AKEPT-WIEF SOCIAL ENTERPRISE FORUM

22 - 23 October 2018

8.00 am - 5.15 pm
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ISTAC, Kuala Lumpur

Universities have always had a strong social mission.  They work extensively within and with external parties to support their local communities.   More recently, universities have been seen to play a prominent role to support and develop social enterprises, which could be through development of a specially tailored social enterprise academic modules, student placements in a social enterprise, university staff procuring or providing services to social enterprises, or even students establishing their own social businesses.

Whatever the form, social enterprises provide students, graduates, academics and university staff the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills or develop solutions for the benefit of their communities.  Additionally, social enterprise experience can give students a taste of an alternative career path in a growing sector, a chance to develop the skills that all businesses look for, and even inspire them to start their own business.

We hope that this AKEPT-WIEF Social Enterprise Forum will encourage active dialogues as well as highlight some of the good work already happening within universities, look at areas to strengthen the relationship between universities and social enterprises as well as explore opportunities to support the development of social enterprise in universities.

Day 1

Time Programme
8.00 am Arrival of Guest and Registration
Refreshment / Informal Networking
9.00 am Opening Ceremony
Venue: Level G, Main Hall

  • Welcoming Remarks by Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, Rector, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Malaysia
  • Speech by the Honourable Tun Musa Hitam, Chairman, WIEF Foundation
9.45 am Refreshment / Informal Networking
10.15 am Plenary Session 1
Social Entrepreneurship in Universities: Unleashing its Potential
Venue: Level G, Main Hall
Universities have always played an important role in their communities and have frequently been at the forefront of innovation and enterprise.
The Session will discuss how to ensure faculty members, staff, students and all graduates understand what social enterprise is, what the social benefits are and how social entrepreneurship can be developed at university level.
Panellists:

  • Professor Dr Raha Abdul Rahim, Director, IPT Excellence Planning Division, Ministry of Education Malaysia representing Datuk Prof. Dr Rohana Yusof, Director, Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), Ministry of Education Malaysia
  • Syed Mahmudul Huq, Chairman, Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation, Bangladesh
  • Professor Dr Hafid Abbas, Professor of Education, State University of Jakarta, Indonesia

Moderator:

  • Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Mohd Zahid Wan Noordin, Chairman, WIEF Education Trust and Chairman of the Board of Advisors, Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), Ministry of Education Malaysia
11.45 am Plenary Session 2
Social Enterprise and the Government: Partners in Development
Venue: Level G, Main Hall
Governments around the world are recognising the potential of social enterprises in order to build more inclusive social and economic agendas.
This Session will discuss the strategies and policies to be adopted in order to spur the development of social enterprises and how social enterprises and governments can come together for this purpose.
Panellists:

  • Ina Michael, Director of Strategy and Business Investment, Cook Islands Development Agency New Zealand (CIDANZ), New Zealand
  • Ashran Dato’ Ghazi, Chief Executive Officer, Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC), Malaysia
  • Gomer Padong, Director of Training, Development Cooperation and Advocacy, Philippines Social Enterprise Network, Philippines

Moderator:

  • Dr Wan Nur Ibtisam Wan Ismail, Deputy Director, Centre for Leadership Sustainability, Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), Ministry of Education Malaysia
1.00 pm Lunch / Informal Networking
2.00 pm Plenary Session 3
Social Enterprise: Success Stories
Venue: Level G, Main Hall
This Session will showcase several successful social enterprises that started in universities, driven by the goal of meeting a social need or solving a social problem.
Panellists:

  • Caroline Fong, Founder, CoffeeZone Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Cauz Factor Award, Malaysia
  • Tengku Ahmad Syamil, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Skolafund, Malaysia
  • Dr Izza Arsyika Abdul Rahim, Secretary, Hospitals Beyond Boundaries, Malaysia

Moderator:

  • Mohd Senu bin Awang, Director of Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Malaysia
3.30 pm Plenary Session 4
Commercialising Social Enterprises
Venue: Level G, Main Hall
Many social enterprises are becoming more commercial, adopting the techniques of funding or governance, usually associated with for-profit ventures. This Session will explore how commercialisation could affect the management and operations of social enterprises and which avenues could, or should, be used to avoid mission drift.
Panellists:

  • Nurfarini Daing, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Youth Trust Foundation, Malaysia
  • Jamil Abbas, Member of Board of Trustees, Rahmania Foundation, Indonesia
  • Jerryson Abraham G. Doss, Co-founder, Viva Starfish Sdn Bhd, Malaysia

