartered Chemist in 1994 by the UK Royal Society of Chemistry.

Mr Lim Boon Heng is the Chairman of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance.

Mr. Lim joined Temasek as a Director on 1 June 2012 and was appointed Chairman of the Board on 1 August 2013. Mr. Lim is currently Chairman of NTUC Enterprise Co-operative Limited, NTUC Health Co-operative Ltd, NTUC Health for Life Fund Limited and St Gabriel’s Foundation. He was previously a Cabinet Minister within the Prime Minister’s Office. Mr. Lim’s career spans the private and public sectors, having led Singapore’s National Trade Union Congress, and having served as a Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister for Trade and Industry. Before entering the public sector, Mr. Lim spent a decade at Neptune Orient Lines Limited. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Naval Architecture from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.

Lisa Genasci is Managing Director, Sustainable Finance, with ADM Capital, where she leads the firm’s ESG Committee and sits on the Investment Advisory Committee as an observer. She also co-leads the firm’s first impact strategy, the Asia Climate Smart Landscape Fund (ACLF) for Indonesia, which launched in December 2023. ACLF provides credit to SMEs in the agricultural commodity sector with targets set in emissions reduction, better land use management, improved livelihoods and gender.

 

Prior to joining ADM Capital full time in 2021, Lisa initiated and for 15 years led the ADM Capital Foundation (ADMCF), an innovative philanthropic vehicle established to support critical research and impact-driven approaches to promoting environmental conservation in Asia. ADMCF has been recognised for its research-led solutions to some of our most intransigent challenges: Our depleting oceans, the nexus between forestry and development, air quality and public health, the intersections among food, energy and water. During her time at ADMCF, Lisa provided advisory support to the ADM Capital Funds’ ESG integrated investment process. Lisa holds a BA degree with High Honors from Smith College and an LLM in Human Rights Law from the University of Hong Kong.

Luis heads the GAEA (Giving to Amplify Earth Action) initiative, and the Strategic Philanthropic-Public-Partnerships team at the World Economic Forum. GAEA aims to convene, incubate and scale new and existing public, private and philanthropic partnerships (4Ps) to unlock the capital needed each year to tackle climate change and nature loss.

Before GAEA, he was part of setting up the Mission Possible Partnership, catalysing global movements of corporates to accelerate the decarbonization across the hard-to-abate sectors.

Luis is a Millennium Leadership Fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC, and his work has been recognized by the Obama Foundation Leaders program, the European Parliament and the Schwarzkopf Foundation in Berlin among others. He is a Trustee at National Park City Foundation.

He has previously had roles at UK Government, Spanish Parliament, the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities initiative and has helped several elected roles in Brussels in the context of the EU and Council of Europe frameworks.

He is a Master’s graduate in Sustainability Leadership at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (University of Cambridge) and a post graduate in EU Political & Public Administration from the College of Europe in Bruges.

Mehrdad Ehsani joined The Rockefeller Foundation in September 2019 as Managing Director for the Food Initiative in Africa, which seeks to enhance access to nourishing food for millions across the continent through sustainable food systems. He has an interest in ecosystem approaches to transforming markets for greater inclusivity.

Currently serving as the Vice President of the Food Initiative in Africa at the Rockefeller Foundation, Mehrdad has led and overseen market development programs in African food systems with organizations such as Adam Smith International, Palladium Group, and SNV, supported by DFID, USAID, DGIS, RF, and BMGF.

Mehrdad holds a BSc in Agriculture from the University of British Columbia and an MSc in Agribusiness Management from Imperial College, London. Before joining the Foundation, he played a key role in the leadership team of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.

Melissa leads the Bloomberg Ocean Initiative at Bloomberg Philanthropies. The initiative is focused on achieving the global target to protect or conserve at least 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030, or 30x30. The Bloomberg Ocean Initiative promotes science-based, high-impact marine protection policies to enhance transparency at sea and protect some of the world’s most climate change-resilient reefs.

