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Asia's Impact Venture-Builders Gathering

Join us in building trusted relationship capital for a better future.

The 2024 Global Impact Chapter marks our second gathering of impact-driven leaders, coming together to share insights and explore regenerative actions.

Relationship Capital & Regenerative Action

# Impact ecosystem # Economics of Mutuality # Mental health & anxiety # New kids on the block # Highlight: Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia

10th October, 2024 Conrad Singapore Orchard Hotel

Time Table

Partner

Speakers

Melissa is a cross-cultural and cross-sector bridge-builder who enjoys raising leaders and catalysing partnerships for the greater good.  An anthropologist by training, a possibilist by nature and a product of two entrepreneurial families, she is a serial ideator and catalyst enabling and co-founding numerous initiatives and championing their leaders and communities. She was a student activist and helped to spearhead various youth leadership and advocacy initiatives in the 90s with the first youth HIV-AIDS outreach and collaboration between NGOs, influencers and night clubs, a service-learning based girls leadership programme Project Access and network for young professional women, and was the first local Chairperson of Halogen Foundation which pioneered youth-led, values-based leadership education in schools.

Melissa served a two-term Presidency of the UNIFEM National Committee which hosted the first global Anti-Child Sex Tourism and Trafficking Conference in Singapore which helped advance the Anti Trafficking cooperation and also birthed the nonprofit aidha which equips foreign domestic helpers with financial education and entrepreneurship skills.

She served as Chair/Co-Chair of various public committees and boards in the arts, youth, mature workers, criminal justice and hospitality space always seeking to redefine boundaries and increase inclusion and opportunities.  Melissa was recognised as one of Forbes Heroes of Philanthropy for her work in re-shaping the recruitment processes for migrant workers amongst others, one of World Business 30 Under 30 and was conferred the ASEAN Youth Award, Singapore Youth Award and Public Service Medal (COVID-19) and is currently a Justice of Peace under the Prime Minister’s Office serving with Singapore Prison Service. She was educated at Harvard College where she received a Fulbright Scholarship and was subsequently a Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley.

She most recently served as CEO of the the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre which birthed the national vision: Singapore – City of Good, a whole of society initiative to design and co-create the giving ecosystem: creating the national giving platform giving.sg, amplifying giving stories and history, introducing a structured “business for good” platform Company of Good and strengthening community partnerships to tackle complex social challenges.

Melissa believes that genuine friendships are the purpose of life and is passionate about building communities where people can become their best selves.  She is a resident of Singapore's first planned neighbourhood Queenstown and serves on the board of her family enterprise, Pontiac Land Group.

For a detailed list of organisations and initiatives, please see full CV.

IG: @mmkwee LinkedIN: Melissa Aratani Kwee

Melissa Kwee (Pontiac Land Group)

Yeji Lee is the Chief Innovation Officer at MYSC (Merry Year Social Company), driving strategic partnerships for social innovation and contributing to impactful solutions for social change.

Yeji Lee (Merry Year Social Company)

Jay has been working on the Economics of Mutuality (EoM) since the beginning, first as part of the leadership of the Mars, Inc. internal think tank ‘Catalyst’ from 2007-2020, then as the chief advocacy officer of the movement (2020-2022), and presently as Executive Director of Economics of Mutuality Foundation (link to website) and Chief of Staff of Mutual Value Labs (link to website) and Mutual Value Investments (link to website).

Jay Jakub (Economics of Mutuality Foundation)

Kwang Kim brings 20 years of global experience in driving sustainable business and investment practices, economic transformation, and social/climate impact across diverse sectors and regions. His work spans senior leadership roles in global development, finance, and policy, advising C-suite executives, governments, and international organizations on strategy, partnerships, country and regional operations, sustainability, and public-private collaboration.

As the Director of the Asia Economics of Mutuality Center and Chairman of the Board of the Human Flourishing Foundation, Kwang focuses on pioneering solutions that aim to re-purpose the role of investments and business through an ecosystem approach for social and environmental impact, aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Economics of Mutuality is an operating platform model initially developed by Mars Corporation in partnership with Oxford University.

He is also a Co-Founder and Partner at Sohnamu Global where he leads the cross-border impact business and investment practice (SAV Impact). Additionally, he advises international organizations on private sector engagement and nature-based climate solutions, and decarbonization strategies.

Formerly, Kwang held leadership positions with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Asia Foundation. At IFC, he managed its first partnership with the European Union, a multi-year advisory program in the Caribbean that resulted in nearly $1 billion in follow-up investments, while strengthening private equity and its portfolio companies in Haiti. 

At the Asia Foundation, he co-founded Impact for Breakfast Seoul with over 100 members. IFB is a global network of family offices and purpose-driven investors, and authored a flagship report on ESG Policy in Korea. He also launched a policy dialogue with the National Assembly and the investment community. He also launched ground-breaking women and refugee entrepreneurship programs. His diplomatic efforts led to multilateral dialogues (track 1.5) involving the U.S., Australia, Vietnam, and South Korea, resulting in concrete policy changes. 