Moderator:

  • Datin Dr Norrizan Razali, Founder and Managing Director, Tech Capacity Sdn Bhd, Malaysia
5.00 pm End Of Day One / Refreshment

Day 2

Time Programme
9.15 am Plenary Session 5
Establishing Social Enterprise Foundation for Universities: Experiences from Abroad
Venue: Level G, Main Hall
This Session will allow Speakers to share their unique experiences as well as comment on the role of universities in developing social entrepreneurs in respective countries.
Panellists:

  • Talib Syed Karim, President, Institute of Business Management, Pakistan
  • Anand Chowdhary, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Oswald Labs, India/Netherlands
  • Sharon Xueqing Feng, Managing Director, Code.Game, China
  • Royston Braganza, Chief Executive Officer, Grameen Capital India Limited, India

Moderator:

  • Professor Dr Hassanuddeen b. Abd Aziz, Dean of Kulliyah of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Malaysia
11.00 am Refreshment / Informal Networking
11.30 am Masterclass 1
Impact-Driven Enterprise (IDE) for Growth and Scalability
Venue: Level LG, Seminar Room 8
This Session will help entrepreneurs or aspiring entrepreneurs become more impact-focused, by exposing and introducing them to the processes, goals and benefits of becoming an IDE.  The Session will also include crafting a business model and the process to become accredited as an impact-driven enterprise.
Speakers:

  • Mohammad Yusuf Mohammed Jaffar, Programme Consultant, Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MAGIC), Malaysia
  • Liyana Jalal, Project Manager of MasSIVE, Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MAGIC), Malaysia
Masterclass 2
Social Enterprise and Community-Led Development
Venue: Level G, Main Hall
This Session will discuss how social enterprise can be used by local communities to mobilise their own resources in ways to address their own needs, leverage their skills and tradition, grow their social capital and deliver long term change.
Speakers:

  • Yasmin Rasyid, President and Founder, EcoKnights, Malaysia
  • Suzanne Ling, Co-founder, The Picha Project, Malaysia
1.00 pm Lunch / Informal Networking
2.00 pm Masterclass 3
Innovative Communication Tools for Social Enterprise
Venue: Level LG, Seminar Room 8
This Session will explore innovative and cost-efficient communication tools for social enterprises that will allow beneficiaries and other stakeholders to access information about the offers and monitors its progress.
Speakers:

  • Vivian Lines, Global Vice Chairman and Chairman Asia Pacific, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Singapore
  • Redza Shahid, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Grub Cycle, Malaysia
Masterclass 4
Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Women as Social Entrepreneurs
Venue: Level G, Main Hall
This Session will allow speakers to share their experience of the opportunities and challenges faced by them as well as the strategies to help navigate their way to success.
Speakers:

  • Sasibai Kimis, Founder, Earth Heir, Malaysia
  • Joycelyn Lee, Co-founder, Pit Stop Community Café, Malaysia
3.30 pm Masterclass 5
Improving Business Efficiency through Entrepreneurship Collaboration and Digital Technology
Venue: Level LG, Seminar Room 8
Collaboration between entrepreneurs through co-innovation creates an opportunity to combine resources among partners and help them expand into new markets. Initiatives that focus on IoT and machine learning projects as part of the digital assets and IoT line of business will enable entrepreneurs engage the society’s ecosystem more impactfully. This Session will explore capabilities and methods, infrastructure, legal framework, knowledge brokering and operations expertise to support a broad portfolio of co-innovation initiatives.
Speaker:

  • Datin Dr Norrizan Razali, Founder and Managing Director, Tech Capacity Sdn Bhd, Malaysia
Masterclass 6
Crowdfunding and Other Financial Tools for Social Enterprise
Venue: Level G, Main Hall
This Session will explore the various ways for social entrepreneurs to fund their ventures.  Speakers will also share the latest trends and best practices for seeking social enterprise funding.
Speakers:

  • Vishnu Swaminathan, Global Leader for Partnerships, Planning and Management, Ashoka United States
  • Edmond Yap, Co-founder, EduNation, Malaysia
5.00 pm Closing Remarks and Forum Summation by Datuk Professor Dr Rohana Yusof, Director, Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), Ministry of Education Malaysia
5.15 pm End Of Programme / Refreshments

 

DISCLAIMER / NOTES:

  • The Organisers reserve the right to alter the content and timing of the programme in the best interest of the Conference and is not responsible for cancellations due to unforeseen circumstances.