Melissa has over 15 years of experience, including working on energy and climate issues in Mayor Bloomberg’s Administration. She also served as the director of the City Energy Project – an initiative to cut energy waste in large buildings and make U.S. cities healthier and more prosperous through energy efficiency. Melissa holds a master’s degree of public administration in environmental policy and science from Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs where she was an Adjunct Professor. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Oberlin College and currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson of the Aditya Birla Education Trust (ABET), is a distinguished global leader, an unwavering advocate for mental health, and a trailblazer in the realm of inclusive education.

As the founder of Mpower, Neerja has redefined mental health in India. Reaching over 160 million people, Mpower has become South Asia's largest and most influential entity focused on mental health literacy, capacity building, and community outreach. Neerja's relentless dedication has established mental health as a human right. 

Driven by her deep commitment to education, Neerja established the Aditya Birla World Academy and the Aditya Birla Integrated School, both of which have set new benchmarks for distinction and diversity. Through the Academy, she has empowered over six lakh educators across India and Asia, providing them with the tools and skills to enhance educational outcomes, especially in marginalized and low-fee schools. 

As a passionate champion for women’s health and empowerment, Neerja pioneered Ujaas, an initiative designed to eliminate menstrual stigma, combat period poverty, and promote reproductive health awareness.

Neerja's also holds the position of trustee on the Board of the Healthy Brains Global Initiative (UK), is a member of the Indian Advisory Council for the British Asian Trust, and is actively involved in the Asia Gender Network of AVPN and the Future Mental Health Collective (UK). In these roles, she is driving global strategies to enhance brain health and mental well-being, with a particular focus on South Asia. 

Khoa Nguyen is a progressive farmer-entrepreneur reshaping agriculture in Vietnam. As CEO of the Cam Chau Agricultural System—a network of farms, cultivation companies, export firms, and supply distributors in the Mekong Delta—he has developed an in-depth understanding of the nation’s agricultural landscape.

 

Passionate about innovation and sustainability, Khoa pioneered a breakthrough rice cultivation process, “Quy trình canh tác lúa sử dụng khoáng tự nhiên với công nghệ phun bằng dây bay.” This method harnesses natural minerals combined with drone spraying technology and has earned Ministry-level recognition for its technical merit.

 

Motivated by his commitment to transforming rice production, Khoa launched NEORICE—a project designed to make agriculture both economically viable and environmentally responsible. This pioneering project was a finalist at the Net Zero Challenge 2023, organized by Temasek Foundation and Touchstone Partners. 3000ha using Neorice tech has been signed between Lotus Rice (the largest high quality rice exporter), VietRISA and AHA.

 

In addition to NEORICE, Khoa plays a key role in Vietnam’s National Agricultural Extension program, contributing significantly to the 1 Million Hectare initiative—a government project focused on developing high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation across the Mekong Delta.

 

With a unique blend of practical experience, innovative spirit, and unwavering dedication, Khoa Nguyen is not only transforming rice production but also cultivating a more sustainable future for Vietnam and beyond.

Nirvana Chaudhary is a distinguished entrepreneur and philanthropist, known as the Managing Director of CG Corp Global, a multinational with a portfolio spread across 30 countries. Starting his first company at 19, he has cultivated a diverse career spanning various industries. Nirvana is also a published author of children's books, including “Araaya’s Fables” and "Beyond Wonder Woman," promoting moral values and gender equality. His love for adventure is evident in his achievements in mountaineering and as a former member of Nepal's National Squash team. In the realm of philanthropy, he serves as Vice Chair of the Chaudhary Foundation, focusing on education and healthcare initiatives for children. Recognised globally, Nirvana holds key positions in the banking sector and has been honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He has also spoken at Harvard Business School to MBA students on “Managing and Growing Family Business” and at the Davos Summit on Climate Change. He shares his life with his wife Ashrayata and their two children, Araaya and Arhaan Binod Chaudhary.