Kwang began his career as a management consultant with Monitor Group (now Deloitte) and OTF Group, Monitor’s emerging markets spin-off. He taught at Georgetown University in Washington DC, and at Hanyang University in Seoul. He frequently contributes to The Korea Herald and co-authored an Oxford case study on sustainable investment in urban regeneration in Central America. He also authored a book chapter on Enterprise Solutions to Poverty. Kwang holds a Master of Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School and a Bachelor of Economics from Loyola Marymount University. He is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Kwang Kim (Economics of Mutuality)

Jonathan serves as a Manager at the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP), a nonprofit entity established by Temasek Trust. He is primarily involved in CIIP’s research efforts to support the growth of the impact investing ecosystem in Asia, including in areas such as financial inclusion, SME empowerment, and sustainable agriculture. Born in New York, Jonathan is of Malaysian Chinese and Korean parentage and was raised in Singapore.

Jonathan Chan (Centre for Impact Investing and Practices)

Trai Sasatavadhana, Chairman and President of the Board at Chaotic Venture, is passionate about innovation and creating value for stakeholders.

Trai Sasatavadhana (Chaotic Venture)

Mellissa is the Director and Head of Stakeholder & Investor Relations at Bintang Capital Partners, an impact private equity firm based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With a background in corporate finance and investment banking, Mellissa transitioned into impact investing to align her career with her passion and purpose.

Mellissa Ng (Bintang Capital Partners)

Vikas, as the Chief Impact Investing Officer, leads AVPN’s overall strategy and direction of Impact Investing.

This includes driving plans and strategic operations to effectively implement the organization’s impact investing priorities, identifying impact opportunities across AVPN’s four impact focus areas of climate action, gender equality, youth and health; and fostering strategic partnerships with AVPN members, industry stakeholders and business partners.

As part of AVPN’s leadership team, he contributes to the development of AVPN’s strategic vision. He also looks at operationalizing best practices, including the appropriate integration and collaboration of teams and functional areas to drive sustainable growth.

Prior to joining AVPN Vikas spent three decades in the banking industry including 25 years at Deutsche Bank.

A believer in pursuing education, Vikas recently completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Organisation & Leadership for Social Change at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Outside of work, Vikas actively contributes to the community as an Independent Board Director (pro bono) for Heartware Network, a non-profit organization in Singapore. He is an avid golfer, a tea aficionado, and an intrepid traveler.

Vikas Arora (Asian Venture Philanthropy Network)

Jeongtae Kim is a social innovator and CEO of Merry Year Social Company (MYSC), one of the first social innovation consultancies & impact investors based in Korea. 

Jeongtae Kim (Merry Year Social Company)

Katsunori Tanizaki is Representative Director, President, and CEO of The Japan Research Institute, Ltd. (JRI), which provides comprehensive and high-value-added information services through three functions: Think Tank, Consulting, and IT Solutions. With over 40 years of extensive experience in the financial industry, he also serves as a Director of SMBC Nikko Securities and as a Counselor to the Japan Center for International Finance.

Katsunori Tanizaki (Japan Research Institute)

Nozomi co-leads B Market Builder Japan and serves as CEO of VALUE BOOKS, Inc. She joined VALUE BOOKS, an online book buyer and seller in Nagano, Japan, in 2015, bringing her experience from the financial sector. In 2022, VALUE BOOKS published a Japanese translation of "The B Corp Handbook, Second Edition" as a community-based project in collaboration with blkswn publishers.

Since then, the community has expanded and has been driving the B Corp movement in Japan. In March 2024, B Market Builder Japan was founded.

Nozomi Torii (B Market Builder Japan)

Masaki Kawai is CEO of UNERI, Inc. and Founder of IMPACT SHIFT INITIATIVE. Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1995, after studying in the UK and working at the NPO ETIC., he founded UNERI Inc. in 2020.

He has built the foundation for an ecosystem through activities such as nurturing social entrepreneurs, supporting 370 co-creation projects, and facilitating fundraising efforts totaling 360 million yen for four groups.

In 2020, he began incubation for social entrepreneurs, and the following year, he launched a fund with a 100% impact return.

In 2022, he worked in VC at SIIF’s impact investment fund. In 2024, he organized Japan’s largest conference, “IMPACT SHIFT,” which attracted approximately 650 participants. Additionally, in October, he launched a career training program called “School of Impact Officer” for individuals and corporations.

He is also a discussion member of the Financial Services Agency’s “Impact Consortium” and won a prize in "Forbes JAPAN 30 UNDER 30 2024."

Masaki Kawai (UNERI)

Frederic is an Executive Vice President at Groupe SOS, the European front-runner in social entrepreneurship, encompassing over 750 entities serving 2 million beneficiaries across 50 countries. He oversees the Group’s international activities and property strategy.

Frédéric BAILLY (Groupe SOS)

Sahil is the Co-founder of Simsan Ventures, a London-based early-stage VC fund that supports underrepresented founders across Europe, India, and South Korea. Simsan Ventures aims to address the lack of diversity and inclusion in the industry, helping overlooked yet talented founders thrive. 

Sahil Chopra (Simsan Ventures)

Kian is an accomplished strategist with over 20 years of experience in driving innovation and growth. As Senior Expert at Impulse Partners, he accelerates startups' global expansion.

