UNITY IN DIVERSITY:
RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC
ASIA 21 YOUNG LEADERS SUMMIT
Jakarta – December 3-5, 2010
Delegate Profiles
SHAH JAHAN ABU THAHIR
Shah Jahan is a fixed income sales banker at Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofAML)
where he has worked for the past 3+ years. With over 10 years of experience at some of
the largest investment banks in Malaysia and Singapore, Shah has helped to successfully
build the Malaysian fixed income business for BofAML, now one of the biggest Malaysian
franchises among the offshore foreign banks. He recently took over a larger mandate to
build the business for the South East Asia region. Shah Jahan graduated with a Bachelor
of Business Administration in Finance, Investment and Banking from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
EJAJ AHMAD
Ejaj Ahmad is the Founder and President of the Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center
(BYLC) which aims to create a more tolerant, inclusive and just society by training the
next generation of leaders in Bangladesh. BYLC’s international award winning leadership
program, developed at Harvard and MIT, unites youth from diverse educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, equips them with leadership skills, and engages them in serviceoriented projects in local communities to address Bangladesh’s most urgent developmental
needs. Ejaj is actively engaged with several youth-run initiatives in Bangladesh and serves
on the board of a secondary girls’ high school. In 2009, Ejaj was profiled as one of Asia’s
most promising young leaders and awarded the 2009-2010 Paragon Fellowship by the
Foundation of Youth Social Enterprise. Most recently, he was featured in The Washington
Post’s ‘On Leadership’ program and selected as a 2010 YouthActionNet Global Fellow by
the International Youth Foundation. Ejaj holds an MA in Economics from St. Andrews and
an MPP from Harvard.
SURYANI SENJA ALIAS
Suryani Senja Alias is Senior Vice-President of Investments at Khazanah Nasional,
Malaysia’s government investment arm. While with Khazanah, she had the opportunity to
work in the policy unit of the Prime Minister’s office, researching public policies, and
writing briefs and speeches for the head of state. Legally trained and experienced in
international law and cross-border legal transactions, Suryani used to practice international
law in the United Nations Compensation Commission in Geneva, Switzerland where she
was part of a Legal secretariat assessing international law claims against Iraq in the 1990
Gulf war. She also spent a few years in London as a corporate lawyer in an American law
firm, Vinson & Elkins RLLP, and as an equity analyst at Banque Paribas.
FAIYSAL ALIKHAN
Faiysal AliKhan is the Founder and Executive Director of FIDA (www.fidapk.org), an
organization working in the southern districts of Pakistan’s Frontier Province and Tribal
Area. Recently, FIDA has been involved with relief work for those displaced by military
operations and by flooding. He is also currently serving on the board of the Rural Support
Programmes Network (www.rspn.org) and is an active member of a number of their
steering committees. He is an Executive Director of the PESCO Group, which is involved
in trading, consultancy in the energy sector, transportation and contract logistics. He is a
member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and chair of their Customs and
Trade Regulation Commission. Faiysal is also a member of the National Trade and
Transport Facilitation Committee (NTTFC) and the Transport Commission of Pakistan. He
has served on the Boards of SHV Energy and DHL Pakistan. He worked as Director
Operations for DHL Pakistan and is currently serving as Senior Advisor Public Policy.
Faiysal has spoken on issues of national security, development and trade at a number of
think tanks, organizations and government offices both in Pakistan and abroad.
NIRET ALVA
Niret Alva is co-founder of Miditech, one of the largest production companies in India. He
has had an extensive career as reporter, script writer, anchor, producer and director in
television. Niret began his career as a Trainee Reporter/Scriptwriter with Press Trust of
India, Television. At the time when television was still government controlled in the late
1980s, he moved on to become a Correspondent with Eyewitness, a monthly independent
video newsmagazine owned by Hindustan Times Television in 1990. In 1992, he joined
his brother Nikhil at Miditech. Niret helped develop and build major programming brands
like Indian Idol, Galli Galli Sim Sim (Sesame Street), Wheels, and Living on the Edge.
Niret is also a world-class television presenter, having anchored travel (Great Escape),
automobile (Wheels) and environment (Living on the Edge and Earth Report) shows over
the course of his career. He won an Asian Television Award for Best anchor for “Wheels”
for BBC World and has been a runner up twice for the same show. In 2007, Niret won the
Indian National Award for excellence in science based communication in the visual
medium. He is a History graduate from St. Stephen’s College Delhi and a post graduate
diploma holder in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communications. Niret
also holds a certificate from the Radio Netherlands Training Centre in Hilversum (Holland)
for a News and Current Affairs course in Television as well as an LLB from Mumbai
University.
TAHIR AMIN
Tahir Amin is Co-Founder and Director of Intellectual Property at I-MAK. He practiced as
a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales with two of the leading IP firms in
the UK and also served as an in-house global IP manager for a multinational company.
Tahir has over 10 years experience in prosecuting, licensing, opposing and litigating
trademarks, patents, and designs. Prior to founding I-MAK, he spent two years in India
researching public interest IP issues and working on pharmaceutical patent oppositions.
Currently, Tahir is a Fellow at the Harvard Medical School in the Department of Global
Health & Social Medicine, a 2008 Echoing Green Fellow and a 2009 TEDIndia Fellow.
He has served as legal advisor/consultant to many groups, including the World Health
Organization, the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative, Doctors without Borders,
Oxfam, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, the United Nations,
and governments seeking to improve their patent system.
SUTAPA AMORNVIVAT
Sutapa Amornvivat is Executive Vice President and Head of the Credit Risk Analytics
Division at Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) in Thailand. Prior to joining SCB, she headed
Risk Analytics and Research Group at TMB Bank during her secondment from ING. Prior
to joining TMB, Sutapa was an Economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in
Washington, DC. She had also served as Advisor to the Thai Senate Committee on the
Economy, Commerce, and Industry, as well as Director of Macroeconomic Analysis
Section at the Thai Ministry of Finance. Sutapa’s academic career includes lecturing at
various universities in Asia, including Hitotsubashi University, the Indian Institute of
Technology, Chulalongkorn University and the National University of Singapore. She
conducted research on cross-regional economic/financial sector issues at the World Bank
in Washington, the US Department of Justice, and the Harvard Institute for International
Development in Cambridge, MA. Sutapa is a recipient of Thailand’s most prestigious
King’s Scholarship, which is awarded to top-scorers in an annual nationwide competition.
Among numerous rewards, she was honored as Working Woman of the Year in 2004. She
holds an undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University and a
Ph.D. in Economics, Management, and Policy from MIT.
RESHMA ANAND
Reshma Anand is CEO and Founder of Earthy Goods, an organization which helps create
sustainable incomes for women, farmers and artisans in rural India. Her team provides
marketing, technical and financial support to rural producers so they meet urban market
standards for handmade products on fair, remunerative terms. A business school graduate
with a 13-year professional career, Reshma has consistently pursued ideas that go beyond
conventional thinking. At Unilever India, she led the revival of an ailing 100-year old
iconic rural hygiene brand, Lifebuoy. At the peak of her career, she left to join India’s
leading social entrepreneur to set up a network of Internet enabled tele-centers in remote
villages. She led a successful operations and marketing team, helped raise funds and forged
strategic alliances. Reshma is a Fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network
(www.aspeninstitute.org) and was also selected as a TED India Fellow (www.ted.com) in
2009.
PAOLO BENIGNO A. AQUINO IV
Paolo Benigno “Bam” A. Aquino IV is the Co-Founder and President of Microventures,
Inc., a social business enterprise that services microfinancing organizations and their
clients. He had previously served as Chairman of the National Youth Commission (NYC),
the main youth policy-making arm of the Philippine Government, from 2003 to 2006. Prior
to his appointment to this post, he served as Commissioner-at-Large for two years. He is
the youngest person in Philippine history to have headed a government agency. After
finishing his stint in government, Bam involved himself in a number of entrepreneurial
efforts. In 2007, he joined the board of Rags2Riches, Inc., another social business
enterprise that helps underprivileged women with livelihood projects. He also hosted
Breakfast, a youth-oriented morning TV talk show aired over ABS-CBN’s Studio 23 from
2001 to 2006, and Y-speak, another youth-oriented show on the same channel, from 2006
to 2007. He is currently an ambassador for the Haribon Foundation, a local environmental
NGO, and is the incumbent President of the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations
(TAYO) Awards Foundation, the country’s premier youth award-giving body for youth
groups. His first publication, Young Southeast Asia, was commissioned by ASEAN and
focuses on young achievers in the region. The book was recently released in leading
bookstores across ASEAN.
PRIGI ARISANDI
Prigi Arisandi is Director of Ecological Observation and Wetlands Conservation
(ECOTON) in Gresik East Java. Having lived near it, his childhood was closely related
with the Brantas River. Rapid industrialization and urbanization since the 1980’s led to
river degradation and, in reaction to this, Prigi established ECOTON in 2000 to prevent
deterioration and to restore the river’s health. He has trained more than 2,000 youth to
explore biodiversity and monitor water pollution in Brantas River, developing media
publication and promoting local action to prevent river degradation. His recent
achievement is winning the dispute in legal action against the Provincial Governor of East
Java for his failure in preventing water pollution of the Surabaya River. The Judges
Committee supported his claims and ordered the Governor to commence restructuring of
outdated regulations made in 1987 for proposed water use of the Brantas River.
ARI ARIWIBOWO
Ari Ariwibowo is Founder and CEO of Solusi Tunai, an Indonesian micro-finance company that provides households
and small businesses with short term, collateralized loans in under 15 minutes through a nationwide network of 500
branches. Solusi Tunai brings a completely new concept to the industry through membership and rewards programs,
technology based processes, and viral marketing concepts. Ari is also the founder of Fairways Capital, a venture
firm focused on finance and consumer industries in Indonesia and Vietnam, which is a main shareholder of Solusi
Tunai. Prior to Solusi Tunai and Fairways, Ari was a banker with Bank Danamon, a consultant for 6 years with
McKinsey and Company in Asia and Europe, and heading industrial property marketing for Sembcorp Industries in
Singapore. Ari holds bachelor degrees in Economics and Engineering, and an MBA from the Wharton School, at
the University of Pennsylvania.
JUMAATUN AZMI
Jumaatun Azmi is the Founder and Managing Director of KasehDia, a niche
communication and research firm focused on the application of Islamic and good concepts
in a contemporary and universal manner. Under Jumaatun’s leadership, the company has
created world renowned events, publications, TV and film productions. She is the founder
of the World Halal Forum and editor of The Halal Journal, a trade publication on the halal
industry currently distributed in over 35 countries. KasehDia was involved in the drafting
of the Halal Chapter of Malaysia’s 3rd Industrial Master Plan. Jumaatun also founded the
award winning Halal Food Guide series which to date has covered eight countries, Halal
Journal TV and the Halal Journal Awards. Her debut film as an executive producer and codirector is titled ‘HAQ’, a story of a Muslim super hero. Due to her prolific and cutting
edge work, Jumaatun and KasehDia have been featured in various international media
including The New York Times, Time magazine, Asia Wall Street Journal, International
Herald Tribune and Bloomberg.
MAZIAR BAHARI
Maziar Bahari is a filmmaker as well as Newsweek magazine’s Iran correspondent for the
past eight years. He started making films and writing during his teenage years in Iran, then
continued his education at McGill and Concordia Universities in Canada, where he studied
political science and film. His documentary films on Iran, Iraq and Africa have been shown
by broadcasters and film festivals around the world. He has also worked with international
organizations such as UNHCR, UNICEF and Amnesty International as a filmmaker and
writer. He was detained in Iran between June 21 and October17, 2009, following Iran’s
disputed presidential elections. Maziar has directed and produced many films for
international broadcasters. He is known for his insightful documentaries about Iran and
Iraq, and his pursuit of the highest standards has often put his personal safety at risk.
ANALISA LEONOR BALARES
Analisa Leonor Balares is CEO of Womensphere, a global independent media company
and leadership community. For two decades, Analisa has been committed to women’s
empowerment, entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability, convening and coproducing over 100 conferences/ events/media on these issues. Analisa chairs
Womensphere with Newsweek Global Leadership Summit and Emerging Leaders Global
Summit. Her career started with Goldman Sachs High Technology Investment Banking in
New York, where she worked on mergers and acquisitions and completed $1.5billion in
IPOs and corporate financing transactions for technology companies. Later, as Global
Marketing Manager for Microsoft’s blogging and social media, she helped launch Windows
Live Spaces in 30 countries. While in her teens in the Philippines, Analisa was a Shell
Petroleum Corp. Outstanding Junior Scientist. At 16, she was Senate President of the First
Philippine Youth Environment Congress, and Manila City Youth Mayor. Analisa was
named a “Top 100 Most Influential Filipina in America” by the US Filipina Women’s
Network. She studied Economics and Mathematics at Mount Holyoke College, holds a
Harvard Business School MBA, and founded Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) at
HBS. Since 1999, Analisa has led The Lyons Network mentoring organization for young
women in New England.
SATCHIT BALSARI
Satchit Balsari is an emergency physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and Fellow
at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI). His work is focused on the development of
pre-hospital care, emergency medicine and the application of information technology to
promote citizen-driven disaster mitigation and response. He oversees two multiinstitutional web-based public health applications: projects mumbaiVOICES.com and
EMcounter.com. Seventeen days before the November 2008 terror strikes in Mumbai,
Satchit co-organized Mumbai’s first inter-agency disaster drill focused on medical response
(www.mumbaiEMEX.org). Also an avid child rights advocate, he has investigated and
published on child labor in the embroidery industry in Mumbai, and worked in
rehabilitation programs for children affected by natural and humanitarian crises. He served
as a consultant to the American Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina. Satchit now divides his
time between the US and India, where he serves on the managing committee of the Times
Centre for Disaster Management at Mumbai University, and as guest editor for
SouthAsiaDisasters.net. Satchit received his training at Mumbai’s Grant Medical College,
and at Harvard, Columbia and Cornell Universities.
WEN BO
Wen Bo is Pacific Environment’s Beijing-based China Program Co-Director. Wen
graduated from the China School of Journalism in Beijing and earned his master’s degree
in international relations at the KDI School of International Policy and Management in
Seoul, South Korea. He is a founder of the China Green Student Forum, which is now a
network of more than 100 student environmental groups. He was a journalist at China
Environment News from 1996 to 1998, and studied for a certificate course at the Center for
Environment Education in India in 1997. In 2000, Wen set up a Greenpeace office in
Beijing, and is currently on the China Advisory Board of Global
Greengrants Fund to facilitate the growth of environmental communities in China.
PRODYUT BORA
Prodyut Bora is the State General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assam.
Prior to this, he was the first National Convener of BJP’s Information Technology (IT) Cell,
BJP’s newest organizational unit. Under his leadership, the IT Cell grew to 23 states and
counted hundreds of Members, all occupying mid- and senior-level positions in leading
organizations. Prodyut read English Literature at the undergraduate level, and thereafter
worked at India’s leading literary and book-review journal. He started his post-MBA career
as a management consultant with Hewitt Associates, and then went on to become the VP
(Business Development) of India’s first digital filmmaking company. He incubated a
software company and ran it for 6 years before joining politics full-time. Prodyut studied,
successively, at the Rashtriya Indian Military (RIMC), Dehra Dun; Delhi Public School
(DPS), Noida; St Stephen’s College, Delhi; and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM),
Ahmedabad.
DANIEL BUDIMAN
Daniel Budiman is Co-Founder of Mahanusa Capital, one of Indonesia’s premier corporate
finance and investment management companies. Mahanusa currently manages
approximately US$180 million of capital invested in public instruments and private
opportunities. Daniel serves on the Boards of several of Mahanusa’s investee companies
including PT Pacific Place Jakarta (property), PT Eramitra Agro Lestari (palm oil) and PT
Besland Pertiwi (industrial estate). He also holds positions with companies not affiliated
with Mahanusa including Cabot Indonesia, a subsidiary of NYSE-listed Cabot Corporation
(Board Member) and PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk (Audit Committee Member). Daniel is
President of the Harvard Club of Indonesia and Education Chair for the Indonesian chapter
of the Young Presidents Organization. Notable clients he advised include the Government
of Singapore Investment Corporation, UPM Kymmene, the Indonesian Banking
Restructuring Agency, Newbridge Capital and Farallon Capital.
CHARYA BURT
Charya Burt is artistic director of Charya Burt Cambodian Dance in Windsor, California.
Prior to this she was a dance faculty member of the University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh,
Cambodia and has conducted workshops at colleges around the country. A recipient of the
Isadora Duncan Award, Charya is an accomplished performer and choreographer who has
headlined the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival 12 times. She has been awarded
numerous grants including the Irvine Dance in California Program, Alliance for California
Traditional Arts, the Creative Work Fund, CCI Investing in Artists, and the Choreographers
in Mentorship Exchange. She returns to Cambodia periodically to conduct research in
technique and history in order to bring greater depth to her new choreographic works,
teaching, and academic presentations. Charya has a B.A. (Cum Laude) from Sonoma State
University in San Francisco.
CLARENCE CAI
Clarence Cai is Senior Staff Officer in the Defence Policy Office of the Singaporean Ministry of Defense. He
previously served as Officer-Commanding of a regular infantry company as well as an instructor at the Officer Cadet
School. He values and is equipped to appreciate a diversity of viewpoints and hopes to encourage such an
interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving and leadership amongst student leaders from RI, for whom he
conducts a series of leadership seminars. The hard-nosed realities of the daily security issues he has dealt with
contrast sharply with the education he received at Raffles Institution (RI) in Singapore, which focused on Math and
Science training. Clarence also studied at Harvard College where he pursued an interest in German intellectual
history, followed by a stint at Humboldt University in Berlin.
