Speakers

Founded out of her love for soup, Anna Lim and her business partners conceived The Soup Spoon in 2002 and have since built the company into a stirring and successful business. The goal for The Soup Spoon is to become the global benchmark of fresh soups, reshaping soup culture where soup takes centrestage. As the Executive Director and SouperChef, Anna is responsible for the creation and innovation of soups and product development for The Soup Spoon. Award winning concept with 30 outlets in Singapore, Anna has triumphantly piloted The Soup Spoon’s global expansion to Hong Kong and successfully roaring six franchise outlets in Taipei since December 2019 within a period of 14 months. Prior to The Soup Spoon, she was a clinical embryologist at Singapore General Hospital. Her background in embryology has taught her to combine both the science and art of culinary to innovate the dining experience. Anna was a recipient of the Spirit of Enterprise Award in 2004 and is an advocator of Design Thinking and healthy cooking. Since the establishment of Souperfoods in 2016, Anna participates in holistic research and development, including turnkey commercialization projects derived from conceptualization. She leads the Souperfoods team from a central kitchen to an established global player manufacturing retail and food service products. Together with her partners, Anna acquired Singapore‘s first fully integrated HPP (High Pressure Processing) facility, processing food under high pressure to avoid the use of preservatives. Keeping up with global trends and innovative technologies, Anna develops proprietary products and recipes to meet the growing market demands. In recognition of her leadership and mentoring efforts to the community, Anna Lim was conferred the Senior Mentor in 2020 – where she provides advice and assistance to the new Food-Tech Startups in Singapore under Innovate 360. As an active industry advisor, Anna has also been appointed as an Independent Director for Murdoch Singapore Pte Ltd in August 2021.

Ms Angela Er has 22 years in hospitality experience which includes aviation and hotel industry as well as 12 years of teaching experience. Her areas of expertise include customer service, restaurant operations and beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. She currently oversees the Food & Beverage and Food Hygiene related modules in Asian Culinary Institute, a CET institute of Nanyang Polytechnic .

Anton Wibowo has over nine years’ of diverse business, management, and investment experience in the Singaporean biotechnology and agribusiness communities. Prior to joining Trendlines, Anton was operations director and former business development director at Biomax. Anton holds a Masters of International Business from Central Queensland University and a Bachelor of Engineering (first-class honours) from Nanyang Technological University.

Benjamin Yang is an internationally sought-after F&B Profit Strategist and the Founder and Group CEO of Novitee. He is also currently the CMO for Glife Technologies. Heralded as a expert in omni-channel marketing and technology, some of the high profile F&B and Retail brands that Benjamin has worked with include: Kimly Group, Crystal Jade, Tim Ho Wan, Don Don Donki, Joe & Dough, Tiong Bahru Bakery, Collins, Lady M, Violet Oon, etc. Using his proven Profit Intelligence Technology System, Benjamin has a track record of exponentially assisting companies to accelerate their growth and increase sales. Under his leadership, he has grown Novitee from a 3-man start-up, to a leading F&B Food Services Technology Platform servicing customers across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Sri Lanka & Myanmar. He is frequently featured in the media and has had appearances in The Straits Times, The Sunday Times, The Business Times, Singapore Business Review, The New Paper, JustHRAsia, ZDNet, Wine & Dine, South China Morning Post, Lian He Zao Bao, Radio 93.8, FM 95.8, BFM Radio, etc. An internationally sought-after speaker, Benjamin is regularly invited to address international audiences at numerous high key events.