Kian Ban (Impulse Partners)

Mike is the Director of Development and Strategy at B Lab Global, an organization working to change the purpose and behavior of business to benefit all instead of profiting the few. Before joining B Lab, Mike worked on a range of social and environmental issues, including food security, environmental justice, and youth development. He lives in Washington, D.C. 

Mike Emmert-Kantor (B Lab Global)

Juhern Kim is a sustainability expert and the Country Representative to Viet Nam for the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), dedicated to achieving Net Zero by 2050 through advising policymakers, originating green projects, and mobilizing finance across sectors like energy, waste, agriculture, transport, and industry. He also leads GGGI's Greenpreneurs Initiative, a global platform for incubating and accelerating climate tech startups. A South Korean national, Juhern has extensive experience in emerging markets across Southeast Asia and Latin America.

Juhern Kim (Global Green Growth Institute)

Yunji Ha is a partner and senior consultant at MYSC. She has a strong interest in sustainability and impact. She is particularly dedicated to expanding global initiatives and movements such as B Corp and 1% for the Planet.

Yunji Ha (Merry Year Social Company)

Devan is an advisor consultant with Save the Children Global Ventures.
He started as a scientist and went into venture building and investing in early-stage healthcare companies. He is a bone marrow donor and strives to create more awareness in society about the need for more volunteers in the bone marrow registry.
Most recently, he was with a Big 4, providing transaction advisory and M&A-related services at PwC. He is currently focusing his efforts on setting up and raising capital for a child-health-focused fund in the region.

Devanathan Raghunathan (Save the Children Global Ventures)

Amar is a Consultant at UN Women's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and he focusses on the areas of Entrepreneurship and Gender-Lens Investing. He was earlier a Partner at an international development consulting company and has engaged significantly with impact investing ecosystems in emerging markets. 

Amar Gokhale (UN Women's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific)

Jim Yong Kim, M.D., Ph.D., is the Head of Advisory at Mindful Connect (also known as MINDSOS). He also serves as the Vice Chairman and Partner at Global Infrastructure Partners and works with Two Bridge, a private equity firm that tackles healthcare innovation and the complex challenges of mental health in the U.S.
He previously served as the 12th president of the World Bank Group, President of Dartmouth College, and Director of the World Health Organization's HIV/AIDS department.

Jim Yong Kim (Mindful Connect/MINDSOS)

Robert is a Managing Director at JLIN, a purpose-driven firm established by a professional basketball player Jeremy Lin to impact culture. Robert spearheads the investment business at JLIN, focusing on ventures in Asia/U.S. with a culture that aspires to bless their stakeholders.
Robert serves on the Board of Merry Year Social Company (MYSC), a Korea-based impact investor and accelerator with presence across Asia. He also serves on the Investment Committee of Access Ventures, a U.S.-based foundation that has invested 100% of its endowment in impact investments. Prior to JLIN, Robert managed family offices at Caprock, a $12B multi-family office and a founding B-Corp member.

Robert Kim (JLIN)

"Hae-Won Ryoo is the Founder and CEO of Mindful Connect (also known as MINDSOS), a social impact startup focused on raising mental health awareness and preventing suicide in South Korea. With a background in public health, she holds a Master’s degree in Public Health, specializing in Health Policy and Management, along with a Certificate in Public Mental Health from Emory University. Prior to founding Mindful Connect, Hae-Won led research and spearheaded projects aimed at improving mental healthcare accessibility in both the United States and South Korea at a U.S. based mental health-focused private equity firm, Two Bridge.

Hae-Won Ryoo (Mindful Connect/MINDSOS)

Sabrina Soewatdy is the CEO and Founder of Rukita, providing sustainable housing solutions tailored to the needs and financial capabilities of emerging generations.

Sabrina Soewatdy (Rukita)

Dale Seok-won Yoon worked as a software engineer for 20 years at global companies like Microsoft Corporation in the US and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. in Korea. In 2015, he left Samsung Electronics to create social value and address the diversity problem in the STEM field. He founded Testworks, a social venture specializing in artificial intelligence data processing and software testing. He is currently the CEO, leading a team of 180 employees.

Dale Yoon (Testworks)

Masaki Kawai is CEO of UNERI, Inc. and Founder of IMPACT SHIFT INITIATIVE. Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1995, after studying in the UK and working at the NPO ETIC., he founded UNERI Inc. in 2020.

He has built the foundation for an ecosystem through activities such as nurturing social entrepreneurs, supporting 370 co-creation projects, and facilitating fundraising efforts totaling 360 million yen for four groups.

In 2020, he began incubation for social entrepreneurs, and the following year, he launched a fund with a 100% impact return.

In 2022, he worked in VC at SIIF’s impact investment fund. In 2024, he organized Japan’s largest conference, “IMPACT SHIFT,” which attracted approximately 650 participants. Additionally, in October, he launched a career training program called “School of Impact Officer” for individuals and corporations.

He is also a discussion member of the Financial Services Agency’s “Impact Consortium” and won a prize in "Forbes JAPAN 30 UNDER 30 2024."

Masaki Kawai (UNERI)