ARNEL PACIANO CASANOVA
Arnel Paciano Casanova is the Executive Director of the Asia Society Philippine
Foundation, Inc. Prior to that, he was General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the
Bases Conversion and Development Authority, where he worked on some of the biggest
public infrastructure and real estate property development projects in the Philippines. As
a peace-negotiator, he was one of the youngest recipients of the Philippine Legion of
Honor Medal for his work in drafting the General Peace Agreement between the
government and the military rebels and the rebels’ disarmament and reintegration. He was
likewise involved in the initial stages of negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (MILF). Arnel is a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Law,
serving as the College Representative to the University Student Council.
KARTI CHIDAMBARAM
Karti P Chidambaram is a member of the All India Congress Committee and Pradesh
(Regional) Congress Committee. He has been actively involved in all election campaigns
for both Parliament and Assembly since 1996 and has extensively toured the state of Tamil
Nadu and addressed various forums. He is an eloquent speaker in both Tamil and English.
He was selected by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and
American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) to observe the US Presidential
Elections of 2004. Karti co-founded an online public opinion forum called karuthu.com. In
sports, he is the Vice President of All India Tennis Association, Chairman of Organizing
Committee of Aircel Chennai Open (ATP) Tennis Tournament and President of Tenpin
Bowling Federation of India. Various other positions held by him include: Member of the
Inaugural Class of the India Leadership Initiative (ILI) of the Aspen Institute, Chairman;
Asia 21 India Chapter of The Asia Society, Co-Founder; and Chennai Chapter of Young
Entrepreneurs Organization. He is also the Trustee of Palani Devasthanam, which
administers The Palani Dandayuthapani Temple of Tamilnadu.
JAMIE CHOI
Jamie Choi is Head of the Toxics Campaign for Greenpeace China. She is in charge of
running the organization’s water pollution and electronic waste campaigns in Mainland
China. Before joining Greenpeace in 2005, she worked as an organizer for MoveOn.org in
Michigan during the 2004 US presidential elections and a consultant for Save the
Children’s North Korean Refugees Project in China’s border with North Korea. Jamie has
published articles in various magazines, including Our Planet, the United Nations
Environment Programme’s flagship magazine. Jamie has also been interviewed extensively
as a China environmental expert by various media outlets such as the BBC, NBC, CBS 60
Minutes, the Associated Press, Reuters and China Central Television. She graduated Magna
Cum Laude from Brown University with a B.A in International Relations; she also received
her M.A. in Development Studies from Brown University. She is fluent in English,
Korean, Spanish and Chinese.
KATHERINE CHON
Katherine Chon is President and co-founder of the Polaris Project, a Washington, DC-based
nonprofit organization combating modern-day slavery. Katherine has worked closely with
survivors of labor and sex trafficking through victim identification and service provision.
She has testified before Congress to advocate for stronger policies on human trafficking
and has provided training and consultation to numerous government, corporate, and
community organizations. Katherine’s activism and studies in public service have been
supported through fellowships from the Center for Social Innovation at the Stanford
Graduate School of Business and from the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and
Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School. She has served on several advisory boards,
including the Newsweek Women and Leadership Advisory Committee. Katherine holds a
Sc.B. from Brown University and an M.P.A. from Harvard University.
JOHN D. CIORCIARI
John D. Ciorciari is an assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of
Public Policy. His teaching and research focuses on international law and politics,
particularly in Asia. Since 1999, he has been a pro bono legal advisor to the Documentation
Center of Cambodia, which promotes memory and justice with respect to the abuses of the
Khmer Rouge regime. He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Before
joining the Michigan faculty, he held postdoctoral fellowships at the Asia-Pacific Research
Center and Hoover Institution, both at Stanford University. John served as a policy official
covering Asia in the U.S. Treasury Department between 2004 and 2007. He has also been
a Visiting Research Fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore
and attorney at the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell. He is the author of The Limits of
Alignment (Georgetown University Press, 2010), which examines foreign policy dilemmas
facing Southeast Asian states as they navigate relations with the great powers and co-editor
with Anne Heindel of On Trial: The Khmer Rouge Accountability Process (Documentation
Center of Cambodia, 2009). He holds an A.B. and J.D. from Harvard and M.Phil. and
D.Phil. from Oxford.
VERONICA COLONDAM
Veronica Colondam is the Founder of YCAB. Established in 1999, YCAB aims to help
disadvantaged Indonesian youth by promoting healthy lifestyles, providing economic
assistance and education in the areas of vocational skill and job training. As a hybrid social
enterprise,YCAB raises funds through its profit centers, micro loan operations and
investment in the capital market. Through her work, Veronica has been honoured as a
Young Global Leader (2006) of the World Economic Forum, Residence Fellow of
INSEAD (2010) and board member of Pepperdine University (Social Entrepreneurship &
Change Program) and of Ravi Zacharias Int’l Ministry. Writer and author of two published
books, Veronica also serves as an expert advisor to the Indonesian government in National
Narcotic Board. She has been decorated with the National Gold Award by the Indonesian
President in 2003 and, at 29, Veronica was the youngest recipient of the United Nations
Civil Society Award (2001). Veronica holds an MSc in Drugs and Alcohol Policy and
Intervention from Imperial College, University of London, and is also an alumna of
Harvard Kennedy School’s executive education on Leadership & Global Policy and Social
Entrepreneurship of INSEAD and Leadership Lab of MIT (2010). She lives in Jakarta with
her husband and three teens.
NITIN DAS
Nitin Das is the Director of Filmkaar Productions and is an independent filmmaker based
in New Delhi, India. He recently finished a feature-length children’s film in the slums of
Mumbai that premiered at the Munich International film festival in Germany. Upon
completing a filmmaking course in New York, Nitin returned to India and set up a film
production house to make “extraordinary films with ordinary people.” The United Nations
Environment Program selected one of his films on global warming for their campaign,
“Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign.” Nitin won a special award from the British
Council for creative entrepreneurship in the social sector. His next venture (also an Asia
Society Public Service Project) is to use stories, pictures and films from fragile ecosystems
around the planet to raise awareness and spread solutions for the environmental challenges
facing our planet. The project is called ‘Enchanted Lands and Fables’. Nitin has a degree
in marketing from one of India’s leading business schools, and was working as a brand
manager for India’s largest selling newsmagazine before he turned to filmmaking. He also
completed a filmmaking course in New York.
VENURI DE SILVA
De Silva is the Head of Communications and Fundraising Manager for the Environmental
Foundation Limited (EFL), one of Sri Lanka’s leading public interest non-profit
organizations working in environmental conservation and protection since 1981. She is
involved in advocacy campaigns to address environment degradation and ensure that all
Sri Lankan citizens are guaranteed the right to a clean and healthy environment.
Campaigns include protecting watershed forests and other threatened protected areas,
working towards the sustainable extraction of natural resources, addressing air and noise
pollution and lobbying for better laws and standards. Venuri was involved in the
compilation of Sri Lanka’s first handbook for the general public on environmental rights
and responsibilities and the first handbook for the Sri Lankan Judiciary on environmental
law. She started her career as a journalist specializing in human and social interest stories
and has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree from the University of Colombo.
JOHN DELURY
John Delury is assistant professor at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International
Studies, where he teaches modern Chinese history and East Asian politics. John is also
senior fellow of Asia Society’s Center on US-China Relations (where he was Associate
Director) and Director of the China Boom Project. He directs an Asia Society/University
of California task force on US-DPRK economic engagement, and advises two youth
enterprises, Pyongyang Project and Choson Exchange. He is a term member of the Council
on Foreign Relations and sits on the National Committee on American Foreign Policy’s
Leadership Council. He has published widely in sources such as Huffington Post, Slate,
Foreign Policy, Far Eastern Economic Review, World Policy Journal, and Policy Review,
and appears regularly in the media. John received his BA, MA, and PhD in Chinese history
from Yale University, where he studied under Jonathan Spence, and taught at Columbia,
Brown and Peking University.
PATRA RINA DEWI
Patra Rina Dewi is the Executive Director and founding member of Komunitas Siaga
Tsunami/ KOGAMI (Tsunami Alert Community). Upon discovering that her city (Padang
city) had been predicted by world scientists to be a likely hot zone for a potential tsunami,
she decided that she had to increase her knowledge in disaster management. When the
tsunami hit Indonesia on December 26, 2004, she worked as a volunteer to help Simeulue
Island, Aceh Province. In 2007, Patra was selected to be a participant of Tsunami Science
and Preparedness Training at the University of Washington. She was invited to speak at
the U.S. Earthquake National Conference in 2008 and received a Certificate of Honor from
the city of San Francisco for her dedication and commitment to disaster risk reduction.
Through KOGAMI, by involving the community in making preparedness plans,
evacuation plans, and making decisions during emergency situations, Patra has helped
communities respond to disaster effectively. When the 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit
Padang on September 30, 2009, there were no casualties in KOGAMI’s program area,
three districts in West Sumatra, Padang City, Padang Pariaman Regency, or in Pesisir
Selatan Regency.
QUOC-HUY DO
Quoc-Huy Do is the co-founder and President of SAVVi, the premier global platform for
entrepreneurship in the Vietnamese business community. He also founded and is
Managing Partner of a boutique international law firm, and was appointed to and serves
on the Executive Committee for the International Law Section of the California State Bar.
SAVVi was awarded a national commendation by the Vietnamese government for its
donation of $1 million worth of technology related books to the Hanoi University of
Technology. A Vietnamese refugee and recipient of the Rosa Parks Scholarship, QuocHuy was part of a small delegation of Vietnamese-Americans that joined President Clinton
during his historic visit to Vietnam in 2000. Quoc-Huy works fervently to promote social
entrepreneurship and sustainable development in Vietnam. He is also an accomplished
transactional and trial lawyer, and former nominee for the prestigious “Top 40 California
Lawyers Under 40” award.
DENNIS ECLARIN
Dennis Eclarin is a Director of the Philippine Army, as well as the Founder of Hometown
Corporation, a company that aims to alleviate poverty in geographically-isolated highland
and island towns. After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point,
Major Dennis Eclarin served as a combat commander in the elite Scout Ranger Regiment
of the Philippine Army. While in the war zones, he authored two books on combat
techniques. Convinced that he had to fight another war, he soon advocated social
entrepreneurship. Thus, he founded Hometown Corporation, a microfinance company
solely dedicated to serving hard to reach areas.
DEVENDRA FADNAVIS
Devendra Fadnavis is a member of the Legislative assembly of the State of Maharashtra,
India’s 3rd largest state. He is serving his third term in office and has been adjudged as
Best Parliamentarian of the state. He has also served as the youngest Mayor of the city of
Nagpur. Devendra has participated in several International conferences and has presented
papers on issues of Disaster Mitigation and Management, Energy Security, issues of
Migration, and several urban issues. He has also served as a resource person on Urban
Financing and Political Management issues. Devendra has published a book on the
process of framing and the ways of understanding a state budget.
THERESE CLARENCE FERNANDEZ
Therese Clarence “Reese” Fernandez is President of Rags2Riches, Inc., a social business
enterprise that creates eco-ethical fashion and home accessories designed by leading
Filipino designers and manufactured by the women of Payatas and other poor
communities. In 2008, she was named one of the International Youth Foundation’s 20
Global Young Social Entrepreneurs, and is part of the inaugural batch of Rolex Young
Laureates announced in April 2010. She is an honors graduate of BS Management from
the Ateneo de Manila University.
BHAVANI FONSEKA
Bhavani Fonseka is a Senior Researcher with the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a think
tank in Sri Lanka, conducting research, documentation, national and international
advocacy and litigation. She is a human rights lawyer and activist, with a focus on assisting
victims and affected populations in various parts of Sri Lanka. She has worked on a range
of issues including the rights of the displaced, women, children, minorities, HIV/AIDS,
land and legal issues. She has been involved in and supported several key fundamental
rights cases protecting the rights of victims in recent times in Sri Lanka. Bhavani has an
LLB (Hons) (UK) and LLM (in international human rights law) (USA). In 2007, she was
awarded ‘The Young Outstanding Persons’ (TOYP) in the category of human rights by the
Junior Chamber International and HSBC Bank.
GREGORY FOX
Greg Fox is an Australian Respiratory Physician and Clinical Lecturer at the University of
Sydney with a Master’s degree in International Public Health. He has lived in Hanoi,
Vietnam since the start of 2009, working on a number of research projects on tuberculosis
transmission and genetics. He is currently coordinating a large national randomized
controlled trial into contact tracing of household contacts of tuberculosis patients
throughout Vietnam. Greg has previously undertaken public health research in East Timor,
and was co-founder of two international health groups in Sydney that encourage young
doctors to apply their training to the benefit of the global poor. He also has a strong interest
in medical education, and for a number of years has served on peak organizations
implementing post-graduate medical training reform. Greg is currently undertaking a PhD
through the University of Sydney, and is a part of the ‘Hoc Mai’ medical partnership
between Hanoi Medical University and the University of Sydney.
SHINICHIRO FUKUSHIGE
Shinichiro Fukushige is a venture capitalist specializing in cross-border investments at
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, a VC subsidiary of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. Prior to
becoming a venture capital professional, he worked for close to a decade in Japan in various
sectors of the IT industry with venture and growth stage multi-nationals, including serving
as President of a NASDAQ listed IT organisation’s Japanese subsidiary. In his current
capacity he specializes in investments in businesses which are enabling, or enabled by, ICT
and advances in physical sciences, with a focus on enterprises whose potential is fully
realised by connecting technologies and markets across borders. Shin currently sits on the
nomination committee for the Entrepreneur of the Year Japan programme.
CHIKARA FUNABASHI
Chikara Funabashi is the President of Will Seed, which provides consulting and training
services to companies, as well as synthesized-learning programs for classroom education
to schools nation-wide. The company has trained over 350 well-known companies and
enterprises in Japan. Prior to launching WillSeed, Chikara worked at ITOCHU
Corporation, a trading firm, where he executed a subway construction project in Jakarta
for the Infrastructure Project Department. In 2006, he participated in Japan Society’s USJapan Innovators Project as a Japanese delegate, and in 2009, he was selected as a Young
Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Chikara was born in Yokohama City, Japan
in 1970 and grew up in Argentina, Brazil, and Japan. He attended the University of Tokyo.
NITIN GACHHAYAT
Nitin Gachhayat is co-Founder and President of Drishtee (www.drishtee.com), which he
established with Satyan and Shailesh in 2000. It started as a project to deliver e-governance
services to the villagers of the tribal district of Dhar (MP). Drishtee now has a network of
14,000 entrepreneurs in rural India, delivering products and services in education, health
and finance. Drishtee has won numerous awards, including Digital Partner’s “Most
Promising Social Enterprise Award” in 2002, the World Bank’s Development Marketplace
Award in 2003, and Deloitte called it the fastest growing hi-tech company in 2006. Nitin
has been a speaker and guest lecturer on ICT for Development and Rural Development at
a number of conferences and educational institutes in India and abroad. He has written
articles and papers, one co-authored on “Rural Business through ICT” and published by
the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) as a book. He completed his basic
education in Orissa in eastern India and his MBA in New Delhi.
PATRICIA ISABEL GALLARDO
Patricia Isabel Gallardo is Global Director of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and
Sustainability for the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Group. She works directly with the
CEO, chairs the Corporate CSR Committee and oversees the implementation of CSR in
over 68 hotels and resorts worldwide. Pat works through hotel management in
implementing projects under the five key areas of CSR: Stakeholder Relations, Health &
Safety, Environment, Supply Chain and
Employees. Pat has spearheaded the design and strategic implementation of global CSR
branding campaign, has strategic oversight of ‘embrace’, Shangri-La’s Care for People
Program which is the company’s dedication to improving children’s education and health.
She is responsible for resource management and savings/cost efficiencies across both
operational and new properties.
BODHI GARRETT
Bodhi Garrett is the founder of Andaman Discoveries. Born and raised in Kathmandu,
Bodhi moved to southern Thailand to research sea turtles, and founded North Andaman
Tsunami Relief after the December 2004 wave claimed his job, home and the surrounding
communities. With a total budget of over $3.7 million, the grassroots disaster relief effort
grew to encompass over 150 projects in 12 villages. Since 2007, Bodhi has guided the
formation of a number of successor organizations including a handicrafts cooperative,
Andaman Discoveries, youth conservation projects, and a Community Tourism Network.
In 2008 and 2009, Bodhi worked part time coordinating a bioplastics project for the State
of California that brought together stakeholders from industry, advocacy groups, and
government agencies. Recent accolades include UNDP’s SEED Award, Travel+Leisure’s
Global Vision Award, the BBC World Challenge, and the EU’s Youth In Action grant.
REGINA IRENE GAZA
Regina Irene “Regi” Gaza is Managing Director of Business Fair Trade Consulting, a nonprofit organization that provides enterprise development and market consultancy services
for other non-profit organizations and institutions. A former Voluntary Service Overseas
(VSO) volunteer stationed in Kenya, she currently serves as President of Kabahaginan
Foundation, which organizes the outreach and development programs of VSO returnedvolunteers. She majored in Development Economics at the University of the PhilippinesLos Baños.