The Hon. Tun Musa Hitam
Chairman, WIEF Foundation

Tun Musa Hitam, who is currently Chairman of the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation was Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister until 1986. In the course of his service in the Malaysian government, he held various positions including Minister of Home Affairs, Education, Primary Industries and Trade and Industries and Chairman of the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA). Among his major official activities were as Leader of Malaysian Investment Missions to Europe, USA and Japan and representing Malaysia at UN UNESCO and ECOSOC related negotiating and regular conferences.

Since Tun Musa’s retirement from politics in 1987, he held Chairmanships of 3 Public Listed Companies and various business related institutions both at domestic and international levels. He was Chairman of the Malaysia – China Business Council, Co-Chair of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) of the Asean – China, 15 year economic cooperation program and Chairman of the EPG to draft the Asean Charter. Currently, Tun Musa is Chairman of the Sime Darby Foundation, Chairman of the International Advisory Panel of CIMB Bank, Chairman of the International Selection Panel of the Royal Award on Islamic Finance and member of the Advisory Panel of the Iskandar Development Authority.

Tun Musa holds a BA from the University of Malaya and MA from the University of Sussex, and held a resident Fellowship at Harvard University. For his services to the nation, The Yang Di Pertuan Agong, King, of Malaysia conferred him the Malaysia’s highest award which carries the title “Tun”.


Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
Rector, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Malaysia

Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak is the sixth Rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He’s the immediate past President of the Paris-based International Association of Universities (IAU). He’s also the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). Prior to this, he was the inaugural holder of the Islamic leadership chair and principal fellow from 2014 to 2016 at USIM’s Faculty of Leadership and Management.

He has been an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham since 2014. His latest 2018 scholarly contributions are Fourth Industrial Revolution – The Leadership Dilemma and Voicing Concern. His other contribution Nurturing a Balanced Person – The Leadership Challenge (2015, 2017) won the Anugerah Buku Negara (ABN) 2016 award and is listed as one of the 50 Best Malaysian Titles for International Rights by the National Book Council of Malaysia (MBKM).


Datuk Professor Dr Rohana Yusof
Director, Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), Malaysia

Datuk Professor Dr Rohana binti Yusof is the Director of Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT). She was the Deputy Vice chancellor of student affairs as well as alumni at the University of Malaya for 7.5 years.  Since May 2014, she has been a Fellow at the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) for Medical and Health Sciences.

Professor Rohana received the High Commissioner’s Award for Academic Excellence in London for her work on Adenovirus. Upon her return to Malaysia in 1993, she was appointed as a lecturer in University of Malaya. Among her many accolades, she has received the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science award (JSPS) by Kindai University, Japan. She also obtained a fellowship from the ASEAN Molecular Biology Organization to work at the National Institute of Genetics in Mishima, Japan.

Professor Rohana holds a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom.


Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Mohd Zahid Mohd Noordin
Chairman, WIEF Education Trust and Chairman of the Board of Advisors, Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), Ministry of Education Malaysia

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Mohd Zahid Mohd Noordin is the Chairman of the WIEF Education Trust and a member of its International Advisory Panel (IAP) Board of Trustee. He is an educationist and was a teacher and education manager within the Ministry of Education. His last position was as the Director General of Education of Malaysia. He is also the Chairman of Management and Science University (MSU), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Furukawa Electric Cables (M) Sdn Bhd and Chairman of the Board of Advisors of the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), Ministry of Education Malaysia.

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Mohd Zahid is the Director of Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad, Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad, SP Setia Berhad and Amanah Mutual Berhad. He is also a Board Member of the Securities Industry Development Corporation (SIDC), the training and development arm of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC).

He holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.


Datin Paduka Ir Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir
Director General of the Department of Higher Education Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia

Datin Paduka Ir Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir is the Director General of the Department of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education Malaysia. She was involved in the development of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 20152025 (Higher Education) and tasked to implement the initiatives for the public and private higher education institutions. She was pivotal in the establishment of a rating system for private colleges, the liberalisation of private higher education, contributed significantly to the formation of several foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia and the enhancement of the public universities’ policies as well as governance. Previously, Dr Siti Hamisah was the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Technology Malaysia.

She received an honorary doctorate from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom, and numerous education accolades including the Asia Human Resources Development (HRD) Awards 2017 and the honorary fellow of ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (AFEO) in 2017.