Wai Fong Boh is President’s Chair and Professor of Information Systems at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. She is currently the Deputy Dean of Nanyang Business School (NBS), Director of Information Management Research Centre at NBS, and she serves as co-Director for both Singapore Agri-Food Innovation Lab (SAIL @ NTU) and NTU Centre in Computational Technologies for Finance (CCTF). She received her PhD from the Tepper School of Business at the Carnegie Mellon University. She conducts research in the areas of knowledge and innovation management and blockchain. She has published many articles in top management journals including Management Science, MIS Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, Journal of Management Information Systems, and Research Policy. She has also won multiple awards, including awards for best papers in journals, conferences, and as a best IS professor in Asia. Professor Boh is a seasoned and versatile instructor who teaches at both undergraduate and graduate levels. She has spoken in multiple industry conferences, and specializes in research and conducting training for entrepreneurs, managers and employees in areas related to innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology management. Professor Boh is also sought after by private organizations as well as government agencies to conduct training programs. She is often cited and interviewed in the media. Prof Boh has written a book titled “Identifying Business Opportunities through Innovation” that is due to launch in May 2023.

Dr Chen Huayi graduated from National University of Singapore with Ph.D in 1998. After his graduation, he joined Singapore Productivity and Standards Board as a senior technical officer, PSB Corporation, TUV SUD and Intertek as technical and management posts , Now he is a General Manager in Ugene Laboratory Services, driving food chemical safety testing, hazardous substances control in consumer products, product performance evaluation, product failure analysis and various materials testing. Dr Chen has gained over 20 years testing experiences and helped his customers to ensure their products quality, safety and sustainability, supporting industrial and consumer products penetrating the local and international markets.

Oversees industry development efforts of the TIC industry at EnterpriseSG, with specific focus on the Food and Agriculture sector

Ms Chong holds a Science degree in Chemistry from National University of Singapore, and an MBA from Leicester University, UK. She has over 20 years’ experience in the areas of quality assurance and food safety, well-versed in GMP, HACCP, ISO 9001 and ISO 22000, Organic Standards, 6 Sigma and Total Quality Management. As a technical professional, she is currently the Technical Chair of food processing & distribution under Singapore food standard committee. She has been working with government authorities such as SFA and Enterprise Singapore in areas of Cold Chain Management Standards, Organic certification, FMCG standards and Food Safety Regulations. In 2017, she received the Merit award for Quality and Standards given by ESG, endorsing her contributions to the Singapore standards journey. In her current position in FairPrice, she is responsible for the overall control of the food safety and quality assurance system as well as regulatory management for the Co-operatives. Due to keen interest in quality management systems and strong belief that a strong foundation in system will build a strong brand, she has helped Fairprice in developing the risk management framework and various control measures in fulfilling the vision of assuring food safety from source to store.

Claire has over 30 years’ experience in Asia and the USA creating and leading new, and emerging lines of business for global Fortune 500 technology companies driving revenue of over US$300M. And was a founding partner of an Asian based start-up, resulting in a successful exit. Claire has responsibility for overseeing and managing investments, fundraising, portfolio, and company operations for this $50m USD target Fund and the Accelerator. Claire also represents YLAP on the Global Board of The Yield Lab.

Emily is the subject matter expert within FIA’s regulatory team on the topics of food e-commerce, food safety, alternative protein and novel food. Furthermore, Emily is knowledgeable on and contributes to FIA’s public affairs work on fiscal measures, sweetness and sweeteners, front-of-pack labelling, and marketing restrictions. Emily is involved in researching, monitoring and critically analysing regulations, scientific findings, policies and consumer perception studies, as well as promoting science-based advocacy through strategic stakeholder engagement. In addition, Emily is involved in the development of food standards on a national and international level. Prior to FIA, Emily worked as an AfN Registered Associate personal nutritionist in Singapore, and within the technical team of the snack company Graze in the UK.

Ms Dewi Hartaty Suratty was appointed as CEO of Warees Halal Limited on 1 October 2017. She has more than 15 years of experience in the Halal industry and was involved in the ASEAN Working Group on Halal Food, MABIMS Special Technical Committee on Halal Development, Singapore Food Standards Committee and the Food Innovation & Resource Centre Advisory Panel. Ms Dewi holds a Masters of Business Administration (With Distinction) from University Hull UK and Bachelor’s Degree (Honours) in Food Science & Technology from the National University of Singapore. At present, Ms Dewi also holds a concurrent appointment as Director (Asset Policy & Endowment) overseeing the development and management of community funds at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), a statutory board in-charge of Muslim affairs.