NICHOLAS GOODWIN
Nicholas Goodwin is an adviser to the Australian Labor Party, and is also working with
the University of Sydney to develop international education initiatives. His interests center
on social marketing, education and international development and he has worked on
projects with UNAIDS, Levi Strauss, UNICEF, ADB and AusAID on international
development and partnerships, including HIV/AIDS and education initiatives. He also
headed the Social Marketing Group with Ogilvy Indonesia, working with AED, AusAID,
Intel, Indonesian Human Rights Commission, Johns Hopkins CCP, Nokia, Save the
Children, USAID and Western Union. His group’s ‘Fantastic Mom’ social marketing
campaign won five regional awards. Nicholas was previously Executive Director with
Youth Challenge Australia, working on international and community development
volunteer projects; and Parker & Partners on government strategy and public programs.
He is an alumnus of the Asialink Leaders. Nicholas volunteers as an AEF Asia Literacy
Ambassador and with the Sydney Community College’s Refugee Mentoring Program. He
has a Bachelor of Asian Studies with First Class Honours and an MBA, specializing in
public policy. He is presently a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney working on
social marketing approaches to international development.
SHAUN GORDON
Shaun Gordon is the founder and President of Ascend Global Investments, LLC., a New
York based global merchant bank. Prior to Ascend, Shaun was a founding partner of Enso
Capital Management, LLC, a global alternative investment management company also
based in New York. While at Enso Capital, Shaun helped grow the firm’s assets under
management to $750 million at peak, and played a crucial role in the development of the
firm’s research and risk management processes. During his tenure at Enso Capital, he
invested over $1.5 billion in over 400 companies across more than 35 countries. Shaun is
an active mentor of high risk youth and is involved in various charities focused on
healthcare. He is a board member of Bronx Success Academy, a free, public elementary
charter school for underprivileged youth. Shaun holds a BS in Finance from New York
University’s Stern School of Business.
VIRGILIO DA SILVA GUTERRES
Virgilio Guterres is General Program Manager of the Haburas Foundation and President
of Timor Lorosa’e Journalists’ Association (TLJA). Between 2003 and 2006, he was
Managing Director of East Timor Public Broadcasting Service (Radio and Television).
Previously, Virgilio was also Chief Editor of Talitakum Weekly News Magazine (19982000) and a pro-democracy underground journalist in Indonesia (1997-2000). Between
1991 and 1994, he was held as a political prisoner due to his political activism for East
Timor Independence.
ALAMDAR HAMDANI
Alamdar Shabbir Hamdani is a Trial Attorney for the Counterterrorism Section, National
Security Division at the United States Department of Justice. He is responsible for the
investigation and prosecution of international terrorist crimes. Before that, he was an
Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky representing the
United States in criminal prosecutions. Beforehand, he was in private practice in Houston
where his practice involved civil rights and liberties work. While in private practice,
Alamdar dedicated a significant portion of his free time to civil rights issues facing
Muslims, South Asians and Arabs in a post 9-11 environment. In that capacity, he defended
many individuals in voluntary FBI interviews, debated Department of Justice officials, and
published several opinion pieces in The Dallas Morning News and The Houston Chronicle.
He is also a contributor to the American Bar Association’s Supreme Court Preview. Much
of his community work came as the President of the North American South Asian Bar
Association, and as the first South Asian board member of the American Civil Liberties
Union of Texas. This work culminated in several awards including recognition by the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as one of Houston’s top 40 people to make
an impact on civil rights over the past 40 years, and by the Texas Law Foundation as a top
civil rights attorney. Alamdar received his BBA from The University of Texas at Austin
and JD from the University of Houston, where he served as an editor of the University of
Houston Law Review.
PIYA HANVORAVONGCHAI
Piya Hanvoravongchai is a Lecturer in Health Policy at the London School of Hygiene &
Tropical Medicine. His interests span the areas of health systems, health economics,
international health policy, and global development. Piya has over 12 years of work
experience in the public health sector. He started his career as a clinician and later a
hospital director at a rural hospital in Thailand. He then expanded to health policy and
health systems research with previous professional experiences as researcher at the Health
Systems Research Institute and research fellow at the International Health Policy
Programme in Thailand, research scientist at the World Health Organization in
Switzerland, and research associate at Harvard University in the United States. He was
also the Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Action Alliance on Human Resources for Health
(AAAH) from 2006-2008. He received his M.D. from Mahidol University and his M.Sc.
in International Health Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
ALEXANDRA HARNEY
Alexandra Harney is visiting scholar at Hong Kong University. She is also the author of
The China Price and a respected voice on labor and economic issues in China. The China
Price examines the human and environmental cost of China’s success as the world’s
factory. Alexandra spent seven years as a correspondent and editor at The Financial Times
and has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. A
fluent Japanese and Chinese speaker, Alexandra is a contributing editor at the Economist
Intelligence Unit and a commentator on the BBC and NPR. She has testified before the US
Congress and interpreted for former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Alexandra is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a cum laude graduate
of Princeton University with a degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and
International Affairs. She is currently researching her second book.
ASHER HASAN
Asher Hasan is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of NAYA JEEVAN
(http://www.njfk. org), a social enterprise dedicated to alleviating poverty by providing
low-income families throughout the emerging world with affordable access to quality
healthcare. Asher is a 2009 and 2010 member of the Clinton Global Initiative, a TED
Fellow and a Draper Richards Social Entrepreneur Fellow for 2009-2011 that is
accompanied with a $300,000 award. He is also a Cordes/Opportunity Collaboration
fellow, a RWJF fellow at TEDMED 2010 and a member of the Asia Society’s Task Force
on Pakistan 20/20 vision. In addition, NAYA JEEVAN is the recipient of a $75,000 1st
prize in the 2008 NYU Social Entrepreneurship Business Plan competition. Prior to
launching NAYA JEEVAN, Asher served in the capacity of Senior Director and Head of
the US Medical Affairs Obesity team for Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. San Diego, CA.
During his tenure in the biopharmaceutical industry, Asher completed his MBA from New
York University’s Stern School of Business.
KASSY HAYDEN
Kassy Hayden is Director of the popular clothing company Hubert & Rhymes. Kassy is a
leading fashion designer, writer and social and environmental communications specialist
from New Zealand. She is currently researching and writing a design book on menswear
and what it reveals about aestheticism and cultural identity. In the communications
industry, Kassy specializes in social and environmental issues and has considerable
experience in this field. Alongside her communications work, she also leads design
projects with other companies that research, promote and involve environmentallysustainable products. Kassy spent her early years in New Delhi, India, where she developed
her love of color and design along with an appreciation of cultural diversity as well as
social and environmental interests. She has a Graduate Diploma in Applied Journalism
from Massey University as well as qualifications in fashion design and contemporary
dance.
MARIA CONCEPCION HERNANDEZ
Maria Concepcion “Concon” Hernandez was recently reelected for her second term as
councilor of Lipa City in Batangas, Philippines. She chairs the city council’s Committee
on Women, Family, and Children, Committee on Persons with Disabilities, and Committee
on Laws. She is also a director of the National Movement of Young Legislators. An
accomplished youth leader, she is an alumna of the Ayala Young Leaders (2002), Bayer
Young Environmental Envoy (2002), and Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines
(2003) programs. She has an accountancy degree from De La Salle Lipa, and is currently
pursuing her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree at the University of Batangas.
JANE HIRST
Jane Hirst is an Australian specialist Obstetrician/Gynaecologist with a strong interest in
the area of safe motherhood and stillbirth prevention. Working in Australia, the UK and
Vietnam has given her an appreciation of the cultural and contextual challenges in
delivering evidence-based medical care in diverse settings. She has conducted five
teaching workshops in essential maternal and newborn health in remote and urban Vietnam
as well as workshops in Malaysia in postgraduate teaching methods and Australia in
stillbirth prevention. She held the Shan S Ratnam Young Gynaecologist Award in 2008
for research into evidence based teaching in maternal and child health in remote Vietnam.
DEEPENDER SINGH HOODA
Deepender Singh Hooda is the 2nd term Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from
Rohtak, Haryana, and he has already made a mark as an articulate parliamentarian and a
politician committed to education and rural development. Additionally, Deepender serves
actively on several important bodies: he is Vice-Chairman of the Indian Red Cross Society;
Chairperson of the Indo-UK forum of Parliamentarians; Member of the Parliamentary
Standing Committee on Human Resource Development; and Member of the Consultative
Committee on External Affairs. Deepender is the third-generation in the parliament of a
family with a rich political heritage; his father is the Chief Minister of Haryana and his
grandfather was a freedom fighter and a member of the Constituent Assembly. He is
actively involved in the modernization of the Youth Congress undertaken by Rahul
Gandhi. He is also fast emerging as a passionate champion of agriculture and rural
infrastructure. Deepender holds an MBA with corporate experience in India and abroad.
ZHENG HUANG
Zheng Huang is Chairman and co-founder of Business Connect China, a provider of expert
consultation, market intelligence, advisory services, and investments for the China market.
Zheng was a White House Fellow 2009-2010 working at USAID as an advisor to the
administrator, focusing on public-private partnerships. Prior to that, he was a Managing
Director at Intel Corporation, responsible for Intel’s telecommunications business in
China. Under his leadership, Intel struck a number of collaborations and partnerships in
China that successfully charted a new path for long term technology standards cooperation
and intellectual property resolution between the US and China. He has lived and worked
in Germany (for Bosch), Japan (for Hitachi), India (for Infosys), and China and has
traveled to over 50 countries. He holds a MBA with distinction from Harvard Business
School, as well as a M.S. in Computer Science, a B.S. in Industrial Engineering, and a
B.A. in Economics from Stanford University.
SUSIE IBARRA
Susie Ibarra is co-founder of Song of the Bird King LLC which works to preserve globally
indigenous culture and ecology. She is a composer, percussionist and humanitarian
residing in New York. Susie creates cultural dialogue through music that addresses
heritage, environment, and humanitarian issues. In 2008 she received an Asian Cultural
Council Fellowship to research indigenous music of the Philippines. She is currently
working with seven indigenous tribes, and with advisement from WWF Philippines on her
title film. She is commissioned for a music theatre work, Saturnalia, with Pulitzer Prize
Poet Yusef Komunyakaa, about the illusions of Paradise, human trafficking, AIDS set in
Thailand with Music-Theatre Group. Susie is a Yamaha, Vic Firth and Paiste artist and
can be heard on over 40 recordings such as Drum Sketches, Electric Kulintang, Folkloriko
and Mundo Niños. She was honored to receive a 2010 NYFA Fellowship for Music and
became a 2010 TED Fellow.
KAJALIE ISLAM
Kajalie Shehreen Islam is the In-Charge of Forum, a monthly publication of The Daily
Star, Bangladesh’s leading English daily. She was previously a feature writer with The
Star magazine of the same paper. Kajalie writes on a wide range of topics, focusing on
human rights, politics, gender, media and development issues. Her academic interests
range from media, conflict and gender to advertising. Kajalie has conducted research on
children’s television programming in Bangladesh, the war heroines of Bangladesh’s
independence movement, and the development communication policy (in the area of
health) of BRAC, the world’s largest non-governmental organization. Kajalie grew up in
Bangladesh, India, Canada and Libya. She graduated from the country’s top public
university, the University of Dhaka, in mass communication and journalism, and is now a
Lecturer in the same department. She completed her second Masters’ in Critical Media and
Cultural Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of
London, UK.
MEHREEN JABBAR
Mehreen Jabbar is an award winning director from Pakistan. She has made a number of
TV films, TV series and short films over the last 16 years, covering a range of progressive
subjects. ‘Ramchand Pakistani’, her first feature length film, was released in Pakistan,
India and the UK to wide critical and audience acclaim. The film premiered at the Tribeca
Film Festival in 2008. It won the Fipresci Prize from the International Federation of Film
Critics, Honourable Mention by the 13th Annual Satyajit Ray Awards at the London Film
Festival in 2008 and Audience Award at the Fribourg Film Festival. The film recently had
a week long screening at the MOMA in New York. Mehreen was a founding member of
War Against Rape, KaraFilm Festival in Karachi, and served as a juror at Leeds
International Film Festival and South Asian International Film Festival, NY. She currently
resides in New York City.
KHAIRY JAMALUDDIN
Khairy Jamaluddin is a Member of Parliament for Rembau and Leader of the United
Malays National Organisation Youth Movement (UMNO Youth). Previously, Khairy was
Director of ECM at Libra Capital, a leading Malaysian investment bank, and Deputy
Leader of the ruling United Malays National Organisation’s Youth Wing (UMNO Youth).
He also served in the Government for five years, rising to the position of Deputy Principal
Private Secretary to the Prime Minister and Director of the Policy and Communications
Division in the Office of the Prime Minister. He was responsible for strategic policy
initiatives undertaken by the Prime Minister and coordinating policy formulation across
Government. He also headed the strategic committee for the 2004 General Elections tasked
with crafting key messages for the Barisan Nasional campaign. He has been involved in
UMNO politics since 1999, rising through the ranks at the branch, divisional and national
level. His main interest in UMNO has been in the field of education and how the party can
complement the efforts of the Government to bring better quality education to rural areas.
He is also the Chairman of Akademi Pemuda, UMNO Youth’s think tank, which is
responsible for formulating action plans and grassroots programs for party members and
the younger generation. He was educated at the Universities of Oxford and London and is
a member of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. He lives in Kuala Lumpur with his
wife and two sons.
BINOY JOB
Binoy Job is currently Director of the Prime Minister’s Office in India. A career journalist
and a social innovator, he joined the PMO in the second term of Dr. Manmohan Singh in
2009. He was Editor-in-Chief of the “Development Channel,” a news portal focusing on
‘development news’ using IT, internet, television and mobiles to reach out and empower
as many people with access to information. Binoy worked with NDTV, a pioneer in
television news broadcasting in India for more than a decade, prior to initiating the
“Development Channel.” He has also initiated the Leaders For Tomorrow Foundation
(LFT) to encourage students from university campuses to take up social action and train
them in developmental issues as well as leadership. LFT has more than 31,000 members
as of 2010. His other social initiatives include i-CORD, The Institute for Community
Media, Rural Reporting and Development Journalism; ABBA boys’ homes, a boarding
house project in cities for outstanding children from BPL families to provide them better
opportunities; and INDIANOVATORS, an organization focusing on incubation and
mentoring technological innovations on college campuses in India.
NATALIE CHRISTINE JORGE
Natalie Christine “Ching” Virata Jorge is the Vice President and Director for Programs
and Research at the Bato Balani Foundation, Inc., a non-profit foundation engaged in the
management and implementation of educational development programs in the
Philippines. Committed to social and youth development, Natalie is also the Chair/Lead
Convenor for Young Public Servants (YPS), a youth organization that aims to harness a
new generation of young leaders who support and advocate democratic citizenship and
good governance. She is also the Chairperson of the Research Committee of the League
of Corporate Foundations (LCF), the leading proponent of corporate social responsibility
(CSR) programs in the Philippines, and the founder of Project LIA (Love in Action), an
advocacy campaign in support of Orphanages and Day Care Centers. Her commitment to
development work includes original research, consulting and volunteer activities with
various academic institutions and NGOs. She has undertaken lead roles in development
and research programs on CSR, policy development and education. She has over a
decade of experience in social development including work with the Philippine National
Museum Foundation, the Policy Center and the Center for Corporate Social
Responsibility of the Asian Institute of Management. Natalie has also published a
number of articles and research on education, youth development, governance, and
corporate social responsibility.
DAISUKE KAN
Daisuke Kan currently serves as the Executive Director at Cheerio Group, a familyowned Japanese beverage company with 400 employees. As the third generation, he is
trying to build on and create an impact in the fifty-year-old domestic company by
thorough communication and an aggressive recruiting strategy to build a strong team of
talents with a global perspective. He collaborates with diverse domestic and international
artists such as Japanese-black-and-white-painters, web-designers, Samba musicians and
hot-rod-pinstripers for cutting edge soft drink packages. With annual sales of over 100
million bottles, he sees a large potential in soft drink packages as media to promote
artists and information. He earned his B.A. from the University of Tokyo in American
Studies and his MBA from Stanford University where he built a strong connection with
passionate global leaders. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the African drum and
traveling abroad.
GEN KANAI
Gen Kanai is Director of Asia Business Development for Mozilla Corporation, a
California-based not-for-profit organization that develops, manages, and freely distributes
the popular Mozilla Firefox web browser. Gen is also Director of Marketing for Mozilla
Japan. Prior to joining Mozilla, he was on the team responsible for the launch of Technorati
Japan, a weblog search engine. In 2003, he co-produced the First International Moblogging
Conference, the first worldwide conference on the topic of mobile weblogs and personal
publishing from mobile phones with over 150 attendees from England, Italy, the U.S., and
Japan. Gen has also worked for Sony Marketing of Japan, Sony Electronics Inc., and
Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., on various Internet-related businesses in both the U.S. and
Japan. He is a fellow of the U.S.-Japan Foundation’s “US-Japan Leadership Program.” He
received a B.A. in Geography from Dartmouth College in 1996. He is proud to be born
and raised in New York City and currently resides in Tokyo.
RABI KARMACHARYA
Rabi Karmacharya is the Executive Director of the Open Learning Exchange Network in
Nepal, which he started in 2007 with the aim to improve education quality and access in
rural parts of the country by employing technological innovations. Rabi previously worked
in Silicon Valley as a design engineer for three years before returning to Nepal in 2000 to
help build the nation struggling with a nascent democracy. He started a software company
called HimalayanTechies to tap into the growing outsourcing market and to help reduce
the massive brain-drain of the young, skilled workforce. After establishing the company
and leading it for seven years, he pursued other interests to build human resources in the
country through education before initiating OLEN. Born and raised in Kathmandu, he went
to Canada and the US for higher studies after completing high school in Nepal. He received
his BSc and MEng degrees in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT).