Represented by Dr Raha Abdul Rahim, Director, IPT Excellence Planning Division, Ministry of Education Malaysia
Presentation material


Professor Dr Hafid Abbas
Professor of Education, Jakarta State University, Indonesia

Dr Hafid Abbas was the Vice Rector of the Jakarta State University and served as Director General of Human Rights Protection at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. He was also the Director General and head of the Agency of Research and Development at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights in Indonesia. He was President of the South East Asia Human Rights Institution Forum (SEANF) and former Commissioner and President of the National Human Rights Commission of Indonesia (Komnas HAM).

He was a consultant for various international organisations such as UNESCO in the Asia-Pacific Region for literacy and poverty reduction and the World Bank for education reform in Indonesia. In 2008, Professor Hafid was recognised for his contribution in promoting peace and protecting human rights in Indonesia during its most crucial period of transition. He had shared his professional experiences for the preparation and the implementation of Indonesia’s National Action Plan on business and human rights.

Professor Hafid is a columnist for various international media including The Jakarta Post and Bangkok Post. He was a visiting professor and speaker at a number of universities including Harvard University in the United States and University of Melbourne in Australia. He is currently a Professor of Education at the Jakarta State University in Indonesia.

He holds a doctorate degree in education from the Jakarta State University, a post-doctorate in technology of education at Syracuse University in New York and an honorary doctorate in human rights and international peace by Hartford Seminary in the United States.
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Ina Michael
Director of Strategy and Business Investment, Cook Islands Development Agency New Zealand (CIDANZ) New Zealand

Ina Michael is the Director of Strategy and Business Investment of Cook Islands Development Agency in New Zealand. His social enterprise journey began at 11 years old when he helped his family by earning money looking for golf balls. In 2009, he, along with other community members, established the Cook Islands Development Agency New Zealand (CIDANZ) and served as its Chief Executive.

CIDANZ has won a number of national business as well as innovation awards, and has a growing operational team and professional board. 50 startup family enterprises will benefit until 2020 through its Enterprising Families Program. It also has a range of early children’s education centres as well as a social housing project followed by the building of the oneVILLAGE facility in 2020.

Ina has a degree in Commerce from the Auckland University, New Zealand.
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Ashran Dato’ Ghazi
Chief Executive Officer Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC) Malaysia

Ashran Dato’ Ghazi is the Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC) since 2016. He started his career in the oil and gas sector with Petronas Malaysian International Trading Corporation (MITCO). Previously, he led many organisations and served in positions such as, Chairman of New Entrepreneurs Foundation (myNEF), Chairman of myHarapan, President of Malaysian Association of Bumiputera ICT Industry and Entrepreneurs (NEF), and Deputy Chairman of Global Innovation & Entrepreneurship Foundation (GIEF).

In 2011, Ashran co-founded Joota, a social content networking site which secured private investments of USD2.1 million with patent and distribution partners in the USA. His recent initiatives include creating an accelerator for the creative sector via comics – ComicXcel and a new ASEAN regional award for startups, the Rice Bowl Startup Awards.

He holds a BA in business administration (Finance and CIS) from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
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Gomer Padong
Director of Training Development Cooperation and Advocacy, Philippines Social Enterprise Network Philippines

Gomer Padong leads the Philippine Social Enterprise Network’s development cooperation and advocacy. He represents the Network in the United Nations Civil Society Advisory Committee, a 15-seat civil society platform to engage the Philippines UN country team on policies and strategies. He is the focal person of the Social and Community Enterprises constituency of the Asia Pacific Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism, also a civil society platform for engagement across the UN system.

He is on the board of the Together 2030 Core Group, a global action-oriented initiative. Its aim is to generate and share knowledge on the implementation and accountability of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Dr Wan Nur Ibtisam Wan Ismail
Deputy Director of Centre for Leadership Sustainability, Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), Ministry of Education Malaysia

Dr Wan Nur Ibtisam Wan Ismail is the Deputy Director of Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT) Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. She is responsible for positioning top talents and nurturing emerging talents for higher education leadership. She was the Under-Secretary of the Strategic Collaboration Division, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, served as Deputy Director at the Public Service Department and Principal Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Human Resources.

In 2007, Dr Wan Nur Ibtisam was selected as a Chevening Fellow for Course on Gender, Social Justice and Citizenship at the University College London. She was also involved in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Long-Term Fellowship Project in Labour and Employment Policy Administration in 2000 focusing on Youth Employment in East and South East Asia.
Wan Nur Ibtisam holds a PhD in Public Policy from the University of Malaya, Malaysia.


