FOUNDER, SKYSURFER CONSULTING & FOUNDING IC CHAIRMAN OF ASIA IMPACT FIRST FUND

Wai Chiew has over 25 years of experience in global investment management and strategic business development, having served in public, non-profit, and private institutions including EDB, A*STAR, World Economic Forum, Temasek and various funds. In his previous role as CEO of Heritas Capital, Wai Chiew has designed and launched multiple impact funds including private equity, venture capital, fund-of-funds to back category leaders in healthcare, education, sustainability, agriculture-food, and technology sectors globally while integrating sustainability and impact investment considerations effectively. Wai Chiew further advanced impact-first investing for Asia by successfully raising and deploying the Asia Impact First Fund in collaboration with like-minded corporates, foundations, family offices and HNWI to scale the impact of social enterprises, and served as its founding Chairman of its Investment Committee as well as Advisory Committee.

Wai Chiew holds a BA in Economics from University of Cambridge, UK; MA from Yale University, USA; and completed his EMBA (conducted in Mandarin) from Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, China. He has served as SVCA’s Honorary Treasurer and a member of its ESG / Impact Committee. As a Senior Accredited Director (accredited by the Singapore Institute of Directors), Wai Chiew also actively serves on multiple boards and advisory roles to advocate sustainable growth and sound governance.

HEAD, TT FOUNDATION ADVISORS

Dickson heads TT Foundation Advisors, Temasek Trust’s philanthropy advisory services arm. TT Foundation Advisors provides philanthropy advisory, professional management, and other essential services to charitable foundations, family offices, business corporations, philanthropists, and charities across Asia. He is a seasoned and trusted Senior Philanthropy Advisor to prominent philanthropists across Asia, contributing high-impact strategies and initiatives to establish their philanthropic legacies.

Dickson spent more than 20 years serving in senior positions of, and thereafter advising leading nonprofit organisations in the healthcare, education, social services, and environmental sectors. Critical to their success are systemic solutions designed for strategic and innovative efficacy. He regularly mentors the next generation of family successors and their foundations to invest in sustainable and scalable philanthropic programmes, to maximise impact at local, national, and regional levels.

Prior to joining Temasek Trust, Dickson was Executive Director and Head of Philanthropy & Community Impact, Singapore at UBS, where he spearheaded the development and implementation of its regional philanthropy and social responsibility initiatives. Before that, he worked at BNP Paribas Singapore as the Head of Individual Philanthropy Services for Southeast Asia.

GROUP CEO, SUNWAY EDUCATION

Elizabeth is Group CEO of Sunway Education, owned and governed by the not-for-profit Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. Under Elizabeth’s leadership since 1992, it has grown from just one institution into a dynamic group of over 20, encompassing kindergarten all the way up to university, and alternative education pathways.

As a respected thought-leader in education and leadership, she serves as trustee of MERCY Malaysia (a world-renowned humanitarian organisation), and the 30% Club (promoting women leadership in public company boards). Internationally she is a member of the British Council’s Going Global Partners Group and the High-Level Advisory Council of the UN SDG Academy.

Elizabeth holds a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Education from Cambridge University. She is a past-president of the Oxford and Cambridge Alumni Society of Malaysia. Her many awards and accolades include two honorary doctorates from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, and Victoria University, Australia, respectively. For her lifelong dedication and commitment in the field of education, she was appointed as Professor at Sunway University in February 2021 and bestowed the state title of Dato’ by His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin Shah, the Sultan of Perak in 2022.

CEO, ASIA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Joseph Cherian is CEO, President, and Dean of the Asia School of Business. As Professor of Finance, he possesses a highly versatile, varied and distinguished international background, spanning academia, global financial markets, and strategic leadership in education. Professor Cherian’s academic career in teaching and researching finance, asset management and portfolio investments includes top global universities including Cornell University, National University of Singapore, and Boston University. Apart from teaching at the Asia School of Business, he most recently served as Visiting Professor of Finance of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at the SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University.

