Seminar Speakers

Ang Khim Wee

Business Development Lead Business Development Lead - Lim Kee Food Manufacturing

Khim Wee currently heads the Business Development Team at Lim Kee Food Manufacturing (Lim Kee), a Singapore-based food manufacturer specialising in ready-to-eat steamed buns. At Lim Kee, he designs and implements new innovation initiatives. Over the years, several key implementations took place, including re-designing of workflow and customer-experience, new product and process developments, digitalisation and data-analytics, and more recently, internationalisation.

Chong Nyet Chin

Director (Food Safety & Quality) - NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd

Ms Chong has over 20 years’ experience in the areas of quality assurance and food safety, well-versed in organic standards, total quality and food safety management systems. As a technical professional, she currently serves as the Chair of the Technical Committee on Food Processing, Distribution & Services under the Singapore Standards Council’s Food Standards Committee. She has collaborated with government agencies such as the Singapore Food Agency and Enterprise Singapore on organic certification, cold chain management, FMCG standards, and food safety regulations. 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. 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.

Christycia Goh

Project Manager of Ishikawa Division - JETRO Singapore

Daryl Chung

Deputy Manager - Asian Culinary Institute

Daryl Chung is the Business Development Lead at ACI, bringing a wealth of experience in training, adult education, and the hospitality industry.

Diana Beetsma

Head, Governance and Standards | Halal Development - Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS)

Diana Beetsma, Head of Governance and Standards in Halal Development at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), ensures the quality and integrity of Halal certification in Singapore through enhanced frameworks and digital solutions. Combining her expertise in assurance and governance as a Chartered Accountant (CA) and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), she strengthens trust in Halal certification through robust systems and controls. Among ongoing developments, the Halal Competency Framework and risk-based approaches reinforce industry standards while building bridges between businesses and communities in Singapore.

Eunice H. Pang

Ph.D, Deputy Director, Policy and Strategy Development - Health Promotion Board

She leads the Policy and Strategy Development team in HPB. Her expertise includes upstream supply chain strategies tackling nutrition-related issues at the population level. She is a pioneer in helping to grow the Healthier Choice and has a wealth of experience working with industry colleagues on R&D solutions. Prior to joining HPB, Eunice was a Post-Doctoral Associate at the Human Nutrition Research centre on Aging-USDA in Boston, MA.

Fazal Bahardeen

CEO - CrescentRating & HalalTrip

Passionate about revolutionising the travel industry for Muslim travellers, Fazal Bahardeen is an entrepreneur and the driving force behind CrescentRating and HalalTrip. With over three decades of experience in both corporate and entrepreneurial sectors, he is dedicated to creating solutions that cater to the unique needs of Muslim travellers. In 2008, Fazal founded CrescentRating in Singapore to address Muslim travellers' challenges. Over 16 years, CrescentRating has become the world's leading Halal travel authority, serving key markets across the Middle East, South Asia, Western Europe, North America, and Asia. Its rating system is the globally recognised standard for Halal/Muslim-friendly travel services, providing various services, including insights, research, consultancy, and destination marketing. The partnership with Mastercard led to the development of the groundbreaking Global Muslim Travel Index. Fazal's career began in the telecom industry, where he held senior positions in Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore. His entrepreneurial venture into Halal travel began in 2008 with CrescentRating and the HalalTrip platform, which was launched in 2014. Under his leadership, CrescentRating has grown into a trusted name, offering research, consultancy, training, and rating services. HalalTrip has become a trusted advisor for Muslim travellers worldwide. Fazal's work with CrescentRating has significantly impacted the travel industry, providing valuable insights through the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) and hosting the Halal In Travel Global Summit and Awards. These initiatives have established CrescentRating as a leader in the Halal tourism industry, driving innovation and positive change. Widely quoted in the media and a keynote speaker at major industry conferences, Fazal's insights have influenced the development of the Halal travel sector. He was listed in Singapore's Straits Times "Life Power List 2016" among the top 20 individuals and the "Top 50 Leaders of the Islamic Economy" by Islamica 500. Outside his professional endeavours, Fazal advocates continuous learning. He has completed programmes at Stanford University, the National University of Singapore, and other prestigious institutions. He holds an International Master's in Management, a Master's Degree in Computer Applications, and a Bachelor's in Telecommunications. Additionally, he has a Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance. Fazal enjoys travelling and exploring new cultures, which fuels his passion for enhancing others' travel experiences. His journey and experiences as a frequent traveller underpin his professional mission, making his work personal and impactful.

Gan Heng Hui

Founder - Kairos Integrated Food Solutions Pte Ltd

Dr. Gan Heng Hui is a distinguished independent consultant specialising in integrated food solutions, with a strong focus on food safety management in processing and handling of ready-to-eat, cook-chill and quick-frozen foods. As Co-Chair of the Food Products in the Standard Development Organisation (Singapore Food Standard Committee), she leverages her extensive knowledge to enhance food safety standards for the food industry. Dr. Gan adeptly translates advanced food science into practical safety practices, with much emphasis in regulatory compliance, food safety and quality management, food security, and sustainability. Her applied expertise is evident in her development of a mandatory training course on "To Perform Food Cargo Inspection" and training materials for “Good Manufacturing practices (GMP) and Good Handling practices (GHP)” for the SEAFDEC Marine Fisheries Research Department (MFRD). With prior experience managing Regional Supply Quality for YUM! Restaurants International, she honed her skills in second-party supply quality audits and Quality Assurance training. Dr. Gan holds certifications in HACCP, Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS), and ISO 17025 laboratory Management Internal Auditor, alongside a series of prestigious qualifications, including BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, CQI and IRCA Certified ISO 22000:2018 Lead Auditor and FSSC 22000 v6 Food Safety Management Systems Internal Auditor. Additionally, she is a Registered Management Consultant and an approved trainer for Singapore’s Food Safety Course Level 4.