Caroline Fong
Founder CoffeeZone Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Cauz Factor Awards Malaysia

Caroline Fong is an entrepreneur, Founder and Director of CoffeeZone Malaysia Sdn Bhd. She won several titles in her pageantry pursuits which shaped her passion for social entrepreneurship and started the social enterprise CoffeeZone to reduce unemployment among single mothers, youth and the differentlyabled. CoffeeZone mobile coffee kiosks provide equal employment opportunities to individuals and also barista training.

She specifically hopes to reduce the high percentage of unemployment among disabled individuals in Malaysia and helps motivate other entrepreneurs to succeed. In the long term and based on their ability, CoffeeZone plans to franchise their mobile kiosks to beneficiaries for a sustainable source of income.
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Tengku Syamil
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Skolafund Malaysia

Tengku Syamil is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Skolafund, Malaysia. With a passion for community development, entrepreneurship and leadership, Tengku Syamil established Skolafund in 2014. It’s a crowdfunding platform that helps higher education students to raise funds transparently and effectively for fees, study expenses and various projects. He is also the Co-founder of Urbane Academy, a teen mentoring and training programme created in 2011 to combat delinquency. In 2016, he was listed as the youngest entrepreneur on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia and Digital News Asia’s Digerati50 (2016-17).

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration for the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
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Nurfarini Daing
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Youth Trust Foundation Malaysia

Nurfarini Daing is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at myHarapan which was established in 2010. It has engaged and developed over 26,000 Malaysian youths and funded over 140 social initiatives. It’s also a research partner of the Centre of Asian Philanthropy and Society in Hong Kong which is currently developing a Doing Good Index in, and for, 15 economies.

Nurfarini garnered 18 years of startup experience including business development, training and coaching for SMEs as well as unemployed graduates through past employments such as Multimedia Development Corporation of Malaysia. She has received many awards including the Social Innovation Leadership Award by World CSR Congress, India, and others such as the Women Icons Malaysia by the Business Excellence and Research Group (BERG) Singapore.

She graduated from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, in accounting and finance.
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Jerryson Abraham Doss
Co-founder Viva Starfish Sdn Bhd, Malaysia

Jerryson Abraham Doss is the Co-founder of the Viva Starfish Project and CEO-Futurist for Viva City Global. Viva City Global has been involved with the homeless and educating the underprivileged youths since 2011. He is a philanthropist, motivational speaker and facilitator for various youth and entrepreneurial development programmes nationwide. Since 1997, his work has involved rehab centres and integration programmes that helped create business opportunities.

Jerryson received several awards in recognition of his service to marginalised communities including the recent Top Outstanding Young Malaysian Award. He is also Director of Viva Odyssey, an international company that provides safety consultancy for the oil and gas industry.

He holds a degree in accounting and finance from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia.
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Datin Dr Norrizan Razali
Founder and Managing Director Tech Capacity Sdn Bhd Malaysia

Datin Dr Norrizan Razali has a 25-year career in the education industry which encompasses experiences in sales operations from multinational organisations, government-linked corporations and academia. Having led the management of sales operations at Microsoft and Apple, Datin Dr Norrizan Razali is now a resolute entrepreneur dedicated to pursuing her passion in helping education institutions, educators and school leaders meet their fullest potential. ​

She started her career at the faculty of education in the National University of Malaysia. She is now an entrepreneur dedicated to pursuing her passion in helping education institutions, educators and school leaders meet their fullest potential.

She founded Tech Capacity which is focused on sustaining and scaling the mission of building educators and education leaders’ capacity with collaborators who share her passion. She also heads the operations and is responsible for policy formulation and company performance.

She is an Ivy League qualified educationalist who has been featured in local and global forums and engages directly with students through mentoring and lecturing as an adjunct faculty at various universities. She’s also a recipient of many awards including The China Wenhui-UNESCO award for the Rural Smart School Benchmarked Programme.

She holds a PhD in education from the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.
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Mohammad Yusuf Mohammed Jaffar
Programme Consultant Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC), Malaysia

Mohammad Yusuf is the Programme Manager at MaGIC’s Social Inclusion & Vibrant Entrepreneurship (MasSIVE) department. His experience in the social impact industry includes being part of the founding team that developed Malaysia’s first social venture capital fund. He was also part of the founding team that drafted Malaysia’s first guidelines for social enterprise accreditation.

