Singapore is home

Following my mentoring at the September Social Impact Catalyst edition, SIC invited me to guide one of its winning teams as they prepare for the Grand Finale on 24 October. I was delighted to accept.

The support will continue over the weeks leading up to the finale, through questions, feedback and short calls when useful, with the SIC team helping to facilitate.

For me, this is a chance to build on the conversations we began at the hackathon and stay involved as a team develops its idea further. Alongside judging at the NUS edition, it marks a growing contribution to a programme I value.

On 12 September, I joined the in-person mentoring session for the Social Impact Catalyst edition of SDG Open Hack in Singapore. The weekend programme brought together students from across Singapore’s universities, polytechnics and other institutions to develop ideas addressing sustainability challenges.

Alongside fellow mentors, I supported teams as they refined their ideas and worked towards practical solutions. GGEF’s post-event write-up recognised the contribution of mentors supporting students both in person and online.

I continued this work at Nanyang Polytechnic on 23 September, mentoring student teams during its 23–24 September edition. Explore the SDG Open Hack programme.

On 21 May, I volunteered as a mentor for the Ngee Ann Polytechnic edition of SDG Open Hack, supporting students developing ideas connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

My contribution draws on the questions I use when building products and businesses: who would use this, what would make it useful to them, and what evidence would help us decide what to do next?

The responsible consumption and production theme offered a way to connect commercial thinking with everyday choices and behaviour.

For me, mentoring means helping students examine their own reasoning and find a practical next step. I want them to leave with greater confidence in how to develop an idea, including the confidence to change it when they learn something new.

I continued my involvement with SDG Open Hack through the NTU edition, joining an online mentoring session on 5 September.

The programme explored nature-positive cities and communities, alongside responsible consumption through circular retail innovation. These themes bring an important question into focus: how can a worthwhile ambition become something people can use in everyday life?

My role was to help students question assumptions, sharpen their business pitches and connect their proposed solutions with the people they hoped to serve.

I value the opportunity to contribute experience while giving students room to develop their own approach. Supporting that process is a meaningful part of how I contribute to Singapore’s next generation of builders and business leaders.

On 5 August, I joined a panel exploring sales frameworks, hiring and the organisational foundations needed to support growth.

It is a subject closely connected to my executive experience. Sales performance depends on how well the wider business works together, from the clarity of the offer and the way it is priced to the team’s ability to deliver what has been promised.

My perspective is that sustainable growth needs alignment across those decisions. Incentives, responsibilities and customer expectations should reinforce one another.

Conversations with SME leaders are an opportunity to explore how these principles can be applied at different stages of a business, with an approach suited to the team and resources available.

I joined Mark Gaynor, Paddy Tan and Victor Chan for EntreBoss Hub’s The Competitive Edge panel, moderated by Darius Chang.

The discussion brought together different perspectives on strategy and executive performance, including the role of human judgement when using AI.

My contribution focused on connecting technology with the decisions a business needs to make. That means being clear about the intended outcome, understanding the evidence and ensuring someone remains accountable for what happens next.

This is also the thinking behind EDGE. Tools can help us explore options and improve our reasoning, while experience and judgement help us decide what deserves action.

Explore The Competitive Edge panel ↗