SORAPOP KIATPONGSAN
Sorapop Kiatpongsan is a lecturer and physician at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok,
Thailand. He serves in international scientific and professional organizations and has
strongly advocated for the good governance of health science and technology and science
education in Asia-Pacific countries, especially on stem cell therapies. Awarded the
Anandamahidol Scholarship from His Majesty the King of Thailand, he studied stem cell
biology at Harvard Medical School and was an innovation policy fellow at Harvard
Kennedy School from 2006-2009. Sorapop has presented and published widely on
innovation policy and health policy including articles in Science and Nature Reports Stem
Cells. He was listed by Nature Publishing Group as a featured policy expert. Sorapop is
pursuing a Ph.D. in Health Policy concentrating in Decision Science at Harvard University
and interested in understanding and improving medical and policy decision-making to help
make better decisions and societies.
DO HYEON KIM
Do Hyeon Kim is an Associate Professor of entrepreneurship at Kookmin University.
While teaching and doing research in entrepreneurship and strategy, he actively advises
and consults governmental bodies like the Presidential Office as well as private companies
ranging from high-tech startups to leading private equity funds. Before coming to
academia, he worked at The Boston Consulting Group as a management consultant helping
clients in financial and high tech sectors. Due to the Asian financial crisis, he built his
expertise in restructuring, which led him into investment banking. Do Hyeon led several
successful M&A deals at a local investment bank. He also worked at SBSi, a subsidiary of
a major broadcaster developing media strategy. Determined to share his business
experiences, he joined the faculty of Kookmin University and shares with young
entrepreneurs a dream of reshaping the future. Do Hyeon completed his doctoral studies
in management at Warwick Business School.
JOSHUA KLACZEK
Joshua Klaczek is a Director and specialist salesperson at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
For the past 9 years he has been covering financial institutions globally, first as an
investment banker at Goldman Sachs in New York, then as an investor at Och-Ziff Capital
in New York and then Hong Kong, and most recently as a specialist salesperson for Bank
of America Merill Lynch. After moving to Hong Kong in 2006, he focused on Asia
financials, investing in various banks, brokers and insurers across Japan/Korea, Greater
China and ASEAN markets. Today he covers financial investors globally that focus on
Asia. In his role as a specialist, he has also worked with a number of financial institutions
looking to raise capital, go public, and refine capital structures in a constantly evolving
regulatory environment (Basel 2 & 3; new solvency measures for insurers). Joshua has a
BA in Economics from Duke University, where he graduated summa cum laude.
ARIEF KOESOEMAWIRIA
Arief Koesoemawiria is the Founder and Director of Suar Intermuda, a renewable energy
company in Indonesia. Suar Intermuda is focused on replacing fossil fuel demands with
clean affordable energy systems. His company started as a photovoltaic supplier, but has
ventured into solar, wind and hydro technologies. His team continually works with
communities and industries to develop innovative regional products, such as navigation
lighting, desalination systems, crop dryers, and mobile villages. The projects have covered
15 of the 33 provinces in Indonesia. He was previously a civil and environmental
engineering consultant based in San Diego, California. He has been a choir director since
2001 and has produced musicals for inner city youth programs. He holds a degree in Civil
Engineering and a professional certificate in Facilities Management.
HIROKI KOMAZAKI
Hiroki Komazaki is Founder and President of Florence, an organization that provides sick
children with care services in central Tokyo since April 2005. Due to his unique evaluations
on the links between the lack of child care and inflexibility of the work place, he was asked
to join as a policy examiner with the Cabinet Office in January 2010. In this capacity, he
suggested many useful and practical measures for helping working parents in Japanese
society. He also consults with executives from a variety of fields to help create synergistic
solutions to not only increase profitability but to improve workplace diversity. Hiroki
received many awards including the Prime Minister Encouragement Award (2006),
Newsweek’s Top 100 social entrepreneurs who change the world (2007), and The Harvard
Business School Club of Japan’s Entrepreneur of the Year (first NPO entrepreneur).
ASADEJ KONGSIRI
Asadej Kongsiri is the Head of Thailand for Bank of America Merill Lynch’s Corporate
and Investment Banking. He joined BofAML in 2005 and is presently responsible for the
various business activities carried out in Thailand including investment banking services
(initial public offerings, mergers and acquisition advisory, debt capital market offerings),
wholesale corporate banking services and fixed income, currencies and commodities
related services. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, he worked for the investment department
of JPMorgan in Hong Kong and Bangkok. Asadej has also worked as a project engineer
and finance officer for PTT Public
Company Limited, Thailand’s listed national oil and gas company.
CATRINI PRATIHARI KUBONTUBUH
Catrini Kubontubuh is Executive Director of the Indonesian Heritage Trust as well as the
Asian Coordinator for the International National Trusts Organization headquartered in
London. She previously founded several local heritage organizations including The
Heritage Trust of West Sumatera, the Bali Kuna Heritage Society, and the Indonesian
Network of Heritage Conservation. Catrini went on to start the Indonesian Heritage Trust
alongside various Indonesian activists, related government institutions, universities,
academics and other stakeholders. Her interests lie in heritage conservation and engaging
the community to strengthen the safeguarding of Indonesian heritage. Catrini was
previously a lecturer at the University of Bung Hatta-Padang, and assistant lecturer at
Bandung Institute of Technology.
ADI KUSMA
Adi Kusma is President Director of Biznet Networks in Indonesia. He is responsible for
managing and leading the company to become one of the chief telecom providers in
Indonesia. In 2000, he founded Biznet to offer broadband internet service for high rise
buildings. In 2001, Biznet set up a Data Center for co-location and a disaster recovery
center. In 2005, Biznet started to build optic networks in Jakarta using Metro Ethernet and
GE-PON (Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network). Currently Biznet’s Fiber Optic
coverage has reached more than 1500 KM. Adi graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering from Oregon State University in 1998.
ELLANA LEE
Ellana Lee is Managing Editor for CNN International Asia Pacific, based at the network’s
regional headquarters in Hong Kong. She manages on-air and online news programming
produced in HK, in addition to correspondents across 10 bureaus stretching from Islamabad
to Tokyo. Under her management, CNN has received multiple prestigious awards: a
George Polk for Dan Rivers’ report on Rohingya refugees, a Peabody for the US
presidential campaigns and 2 Asian Television Awards for best news program for ‘CNN
Today’ and best talk show for ‘Talk Asia’. In 2005, Ellana earned a DuPont award for the
South Asian tsunami. She was named a ‘Young Global Leader’ by the World Economic
Forum. She is a graduate of Harvard’s ‘Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st
Century’ Executive Program. Ellana holds a masters degree in Broadcast Journalism from
New York University and a bachelor’s degree in History and International Relations from
Georgetown University.
BERNARD LEONG
Bernard Leong is the co-founder of Chlkboard where he currently serves as the CTO and
is instrumental in developing a mobile-web ad delivery system to help small and medium
enterprises to market promotions. Prior to Chlkboard, Bernard was a founding partner in
Thymos Capital LLP and guided his portfolio of companies mainly on product
development. Bernard worked as a scientist in Cavendish Laboratory & Wellcome Trust
Sanger Institute. He received the accolade of Young Professional of the Year from the
Singapore Computer Society (SCS) IT Leader Awards 2010 and Outstanding Young
Alumni Award 2007 at NUS. He is also the host of “This Week in Asia,” a podcast
dedicated to web/tech and mobile news in Asia which he co-founded. Bernard holds a BSc
in National University of Singapore (NUS) and a PhD (Physics) from Cambridge.
DANNY LEVINSON
Danny Levinson is the General Manager of Vocus China, a subsidiary of Vocus, Inc.
(Nasdaq:VOCS), a leading global social media monitoring firm and provider of on-demand
software for public relations. In 2004, Danny co-founded media and software firm BDL
Media Ltd and served as CEO until it was acquired by Vocus in 2010. While at BDL Media,
he built and launched MyRSS.cn, one of China’s first online news aggregation and
syndication engines; created Xinwengao.com, a leading Internet press release distribution
network; and started Zhongguo Lvye Cankao, the top media platform for China’s growing
travel industry. Prior to BDL Media, Danny was involved in the founding and development
of several Chinese Internet businesses. Danny sits on the boards of various non-profit
groups and companies in China, and is an open source software advocate. From 2008-2010,
Danny was Chairman of the I.T. Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in
Shanghai. Danny is based in Beijing.
LIFAN LI
Lifan Li is an assistant professor at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and advisor to
the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipality. He chairs programs at the
National Planning Project of Philosophy and Social Sciences as well as the National
Project sponsored by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of The State Council. In 2005,
he was selected by China’s MFA as a member of the Chinese Diplomatic Observer
Group to observe parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan. Lifan has been a Council
Member of the Shanghai Society for Russia and Central Asia, a fellow of the Salzburg
Global Seminar, and a Member of the Editorial Board on Asian Journal of Global Studies
in Japan. He has lectured widely in the U.S., Central Asia and Europe, and published
articles on a variety of topics within China and abroad. Lifan graduated from Belarusian
State University with both a BA and MA. He is presently a Ph.D. candidate in political
science in Kazakhstan.
SCARLETT LI
Scarlett Li is the co-Founder and CEO of Zebra Media, China’s largest multi-media music
platform, promoting music on Satellite channels, concerts, internet and mobile networks.
She is one of China’s leading media executives. BTTV, China’s No.1 music and
entertainment channel reaching 200 million people in China everyday, is part of the Zebra
Media Group. Prior to Zebra Media, Scarlett ran StarTV’s Channel [V] (A News
Corporation Company music channel in China where she launched the first ever Channel
[V] Chinese Music Awards (CMA). The events broke viewership records for music awards
shows, reaching more than 139 million Chinese homes. She also launched the famous
“Made in China” campaign, turning [V] into one of the most popular youth/music brands
in the region. Scarlett also co-founded R2G, one of the leading companies in China that
focuses on the online / mobile music distribution and licensing business, and is currently a
shareholder and a board director. She obtained her bachelors degree in Australia, majoring
in Information Technology and Business Management, and her EMBA from Tsinghua
University in Beijing. She is a Henry Crown fellow with the Aspen Institute, and a NAL
of the World Economic Forum.
BRYAN ALBERT LIM
Bryan Albert Lim is the project proponent of the Philippine General Hospital’s Department of Internal Medicine’s
study group on Universal Healthcare, which aims to develop a website database for patient education, continuing
medical education, and medical case profiles. In 2008, he spearheaded the Quisumbing-Escandor Film Festival for
Health, an annual nationwide film competition that seeks to highlight the impact of social, cultural and political
factors on the current state of healthcare; winning films are screened in communities and schools as part of a health
awareness campaign. He also co-organized the Health Young Leaders’ Congress, which brings together upcoming
leaders in the health sector, in 2009. Bryan passed the Philippines’ medical board exam in August 2010.
ROBIN LOON
Robin Loon is an Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies at the National University of
Singapore. He is also an active theatre practitioner and works as a playwright, dramaturge
and occasional director. He is closely associated with TheatreWorks Singapore, a premier
Singapore English Language theatre company led by Artistic Director Ong Keng Sen. His
recent work with TheatreWorks include RPM (2009), 120 (2007) and Geisha (2006) which
toured internationally. His play “Destinies of Flowers in the Mirror” was also revived in
2009 by one of Singapore’s young and promising theatre groups, Cake Theatricals. Robin
is also a festival dramaturge for the Singapore International Arts Festival from 2010
onwards. He is also a commissioning dramaturge for two of the festival’s incubation
program: Full Front (2007-2009) and Open Studio (2010 - Present). Robin has also headed
other writing incubation program, namely TheatreWorks’ Writers’ Laboratory for which
he has been Associate Director since 2007. He also initiated the very popular annual 24hour playwriting competition organized by TheatreWorks, now in its 13th year. He is
currently working on a trilogy called ‘The Abbreviation Trilogy’ and hopes to generate
more writing in the next three years. Bilingual in Chinese & English, Robin hopes to extend
his creative work to cover translations of plays in English and in Chinese.
HIEP DUC LUU
Hiep Luu is co-founder and director of a business start-up called GreennoCom, a pioneer
in communication, consulting for sustainable business in Vietnam. He was the British
Council Climate Champion representing Vietnamese Youth at the COP15 conference in
Copenhagen, Denmark in 2010. Hiep was also the leader of a not-for-profit organization
called Center for Young Entrepreneurs and Sustainability Education. His interest is to work
with entrepreneurs and young people to find solutions for sustainability issues in Vietnam.
Hiep earned his first degree in Civil Engineering and his Master’s degree in Sustainable
Development focusing on Built Environment.
AIDAN MADIGAN-CURTIS
Aidan Madigan-Curtis is a Management Associate and Chief of Staff to the CEO of
Bridgewater Associates, as well as Co-Chief Strategy and Investment Officer of
Womensphere, a global leadership community. While a student at Harvard University,
Aidan founded and led a microfinance organization which supports migrant women in
Shenzhen; she founded another non-profit, Harvard China Care, which provides surgeries
and foster-care for orphans in China; and she founded the Harvard International
Development Organization. At 16, Aidan was selected to represent her Western Canadian
city in strategic dialogue with Ikeda, Japan. Aidan aims to use her global macroeconomic
expertise from Harvard and Bridgewater to develop market-based solutions to
challenging world problems, specifically in Asia. In 2007, Aidan graduated Magna
Cum Laude from Harvard University with a self-crafted major entitled “Political Economy
of East Asian Development.”
ANISH MAHAJAN
Anish P. Mahajan is a physician and Assistant Professor in Residence at the David Geffen
School of Medicine at UCLA. He recently finished serving one year as a White House
Fellow. He was Special Assistant to Director Peter Orszag at the Office of Management &
Budget. Prior to his work in the White House, Anish led innovative collaborations between
academic, government, and relevant stakeholder organizations on an array of domestic and
international health policy issues. His work has addressed health care challenges in the
U.S., India, and South Africa and he has previously served as a consultant to The Ford
Foundation and RAND Corporation. Dedicated to public service, he has also served as a
publicly elected council member on a City of Los Angeles neighborhood council. Anish
received a B.A. in Public Policy and M.D. from Brown University. He also earned a M.P.H.
in International Health from Harvard School of Public Health and M.S. in Health Services
from UCLA.
RAYYA MAKARIM
Rayya Makarim is a scriptwriter, whose first film for TV (1998) swept the majority of
awards, including Best Story, at the annual Indonesian Film/TV Awards. Through the
years, Rayya has worked as a film curator, organizing discussions and screenings of world
cinema as well as banned films at Teater Utan Kayu, a cultural pocket dedicated to the
freedom of expression through monthly programs of alternative art, thought and
journalism. She has been regularly involved in the Jakarta International Film Festival
(JiFFest) since its founding in 1999. Her latest film “Jermal” received a production grant,
the top award at the Open Doors segment of the 2006 Locarno International Film Festival.
The film also received funding from the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the
Berlin International Film Festival. The film went on to win Best Film at the 19th African,
Asian, and Latin American Film Festival in Milan, also Best Film as well as the NETPAC
award at the 14th International Film Festival of Kerala. “Jermal” is still traveling the
International Film Festival circuit in Germany, France, Iran, and Denmark. Rayya is
presently working on a number of films tackling subjects including corruption, religious
pluralism, and bureaucracy. Rayya graduated with a BA in Film from Vassar College, NY.
She was granted the British Chevening Award Scholarship to do her Masters in Twentieth
Century Literature and Its Intellectual Context at Goldsmiths College, University of
London.
AARON MANIAM
Aaron Maniam is the first Head of the Singapore Government’s new Centre for Strategic
Futures as of January 2010, and Deputy Director at the Strategic Policy Office of the Public
Service Division, where he leads a team that analyses long-term inter-agency issues. From
May 2006 to January 2008, he served as First Secretary at Singapore’s Embassy to
Washington, DC. In his community work, Aaron has served as a resource person for
Singapore’s National Youth Council and a Member of the Executive Committee of
Mendaki Club, a group of young Muslim professionals in Singapore. He was Director for
Fundraising and Special Services with the Washington DC chapter of the Hugh O’ Brian
Youth Foundation, a 501(c)(3) youth leadership body. As Vice President (2003-2005) and
President (2005-July 2006) of the Debate Association (Singapore), Aaron was active in
promoting debating among Singaporean youth. He continues to judge debating
competitions and conduct workshops for schools. He was one of the Chief Adjudicators at
the 2008 World Schools Debating Championship, held in Washington, DC. Aaron won the
First Prize for English Poetry in the 2003 National Arts Council-Singapore Press Holdings
Golden Point Award. His first collection of poems, Morning at Memory’s Border, was
shortlisted for the biennial Singapore Literature Prize in 2007. He graduated from Oxford
and Yale on a Singapore Public Service Commission scholarship.