Mohammad’s expertise lies in areas of corporate finance, investment banking, impact audit and social venture capital. He scales social enterprises through MaGIC’s Push programme that would catalyse the rapid growth of social enterprise models across Malaysia. In his spare time, he conducts training on business model canvas and theory of change to entrepreneurs. He holds a master’s in Islamic finance.
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Anand Chowdhary
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Oswald Labs,, India/Netherlands

Anand Chowdhary is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oswald Labs, an award-winning accessibility technology company based in India and Enschede in the Netherlands. He is the inventor of the world’s first web reading tool for people with dyslexia and other disabilities and the first blind-friendly smartphone operating system. He worked at the Government of Delhi and was a design and technology consultant to over 10 startups and organisations. He has also worked on projects alongside the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) among others.

Anand also founded Made with Love in India, an initiative to promote Indian-made brands and products, and is a software engineering consultant to El Niño, a digital development studio in the Netherlands.

Anand is currently a creative technology student at the University of Twente, Enschede.
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Yasmin Rasyid
President and Founder EcoKnights, Malaysia

Yasmin Rasyid is President and Founder of EcoKnights, Malaysia. She started her career as a scientific officer in WWF-Malaysia in 1997 and was responsible for the water quality research efforts of the Selangor river basin. In 2002, Yasmin joined Profound Vaccine Sdn Bhd as head of the research and product development team and then founded EcoKnights, a not-for-profit environmental organisation, in 2005.

She is also a Co-founder of PopTani, an agriculture-based startup which specialises in aquaponics and does training on sustainability and social responsibility. She’s Vice Chairman of the Malaysian Environmental NGOs (MENGO), a Chairperson of the Malaysian community-based Sungai Bunus river’s rehabilitation committee and works closely with the Kuala Lumpur Local Council to address the conservation, protection and rehabilitation of Sungai Bunus river.

She holds a master’s degree from the University Malaya in biotechnology and is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Malaya’s Faculty of Science.
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Suzanne Ling
Co-founder The Picha Project, Malaysia

Suzanne Ling is the Co-founder of The Picha Project, a growing social enterprise in Malaysia that empowers refugees through a sustainable food business. She heads The Picha Project’s marketing and sales. The Picha Project has grown exponentially within a short span of two years and was a national winner of the Chivas Venture, a global competition for social enterprises.

Suzanne and her co-founders have also received the Inspiring Young Leaders Awards in 2017 from The Edge for the work they do. She was also awarded the Gold Chancellor’s Award during her university graduation due to her outstanding performance in academics and societal impact and represented Malaysia in several international exchange programmes, including YSEALI (Young South East Asia Leaders Initiative) and has a background in psychology.
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Redza Shahid
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Grub Cycle, Malaysia

Redza Shahid is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Grub Cycle, a social supermarket that’s dedicated to reducing food waste. Within two years since its launch, Grub Cycle has reduced 3000 kilograms from being thrown to waste while helping customers save up to RM30,000.

Redza started his career at WorleyParsons in Malaysia focusing on finance in the oil and gas industry. He then decided to put his numbers skills to help startups at a Malaysia-based angel investment firm Qeerad and then joined the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre’s (MaGIC) accelerator programme to validate his idea and officially launch Grub Cycle two months later with three friends in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Redza was selected as the only representative from Malaysia at the Australia ASEAN Emerging Leaders Program (A2ELP).
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Sasibai Kimis
Founder Earth Heir, Malaysia

Sasibai Kimis is the Founder of Earth Heir, an award-winning social enterprise that empowers artisans from marginalised communities to achieve sustainable livelihoods. Its social and ecological mission focuses on the sustainability of its products and supply chain. In 2015, Earth Heir won the British Council and Arthur Guinness Projects Social Enterprise Award.

Sasibai is also the Country Coordinator for Fashion Revolution Malaysia. She has spoken widely at universities, conferences, such as TEDx and forums in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, United States and Japan. She was one of Wharton’s ‘40 under 40’ award winners and an Eisenhower Fellow in the 2015 Women’s Leadership Program (WLP).

She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, United States and a Master of Philosophy in Environment and Development from Cambridge University, United Kingdom.


Joycelyn Lee
Co-founder Pit Stop Community Café, Malaysia

Joycelyn is the Co-founder of the Pit Stop Community Café in Malaysia. The Pit Stop Community Café aims to reach three objectives; to reach out to groups and individuals looking to serve the community; to reach out and assist marginalised groups with food in efforts to reintegrate them into society via training and job placements; and to minimise food waste through the rescuing and repurposing of raw food.

