Christy Tan brings over 16 years of experience in financial markets, specialising in foreign exchange, fixed income, and portfolio strategy. Currently an Investment Strategist at Franklin Templeton, she previously led Asia Markets Strategy at National Australia Bank and spent nine years at Bank of America. She is driven by a mission to deliver value-added and innovative solutions that help investors achieve their financial goals. Beyond her professional work, Christy is passionate about financial empowerment, diversity and inclusion, and advancing financial literacy — particularly for women.
james ck kok
Strategic AI and technology leader at AI Singapore
James CK Kok is a strategic AI and technology leader at AI Singapore, with expertise spanning AI governance, ecosystem development, engineering leadership, and large-scale transformation initiatives. He has led projects encompassing AI capability development, operational deployment, enterprise partnerships, and cross-sector collaboration across government, industry, academia, and technology. Drawing on a background in engineering and software development, he brings both technical depth and executive-level perspective to complex technology programmes. He is recognised for his ability to bridge technical and executive stakeholders through strategic thinking, people-centric leadership, and effective execution in complex environments. James is passionate about developing national AI strategy, public-sector transformation, AI safety and governance, homeland security applications, and the building of sustainable AI ecosystems.
keith yap
The Front Row Podcast
Keith Yap is a media entrepreneur, policy leader, and the host of The Front Row Podcast, where he engages in long-form conversations with thinkers, practitioners, and leaders across geopolitics, technology, and economics. Before building his own media platform, he grounded himself in public service as a civil servant, including three years at EnterpriseSG. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Yale-NUS College and a Master's in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, where he currently serves as President of the Alumni Singapore Chapter. Keith is also deeply passionate about psychological resilience and social cohesion, a commitment recognised through his receipt of the Total Defence Advocate Award for Individuals in November 2025.
khim tan
Head of Programmes
Access Singapore
Khim Tan is the Head of Programmes at Access Singapore, a social mobility charity, where she leads the development and delivery of initiatives that expand opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. She works closely with schools, corporate partners, and community organisations to design programmes that connect youths with mentorship, career exposure, and meaningful learning experiences, empowering them to make informed decisions about their futures.
Before joining Access, Khim built her career in Singapore's social service sector through programme leadership and youth development roles at YMCA of Singapore and Methodist Welfare Services, where she championed youth empowerment, volunteer engagement, cross-sector partnerships, and the prioritisation of mental health and well-being to create lasting social impact.
piragathesh s/o subramanian
Deputy Director
HIV Programming
World Health Organisation
Guided by the belief that every young person deserves access to quality healthcare and the opportunity to thrive, Piragathesh has led strategic policies and programmes as Associate Director at the World Health Organisation, including infectious disease initiatives across ASEAN — setting goals, developing strategies, and guiding his team to achieve meaningful outcomes. His work has expanded access to essential healthcare services and preventive education for underserved and remote communities. Through close collaboration with governments, NGOs, and grassroots organisations, he has driven sustainable solutions to complex healthcare challenges affecting young people. An award-winning United Nations Youth Director with nine years of experience in healthcare and youth advocacy, he champions health equity and youth empowerment on a global scale. His leadership reflects a deep commitment to building inclusive systems that empower young people and strengthen community well-being.
royston phang
FOUNDER, SALTTWORKSHOP + JR
Royston Phang is an Industrial Designer and UX practitioner with 11 years of product design experience. Driven by deep technical curiosity, he brings a unique perspective that bridges business goals with user needs, specialising across the full product development lifecycle, spanning research, ideation, and rapid prototyping, to deliver market-ready products that serve both design and engineering functions. As an Adjunct Lecturer at NAFA, he teaches students the fundamentals of 3D form and rapid prototyping, challenging them to bring their ideas to life through hands-on making. This passion for craft extends further as the founder of SALTTWORKSHOP + JR, where he facilitates woodworking workshops for children, creating safe, empowering spaces where they can explore possibilities and build self-confidence, while also advocating for parent-child bonding through the joy of making together.
sarafian salleh
STB Tourist Guide
President of the Bugis Malay Society
Sarafian Salleh is the President of the Bugis Malay Society in Singapore and a licensed Singapore Tourism Board (STB) tour guide. By day, he is a man of logic, structures, and systems — a veteran engineering consultant who has spent the last 18 years running his own firm, Diagnoveritas Pte Ltd. Beyond the blueprints and technical assessments, however, he is a deeply passionate cultural custodian whose dedication to Bugis heritage dates back to his teenage years in 1985. Sarafian has led a parallel life dedicated to reviving Bugis traditions and local history, a quest that intensified when tracing his own ancestry. Over the past two decades, he has meticulously documented Malay holy sites, founded the influential "Bugis Temasek" digital community, and supported the landmark 2017 Malay Heritage Centre exhibition, Sirri Na Pesse (Honour and Pride). Today, he seamlessly transitions from engineering consultation to leading public heritage walks, ensuring that Bugis culture remains a vibrant part of Singapore's national identity.
tang wanzhen
General Manager
Kranji Water Reclamation Plant
PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency
Wanzhen is the General Manager of Kranji Water Reclamation Plant at PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency. She oversees the treatment of used water, supporting its subsequent production into NEWater which is an integral part of Singapore’s water supply.