Prashant is a sustainability practitioner with over three decades of experience in nature conservation across the Asia-Pacific region. As Head of Ecosystems and Climate Change at Mandai Nature, he leads strategic initiatives in biodiversity and climate change, focusing on Nature-based Solutions. His experience includes mainstreaming biodiversity into business sector, conservation education, and citizen science.

Mr Ravi Menon is Singapore’s first Ambassador for Climate Action and Senior Adviser to the National Climate Change Secretariat at the Prime Minister’s Office. He plays a leading role in Singapore’s efforts to foster collective action internationally and transition planning locally towards a low-carbon future. He is also Chairman of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) Asia-Pacific Advisory Board and a member of the GFANZ Principals Group.

Mr Menon is Chairman of ImpactSG, a start-up charity which aims to grow a community of purposeful givers in Singapore and Asia. He is also a Board Member of The Majurity Trust, a philanthropy which deploys cause-based funds to address social needs.

Prior to his current roles, Mr Menon served for 36 years in the Singapore Public Service. In his last appointment as Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (2011-23), Mr Menon oversaw monetary and macroprudential policies, reformed the financial regulatory framework, and developed Singapore as a green finance centre and a global FinTech hub. On the international front, he served as Chairman of the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System and Chairman of the Financial Stability Board Standing Committee on Standards Implementation.

Mr Menon is a recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal from the Singapore Government, the Distinguished Alumni Award from NUS, and the Distinguished Leadership and Service Award from the Institute of International Finance in Washington.

Rhett Ayers Butler is the founder and CEO of Mongabay, a non-profit news organization that reports on the intersection of people and nature through a global network of about 1,000 journalists in more than 80 countries. His writing and photography have appeared in hundreds of publications, and his work has been recognized with honors including the Heinz Award and the Parker/Gentry Award.

 

Beyond Mongabay, Rhett has advised a range of organizations and institutions. On the philanthropy front, he has worked with foundations, donor collaboratives, and individual philanthropists; served on prize committees in a grantmaking capacity; and established and funded a conservation award.

 

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rhett has traveled widely and frequently speaks at events and universities around the world on topics including non-profit journalism, tropical forests, and trends in conservation.

Robin joined the Forum in March 2025 as Community Lead, Climate and Health, where he curates a high-level community committed to mobilising the private sector to unlock action aimed at addressing the effects of climate change on health. He previously led Wellcome's Climate and Health Policy and Private Sector Partnerships, where he notably shaped the first ever Health Day at COP28.

Robin has 15 years experience working on climate, health and development challenges across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the USA, including for governments, multilateral institutions and non-profits. He holds degrees from Oxford University, the Harvard Kennedy School, and Sciences Po.

Shaun Seow is CEO of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA), a Temasek Trust initiative dedicated to catalysing collaborative philanthropy through dynamic multi-sector partnerships. He works closely with members and partners, to accelerate efforts that drive lasting, transformative change, and advance Asia’s role in shaping a more sustainable, inclusive world.

Shaun also serves as Temasek’s Head of Community Stewardship, leading a team that enables social capital so that every generation prospers. He aims to drive societal improvement through catalytic philanthropy and partnerships with key stakeholders from across the public, private and people sectors.


Previously, Shaun held Managing Director positions in Temasek’s Investment Group and Singapore Market. He joined Temasek in 2017 after helming one of its portfolio companies, MediaCorp Pte Ltd., as its Chief Executive Officer. Earlier in his career, he was a financial editor with The Straits Times and a civil servant in Singapore’s Administrative Service. 

Shaun read Economics at Cambridge University and was appointed an Eisenhower Fellow by the Philadelphia-based organization which engages emerging leaders from around the world.

Dr. Siti leads the International Blue Carbon Institute's global efforts in translating blue carbon science into tools and methodologies for climate mitigation and adaptation. Based in Singapore, she spearheads initiatives aimed at fostering multidisciplinary expertise and cultivating a resource hub for knowledge exchange. 