Erika is a purpose driven leader in the agriculture space, ex-marketeer and currently working with Olam Ventures building start-ups on the intersection of digital and sustainability. With over 20 years’ experience in agriculture & rural development, Erika worked in corporates, NGOs, governments, consultancy, and start-ups across Europe, Africa and Asia implementing impactful projects in climate smart agriculture. Erika holds an MBA (Netherlands) and an MPA from Harvard University (USA). Erika is passionate about regenerative and sustainable agriculture, food security and making a difference in the lives of small holder farmers. Prior to joining Olam, Erika was leading her own business called ‘The Sustainable Smallholder’. She has previously worked in Corteva, Nufarm, Dalberg and Syngenta across different locations in Asia and Europe, interspersed with roles at IFAD and Agricultural Transformation Agency in Ethiopia.    

After an 18-year corporate career, Fazal decided to venture into entrepreneurship. Having experienced the difficulty of finding basic faith-based needs as a frequent Muslim traveler, in 2008, he founded CrescentRating in Singapore, in a quest to make travel easier for Muslims. Over the next 14 years, CrescentRating has grown to key markets across Middle East, South Asia, Western Europe, North America and rest of Asia. It is now the world’s leading authority on Halal Travel, providing insights, research, consultancy, training & rating services to every sector of the tourism industry from Government bodies to hotels. "Crescent Rating", the world’s first rating system to rate travel & tourism services for their Halal/Muslim friendliness, has become the globally recognized independent standard for the Muslim travel market. The "Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI)" is now the premier resource for the industry. CrescentRating also hosts the “Halal In Travel Global Summit” along with the “Halal In Travel Awards”, the leading event in the Halal tourism industry. In 2014 HalalTrip platform was launched along with its mobile app with a vision to become the trusted trip advisor for Muslim travelers. It has been cited as one of the "50 Most Innovative Global Muslim Startups" and the "11 most innovative Asian Muslim startups" in 2015. HalalTrip40 is annual compilation by HalalTrip of inspiring Muslims who have contributed have significantly impacted the community. In his corporate career as a Telecom executive, he held senior positions in Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. He also served as a board member of Alcatel-Fujitsu JV for 3G technology. He was listed among the 20 "Life Power List 2016" of Singapore's Straits Times (Singapore’s leading English Daily) and recognized as one the "Top 50 Leaders of the Islamic Economy" by "Islamica 500". Fazal completed the Executive Program from Stanford University & National University of Singapore, Strategic Leadership Development Program from Ashridge Management School and International Management in Telecoms Industry from London Business School. He has an International Masters in Management from Management School of Lyon, Master’s Degree in Computer Applications and Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications from Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications. He also has a Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance from International Islamic University of Malaysia. He has spoken at many conferences across the globe during the last few years and has been widely quoted in the media.

Based in Singapore, Jack leads the Agriculture & Food practice at Cleantech Group, a research and consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and investors engage with climatetech innovation. Previously, he was Research Lead at agrifood-focused venture capital firm AgFunder.

Mr Tan has works in Private Testing Laboratory for more than 15 years. He is serving clients especially food manufacturing companies and F & B Industries on food testing requirements. He also oversees Nutrition Project from agencies such as Health Promotion Board (HPB). Prior to customer service role, he worked in Food Chemistry and Microbiological laboratory at ALS Technichem for about eight years. Academically, Jasper holds a Bachelor of Marketing from Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and Diplomas in Food Science and Nutrition from Temasek polytechnic.