Prior to co-founding the Pit Stop, Joycelyn worked with the secretariat of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) as its Global Communications Director. Before the RSPO, she was Country Head and Director of Burson Marsteller Malaysia. She was also Acting General Manager of Fleishman-Hillard Kuala Lumpur after almost 15 years in journalism in publications. Joycelyn still conducts one-on-one life and leadership coaching on a one-on-one basis.


Vishnu Swaminathan
Global Leader for Partnerships Planning and Management Ashoka United States

Vishnu Swaminathan is the Global Leader for Partnerships, Planning and Management at Ashoka: Innovators for the Public in Washington DC. He’s also the Founding Director of two initiatives which have spun off from his earlier work at Ashoka – Indian Housing Federation (IHF) and Nourishing Schools Foundation (NSF).

Vishnu is an entrepreneur and his first two for-profit ventures were based in Singapore. He has been involved in launching and relaunching various Ashoka offices in Asia. He integrates efforts to build funding partnerships across more than 37 Ashoka offices globally. He’s also leading an effort to organise the planning and management of the organisation towards the Everyone a Changemaker vision.
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Edmond Yap
Co-founder of EduNation, Malaysia

Edmond Yap is the Co-founder and Chief Education Officer of EduNation which is helping 100,000 Malaysian students a month. With 6,000 videos, EduNation, which is now a free school, has become Asia’s largest free educational resource. He’s also the Co-founder of Education Republic and the Development Lead at Acton Academy Kuala Lumpur.

In 2019, he will start an open source innovation school called KITA in attempt to reimagine Malaysian public education. Today, he is consultant at Thoughts In Gear (TIG) for Malaysia’s largest collective impact initiative called FINCO that brings together all financial institutions in Malaysia in an effort for social and educational good.


Royston Braganza
Chief Executive Officer, Grameen Capital India Limited, India

Royston Braganza is the Chief Executive Officer of Grameen Capital, India, a social enterprise that enables microfinance institutions and social enterprises develop wider access to capital markets. Royston, along with Grameen Capital, promoted Grameen Impact Investments India which is a unique vehicle to provide debt financing to social enterprises across sectors, such as affordable education and skill development, affordable healthcare, clean energy and innovation, agriculture, financial inclusion and livelihoods.

Royston was a Senior Vice president with HSBC and was instrumental in setting up and heading HSBC’s microfinance and priority sector business. He was also the Head of HSBC’s SME business. He also worked in Citibank India for over eight years and served on many advisory boards including the United Nations microfinance resource group.

Royston holds a master’s degree in management from the prestigious Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, India.
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Syed Mahmudul Huq
Chairman, Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF), Bangladesh

Syed Mahmudul Huq is the Chairman of the Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF), a non-profit research and advocacy organisation engaged in R&D works. BSFF works as an interface between the government and the industry in collaboration with development partners and holds dialogues with different stakeholders as well as government and non-government organisations, academia for development of a hygienically safe, economically viable, environmentally friendly and socially responsible aquaculture industry in the country.

He’s a Member on the Board of Trustees of both the Independent University, Bangladesh and Chittagong Independent University and Vice Chairman of the board of directors of Premier LP Gas Limited a subsidiary of TOTAL, France. He’s also Honorary Consul of Malta in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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Jamil Abbas
Member of Board of Trustees Rahmania Foundation Indonesia

Jamil Abbas is Member of Board of Trustees of the Rahmania Foundation in Indonesia. He has more than 20 years of experience and in the last five years he has focused on Islamic microfinance and social enterprises. He spent almost five years as General Manager at Perhimpunan Baitul Maal Wat Tamwil Indonesia (PBMT), one of the largest Islamic microfinance groups in the world.

He’s very active in promoting social enterprises in Indonesia and encouraging Islamic microfinance institutions to play an important role in the development of social enterprise in the country. He’s currently a member of the Islamic Development Bank’s Islamic Microfinance for Poverty Alleviation and Capacity Transfer (IMPACT) team.

He holds a degree in accounting and finance from the University of Melbourne, Australia and an MBA in Islamic finance from the International Islamic University, Malaysia.
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Mohd Senu bin Awang
Director of Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC),
International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM),
Malaysia

Mohd Senu Bin Awang is the Director of Entrepreneurship Development Centre at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He is a coach, trainer and mentor with eight years of experience developing entrepreneurships among students from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) as well as educators among the staff. In 2011, he founded and developed the Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) in IIUM and in 2017, he led IIUM to become one of the top four finalists in the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Entrepreneurship Award.

He has also developed strong networks and collaborations with leading organisations, such as SME Corp Malaysia, Human Resources Development Fund Malaysia (HRDF), Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit, Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (FELCRA), Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, CELCOM, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB) and many more that helped accelerate entrepreneurship in IIUM.