DANIEL MARGUARI
Daniel Marguari is Chief Executive of Spiritia Foundation and works tirelessly to empower
Indonesians infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. He oversees more than twenty catalyst and
130 peer support groups in seventy districts of Indonesia. He has attended and presented
at numerous HIV/AIDS conferences. Daniel is a member of the Country Coordinating
Mechanism of Global Fund of Indonesia and of the National AIDS Commission. He
received an Ashoka Fellowship as a Social Entrepreneur in October 2005 and his
nongovernmental organization was honored with a Red Ribbon Award from the UNDP in
2006. Daniel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
SHAFFI MATHER
Shaffi Mather is an advocate at the Supreme Court of India and the Founder of Dial 1298
for Ambulance. He is an upcoming young leader within the Indian National Congress
Party. He was educated at the Mahatma Gandhi University, India; University of
Pittsburgh, USA; University of Bridgeport, US; and the London School of Economics,
UK where he was a Chevening Senior Scholar and currently a Visiting Lecturer. He was
selected to be a Mason Fellow at the JFK School of Government, Harvard University for
the academic year 2007-08. After his MBA, Shaffi left his family business in real estate
for a leadership position in his state and then worked professionally with two of India’s
leading corporate tycoons, Mr. Mukesh Ambani (Reliance Industries) and Mr. Subash
Chandra (Zee TV/Essel Group). His most notable accomplishment has been the
successful establishment of an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) “DIAL 1298 FOR AMBULANCE”
(www.1298.org.in) in Mumbai, the first truly world-class self sustainable EMS in India. This project is now under
expansion in Mumbai and in his home state, Kerala.
YE NAING MOE
Ye Naing Moe is the founding Director of a Yangon based journalism organization named
The Citizen Information Network (CIN) which has been producing citizen journalists in
Myanmar under the iron curtain. Ye Naing, formerly Chief Editor of The Beauty magazine,
is also a professional journalism trainer at The Indochina Media Memorial Foundation
(IMMF), a media organization that has been training journalists in Indochina. Ye Naing
has spent much of his time in developing journalism in Myanmar where it is essential in
helping to save lives. He and his CIN team were deeply involved in the Saffron Revolution
and the Nargis Cyclone coverage. He finished his higher studies in Journalism at UC
Berkeley.
JOHN PIERMONT MONTILLA
John Piermont “Johnpierre” Montilla is the Founder and President of Kabataang Gabay sa
Positibong Pamumuhay (Peers for Positive Living), an enterprise that organizes youth in
highly exploitative environments and risk spaces, and provides reproductive and sexual
health education and skills training. The organization was named as one of the Ten
Outstanding Youth Organizations (TAYO) in the Philippines in 2003 and 2008.
Johnpierre’s prominent international engagements include serving as YouthActionNet
Ambassador of the International Youth Foundation, a learning facilitator of the
Constellation based in Thailand, a Young Leaders in Governance Fellow of the Galing
Pook Foundation and UNDEF, and national focal point for the Philippines of the Global
Youth Coalition on AIDS. Johnpierre has a degree in the biological sciences from the Western Visayas State
University and has a specialized post-undergraduate on Gender, Sexuality and Reproductive Health at the University
of San Carlos in Cebu City as a Ford Foundation Fellow.
SIMON MOSS
Simon Moss is the co-founder of the Global Poverty Project, whose mission is to increase
the number and effectiveness of people taking action towards the end of extreme poverty.
He wrote the ground-breaking “1.4 Billion Reasons” presentation, which has been
delivered 250+ times to 40,000+ people in the last 18 months. Simon is a campaigning and
community education expert. He has contributed on development issues at some of the
world’s leading conferences including the G20, the World Economic Forum and the
Clinton Global Initiative.
NADER MOUSAVIZADEH
Nader Mousavizadeh is the Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Analytica, a global analysis
and advisory firm. Prior to joining Oxford Analytica, Nader founded Archipelago Partners,
a geostrategic advisory firm. A former investment banker, he was an Executive Director of
Goldman Sachs International with responsibility for a number of global client relationships
from 2004 to 2009. From 1997 to 2003, he served as a Special Assistant to UN SecretaryGeneral Kofi Annan. A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, Nader received his
M.Phil, in International Relations at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He
received his MBA from the Sloan School of Management as a Sloan Fellow and was
elected a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum.
FARHAN MUHAMMAD
Farhan Muhammad hosts a radio show “Radio Morning Show” on the Delta FM National
Network in Indonesia, and also works at YCAB. Recently, he developed a new business
model for one of Indonesia’s professional football clubs, PERSIB, making it the first
professional football club that is independent from government subsidies. Farhan also cohosts a Shadow Puppet TV show with Ki Rohmad, a prominent puppet master. A half-hour
weekly show, Ki Rohmad presents a Shadow Puppet story of a Mahabharata myth in
Javanese, and Farhan translates into Bahasa, Indonesia’s national language.
FAWAD AHMAD MUSLIM
Fawad Ahmad Muslim is the CEO and President of Jahaan Technology Corporation, an IT
company he started in 2006, after resigning from the Afghan government. Jahaan
Technology Corporation is a software development company with over 150 employees and
is also the main partner of Microsoft in Afghanistan. He returned to Afghanistan in
December 2001, and worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan as a
Director-General of Communication & Archives. He built the first IT department and
training center at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and trained over 2600 government
employees. Fawad received a degree in Computer Science from George Mason University,
Virginia.
AHMAD NADER NADERY
Ahmad Nader Nadery is a Commissioner at the Afghan Independent Human Rights
Commission. He represented Afghan Civil Society at the UN peace talks for Afghanistan
at the Bonn Conference 2001. He also works as Chairperson of the Fair and Free Election
Foundation of Afghanistan. He is a member of the Steering Committee of Citizens Against
Terror and is a member of the advisory board of the Open Society Institute (OSI)
Afghanistan programs. He has written extensively on politics and human rights in
Afghanistan and is a member of the Board of Editors of the Oxford Journal on Transitional
Justice. He served as Spokesperson for the national assembly (Loya Jerga) in 2002. Prior
to his appointment at the AIHRC, he worked as country director for the international
human rights law group (Global Rights). Ahmad won several international awards
and was first recognized as an “Asian Hero” by Time Magazine in 2004, and later as Young Global Leader (YGL)
by the World Economic Forum in 2008. He studied law and political science at Kabul University and earned his
masters degree in International Affairs from George Washington University.
ENDA NASUTION
Enda Nasution is an independent Indonesian blogger who began blogging in 2001. His
main blog can be found at http://enda.goblogmedia.com and he tweets regularly from
@enda. He is now working to get younger generations of Indonesians to express
themselves freely, exchange ideas and contribute more to society while building self
confidence, which he believes is the underlying problem in the nation. Dubbed by
Indonesian media as the “Father of Indonesian Bloggers”, he is the first Indonesian
Contributor to GlobalVoicesOnline.org, a Harvard Law Project on global blogging. He was
a participant at the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit (2006) in Seoul, South Korea. Enda
chaired the Pesta Blogger in 2007, the first Indonesia annual blogger conference, and was
selected as a TED Fellow in TEDIndia in 2009. With 10 years of creative and online
experience in Indonesia and the region, he is now combining his creative talent and
technical strength to launch Politikana.com, an online political discussion website as a part
of an a web platform startup that he built, SalingSilang.com. He also consults, helps and
encourages corporations and organizations to use social media effectively to communicate
to their growing new audiences.
NARGIS NEHAN
Nargis Nehan is the Institutional Director and founder of Equality for Peace and
Democracy, a civil society organization advocating for equal rights and access for all. Prior
to this, she was working in the government as Director General of the Treasury Department
at the Ministry of Finance, Vice Chancellor of Kabul University for Admin and Finance,
Senior Admin and Finance Advisor of the Minister of Education and Senior Planning and
Coordination Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education. Nargis has also worked with
several nongovernmental international organizations to promote democracy at the grass
root levels. In addition, she is a civil society actor advocating for promoting political
participation of women and a member of the Anti Corruption Taskforce assisting in
combating corruption in Afghanistan. Nargis has organized and hosted several conferences
and round table discussions facilitating citizens; interaction with policy makers regarding
gender mainstreaming, good governance and peace and reintegration. She holds an MA in
Business Administration.
THU ANH NGUYEN
Thu Anh Nguyen is a medical doctor, doctor of philosophy, and public health specialist
with 10 years of technical and management experience in Vietnam. A highly sought after
consultant, she has completed successful projects for UNAIDS, CDC, the Global Fund,
FHI, UNICEF, WB, MCNV, UNDP, and WHO. Thu Anh has provided leadership to
organizations and individuals ranging from health experts, project assistants, and
government counterparts. She has experience implementing an employment program for
400 PLHIV and recovering drug users, and a community-based care program for 600 HIVinfected women and children including those in remote areas of Vietnam. She has
coordinated several missions such as technical working groups of national, international
organizations and civil society to develop an innovative PMTCT guideline. Thu Anh
successfully participated in fundraising for the Global Fund round 6 proposal of $27
million. She has written many publications and reports on topics including estimates and
projections of HIV/AIDS in Vietnam, national UNGASS reports, PMTCT, and microcredit empowerment among HIV-infected women.
YORIS NISIHO
Yoris Sebastian Nisiho is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of OMG Creative
Consulting, which he started in 2007, and for which he won the Asia Pacific Entrepreneur
Award (Most Promising Category) in 2008. He has worked for Hard Rock Cafe, MTV
Trax and Haagen-Dazs at a senior level. He became the youngest General Manager in Hard
Rock Café Asia at the age of 26 and is also the creator of many signature events, such as
“I Like Monday”, which helped revive Indonesia’s local music. He won the International
Young Creative Entrepreneur of the Year (2006), and the Music Award in the UK from
the British Council for his visionary music project called “Project Goliath.” Yoris recently
published a book about creativity titled Oh My Goodness: Buku Pintar Seorang Creative
Junkies and it became a bestseller within two months. He was chosen as one of 13 Creative
Thinkers by Cosmopolitan Magazine in its 2010 Anniversary issue. He is currently
preparing the “Garden Hall Project” to revitalize and preserve many old cinemas around
the nation.
CHERIE NURSALIM
Cherie Nursalim is the Executive Director of GITI Group, a diversified group comprising
the leading tire manufacturing business in the Asia Pacific, real estate development and
manufacturing. She serves on the International and Asia Advisory Boards for Columbia
University and MIT Sloan School of Management respectively, and on the Yale Center for
Environmental Law & Policy. She is among the founding members of the Global
Philanthropic Circle with the Synergos Institute in New York. She published an awardwinning book on an American-Chinese Architect, and was among the co-authors of the
book Indonesia Matters published by the World Economic Forum. Cherie initiated projects
for HIV/AIDS awareness in Indonesia for Gaja Tunggal organization which won awards
from UNAIDS, the International Labor Organization and the Indonesian government.
Cherie is a recipient of the Baiyulan Award from the Shanghai government and was
selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
JOHN O’LOGHLEN
John O’Loghlen is co-Founder of Gung Ho Ventures, a platform that launches gamechanging F&B concepts in China, including Gung Ho Pizza, launched in July 2010.
Previously, John led Domino’s Pizza’s new market entry into Asia following five years
with Goldman Sachs in London and New York, and finally transitioning to Chairman John
Thornton’s China advisory business in 2005. Prior to this, John led an executive
recruitment start-up in Eastern Europe. He was also Director of Exporter New Zealand
Spring Water Limited and a Government-appointed advisor to New Zealand Trade’s China
Beachheads program. Outside of business, John is COO of Oxford-based Harry Mahon
Cancer Research Trust and Chairman of the Hong Kong-registered Golden Bird
Foundation which promotes conservation education in China. John is an alumnus of both
Harvard and Cambridge Universities.
SHARMEEN OBAID CHINOY
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is an Emmy-nominated Documentary Filmmaker who has
worked on 14 films for major networks in the United States and Britain, including CNN,
PBS, Channel 4 (U.K.) CBC, Arte and the Discovery channel. Amongst other honors, her
work has earned her an International Emmy Award in the Current Affairs category, The
Alfred I. Dupont Award, The Livingston Award, The Overseas Press Club Award, The
American Women in Radio and Television Award, The One World Media Award, and
the Banff TV Rockie Award. In 2007, after living outside of Pakistan for more than a
decade, Sharmeen helped found The Citizens Archive of Pakistan, a non-profit, volunteer
organization formed to foster and promote community-wide interest in the culture and
history of Pakistan. At a time when Pakistan’s youth finds itself caught between religious
and state ideology, the organization works with thousands of underprivileged children
inculcating critical thinking skills and instilling a sense of pride in them about their
history and identity. Sharmeen currently sits on the Alumni Association Board of Smith
College and in 2010 was selected as a TED fellow. Born in Karachi, Sharmeen Obaid
Chinoy graduated from Smith College with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and
government and then went to complete two Master’s degrees from Stanford University in
International Policy Studies and Communication.
AUNG TAY ZAR OO
Aung Tay Zar Oo is a writer, artist, translator, poet and social worker. In 2003, he entered
the Burmese literary circle through writing poetry, and has since adopted the pseudonym
Maung Day. Throughout his career he has edited many magazines and journals. His poetry
book Pleasure Sea was published in 2006 and has collaborated with two authors to write
the book Defending the Consumers, which looks at the nature of consumerism. He has also
translated children books such as Charlie and Chocolate Factory and The Wonderful
Wizard of Oz. Aung was first exposed to the world of art in 2004 and has since been
participating in many art exhibitions and performance events. He started his social work
soon after the Nargis Cyclone hit Burma through involvement in a rehabilitation project
and afterward joined the Spirit in Education Movement in Thailand to expand his social
work efforts in Burma. Aung has studied both mechanical engineering and Physics.
MITCHELL PHAM
Mitchell Pham is Co-Founder and International Development Director of AugenASIA &
AugenHEALTH, which is present in New Zealand and Vietnam. He is a strategy advisor
to a number of NZ organizations with high-growth potential and a subject-matter advisor
in a number of NZ-Asia government initiatives, industry trade missions, research projects,
business engagements and public service initiatives. In New Zealand, Mitchell is a keen
supporter of the Asia:NZ Foundation as a member of its Action Asia Advisory Group, and
of many nation-wide efforts to encourage and assist organizations to engage with Asia. He
is also co-founder of the NZ Asia Business Development Group, the NZ South East Asian
Business Community Group and the NZ Vietnamese Diaspora Business Network. Mitchell
also supports not-for-profit organizations in the community health/disability/social
services sector. He is a member of Refugee Services Aotearoa NZ, and a trustee of the
Auckland Refugee Family Trust as well as the Foundation for Social Responsibility NZ
(FOStR-NZ). Internationally, Mitchell is a member of the Strategic Ventures Vietnam
International (SAVVi) network, a member of the Executive Committee of the global
Vietnamese Diaspora business network (BAOOV), an Asia 21 Fellow (Class of 2008) and
has recently accepted the invitation to become an Associate Fellow of the Asia Society. He
has also recently expanded his social and business interests to include a new passion for
clean energy in the Asia-Pacific region.
TRUC PHAM-DINH
Truc Pham-dinh is the Head of the Department of Power Machines and Equipment for the
Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Vietnam National University. After
living and studying in Australia and the UK for 10 years, Truc returned to Vietnam with a
PhD degree in Electrical Engineering. He now teaches at Vietnam National University in
Ho Chi Minh City and was the youngest Head-of-Department at a Vietnamese university
when appointed in 2006. Truc is an energetic leader, educator and scientist. He has
facilitated international collaborative relationships between Universities as well as
multinational industries, such as the collaboration with Emerson Network Power (USA),
for an on-campus engineering design centre, the first of its kind in Vietnam. He established
the National Committee for Vietnam’s Open Courseware, a project for modernization of
higher education in Vietnam, funded by the Vietnam Education Foundation USA
(www.vef. gov). He also pioneered an international project to develop a research and
education centre for sustainable energy in the Indochina region.
JIA PING
Jia Ping is the Chief Executive Director and Founder of the China Global Fund Watch
Initiative, which is a watchdog organization for the Global Fund to fight against AIDS, TB,
and Malaria. He is the Chief Lawyer of the leading MSM Network in Mainland China,
“Project of Friends”, which in 2007 received the UNAIDS award for its contribution in
against AIDS among the MSM population in China. Jia is also a member of the Experts
Committee for the HIV/AIDS center of the China Center for Disease Control. He is the
leading AIDS and public health lawyer protecting the rights of people living with or
affected by HIV/AIDS in China. He works to minimize discrimination, reduce the spread
of HIV/AIDS, and increase the level of treatment. To expand access to essential medicines
especially HIV/AIDS drugs, Jia petitions the government about patent law concerns and
studies the impact of intellectual property regulation by the World Trade Organization. He
was a delegate member of the International republican institute’s International observer
delegate for the 2007 Nigerian presidential election.
PRITI RADHAKRISHNAN
Priti Radhakrishnan is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Initiatives For Medicines,
Access & Knowledge (I-MAK), a team of lawyers and scientists working with
governments, scientists, procurers, and suppliers to strengthen patent systems. The team
conducts pharmaceutical patent analysis to encourage innovation in new medicines while
also assuring broad access to the best and latest treatments. Her recent accomplishments
include working with the Clinton Foundation HIV/ AIDS Initiative and the World Health
Organization on issues of intellectual property and access to treatment. In 2008, Priti was
awarded the Echoing Green Fellowship for social entrepreneurs and was named a
Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellow. Along with her Co-Director at I-MAK, she has
worked on issues impacting several countries, including India, the Philippines, Malaysia,
China, Brazil, Nigeria and Mexico. Prior to founding I-MAK, she served as the Senior
Project Officer of the Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit in India. She obtained her law
degree from the New York University (NYU) School of Law and has worked as a health
attorney in the U.S., Switzerland and India. Her work as a public health advocate has
merited recognition: she recently coordinated the efforts of TEAM VINAY – a movement
that registered 25,000 new bone marrow donors in the South Asian American community,
which received the National Marrow Donor Program’s Lieutenant General Frank E.