Jaeeun Jung (JJ) is deeply passionate when it comes to Food and Beverage in all aspects. Command as a regional head of F&B in Shangri-La Group, Jaeeun is originally hails from Korea, where she started her career back in the 2000s and worked in listed company in Korea as Marketing person. She moved to England where she started her hospitality career in many places including ANA InterContinental Hotel in Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore. Jaeeun joined the Shangri-La Group in 2019 as the Senior Manager in Regional Office Singapore, developed number of F&B leaders to next level such as Director of F&B to Director of Operations, Assistant Directors of F&B to Director of F&Bs as well Sommeliers talents in the groups. In her Role, She oversees F&B operations for 26 hotels in SEAA across 10 countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Indonesia and Cambodia (new development) where recognize the best F&B operator in the market across the region. Influenced by international exposure with strong academic background; Jaeeun was able to hone her F&B analytics expertise under their guidance and quickly rose up the ranks. In 2015, She was member of Hospitality revenue management association Japan 2015/2016 and trainer 2017/2018, where she oversaw the large F&B operations. Through her career, Jaeeun has gained her skillsets working with many renowned chefs including three Michelin star trained Head Chef, Sommeliers and award bartenders. Currently, one of her focus is drive F&B in suitable way not only from environmentally friendly but also eco-system approach. With over ten years of experience working in corporate office, Jaeeun has a flair for transmission of Food and Beverage services and operations in the hotels. Her role at Shangri-La International Hotels Management will not only helping finding Shangri-La from guests and colleagues, but also being a host of colourful journey in F&B.

Director of Partnerships with over 25 years in hospitality operations across Australia, Joel moved to Hong Kong in the spring of 2017 for a fresh challenge. In early 2018, he joined Grassroots Pantry and one of his first tasks was to undertake a Life Cycles Assessment of the restaurant through Zero Foodprint. This allowed him to realise firsthand the impact restaurant practices can have on the environment and from there on, GP became Asia's first carbon-neutral restaurant. Since then, he's gone down a massive rabbit hole of all things climate, processing dozens of white paper journals and peer-reviewed reports to absorb as much information as he can on food-related climate solutions. With ZFPA, Joel will be looking after partnerships whether on recruiting and on-boarding restaurants and food businesses or to answer any questions you may have throughout this journe

Joshua Soo is the CEO of GROW, Southeast Asia’s first impact accelerator dedicated to agrifoodtech that is backed by AgFunder and supported by Enterprise Singapore. At heart, Joshua is a creative innovation strategist and human-centred designer who is passionate about scaling new ventures and business models to help shape a sustainable and resilient agrifood system. Throughout his career, Joshua has been part of founding teams where he built and scaled businesses and teams ground up. Prior to GROW, he was a Director at a boutique innovation company and has demonstrated experience working with start-ups, corporates and governments to uncover growth opportunities and future proof themselves. He has 10 years of consulting experience in Australia focusing on innovation, leadership development, culture and change across several sectors including Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, Disability Services, Property/Construction and Transport.

Mr Karthik Bakthavathsalem has has spent 20 years of his Hotel, Food & Beverage career in various organisations including Radisson Blu Hotels, Next Hotels, Outback Steakhouse, Southeast Asia, Chili’s Bar and Grill, USA and Singapore before switching to education to groom the next generation of talent. Passionate about restaurant operations, market strategy, training, mixology and establishing restaurants from ground up Karthik has been involved in various restaurants opening, hiring and establishing brand standards in the Asia market. He is a holder of Bachelors in Science, Hotel & Restaurant operations from Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom and Masters in Education from Nanynag Technological University.

Mdm Koh has over 20 years of working experience in Food Safety Testing and Regulatory Compliance. She is a Technical Assessor for SAC ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation scheme and GLP Inspector for SAC OECD GLP Program. She is currently overseeing SFA’s Laboratory Recognition Program with a network of 13 local private testing laboratories recognised by SFA for their capabilities to support the industries’ Food safety testing needs.

Ms Lina Tan is a senior lecturer with School of Applied Science, Nanyang Polytechnic providing academic training to students majoring in Food Science and Nutrition programme. Besides teaching, she also provides technical guidance and training to clients in food industry and is a coach who prepares food science students for local and international product innovation competitions. Lina has over 10 years of industrial experiences working for food industry and was leading the R&D and QA team in Lacto Asia Pte Ltd, first Japanese processed cheese company in Singapore, and Thong Siek Food Industry Pte Ltd, a leading surimi seafood manufacturer. During her tenure, she was responsible for developing the quality control procedures, training, and rolling out new food products. Prior to joining Nanyang Polytechnic, she was working in IMA Asia Pacific Pte and was responsible for setting and meeting sales goals while providing technical support to customers in the Asia Pacific region.