Professor Dr Hassanuddeen B. Abd Aziz
Dean of Kulliyah of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Malaysia

Professor Dr Hassanuddeen B. Abd Aziz is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Previously, he was the director of Quality Assurance Unit of IIUM and Deputy Dean at the Office of Corporate Strategy.

He holds many positions including Quality Consultant and Technical Expert to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Senior Quality Assurance Consultant for Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Assessor of the Performance of the Islamic University Technology Dhaka, Bangladesh, Academic Assessor to the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia and an External Associate Supervisor for Griffith University, Australia.

He’s a member of the Islamic Advisory Agency for Quality and Accreditation of the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW). He also writes and conducts workshops in the areas of financial management, Islamic finance and quality management.


Dr Izza Arsyika, Secretary,Hospitals Beyond Boundaries, Malaysia
Secretary
Hospitals Beyond Boundaries,
Malaysia

Dr Izza Arsyika Binti Abdul Rahim is the Secretary of Hospitals Beyond Boundaries (HBB) in Malaysia and was among the first few members that helped launch the organisation in 2012. In HBB, she provides consultation and treatment to patients who come to the HBB mobile clinic or during health screening campaigns.

She is currently working in Hospital Serdang in Malaysia as a medical officer and represented the hospital at Selangor State level in 2017 for ‘Karnival Inovasi dan Kumpulan Kreatif & Inovatif Peringkat Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Selangor’ where her team emerged as champion in the competition. She was awarded ‘Anugerah Pekerja Cemerlang’ (Excellent Employee Award) in March 2018 for her contribution.

She holds a Bachelor of Medicine degree from Melaka-Manipal Medical College, Malacca, Malaysia.
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Sharon Xueqing Feng
Managing Director Code.Game, China

Sharon Xueqing Feng is the Managing Director of Code.Game, a graphical programming platform for kids to learn coding. It’s interface is equipped with multiple levels of difficulty for students of different skill sets to help students eventually advance to JavaScript.

Sharon has 11 years of experience in the technology and education field, specifically in the United States, the United Kingdom and Southern Asia. She leads the youth coding programme in UNESCO, Harvard University, MIT Media Lab and the United Kingdom’s innovation and enterprise foundation.

Sharon holds a master’s degree from Imperial College Business School, United Kingdom.
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Talib Syed Karim
President Institute of Business Management, Pakistan

Talib Syed Karim is the President of Pakistan’s Institute of Business Management and President and Executive Director of Pakistan’s Entrepreneurship and Management Excellence Centre (EMEC). He represents the institute as a member of the International Association of Universities in Paris; Asian Media, Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) in Singapore; Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP) in Thailand; and the Association of Commonwealth Universities in the United Kingdom.

He’s also a member of a number of associations in Pakistan and has represented the institute in various international forums and conferences.

Talib received his bachelor’s degree in systems engineering and master’s degree in economics from the University of Arizona, Tucson, United States.
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Vivian Lines
Global Vice Chairman and Chairman Asia Pacific Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Singapore

Vivian Lines is Global Vice Chairman and Chairman Asia Pacific at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, based in Singapore. Having worked with Hill+Knowlton since 1984, Vivian has extensive experience in designing and implementing strategic communication programmes for a broad range of multinational and local clients across multiple markets.

Vivian has also worked closely with the ASEAN Secretariat to develop their first communications master plan for ASEAN in 2014. He has recently rewritten this to encompass the many changes in ASEAN since the launch of the ASEAN Community and the new focus of ASEAN Vision 2025. This experience has enabled him to identify different communications techniques that can be effective in the rural villages of ASEAN nations as well as those tactics for the highly developed and connected ASEAN smart cities.

Vivian holds an MBA from Duke University, United States and an MA in political science from Georgetown University.
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Liyana Jalal
Project Manager of MasSIVE Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC), Malaysia

Liyana Jalal is a Project Manager for Malaysia’s Social Inclusion and Vibrant Entrepreneurship (MasSIVE) which is a strategic unit under the Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC). She has vast experience in areas of project management, strategic planning and community development type of engagements.

Prior to MaGIC, Liyana worked with the British Council on international projects and partnerships specialising in education and arts initiatives. Her interest in social entrepreneurship drives her to continuously create change and impact the Southeast Asian ecosystem development efforts in Malaysia.

She holds a master’s degree in design management from the Birmingham City University, United Kingdom.
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