Peterson Jr. award for innovation and commitment to minority recruitment and retention
of bone marrow donors.
ANDRE RAHADIAN
Andre Rahadian is a partner in the law firm, Hanafiah Ponggawa & Partners, and is actively
involved in the Indonesian Capital Market Legal Consultant Association as a member of
its research department. He also participates as a speaker in various seminars and
workshops related to the aviation, telecommunications, and investment industries. In 1995,
early in his career, Andre joined the law firm of Hanafiah Ponggawa & Partners. In 2004
he became an equity partner in the firm, and served as the managing partner from 2004 to
2008, helping the firm double in size. He also has served as commissioner in a rubber
plantation and processor company. Andre graduated from the Faculty of Law University
of Indonesia in 1995, completed an LL.M program at Boston University School of Law in
1998, and has an M.Sc in applied finance at Boston University Metropolitan College
(1999).
OMAR RAHIM
Omar Rahim is an actor, dancer and choreographer whose career has spanned multiple
regions including his country of origin, Pakistan, as well as his country of residence, the
United States. As a member of the New York-based MacArthur award-winning Susan
Marshall & Company, Rahim performed internationally at venues including BAM, Jacob’s
Pillow and the Edinburgh Festival. He has just completed his first starring role in a feature
film, Meherjaan, shot in Bangladesh, co-starring Bollywood legends Jaya Bachchan and
Victor Banerjee. Rahim received an honors degree at Wesleyan University at the selective
College of Letters, completing a thesis on the interplay of activism and aesthetics in the
work of iconoclastic Indian choreographer Chandralekha.
SANJAY RAMABHADRAN
Sanjay Ramabhadran is a Vice President at CP&Y, an infrastructure/environmental
consulting company. He directs the Operations of the firm’s largest division focused on
water, infrastructure and sustainability. He was previously Principal-In-Charge of a $1
billion global consulting firm. He also served on the Board of Directors of Leadership
Houston and was President of the 96-year old HESS Club. Sanjay was also Chairperson of
the Houston Mayor’s International Trade & Development Council (South Asia), and a
member of the Building & Standards Commission. He also participated in the
Congressional Task Force on Tsunami Relief and the Adopt-a-Village program following
the Indian Earthquake. He has been a talk show host on public policy radio, been involved
with the Indo-American Political Action Committee and coordinated trade delegations.
Sanjay was picked as one of Five Outstanding Young Houstonians. He holds a Masters
from Texas A&M University.
ANITA RAMASASTRY
Anita Ramasastry is a D. Wayne and Anne Gittinger Professor of Law at the University
of Washington in Seattle. She is an international expert on the role of businesses in
conflict zones and their accountability for human rights violations in conflict. Anita has
participated in several expert consultations convened by John Ruggie, the United Nations
Special Representative to the Secretary General on Business and Human Rights. From
2008 to 2009, she was a Fulbright scholar at the Irish Center for Human Rights, National
University of Ireland – Galway. She was previously an attorney at the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York, an associate at the international law firm of White & Case in
Budapest, and professor of law at the Central European University in Budapest, founded
by financier George Soros. In 1998-99, she served as a senior attorney and advisor to a
claims resolution tribunal in Zurich, established to resolve claims to World War II-era
bank accounts. She has been a visiting professor and Atlantic Fellow in Public Policy at
the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary Westfield College, and University
of London. In 1996, Anita founded a nonprofit organization, the Immigrant Families
Advocacy Project (IFAP), which assists immigrant women and children who are
survivors of domestic violence. IFAP also represents immigrant juveniles and victims of
human trafficking. She received the 2007 Amicus Award from the Northwest Immigrant
Rights Project for her work with IFAP.
SHELINA RAZALY WAHI
Shelina Razaly Wahi is Director of the Legal and People Department of AirAsia X. She
has been responsible for all of AirAsia X’s Legal and HR-related matters, as well as
overseeing Compliance issues, Customer Service, Stakeholder Management and
Insurance. Immediately prior to joining AirAsia X, Shelina was Channel Manager at the
start-up of Astro Ceria, Malaysia’s first 24-hour kids’ channel. At Astro Ceria she oversaw
Programming as well as marketing initiatives, which for the first time exposed her to the
areas of business media and satellite television. As a Malaysian working mother, Shelina
was also the “conscience” of the channel, and regularly interfaced with local regulators and
authorities on compliance matters. She has also been a Legal Adviser with Shell Malaysia,
advising business units in all areas of the Shell Malaysia downstream and mid-stream
businesses, as well as the key focal point for all Litigation and HR-related legal matters.
KATHLEEN REEN
Kathleen Reen is the Vice President for Asia, Environment and New Media Programs
with Internews, an international non-profit media development organization devoted to
increasing access to information for people worldwide. She oversees projects across
Asian countries including China, Thailand and Afghanistan, and has worked on media
and development projects throughout Asia since 1998, when she founded Internews’s
media support program in Indonesia. She has led research, training, and grant-giving
initiatives including efforts to support the rebuilding of Timor’s devastated media
environment and the establishment of a national media assistance program in Pakistan. In
2005, she worked with dedicated teams of professionals and volunteers providing urgent
information via radio and satellite to populations affected by the tsunami in Indonesia and
Sri Lanka. Ms. Reen’s first overseas assignment was in Cambodia in 1993, where she
was the youngest registered journalist to cover the U.N.-sponsored elections. She was
deployed to the Balkans with the UN Peacekeeping (UNPROFOR) in 1994 and reported
on the war in Bosnia. She was a founder-coordinator of the Global Forum for Media
Development (GFMD) and in 2007, became a fellow of the Flow Fund, a three-year
program in “venturesome philanthropy” that aims to increase the number of
philanthropists worldwide.
CECILIA CLAIRE REYES
Cecilia Claire “Jeng” Reyes is the youngest person and first woman to be elected mayor
of Alicia, Isabela in the Philippines. She previously served one term as Board Member of
the 3rd District of Isabela, and 2 terms as municipal councilor of Alicia (garnering the
highest number of votes for both elections). Since 2008, Jeng has served as national
president of the National Movement of Young Legislators. She has a Master’s Degree in
Public Administration from the University of Santo Tomas.
EREN ROSENFELD
Eren Rosenfeld is a Senior Vice President and Head of Leadership Development across
Asia Pacific for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. In this role, Eren is responsible for
Talent Planning, Performance Management, Leadership and Management Development,
Executive Onboarding, Coaching, and Succession Planning. She also oversees Diversity
& Inclusion across Asia Pacific. Prior to this, Eren was responsible for support function
learning for risk, compliance, CFO, CAO and transition; she also oversaw the initiation
of the bank’s mobile learning solution. Eren joined the bank as part of the Merrill Lynch
acquisition in 2009. She joined Merrill Lynch in December 2005 to head learning for
investment banking. Prior to Merrill Lynch, she spent 13 years at Accenture delivering
learning and change management solutions to communications and high-tech clients.
Eren is a recognized industry expert, quoted in numerous publications and holds 13 US
patents. She has a BA in Business Economics from Brown University.
ALEC ROSS
Alec Ross is a Senior Advisor for Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He is
tasked with maximizing the potential of technology in the service of America’s diplomatic
and development goals, ensuring a commitment to the use of technology and
telecommunications to improve the education, health and welfare of the world’s
population. Alec also utilized technology in the service of 21st Century Statecraft, which
seeks to extend beyond the practice of traditional statecraft to include government to
people, people to people, and people to government communication and collaboration.
Previously, Alec guided Obama for America’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications
Policy Committee under the leadership of Julius Genachowski. He and three colleagues
co-founded One Economy and grew it to the world’s largest digital divide organization.
Alec started his career as a sixth grade teacher in inner-city Baltimore and lives there with
his wife Felicity and their three young children.
PIR MUHAMMAD SADIQ
Pir Muhammad Sadiq is the Founder and Chairman of the Luaripak Group, which includes
a hydropower project, a thermal project and energy, wind and electric companies.
Muhammad inherited 5000 acres of agricultural estate from his late father, which is being
successfully managed & further developed by incorporating new agricultural advanced
techniques and technologies to enhance the quality and yield per acre. In line with the
vision to expand and diversify the economy, thereby creating employment opportunities
for his community and under privileged people of Pakistan, Muhammad established
business lines in coal mining, power generation, livestock project, construction and
commodity trade. Muhammad completed his Bachelors of Arts in Pakistan.
LOBSANG SANGAY
Lobsang Sangay is a Research Fellow at the East Asian Legal Studies Program at Harvard
Law School. Lobsang is also running to be the next Prime Minister of the Tibetan
Government-in-Exile, where he has won the first round of elections. He was a recipient of
the 2004 Yong K. Kim ‘95 Prize of Excellence for his doctoral dissertation and received a
Fulbright Fellowship to study at Harvard Law School. In his Track II Initiative, Dr. Sangay
has organized five unprecedented conferences between Chinese and Tibetan scholars,
including an unprecedented meeting between HH the Dalai Lama and 35 Chinese scholars
at Harvard University in 2003. As an expert on Tibet, international human rights law,
democracy and conflict resolution, he has been consulted by the news media, including
BBC, Washington Post, Far Eastern Economic Review, and The Boston Globe and has
published articles about the Tibetan issue in the Harvard Asia Quarterly and Journal of
Democracy, to name a few. Lobsang earned his Doctorate in law, and master’s degree from
Harvard Law School, and did his LLB and B.A. (Honors) from Delhi University, India.
BABAR SATTAR
Babar Sattar is a partner at AJURIS Advocates & Corporate Counsel, an Islamabad-based law firm. While the focus
of his practice has been corporate and commercial law, he is deeply involved with issues related to policy and
governance. Previously he was based in New York where he worked for the Wall Street corporate law firm, Fried
Frank LLP. Babar writes a weekly op-ed column for The News on issues related to constitutionalism, democracy,
governance and politics. He is regularly invited by the electronic media in Pakistan to comment on current legal and
constitutional issues as an expert. Babar has taught intellectual property law at the Lahore University of Management
Sciences and military sociology, international law, politics of Pakistan and law and gender at Quaid-e-Azam
University, Islamabad. Babar read Jurisprudence at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar after getting an MSc in
International Relations from Quaid-e-Azam University. He also holds an LL.M. from Harvard Law School.
JED CHRISTIAN SAYRE
Jed Christian Sayre is a newly elected municipal councilor of Libertad, Misamis Oriental,
in the island of Mindanao. He is president of the Association of Locally Empowered
Youth-Northern Mindanao, which counts among its projects the development of two
“living museums” and the promotion of ecological sanitation, home gardening and local
livelihoods. He also served as executive director of Tuburan Para Libertad Foundation,
Inc., a micro-financing outfit for local ventures. He was recognized as a 2009 Paragon
100 Fellow by the Foundation for Youth Social Entrepreneurship. Jed has a degree in
Development Communication from Xavier University.
GEOFFREY SEE
Geoffrey K. See is Executive Director and founder of Choson Exchange, a non-profit
organization pioneering economics, business, and legal training for North Koreans under
40 years of age. Geoffrey spent three years opening the space for such a project and will
spend 2011 based at Kim Il Sung University in North Korea overseeing Choson
Exchange’s work. He also led his team to develop Choson Exchange’s innovative training
model integrating OpenCourseWare technology, on-site lectures in Pyongyang, and
screening for overseas training. In order to create customized materials that are effective at
facilitating economic integration, Geoffrey developed knowledge partnerships with
universities, companies, and international financial institutions from 11 countries.
SURUPA SEN
Surupa Sen is an Odissi dancer and choreographer who has lived and worked in
Nrityagram, a dance village situated in the rural areas of Karnataka, India. Surupa found
her calling in the Odissi lifestyle, which required her to leave home and dedicate her life to
perfecting a demanding and disciplined dance form. This calling was inspired by her
teacher, Protima Gauri, who believed that being a great dancer came second only to being
a good human being. During her time under Protima Gauri’s teaching she learned to imbibe
the very spirit of the ‘guru’. Surupa has taught dance to hundreds of non-residential and
residential students free of charge and has seen the extraordinary impact dance has had on
their lives.
RAJ SHAH
Raj Shah is Chairman of the Nanubhai Education Foundation and a reserve F-16 Pilot in
the US Air Force. He is also the Vice President of Federal Systems, a defense-focused
investment firm. Now in its 6th year, Nanubhai impacts 8,000 students in rural India and
has sent over 25 American teachers to India. In the USAF, Raj served two tours of duty
in Iraq flying 38 combat missions. Raj has also worked as a Special Assistant in the
Office of the Secretary of Defense, and he has worked at McKinsey & Co. serving both
private and public sector clients. Raj has had a life-long passion for adventure; he has led
a 4,000-mile flying safari through Africa, completed a marathon, and motorcycled
through the Himalayas. Raj holds an AB from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson
School and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, where he
was a Soros Fellow.
DURREEN SHAHNAZ
Durreen Shahnaz is the Founder and Chairman of Impact Investment Exchange Asia (IIX),
a social stock exchange which allows Asian social enterprises to raise growth capital
(www.asiaiix.com). Durreen also founded Impact Investment Shujog, the capacity and
awareness building affiliate organization of IIX. Durreen is an Adjunct Associate Professor
at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore where
until recently she was heading up the Program on Social Innovation and Change. As a
successful social entrepreneur, Durreen founded, ran, and sold oneNest, a New York-based
social purpose business. Durreen began her career in the social sector at Grameen Bank
where she played a critical role in the bank’s first major capital raising exercise. She also
had stints at the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation in Washington DC.
In the private sector, Durreen worked as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley (New
York) before moving to the media sector. As the head of three regional media companies
(Asia City Publishing Group, Hearst Magazines International and Reader’s Digest Asia),
she worked vigorously to incorporate social responsibility in these companies’ work.
Recently, Durreen was nominated as a TED Fellow. She holds a BA from Smith College
and a joint graduate degree -- MBA from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and
MA from School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.
MOHAMMAD OMAR SHARIFI
Mohammad Omar Sharifi is the Director of the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies,
Kabul Office. He is also a member of the advisory board of the Civil Society Development
Center (CSDC) and member of the Board of Directors of the Afghan Alumni Association.
A native of Kabul, he graduated from Kabul Medical Institute in 2003. Following his
medical studies, he worked as Head of research and publications for the Foundation for
Culture and Civil Society in Kabul, and Director of the Open Media Fund for Afghanistan.
From 2006 to 2008, he studied Cultural Anthropology at Columbia University in New York
under a Fulbright Fellowship. Mohammad has written several essays on politics and social
issues in Afghanistan, and his articles are published in national and international journals.
MONIKA SHERGILL
Monika Shergill is the Senior Creative Director of Programming for Star Plus India Pvt.
Ltd. In her 14 years in the Indian media industry she has worked as an environment
journalist, a features producer, travel reporter and a broadcast professional. She trained in
mass communications and specialized in electronic media reporting. Her very first
assignment where she reported for `Living On the Edge’, won India’s first Green Oscar for
an environment show. She has traveled extensively through India reporting on social and
environmental issues, elections and travel destinations through several shows. In the last
decade, she moved to the broadcast end of the media spectrum and has since worked across
the industry for all leading entertainment channels including Sony, ZEE and now Star Plus.
She has gained extensive experience in all kinds of content programming and is currently
heading the format reality and events division of Star Plus, India’s number one general
entertainment channel.
PHILIP SHISHKIN
Philip Shishkin is a Bernard Schwartz Fellow at the Asia Society, where his work focuses
on the turbulent dynamics of Central Asia, where years of dictatorial rule, ethnic tensions,
and bewildering corruption pose significant policy riddles for the US and other regional
powers. Philip spent 10 years as a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal , most of it as
a foreign correspondent, running their Baghdad bureau through the height of Iraq’s
sectarian war in 2006 and 2007. His reporting on tensions between secular and religious
forces in Turkey earned him a 2008 Wilbur award from the Religion Communicators
Council. His articles on the Balkans and the Ukraine were chosen by the German Marshall
Fund of the United States for its 2006 award for outstanding coverage of Europe by a
journalist under 35. Philip has written extensively about Central Asia, chronicling the
turbulent nation-building process in post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as the two
countries’ acquired renewed strategic importance for the US, Russia, and China. In his
reporting from Afghanistan, Philip has detailed the mechanics of heroin production and
smuggling, a robust industry that is among the West’s most intractable challenges. His
recent writing on Central Asia, backed by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, appeared
in Foreign Policy magazine. Philip’s research interests include democracy promotion,
human rights, and the conduct of Western companies in the resource-rich region.
KIRAN SHRESTHA
Kiran Krishna Shrestha heads Nepal’s most prominent production house for music, books,
and independent films, Nepa~laya. In the past decade Nepa~laya has come to be known
for weaving social responsibility seamlessly into its everyday business of artistic
production. Nepa~laya specializes in creating events around its products like nationwide
peace concert tours with musicians, book tours with authors, traveling exhibition of
photographs, and screenings of films. Kiran believes in giving artists the freedom to create
rather than commissioning them to work on themes with a propaganda flavor. Among
Kiran’s major successes have been Nepa~laya’s annual Peace Concert Tours during the
war years (2002-2007), publication of books like Narayan Wagle’s Palpasa Café and
Mayur Times, Kunda Dixit’s A People War trilogy, and production of independent nonfiction films like Bhedako oon Jasto and Frames of War.