Ms Marg Will is CEO of Organic Systems & Solutions, a global leader in organic and sustainable strategy design and implementation. Marg is the Chairperson of the Australian Certified Sustainable Standards Board

Mr Mark Richards is a stem cell biologist by training. Mark completed his BSc (Hons) and PhD at the National University of Singapore. He currently leads the life sciences research team at Nanyang Polytechnic. Mark is well-trained in primary cell culture strategies, cell characterization techniques, and animal-free media development. He was responsible for developing the world's first, “Xeno-free” human embryonic stem cell lines for regenerative medicine early in his career at ES Cell International Pte Ltd. More recently, he has been working in the CellAg space, developing solutions to address cost and technical hurdles which affect the cultivated seafood industry.

Melissa has a wealth of over 25 years of APAC regional experience in international trade, brand communications, market research, organisational development, social strategy, corporate and internal communications. She previously worked with various large organisations such as HSBC, IOI Group, KL Sentral (MRCB), and TNS (Kantar) where she was responsible for multiple portfolios covering 33 countries. She was the CEO of Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI), a non-partisan think tank governed and owned by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. She founded ASLI International Trade & Business Advisory Centre. She was instrumental in the setting up of the Malaysia-Bahrain Business Council and Malaysia-Russia Business Council. Melissa was attached to the Bahrain Economic Development Board (FDIs), INVEST Hong Kong (FDIs), and UK Department of Trade (DIT) based out of Bristol, UK responsible for business ventures of 45 UK companies in Southeast Asia. She is now the Thought for Food Regional CEO of Southeast Asia, with a mission to unlock the potential of the next generations to lead a sustainable food revolution through the development of cutting-edge, locally-relevant, science and technology-based entrepreneurial solutions. Melissa is also the Group Chief Officer of Impact Circle, an independent Agrifoodtech Ecosystem builder, and multiplier with a purpose and impact mission to connect investment and power collaborations within the Southeast Asia food ecosystem and supply chain to catalyze profitable innovation, expand sustainability and environmental awareness, and bring greater impact on food and nutrition security as well as for youth empowerment and community development focusing on women and children. Melissa received the Distinguished Australian Alumni Award in December 2019. She holds an MBA from the University of Sunshine Coast, Australia, and is a strong and passionate advocate of workplace gender equality, women empowerment, and women’s inclusion agenda.

As the CEO of Singapore Productivity Centre (SGPC), Michael leads a team of consultants and professionals to enable enterprises to be future ready through capabilities development, digital transformation, and new markets creation. Prior to joining SGPC, Michael was in SPRING Singapore, heading the team in policy formulation and development of the food industry. He also headed the Business Leadership and International Partnership Office for Asia Pacific. Previously, he co-founded i2u Pte Ltd, Alstra Pacific Pte Ltd amongst others and held multiple senior positions in various organizations in the ICT industry where he manages a range of business ventures across the region that honed his business acumen and developed a deep understanding and passion on growing enterprises.

Preston WONG is the CEO & Cofounder of treatsure, Singapore's leading app company offering surplus and sustainable food from hotels and grocers, and sustainability experiences. A graduate of NUS Law Faculty and Business School, and a current Masters in Environmental Management candidate, Preston also serves as an adjunct faculty for Sustainability Law at SMU's Yong Pung How School of Law and Yale-NUS College.. Preston has been featured in various media and conferences for his sustainability perspectives, and is a 2022 recipient of the NEA EcoFriend Awards for his contributions to the sustainability field. (2) Credentials ● CEO & Cofounder, treatsure ● Adjunct Faculty, Sustainability Law, Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University ● Lecturer, Sustainability Law and Policy, Yale-NUS College ● Master of Science for Environmental Management candidate, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore ● Graduate Law Programme, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore ● Bachelor of Business Administration (Accountancy), NUS Business School, National University of Singapore