Dr. Siti is a marine ecologist and works across tropical marine and coastal habitats. Her work and research interests broadly lie in the areas of ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions for adaptation and mitigation in marine environments. Within this, she is specifically interested in using seagrass habitats as a model system for understanding ecological thresholds to stress, ecosystem resilience, and the effects of human activities and climate change on the marine environment.

Sonali Patel is a partner in Bridgespan’s New York office, where she co-leads both the environmental area of expertise and global sourcing and diligence. She joined Bridgespan in 2014 and has since led multiple engagements both in the US and globally. Her primary areas of focus are global development (with an emphasis on issues of equity) and climate change, where she is a sought-after advisor. She has worked with individual philanthropists, family philanthropies, institutional philanthropy, INGOs, and equity-focused NGOs.

 

Sonali’s career has spanned two decades both in for-profit and nonprofit consulting. Her nonprofit experience includes working extensively in strategy, organizational design (including governance structures), sourcing and diligence, as well as development of organizational missions, visions, and values. Prior to joining the Bridgespan Group, Sonali was at Bain & Company for more than a decade, working primarily in the healthcare practice while covering a wide range of issues, including growth strategy, organizational and process redesign, and performance improvement.

 

Sonali regularly contributes to thought leadership on climate and philanthropy with numerous publications in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Inside Philanthropy, and Bridgespan.org. Sonali is a graduate of Duke University and The Wharton School.

Susan Brown was appointed to the position of Assistant Administrator and Director, Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in September 2024. A senior advocacy, policy and communications expert, Susan Brown comes to UNDP with a strong track record and commitment to the development of good public policy as well as sustainable development advocacy and financing. Her most recent work was providing strategic advisory, advocacy, policy and communications support to various international organisations in the fields of sustainable development, gender and public health. Prior to this, she was Director of Public Policy Engagement at Gavi; Director of Global and Regional Policy and Head of the Policy and External Affairs Cluster at WWF International; Susan also has experiences as a print journalist, senior advisor in the Australian Federal Parliament and Coordinator of the North Queensland Conservation Council. Susan brings a deep understanding of geopolitical dynamics and decision-making processes.

She has built strong relationships with governments, global institutions and civil society organizations at the executive level and led global network teams to significant recognition of their objectives in major international processes and forums. In 2016, Susan was acknowledged as an “Inspirational Women in Geneva Working for the Environment” by the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions and Geneva Environment Network. She has an Executive Master's degree in Environmental Governance and Policy-Making from the Geneva Graduate Institute and a Bachelor of Social Science in Social and Environmental Assessment and Policy, from RMIT University in Melbourne. Susan is a Swiss national, growing up in Australia before she moved to Switzerland in 2005. 

Originally from Italy, Susanna is a Breathwork Master Trainer with more than 30 years of experience. She is also a professional coach skilled in Executive Development, Career Development and Self-Actualization Coaching, with a demonstrated history of working in the professional wellness, training & coaching industry. Author and TEDx speaker, her work has been endorsed and appraised by an international clientele and audience.

Susanna holds a certification in Neuro-Semantics and as a trainer her work is a unique blend of ancient and modern world, through breathwork, coaching, neuro-science, myth, folk tales and anthropology to reveal how our thoughts and choices can shape our life.

She is also the co-author of three best-sellers books about vegan lifestyle and raw food (published in Italy). Inspired by Abraham Maslow's quote "Impossible means you haven't found the solution yet" she is committed to put together inspiring success stories, decades of research and her own unique personal experience of more than 30 years in USA, Europe, China and South-East Asia, to support people to become more motivated, more passionate and successful with love and a renewed sense of purpose and personal excellence.