JASON ROY SIBUG
Jason Roy Sibug is president of Tuklas-Katutubo, a non-profit, volunteer organization
helping indigenous communities to strengthen their capacity in improving education,
health, agriculture, livelihood and ancestral domain protection. The organization was
named one of the Ten Outstanding Youth Organizations (TAYO) in the Philippines in
2004. Jason is a young leader of the Manobo tribe and was featured in the ASEAN
publication, Young Southeast Asia. Jason has a bachelor’s degree from the University of
the East.
SANDESH SINGALKAR
Sandesh Singalkar is founder and president of Swaraj Foundation in Central India, which
works on issues including farmers’ suicides, women’s empowerment, street children’s
education, the environment and social change. Swaraj Foundation is a non-profit, relief and
rehabilitation humanitarian organization dedicated to assist during crisis situations to
alleviate the suffering of weaker sections of society. He is currently a Member of the state
government’s Commission for Youth Policy and prepares policy with the state government
on tribal, backward and minority youth of the State. Sandesh served in the Indian Air Force
for 15 years, and has traveled extensively all across India to study the cultural diversity and
to learn the problems of rural India in various states. He received a medal for his excellent
performance during the Kargil War and he is committed to promoting peace and harmony
between nations.
SABRINA SINGH
Sabrina Singh works for NASA and trains Japanese, Russian, European and US astronauts
on spacesuits and living sustainably with limited resources in space. As the founder of
NASA Everest Treks, she leads hiking expeditions to remote Himalayan Mountains and
also conducts medical care and education outreach in underserved areas. She is the founder
and executive director of DUNK IT!, which uses sports culture to foster education on
humanitarian crises. Sabrina is a graduate of a national leadership development program
called NASA FIRST (Foundations of Influence, Relationships, Success, and Teamwork).
She was also the recipient of a Rotary International Foundation scholarship for the Egypt
Group Study Exchange. In this role, she motivated and mentored female engineering
students. Sabrina also mentors graduating seniors at the American University of
Afghanistan in Kabul. She serves on the young professionals advisory board for the
Houston World Affairs Council.
SEAGULL SONG
Seagull Haiyan Song is a Senior Counsel at the Walt Disney Company based in Shanghai.
Prior to joining Disney, she was a partner at King and Wood, the largest law firm in China,
and a consultant at Arnold & Porter LLP. Seagull has been acclaimed as the “Asialaw
Leading Lawyer” in the field of Intellectual Property in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. Seagull
holds two LL.M degrees (Master of Law), one from the University of California, Berkeley,
School of Law in 2007 and the other from Hong Kong University in 2002.
RICHARD STREITMATTER-TRAN
Richard Streitmatter-Tran is an artist and lecturer based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
His solo and collaborative work in visual art and performance has been exhibited
internationally including Singapore Biennale (2008/2006), 52nd Venice Biennale,
Shenzhen Biennale 2007, Singapore Art Museum, ZKM, and Gwangju Biennale 2004. He
is a recipient of the Martell Contemporary Asian Art Research Grant from the Asia Art
Archive in Hong Kong and co-curator of The Mekong, an exhibition at the 6th Asia Pacific
Triennial of Contemporary Art. He was a Teaching Assistant at Harvard University,
undergraduate researcher at the MIT Media Lab and a Visiting Lecturer at the HCMC Fine
Arts University. Richard is currently Senior Lecturer at RMIT University Vietnam and
Director of dia/projects - a contemporary art experimental space in Ho Chi Minh City.
VISWA SUBBARAMAN
Viswa Subbaraman is the Artistic Director and Founder of Opera Vista, Houston Press’
2010 Mastermind Award winning opera company. Viswa served as Assistant Conductor
of the Orchestre National de France where he assisted Kurt Masur and such artists as
Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Muti, and Sir Colin Davis. Highlights with the Orchestre
National de France include the world premiere of Dukas’ Overture du Roi Lear,
Stravinsky’s Octet with soloists of the ONF in the famed Théatre des Champs-Elysées, and
the French premiere of Bloch’s Symphony for Trombone and Orchestra, which has been
recorded under the title Tranquille through the districlassic label. Vishwa took part in the
2006 Beethoven Seminar sponsored by the Beethoven Orchestra of Bonn. He was awarded
a Fulbright Grant to Paris, France and the Herbert von Karajan Conducting Fellowship by
the Herbert von Karajan Centrum and American Austrian Foundation which resulted in his
residency at the 2005 Salzburg Festival.
ANDRU SUBOWO
Andru Subowo is the Managing Director of Bramadi Capital, a private investment holdings
and asset management company based in Jakarta, Indonesia. The company holds a
diversified investments portfolio both in listed and private equities, focusing on finance,
properties and retail sectors in SE Asian Region. He served as Finance Director of PT
Bramadi Pratama, a financial consulting company before joining the Board of Bramadi
Capital in 2000. He currently serves on the Board of Commissioners of Indosiar, one of
Indonesia’s Largest TV stations, as well as on the Board of Directors of SK Mall, one of
the largest shopping centers in Indonesia. Socially, he is the Secretary General of
Indonesia-USA Chamber of Commerce, and as the Treasurer of the Indonesia-Philippines
Business Council. He represented self-employed Indonesian delegates for the first APEC
Young Leaders Forum in Monterey, Mexico. He is an ambassador of the University of
Southern California (USC) and one of the chairpersons for USC Alumni-Indonesia. Andru
received both his Bachelor’s degree in Economics and MBA degree in Finance from the
University of Southern California (USC) in the US, where he also joined the Army ROTC
(Reserve Officers Training Corp) during his undergraduate studies.
DORJEE SUN
Dorjee Sun is CEO of Carbon Conservation (CC). CC covers energy efficiency, renewable
energy, plantations and forest projects that incentivize the preservation of tropical
rainforests by helping forest owners and local communities generate alternative revenues
through the carbon finance market. One such project in Aceh, Indonesia, won the Carbon
Finance Deal of the Year award 2008. This project, and Dorjee, was also the subject of an
award winning documentary, “The Burning Season”. Time Magazine recently awarded
Dorjee as a TIME Magazine Environmental Hero for 2009 and the African Rainforest
Conservancy named a newly discovered Tanzanian chameleon after him “kinyongia
dorjeesuni”. Prior to Carbon Conservation, Dorjee was the founder of a recruitment
software company and an award-winning education company that mentored over 25,000
students in 2004. As a University of Melbourne Asialink Asia Australia Leader, Youth
Chair of the Ethnic Communities Council, University Law Society President, and
Education Technology Advisory Board member, he has spoken at the Future Summit,
AsiaConnect, the World Summit, the Australian Davos Leadership retreat, and was the
youngest speaker at APEC CEO Summit in Singapore 2009. He graduated from UNSW
with Law and Commerce degrees, and also studied for 2 years on scholarship at Peking
University in China completing a diploma of Asian Studies.
LIA SUNARJO
Lia Sunarjo is the Executive Director of Leo Burnett Arc Indonesia. Before that, she was
general manager of Young&Rubicam Indonesia, a place she calls “the canvas for passion,
a place where dreams come true, and a place of creativity and inspiration.” Lia’s
professional recognition includes “Best PR Executive 1999” from Bali Post and “10 Best
Female Executives 2006” from Dewi Magazine. She was born in Sydney, grew up in
Germany and educated in Singapore, but has lived most of her life in Jakarta. Her
fascination with people led her to her passion for the creative world of advertising. Public
Relations was the epilog of her 14 years experience in the marketing communications
industry before advertising. She previously worked at FCB,and. EURO RSCG, where she
took the challenge of expanding the agency’s business and expertise by opening its
marketing services arm in 12 cities nationwide. Through the Asia 21 network, Lia enjoys
helping fellow Asia 21 leaders by advising various NGOs in communications. Currently,
Lia is part of the advisory board of YCAB, a foundation established by Asia 21 2007
Fellow, Veronica Colondam.
HENDRA SUTANDINATA
Hendra Sutandinata is the Founder & CEO of MVCommerce, a company formed in 2002
to help eradicate poverty by increasing the competitiveness of micro-enterprises through
improved access to financial services. MVCommerce operates the secure transaction
infrastructure that enables banks and co-operatives to break free from existing economic
and technology limitations and serve the working poor using their mobile phones and
wireless terminals. Hendra started his career with the PC industry pioneer Tandon
Corporation in California. He also managed North American & Asia Product Marketing
before returning to Indonesia in 1992 to become President of Zeuscom. The company
became the country’s first PC manufacturer to build computers for global brands. When
the Asian crisis hit, it shifted focus and successfully completed technology management
projects for five banks, including the strategic planning for the region’s largest systems
migration from the merger of nine banks. Hendra received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees
in Electrical Engineering from Loyola Marymount University, and an MBA from the
University of Southern California.
DAVID SUTASURYA
David Sutasurya is Executive Director of YPBB, an NGO he started in 1993 in Bandung.
David has been actively campaigning for sustainability through eco-friendly lifestyles,
mainly directed at middle-upper income urban society. His designs in training, product and
delivery development are continuously innovative, as he rigorously explores ways to
integrate eco-friendly measures to urban daily life. Through YPBB, David has educated
thousands of children and adults, worked with hundreds of volunteers, started several
initiatives such as Conservation Camp, Environmental Education in City Parks, Zero
Waste Campaign and Zero Waste Event. David has served as Steering Committee of
Indonesian Environmental Education Network (2000-2002). He was elected as an Ashoka
Fellow in 2003 and became a LEAD fellow in 2008. David has a bachelor’s degree in
Biology from the Institute Technology of Bandung.
MARTIN TAN
Martin Tan is the founder of RiverLife Community Services and Halogen Foundation
Singapore, at which he has served as Executive Director since 2003. In the public sector,
Martin currently serves as Board Member of the National Library Board, Trustee of the
Library Fund Board of Trustee and Chairman of Public Libraries Advisory Committee, he
is the Honorary Secretary of the National Family Council and Deputy Chairman of
Marriage Central Advisory Board. He is a Council Member of the 11th National Youth
Council and the Co-Chair of SHINE Youth Festival reaching out to over 100,000 young
people. Martin is also a restaurant owner of Tea Cosy, a European dining restaurant along
Orchard Road.
ERIKA TATAD
Erika Tatad is Director of Operations for Microventures, a social business enterprise that
services microfinancing organizations and their clients. She was previously founding
Director of Asia Pacific of the World Youth Alliance (WYA), a global youth organization
accredited by the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and founding director of
Saranggola Foundation, an NGO that supports literacy programs and scholarships in
selected public schools. She majored in political science at the Ateneo de Manila
University and graduated with distinction from UC Berkeley’s International Diploma
Program.
HSU-MING TEO
Hsu-Ming Teo is a professor at the Department of Modern History, Politics & International
Relations, Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia). In addition to her teaching, she is
also a novelist and cultural historian. Her debut novel, Love and Vertigo (2000) won The
Australian Vogel Literary Award and was also short-listed for the inaugural Tasmania
Pacific Region Literary Prize and the Dobbie Award for women’s fiction. It has been
translated into German, Italian, Chinese and Thai. Her second novel, Behind the Moon,
was published in Australia in 2005 and in the USA in 2007. It was shortlisted for one of
the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards in 2006. Both novels are studied in
universities around the world. She is working on her third novel. Hsu-Ming is the co-editor
of “Cultural History in Australia” (UNSW Press 2003) as well as the author of a range of
academic articles and book chapters on British imperialism, Orientalism, multiculturalism,
and popular culture. From 2003-2005, Hsu-Ming was a committee member of International
PEN, Sydney Centre. She worked on the New South Wales Premier’s History and
Literature Committee in 2004, and was a judge of the New South Wales Premier’s Literary
Awards in 2007. Since 2007 she has served as a member of the Man Asian Literary Prize
advisory panel and she is currently judging the 2010 Man Asian Literary Prize.
GRAZIELLA THAKE
Graziella Thake is the founder and CEO of Conscious Programs Global and the founder
of the Foundation for Social Responsibility New Zealand. She is also on the board of the
Sage Foundation India and the Global Diversity Council and is often called upon to both
facilitate and propel connections that are powerful in change. Graziella is an ex-forensic
and team psychologist who has demonstrated her commitment to working with people in
extreme situations and environments. She travels internationally as a regular keynote
speaker for NGOs and in her business highlighting the importance of conscious education,
conscious leadership community collaboration and company responsibility through
personal legacies. She is a committed social entrepreneur with a generous spirit.
CHUNG TO
Chung To is Founder and Chairperson of the Chi Heng Foundation, a charitable
organization founded in 1998 in Hong Kong, China. Chi Heng has excelled in education
and care for children orphaned by AIDS and the prevention of AIDS among vulnerable
groups in China. Over the past four years, Chung worked tirelessly in Central China for
children whose parents contracted the virus via the unsanitary blood trade in the 1990s.
Despite political sensitivity and other difficulties, Chung single-handedly developed a
systematic and sustainable program that currently sponsors the education and care for over
4,000 children whose parents have died or are dying of AIDS in four provinces in China.
Viewed by many as a best practice model of its kind, the program has become the largest
non-governmental effort focusing on helping children impacted by AIDS in China, and
has received support from numerous organizations. Previously, he worked in investment
banking for 10 years. Four years ago, after realizing the seriousness of the AIDS problem
in China, Chung put aside his career in finance and began working full time for Chi Heng
on a pro bono basis. In addition to his involvement with Chi Heng, Chung also was a Board
member of AIDS Concern for four years, including serving as Chairperson of the Board
in 2003. Since 1999, Chung has been a member of the AIDS Prevention and Care
Committee (APCC) appointed by the Hong Kong Government. Chung was Vice President
of the Harvard Club of Hong Kong and is a member of MENSA. In addition to past awards,
Chung was honored to be selected as one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Persons in the
World” in 2006. Chung received his B.A. from Columbia University and a M.A. at
Harvard University.
KIM NGOC TRAN
Kim Ngoc Tran is the founder of the biennial Hanoi New Music Festival - the first festival
for contemporary music in Vietnam. As the brainchild of Kim Ngoc, The Hanoi New
Music Festival is the premier event for contemporary music in Vietnam. It makes the local
scene of experimental-contemporary music in Vietnam more visible both nationally and
internationally. It helps build up an infrastructure for the promotion of artists’ creativity
and creates a global network which enables musical dialogues and cultural exchanges.
Being a part of the contemporary and experimental music network of the world, Kim Ngoc
is well known in Europe not only for chamber and orchestra music but also for her music
theatre compositions. Her recent works include “The Absence”, which was commissioned
by 10th Munich Biennale Festival 2006, and “What Makes the Spider Spin Her Web” Euro-premier at Ultima Festival, Oslo, Norway in October 2008.
DAMDIN TSOGTBAATAR
Damdin Tsogtbaatar is the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia,
a position he was appointed to in June 2008. Prior to this appointment he served as Foreign
Policy Advisor to two Presidents of Mongolia for over six years. Between 2000 and 2002,
Damdin was Deputy Director of the Department of Multilateral Cooperation at the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia. Before that, he served as a WTO desk-officer for the
Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
desk-officer in charge of Australia, New Zealand and ASEAN countries in the Asia and
Africa Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Damdin received his master’s degree
in legal studies (international law) from the Australian National University School of Law,
as well as a master’s degree in political science (with Hon.) from the Moscow State Institute
of International Relations, Russia. In addition, he was a part-time lecturer in international
trade law at the School of Foreign Service, National University of Mongolia.
QIYU TU
Qiyu Tu is a Research Fellow at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, specializing in Development Economics
and Urban Studies. He is jointly appointed as full Professor by the Academy and East China Normal University.
Qiyu is the Official Advisor for the Bureau of the Shanghai World Expo 2010 Coordination and the Official Advisor
to the Municipality of Beijing for preparing the 12th Five Year Plan (2011-2015). Qiyu has been a member of the
Academy since 1992 and served in several research and administrative positions, including Assistant President on
International Affairs of the Academy. He has taught China’s Economy and Asian Economies at Bard College in
New York as a Fulbright Professor (2001/2002). He was a visiting scholar at Cambridge University, Harvard
University, Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, HWWA and National University of Singapore. He was the
Chief Coordinator of the First World Forum on China Studies in 2004 and is a frequent attendee of Welton Park
Conferences and World Forum on China Studies. His recent book, On the Top of the Pyramid: A Report on World
Cities, was listed as a best seller by Shanghai Books City. He was the First-class Prize Winner of the Shanghai Social
Sciences Fund in 2000 and the Joint Winner of the First-class Prize for Decision-making Consultation from Shanghai
Municipal Government in 2005, and has also been awarded the Excellent Service Prize as Returning Talents from
Overseas. Qiyu has been named as Man of the Year 2003 in Economics or Business by the Shanghai Youth League.
SANDIAGA SALAHUDDIN UNO
Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno is the Founding Partner of Saratoga Capital, a private
equity/direct investment firm he co-founded with Edwin Soeryadjaya in 1998. Saratoga
Capital focuses its investments in natural resources and infrastructure opportunities in
Indonesia and Southeast Asia. He currently holds directorships at PT Adaro Energy Tbk,,
PT Mitra Global Telekomunikasi Indonesia and Interra Resources Limited. He also cofounded a boutique investment firm, PT Recapital Advisors, in 1997. He was the
immediate past Chairman of Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) from
2005-2008. Since March 2009, he also holds the position of Vice President for Micro,
Small & Medium Enterprises and Cooperatives of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (Kadin). He was Enterprise Asia’s 2008 Indonesian Entrepreneur of the Year.