In 2012, Peggy Chan opened Grassroots Pantry (GP) in Hong Kong with a mission to raise awareness of the inequities in our food system and to share knowledge on the benefits of whole food plant-based cuisine. In 2019, GP's first sustainability report was recognized by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ESCAP as a best practice case study on sustainable sourcing and responsible management. In 2020, Peggy developed Grassroots Initiatives Consultancy to assist foodservice professionals in their transition towards best practices that meet both human and planetary health goals. Over the years Peggy has emerged as one of the region’s most authoritative voices on organic sourcing and systems thinking design. A thought leader and a natural do-er, Peggy works diligently with multiple global ngo networks and organizations to help shape future food policies designed to address human, social and ecological needs. Peggy is a two time Tedx speaker, an alumni of Global Shapers Hong Kong, World Economic Forum and a HK Environmental Excellence Awardee in the service sector. Peggy also completed a short-course via Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership on Business and Climate Change: Towards Net Zero Emissions

Mr Richard Khaw is a Deputy Director with the School of Applied Science in Nanyang Polytechnic and the Cluster Lead for NY360 initiative in Food Cluster: From Farm to Fork. He is one of the Board Directors for the International Union of Food Science & Technology (IUFoST) and the president of the Singapore Institute of Food Science and Technology (SIFST) since 2017. Richard is also a member and past president of the Federation of Institutes of Food Science & Technology in ASEAN (FIFSTA) as well as a member of the Award and Competition Committee of IUFoST. At national level, Richard is a member of the National Codex Committee for Food Safety and the Co-Chair of the Food Safety Technical Committee under the Food Standard Committee of Standard Development Organisation. He is also a member of the Chemical & Biological Testing Technical Committee and the Proficiency Testing Technical Committee for ISO17025 under the Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC). In addition, Richard is the lead assessor and technical assessor for ISO17025 accreditation for SAC since 2009. Richard received his master’s degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of New South Wales specializing in Food Safety and his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the National University of Singapore.

Satu Kalliokulju heads Asia foresight at Business Finland Strategy Unit She has over 20 years of experience in strategy, business foresight and market shaping for multiple technology and consumer businesses. Satu has lived in UK, China and currently in Japan.

Savan Wijewardene manages sourcing and supply chain at Jungle Kitchen by identifying small scale producers growing exceptional produce and working with them to source high quality ingredients. As Jungle Kitchen works with ingredients that aren't typically grown on a large commercial - Moringa, Kohila, Ambarella - and so sourcing and selecting produce is crucial. A journalist and researcher by training, Savan maintains a wide network of both farmers and agri-forestry professionals He is currently working on Jungle Kitchen's micro credit scheme which allows us to extend financing and training to farmers who produce excellent sustainable produce.

Yiren is part of a family office that invests in multiple asset classes and leads Genedant, a venture capital firm based in Singapore. Genedant invests in emerging science and technology ventures that challenge conventional thinking and takes long-term bets and risks on ideas even when they are at an early stage. Genedant looks to build up a portfolio of synthetic biology and advanced technology companies across industry sectors, including agrifood tech. Prior to Genedant, Yiren held several strategic planning roles within A*STAR and was part of the policymaking group responsible for the $25B research and innovation programme in Singapore.

Mr Yip is the Field Application Manager specializing in applied markets clinical research and small molecules application at SCIEX (Singapore and Southeast Asia). He has a rich experience in the Mass Spectrometry and is still actively involved in new method developments, consultation services and collaboration with customers in applied markets especially Food Safety and Environmental Application. He is routinely involved in training and developing MS technologies in regulated laboratories. Prior to SCIEX, Mr Yip has worked in Shimadzu and Waters as application chemist with a total of 20 years of experience in the analytical field. Academically, Mr Yip holds a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Chemistry and Master of Science in Chemistry majoring in Analytical Chemistry from National University of Singapore. He has also made some publication to international journal papers and SCIEX’s technotes.