Sze Ping Lo is a program director at Sequoia Climate Foundation, where he leads the organisation’s grantmaking portfolios for China and Southeast Asia. Prior to joining Sequoia, Sze Ping was CEO of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in China, and served in top leadership and governance roles in Greenpeace, Friends of Nature, Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology (SEE), China Youth Climate Action Network (CYCAN), and Global Call for Climate Action (GCCA). He has founded two NGOs, Forward Works and Greenovation Hub, and has received numerous recognitions for his achievements, including being named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2012. He holds an EMBA from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and is a political scientist and anthropologist by training. Apart from being a diligent reader and eclectic music lover, he is also an internationalist foodie.

Professor Teo Yik Ying is Dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore, and concurrently a Governing Board Member for the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education (SEAMEO) Regional Centre for Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network. Prior to his Deanship, he was the Director for the Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, and Founding Director for the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research for the School of Public Health.

Professor Teo is presently a member of the International Organising Committee for the Prince Mahidol Award Conference, as well as the M8 Alliance which forms the academic foundation for the World Health Summit. He is the Co-Director for the Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health’s Collaborating Centres for Health Promotion, and sits on the Global Coalition of Deans of Schools of Public Health.

In 2023, Prof Teo was appointed Vice President of NUS’ new Office of Global Health, which is a multidisciplinary whole-of-University effort to drive NUS’ health engagement efforts on the global stage.


He received his BSc in Mathematics from Imperial College in 2000, MSc in Applied Statistics and DPhil in Statistics from the University of Oxford in 2001 and 2006 respectively.

Dr. William Tjhi is a distinguished expert in the field of artificial intelligence, with a focus on linguistic inclusivity and accessibility. He currently serves as the Head of Applied Research at AI Singapore, where he leads initiatives to develop language-specific Large Language Models (LLMs) tailored for Southeast Asia's diverse linguistic landscape. With over 15 years of experience in AI and machine learning, Dr. Tjhi has worked with leading organizations such as GovTech and Traveloka, contributing significantly to the advancement of AI technologies.

Dr. Tjhi's academic background is rooted in a PhD from Nanyang Technological University, where he specialized in unsupervised learning for text data. His research interests include NLP and LLM evaluations for underrepresented languages , with numerous publications in these areas. He is also a regular contributor to AI communities in Southeast Asia, providing strategic guidance on AI training and development to governments and corporations.

In addition to his role at AI Singapore, Dr. Tjhi holds a technical advisor position with the Singapore National Translation Committee and a consultant to a tech startup, Sembly. His work is characterized by a commitment to making AI technologies accessible and inclusive, ensuring that they benefit a broad spectrum of users across different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Dr. Cuilin Zhang is a Chair Professor on Women’s Health at the National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, founding Director of the Global Center for Asian Women’s Health, and the Lead for Population Health Study program of Asian Center for Reproductive Longevity and Equity. Prof. Zhang holds an Adjunct Professorship in Nutritionat the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Before joining NUS, Prof. Zhang was a tenured Senior Investigator and interim Chief of the Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA. She served in the NIH Nutritional Research Task Force Writing Group for developing strategic plan on national nutritional between 2021-2030 and was the NIH Intramural Subject Matter Expert of multiple themes.

 

Prof. Zhang is a clinical epidemiologist whose work unites nutrition, biochemistry, genetics, clinical medicine, and public health. Prof. Zhang is leading a multi-disciplinary research programme focusing on the improvement of women’s health and human potentials through diet and lifestyle modification, omics research, and early screening in general. One of the main focuses is on nutrition and lifestyle determinants, metabolic and genetic determinants, and health consequences of obesity, gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes, and related comorbidities across the lifespan. Professor Zhang  has published more than 350 peer-reviewed articles, many of which are in high impact clinical journals, achieving an H index of 86, spearheading the significant contributions of her innovative, global, multidisciplinary research group on nutrition, diabetes, obesity, and women’s and children’s health.

 

Prof. Zhang is an Associate Editor for Diabetes Care and American Journal of Epidemiology, the Editor-in-Chief (international) for Maternal & Foetal Medicine, and serves in the International Advisory Board of the Lancet Obstertrics and Gynecology, Women’s Health.