Sabduaga graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration from
the Wichita State University in 1990 and obtained a Masters of Business Administration
from George Washington University in 1992. His hobby is basketball and he was the Team
Manager for the Indonesian Women National Basketball Team for the 2005 Southeast Asia
Games in Manila.
VICHETR UON
Vichetr Uon is the founder and Executive Director of the Sao Sary Foundation (SSF), a
non-profit organization that aims to put an end to human trafficking, violence, exploitation
and abuse against children. SSF works to improve the livelihoods of the poorest of the
poor and fosters existing skills like farming, baking, carpentry and sewing to create
sustainable businesses that will provide income and security to families as well as
education for the children. In the period of four years, SSF has supported a hundred
families that are able to achieve autonomy to self-sustain their farms and businesses while
putting the children of these families in school and to receive additional informal education
from the foundation itself. Prior to SSF’s creation, Vichetr has graduated with a Science
degree from Norton University, Phnom Penh and has worked with various international
organizations such as Church World Service and the World Food Programme.
SANGEETH VARGHESE
Sangeeth Varghese is the founder of LeadCap Trust, which drives the Million-LeaderMandate. He is an acknowledged leadership thinker, a popular columnist in Forbes.com,
and a contributing Editor of Economic Times. Sangeeth sits on the boards of two
companies and has also founded LeadCap Ventures, a unique incubation space that
nurtures entrepreneurs. He has authored close to 200 articles, including best seller Decide
to Lead, and is currently completing his next book Open Source Leader. Sangeeth was
nominated as a Young Global Leader 2010 by the World Economic Forum and was ranked
among the world’s top leadership thinkers in 2008 by the Bombay Stock Exchange. He
was chosen to guest edit the 2008 New Year edition of Times of India as a ‘Young
Achiever Making a Difference to India’s Future’. Sangeeth received his masters at LSE
with a scholarship, and his MBA and Bachelor’s in Economics with gold medals.
AMIT WANCHOO
Amit Wanchoo is Managing Director of Eaton Laboratories, the only company that
produces medicines in Kashmir, where he oversees production and marketing, and is also
a trained medical doctor. Eaton has provided employment to local youth and its CSR
division organizes free medical services for poor patients and provides low cost medicines
to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. As the founder and president of the Rotary Club in
Kashmir, Amit has also initiated a wide range of interfaith community programs, literacy
campaigns and bridged gaps between separatist and mainstream politicians. Amit started
counseling centers for Kashmiris suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the
ongoing violence. He is the founder of “IMMERSIONS”, the only Sufi rock band of
Kashmir. He is also the CEO of the production and event management company, SPACE
Communications, promoting J&K as the tourist destination. Amit is a strategic partner in
the founding of a daily English-language newspaper in Kashmir, Rising Kashmir, and
serves as the paper’s health editor. Amit has been associated with documentary film
making especially related to children under the banner, “The Elements”, and has won
national and international awards. Amit has been recently nominated as Executive
member of Children Film Society of India (Prestigious film Society of India) and Ministry
of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. In addition, he has been
nominated as a Young Global leader 2009 by World Economic Forum, a SIP fellow 2008
and a Yale World Fellow 2007.
JUN WANG
Jun Wang is the Executive Director of the BGI (previously known as the Beijing Genomics
Institute). He was instrumental in the 1999 founding and growth of the BGI Bioinformatics
Department, which is now widely recognized as one of the world’s premier research
facilities committed to excellence in genome sciences. Jun also holds a position as an Ole
Rømer professor at the University of Copenhagen. He has authored 100+ peer-reviewed
original papers, of which 26 are published, in Nature (including Nature series) and Science.
Among those 26, Jun is the first author or corresponding author for 19 of them. He has
been recognized with an award from His Royal Highness Prince Foundation in Denmark,
an Outstanding Science and Technology Achievement from the Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Top 10 Scientific Achievements in China, and the prize for Important Innovation
and Contribution from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on
genomics and related bioinformatics analysis of common diseases and agricultural crops,
with the goal of developing applications using this genomic information.
JOLOVAN WHAM
Jolovan Wham is the Executive Director of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration
Economics (HOME), an NGO based in Singapore that is concerned with the rights and
welfare of migrant workers. A founding member of HOME, he has played an active role
in the organization by spearheading its current initiatives. HOME runs shelters for destitute
migrants, a legal aid desk, education programmes, and conducts campaigns, research and
other public education initiatives to raise awareness and improve the working and living
conditions of migrant workers. Jolovan obtained a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree in
Social Work from the National University of Singapore.
NITINANT WISAWEISUAN
Nitinant Wisaweisuan is the director of International Trade Law and Economics at
Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. She has previously served as the
University’s Vice-Dean for International Affairs; chair of the Economics Student
Exchange Fund; and Director of the Bachelor of Economics International Programme.
Nitinant was also President of the Cambridge Society Thailand from 2008 to 2009.
Nitinant was a visiting scholar at the Centre of Economic Public Policy at the University
of Cambridge, United Kingdom. She was a fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar on the
‘Confronting Protectionism’ session and the Freeman Symposium on ‘Strengthening
Cooperation between the US and East Asia’. Her research interest is regional policy and
trade integration, in particular the ASEAN Economic Community and European Union.
She received a BA in economics from Thammasat University, and an M.Phil and a Ph.D
in Land Economy from St. John’s College, University of Cambridge, UK.
ELAINE WONG
Elaine Wong is a Partner at Hao Capital. In 2006, after spending many years in Private
Equity and Venture Capital with The Carlyle Group, Elaine teamed up with several
partners to start Hao Capital, a Private Equity Fund with over USD500 million of assets
under management focused on investments in China. She is currently a member of the
board of directors of 8 companies (PAX Technologies, JuTaiLong, HuaFu , LP Amina,
EH Logistics, SKR Health Care, and China Sunrise). Previously she was a member of the
board of directors of ZhongDe Waste Technology AF (FRA:ZEF). As the President of the
MIT Club of Beijing, Elaine is actively building the MIT community within China as well
as facilitating technology exchange between the US and China. Elaine holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the Stanford
Graduate School of Business.
TING HWAY WONG
Ting Hway Wong is a doctor at the Department of General Surgery at Singapore General
Hospital. Previously, she was a volunteer with Doctors without Borders and helped
coordinate the Doctors without Borders Peer Support Network in Singapore. She was the
first Singaporean to work as a medical delegate with the International Committee of the
Red Cross. Back home in Singapore, she has served as volunteer committee chairman and
council member of HCA Hospice Care, the largest homecare hospice organization in
Singapore. Conversant in several languages, including English, Chinese, Spanish, French
and Portuguese, she also speaks basic Malay, Arabic and Nepali. Nine years after receiving
her medical degree from Cambridge University, she decided to pursue a Masters in Public
Health from Johns Hopkins University, with an interest in injury epidemiology and health
policy. When she’s not working in the hospital, she tries to find time to belly-dance and
write poetry.
THOM WOODROOFE
Thom Woodroofe is the founder of Left Right Think-Tank, Australia’s first independent
and non-partisan think-tank of young minds. Thom is also a youth expert consultant to
Flamingo International based in Tokyo and on an advisory board to London-based Peace
Child International, which holds consultative status with the United Nations. Thom, 21,
has been one of the youngest participants at such high-level gatherings as the G20, the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation and the World Economic Forum. He has spoken to
audiences such as the White House Press Corps at the National Press Club in Washington
DC.
MEHDI YAHYANEJAD
Mehdi Yahyanejad is an entrepreneur and the director of Balatarin.com. Balatarin was
launched in 2006 and is now recognized as the most popular user-driven news website in
Persian. Balatarin played a crucial role in distributing news after the disputed Iranian
presidential election. Currently, he is working on the next generation of online
collaboration and citizen journalism tools, and for the past 5 years has worked on social
media initiatives. He has launched several web 2.0 websites including a crowd sourcing
website for categorizing blogs. He co-hosted Radio Haftegi in 2006, which won the best
podcast award in Deutsche Welle’s Best of the Blogs competition. Mehdi grew up in
Tehran, Iran where he won a bronze medal in the International Physics Olympiad. He
received his PhD in Physics from MIT and was a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford
University.
KEIKO YAMAMOTO
Keiko Yamamoto is a journalist who joined NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) in
1995 after receiving her M.A. in International Development from Nagoya University,
Japan. She has covered educational and social issues including decreasing birthrates,
gender inequality, and economic disparities in Japan. Keiko founded a female journalist’s
association in 2001 to create a professional network among that sector in Japan. There are
now two chapters, one in Tokyo and one in Nagoya, with a current membership of over
400. The network strives to introduce and foster new concepts, such as work-life balance,
diversity and supporting non-profit organizations, through the positive use of media.
PINGJIAN YANG
Pingjian Yang is the Director of Peking University’s Institute of Environmental Public
Policy. His areas of research are climate change and environmental mechanism design,
with a special emphasis on integrated watershed management. Since 2004, he has led or
participated in more than 20 research projects related to sustainable development sponsored
by UNDP, UNEP and the Chinese government. Pingjian has been active in forging
sustainability networks and overseeing collaborations in search of innovative and effective
ways to address China’s tremendous environmental governance, pollution and
sustainability challenges. He was instrumental in establishing and directing Peking
University’s Clean Development Mechanism Club, China’s first student association to
focus on climate change in 2006 and 2007. From August 2007 to September 2008, he
served as Special Assistant to the Chairman of Peking University’s Environment Fund. In
2009, the Global Environmental Governance Forum selected him as one of the world’s 13
“Emerging Leaders.” He is currently pursuing his PhD in Environmental Planning &
Management through a partnership program at Peking University and the University of
Michigan.
MUN CHING YAP
Yap is a senior aide in the Office of the Minister of International Trade and Industry,
Malaysia. She is engaged in advising the Minister on strategizing Malaysia’s policies to
liberalize cross-border trade and investment. Prior to joining the Ministry, Mun Ching was
Head of Strategic Planning at AirAsia, the biggest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia with
a fleet of over 90 aircrafts. She was responsible for charting the airline’s expansion into
ASEAN and major cities in China and India.
RUTH YEOH
Ruth Yeoh is Director at Yeoh Tiong Lay & Sons Holdings Sdn Bhd and Director of
Investments at YTL Corporation Bhd. She is also a Director at YTL-SV Carbon, YTL’s
in-house carbon credit and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) consultancy. Ruth
currently leads the environmental division at YTL, where she reports on her organization’s
environmental activities through writing its yearly sustainability reports. Ruth pioneered
the highly successful “Climate Change Week,” YTL’s educational campaign designed to
raise awareness on the issue of climate change in Malaysia and globally. She is a member
of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility Malaysia (ICRM) and is an investment
committee member of both the Asian Renewable Energy and Environment Fund (AREEF)
and Renewable Energy and Environment Fund (REEF). Ruth is on the Board of Rare
Conservation and Reef Check Malaysia. She was previously attached with Credit Suisse,
Singapore. Ruth has written for the Wall Street Journal Asia and Financial Times, and has
authored and co-edited a book on climate change entitled Cut Carbon, Grow Profits:
Business Strategies for Managing Climate Change and Sustainability. Ruth graduated with
from the University of Nottingham UK and holds a MS from Cass Business School in the
City of London.
TRICIA YEOH
Tricia Yeoh is a Policy Research Officer for the Selangor Chief Minister in the Selangor
State Government. She is on the Monash University School of Business Advisory Board,
and she was previously Asia-Pacific Regional Co-ordinator at Revenue Watch Institute.
Tricia was formerly Director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies at the Asian Strategy
& Leadership Institute (ASLI) in Kuala Lumpur, of which she is now Advisor. As public
speaker and policy analyst, her comments have appeared in the Economist, the
International Herald Tribune, and Al-Jazeera. She is Editor of the book, The Road to
Reform: Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor. Tricia is an alumnus of the US State International
Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and the Australia-Malaysia Institute Young Leaders’
Programme (YLP). She is qualified in Econometrics and has a Masters of Science in
Research Methodology in Psychology.
JIAN YI
Jian Yi is an independent artist, social entrepreneur and founding director of the IFCHINA
Original Studio at Ji’an, Jiangxi Province, China - the nation’s pioneer creative civic
engagement center for film, photography, oral history, theater, architecture and culture.
Jian ‘s narrative film Bamboo Shoots won the Bronze Zenith at the Montreal World Film
Festival and the D-Cinema Award at the Barcelona Asian Film Festival. His documentary
Super, Girl! was shown worldwide including at New York’s MoMA, BAM as well as
university campuses and film festivals. Jian is also an Open Society Institute fellow (2010);
Yale World Fellow, (‘09); India-China Fellow at the New School (‘08-’10); Asian Cultural
Council grantee (‘08); Visiting Fellow (‘07) at CRASSH, Cambridge University. He
worked for several European Union projects in China (‘03-’06). Jian taught at Beijing
Broadcasting Institute (‘99-’04).
MARK ANTHONY YU
Mark Anthony Yu is Chief Financial Officer of Seaoil Philippines, the largest independent
fuel retailer in the country with 2009 revenue of PHP6.8B. Since he took over as CFO of
the company in 2002, Seaoil has been able to grow net income by 50x or a cumulative
annual growth rate of 63%. He is currently president of the Entrepreneurs Organization
and serves on the advisory board of the Ateneo and La Salle business and management
schools. Mark is founder and chair of Enspire Foundation, a Canadian non-profit
organization whose main project is the relocation of squatter communities from Navotas
to Bulacan; for this, he was recognized by the Canadian Embassy with the inaugural Spirit
of Canada Award. Mark graduated with first class standing from the University of British
Columbia with a degree in Applied Science, Engineering Physics and completed the
Chartered Financial Analyst Program of the CFA Institute.
WENCHI YU
Wenchi Yu is Policy Advisor of the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues in the
U.S. Department of State. Led by Ambassador Melanne Verveer, the Office of Global
Women’s Issues reflects President Obama and Secretary Clinton’s priority to mainstream
women and gender issues in U.S. foreign policy. Wenchi assists Ambassador Verveer in
mobilizing concrete support for women’s economic empowerment globally through
programs and initiatives that ensure women’s and girls’ equal access to full participation
in society. Prior to joining the Department of State, Wenchi was Senior Research Associate
at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China where she focused on women’s
rights, human trafficking, and civil society development in China. Before that, she was
Vice President of Human Rights at Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international
women’s NGO where she led the organization’s anti-trafficking initiative. She has testified
before the U.S. Congress on human trafficking in China.
JINGJING ZHANG
Jingjing Zhang is the Deputy Director of the Public Interest Law Institute of the Natural
Resources Defense Council. As one of China’s leading public interest lawyers, she is
committed to justice and strengthening the rule of law. An outspoken environmental
advocate, she represents pollution victims in lawsuits and promotes public participation by
helping communities organize public hearings on environmental rights and licensing
processes. She has won milestone cases in the Chinese courts, including the first successful
environmental class action suit in China against a chemical company that discharged toxic
substances in Fujian Province. In a landmark suit against the Beijing Municipal
Commission of Urban Planning and the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, after
the first-ever public hearing related to environmental issues, Jingjing represented the
community to sue the two governmental agencies, eventually becoming a landmark
environmental case. She has been frequently featured in the media for her pioneering work
in public interest law. She was the Yale world fellow and visiting scholar at Yale Law
School China Law Center and Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars from
2008-2009, as well as the deputy director of Public Interest Law Institute China Program.
DA YONG ZHOU
Dayong Zhou is the senior partner of the Righteous Law Firm, a large local private lawyers’
office in Yunnan Province, China. He is one of the youngest members of Politic
Consultative Conference in Yunnan province. He is also a standing member in the
provincial Lawyers Association and director of the Young Lawyers Association Yunnan.
Zhou is committed to improving the human rights of vulnerable people and has been
providing legal services for people living with HIV and drug users together with a team of
local lawyers since 2007. In 2008 he represented an HIV patient and filed a case against
the largest Chinese insurance company, asking for deletion of the discriminative clause in
its insurance policy. The case received great attention and resulted in a nationwide change
of insurance policy, in which any discriminative clause to HIV was abolished.
SOOFIAN ZUBERI
Soofian Zuberi is a Managing Director and Head of Asia Pacific Global Markets Sales at
Bank of America Merrill Lynch, responsible for all sales activities across Equities, Fixed
Income, Currencies, Commodities, Rates, Structured Products and Asset & Liability
Structuring. Prior to this appointment, Soofian was Co-head of Asia Equity Capital
Markets, where he was responsible for the origination and execution of all aspects of the
firm’s equity, equity-linked and structured equity capital markets franchise across both the
public and private markets. Soofian has worked on over 130 transactions and raised over
US$125 billion across equity, structured equity and convertible bonds for both corporate
and sovereign clients in Asia. He has also originated several ground breaking M&A
transactions while in Capital Markets. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School
and a BA (Hons.) from Reed College. In 2008, Soofian was selected as an Asia Society
“Asia 21 Young Leader” and he has been featured in a variety of news media including
CNBC, BusinessWeek, Bloomberg, and local Chinese press.
ZULKIEFLIMANSYA
Zulkieflimansyah is currently a Member of the Indonesian National Parliament, and
represents the electoral district of Tangerang Regency and Tangerang City. He also sits on
Commission 7 of the House of Representatives which deals with issues related to energy,
mineral resources, research and technology, and the environment. He was awarded the Best
Young Scientist in Economics and Management prize in 2003. Zulkieflimansyah earned
his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Faculty of Economics of the University of
Indonesia in 1995. He completed his MSc degree in International Marketing at the
Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde, UK in 1997, and went on earn his
PhD in Economics in 2001.