Prior to this, she was involved in water resources planning, where she worked on strategies and long-term infrastructure plans to ensure a reliable and sustainable water supply for Singapore. Her experience also includes roles in water quality management, environmental sustainability, and hydraulic modelling.
Wanzhen spent two years at the Ministry of Education, where she worked on policies related to general education and school governance.
She holds a Master of Chemistry from the University of Oxford and a Master of Science in Applied Economics from Singapore Management University.
She is passionate about building sustainable water systems and empowering teams to work effectively together, and hopes to encourage more young people to consider careers in sustainability and the public service.
walid jumblatt abdullah
Associate Professor in Political Science, NTU
Walid Jumblatt Abdullah works on state-Islam relations, and political parties and elections, with a particular focus on Singapore and Malaysia, bridging the gap between rigorous academic political science and accessible public scholarship. He has published articles in internationally peer-reviewed journals such as Democratization and International Political Science Review. He received his PhD through a Joint Degree Programme between the National University of Singapore (NUS) and King's College London. Mr Walid demonstrates a strong commitment to youth empowerment by creating platforms that encourage younger generations to voice their views and engage with public issues. He also builds networks that bring together diverse voices onto a single platform for a wider audience.
ho yong min
URBANIST SINGAPORE
Ho Yong Min is the founder of The Urbanist Singapore, a platform dedicated to uncovering and sharing the city's hidden heritage through storytelling and guided walks. With a background in urban and cultural geography, he combines academic insight with digital creativity to make history accessible to younger audiences. His work has reached tens of thousands online, inspiring communities to see Singapore as a vibrant and meaningful city rather than one that is merely "dull" or "clinical." He collaborates with institutions and embassies to highlight the intersections of urban design, culture, and everyday life in Singapore. At the heart of his work is the belief that heritage should be engaging, relatable, and a source of pride for future generations.
zoe tee
Deputy Head, Youth Department
Fei Yue Community Services
Zoe is currently a senior social worker and deputy head of department at Fei Yue Community Services leading the Integrated Service Provider team, Hidden Youth Outreach Service team and YouthGO! Outreach team.
Previously, Zoe was involved in portfolios in the Ministry of Social and Family Development relating to youth at risk and was a probation officer. She was also in a task force that aimed to revamp the regime in a semi-structure youth-at-risk hostel. Subsequently, her job scope involved indirect social work practice such as operational policies relating to child welfare such as the Family Guidance Order.
Her contribution to her division in terms of Restorative Practice led to her team being awarded the MSF Star Service and Service Excellence Award in 2017 and 2018. She was also awarded the Promising Social Worker Award in 2018 conferred by the President of Singapore. Her team in Child Welfare was also awarded the Public Service Transformation Award in 2021, this time for the team’s innovative spirit in implementing the pre-FGO services in 2020 during the height of the Covid 19 pandemic. Zoe’s team in addressing youth social isolation issue in Singapore was recently awarded the Outstanding Social Work Team Award 2026 and were featured on CNA Insider Shutdown.
Today, she continues to shape the future of the sector by sharing her expertise as an adult educator at the Social Service Institute and adjunct lecturer at NUS, bridging the gap between frontline practice, knowledge, and systemic advocacy.
phoebe scott
SENIOR CURATOR,
NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE
Phoebe Scott is Senior Curator at National Gallery Singapore, specialising in modern and contemporary Southeast Asian art with a focus on 20th-century Vietnamese art, the subject of her PhD research. Her curatorial work is defined by an interest in material histories and transnational exchange, seen in exhibitions like Radiant Material: A Dialogue in Vietnamese Lacquer Painting (2017) and Between Declarations and Dreams (2015), which she co-curated. She researches how colonial pedagogy and Parisian networks shaped Vietnamese artists in the 1930s–1940s, exploring tensions between colonial and cosmopolitan identities. Recent projects include co-leading Into the Modern: Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, curating it with a goal of transforming the way Singaporeans see Impressionism in relation to Singapore’s context today. Through In-Gallery Sharing Sessions and her writing, she brings scholarly rigor to public engagement, highlighting technique, narrative, and the social contexts behind artworks.