Professor Cherian’s professional experience in the financial services sector spanned asset management where he managed US$67 billion in client assets as Global Head and Chief Investment Officer of the Quantitative Strategies Group at Credit Suisse Asset Management. While at Credit Suisse, he served on the Global Executive Committee, as well as various senior management, investments, and risk committees of the Asset Management division. He continues to be involved in the financial industry through advisory roles to governments and think-tanks in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore, in areas such as venture funds, asset management, pensions and capital market policies and reforms.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BELMONT INNOVATION LABS FOR SOCIAL IMPACT

Josh's career weaves together over two decades of academic research, community development practice, and social entrepreneurship to advance the cause of evidence-based social innovation to help communities thrive.

As a scholar, Josh's work has focused on understanding the social and cultural conditions that enable or thwart the ability of people and communities to thrive. His research has focused recently on the role that different institutional sectors play. In 2019, he published the first of its kind "Field Guide for University-Community Partnerships," examining the role that universities and colleges play in advancing the wellbeing of their home communities. In 2022, he published "The Enterprise Solutions to Poverty Field Guide," mapping the evolving field of faith-based impact investing and enterprise solutions to poverty.

In 2017, Josh launched the Thriving Cities Group (TCG), a social enterprise that equips mission-minded people & organizations to work together for more effective, equitable, & enduring social impact. TCG has worked in over 15 states, and in 2021, TCG entered a partnership with UN's Habitat to host the SDG Cities Taskforce.

Josh's prior positions include: Director the Ormond Center for Thriving Congregations and Communities at Duke University; Faculty Fellow at the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity, and Director of the Thriving Cities Lab at the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture.

CHAIRMAN, TBN ASIA

Melvyn spent 18 years of his life as a banker and General Manager of a stockbroking company before responding to the call to do religious work for the next 18 years of his life. For the 3rd period of 18 years of his life, he’s passionate about the synergy between the Marketplace and alleviation of poverty through enterprises.

GROUP CEO, BIJI-BIJI INITIATIVE & MEREKA

Rashvin leads the Biji-biji Group, one of Malaysia's pioneering and award-winning Social Innovation organizations. Since 2013, they have created a series of successful social innovation models and enterprises, across circular economy, ethical fashion, and alternative energy. Their latest venture is Mereka, an education and innovation platform, designed to connect people with educational content, experts, and technology.

Rashvin plays an active part in various global and regional engagements. One of his most meaningful engagements was a panelist at the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) in 2019 & 2020, Asian Financial Forum 2021 and Sustainable Brands Asia Pacific 2021, and also being selected as an Obama Leader in the Asia Pacific inaugural cohort 2020.

In 2019, Biji-biji won the Common Objective (CO) Leadership Award in the UK, and in 2018 Biji-biji was recognized as the Social Enterprise of the Year at the Sustainable Business Awards and got our World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) certification. In 2015, Biji-biji won the coveted SME Innovation Challenge by Alliance Bank. Rashvin graduated with an Accounting and Finance degree from the University of West of England, Bristol UK, and spent the first 4 years of his career in the corporate world, as a Manager at the Advisory Division of PwC Malaysia.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRE, ASB

Redza began his entrepreneurial journey in 2016, co-founding Grub Cycle, Pasar Grub, and Oililin—startups rooted in sustainability and social impact. Within the first four months of launching Grub Cycle, he raised over RM 1 million through grants and investors. His ventures have earned recognition from the Alliance Bizsmart Challenge and international platforms such as Pitch@Palace UK and the Alipay-NUS Social Innovation Challenge in Singapore.

He has represented Malaysia globally through programs in Australia, Germany, Hungary, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. A strong advocate for social entrepreneurship, Redza champions initiatives like Buy Social Malaysia, helping social enterprises gain market access through partnerships with corporations and government.

Currently, he serves as President of the Chamber of Social Entrepreneur Development (CSED) and leads ASBhive at the Asia School of Business, designing programs that support startups and impact-driven founders across Malaysia.