Harini Mohanram

Senior Lecturer - Nanyang Polytechnic

Dr Harini is a protein structural biologist by training and skilled in utilising analytical chemistry tools such as LCMS, GCMS to identify key ingredients for media development in cultivated meat.

Ho Wee Fun

Head (Health, Safety & Environment) - FairPrice Group - Food Services

Mr Ho Wee Fun holds a MSc in Food Safety & Human Nutrition, a Specialist Diploma in Microbiology and a BSc in Management (with 2nd Class Upper Honours). He has over 17 years’ experience in the areas of quality assurance and food safety, well-versed in GMP, ISO 9001, HACCP and ISO 22000. He is a certified Lead Auditor for both FSSC 22000 Food Safety & ISO 9001 Quality Management and an Internal Auditor for BRC Global Standard for Food Safety. In his current position as the head of food safety for FPG’s Food Services, Wee Fun provides strategic and technical directions to the orgainziation’s food safety, regulatory affairs, nutrition, and workplace safety activities. He works closely with internal stakeholders as well as various government agencies such as SFA and NEA on regulatory compliance and establishing best practices. Previously, Wee Fun was with FairPrice’s Food Safety & Quality (FSQ) department which also involved food safety matters ranging from packaged food, fresh produce, non-food, warehousing to branch assurance. Due to his keen interest in management systems and passionate belief that a strong foundation in system will build a strong brand, Wee Fun has led FairPrice to be the first retail supermarket in Sinagpore to attain ISO 22000 certification. For that, he was recognised by the Singapore Retailers Association with a Manager of the Year award. In addition, he was presented with a “Leader with a Heart” award by FairPrice, for exemplary leaders who walk-the-talk.

Ir. Muslich, M.Si.

Halal Partnership and Audit Services Director - LPPOM MUI

Obtained Bachelor (S1), Postgraduate (S2), and Doctoral (S3) degrees at IPB University. He was Head of LPPOM MUI Halal Assurance System (2010 – 2015), Head of QA and LPPOM MUI Standard (2015 – 2019), LPPOM MUI Senior Advisor (2020), Team Leader development of MUI halal certification requirements HAS 23 000 (2010 – 2011); He was appointed as Director of Halal Cooperation and Audit Services of LPPOM MUI in 2020 until now.

Kalpana Bhaskaran

Deputy Director, Industry Partnerships, School of Applied Science - Temasek Polytechnic

Dr Kalpana has over two decades of expertise in food and nutrition, she founded Singapore’s first accredited Glycemic Index Research Unit and has led multiple nutrition intervention and efficacy trials. As the cluster co-chair for the Nutrition and Health-Tech cluster, she drives applied research at the institution level that bridges academic excellence with industry needs. Recognised as an expert advisor to the Ministry of Health, Singapore, Dr Kalpana has played a pivotal role in key initiatives, including sugar and sodium reduction and the Nutri-Grade label for sugar-sweetened beverages. Dr Kalpana’s leadership extends across multiple organisations. She is the President of the Singapore Nutrition & Dietetics Association and Advisor for Diabetes Singapore. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Association for Patient Organisations Singapore (APOS) and is a key member of the Agency of Care Effectiveness (ACE) consumer panel, offering strategic advice on patient-centred health policies. She is the academic board member, Society for Behavioural Health, Singapore. Her influence extends globally as an exco member of the Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies (FANS). Her significant contributions have earned accolades, including the National Day commendation award for her work in diabetes education.

Lianey Yeap

Vice President, Quality Assurance - SATS Catering Ltd

Lianey is an esteemed food safety and quality assurance expert with over 30 years of experience in the food industry, including 25 years leading the Quality Assurance Department at SATS Singapore and SATS overseas subsidiaries. She is a certified Internal Auditor for FSSC 22000 and ISO 22000, with deep expertise in GMP, HACCP, FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, BRCGS, MSC CoC, and ASC CoC certifications. As a strategic leader, she has played a pivotal role in shaping food safety policies, regulatory compliance, and risk management, consistently providing technical direction to elevate industry standards. A distinguished figure in the field, Lianey serves on numerous national and international committees, including Singapore Food Standards Committee, the ISO 22000 Technical Committee and Working Group, and IFSA’s World Food Safety Guidelines for Airline Catering. She co-chairs the Technical Committee for Food Safety and has significantly contributed to Singapore Standard Code of practice such as S630 and SS635. A recipient of the 2017 Spring Singapore Merit Award, Lianey remains dedicated to advancing food safety excellence through collaborative industry partnerships, innovative process improvements, and continuous professional development.

Liza Tan

Regulatory Affairs Lead, Asia - Glanbia Performance Nutrition

Liza is a dedicated regulatory affairs professional with 14 years of experience in the food sector. As an expert in navigating regulatory frameworks for flavours, food additives, functional ingredients, and emerging food labelling policies, she has established herself as a trusted business partner within the APAC region. Throughout her career, Liza has gained diverse work experiences in the B2B flavours manufacturing environment, including involvement in plant certifications and R&D formulations. Additionally, she has served as an in-house sensory panellist and member of the food safety team, contributing to product development, quality assurance, and ensuring the highest food safety standards. Liza has actively engaged in advocacy and external engagement with regulators on emerging food policies through her role at Silesia Flavours, where she focused on Halal standards and flavours advocacy, as well as during her tenure in a trade association. Currently, she specialises in product compliance and label development at the food-health product interface of sports nutrition. In her current role at Glanbia Performance Nutrition, Liza leads the regulatory affairs function for health supplements and active lifestyle nutrition in SEA and North Asia. As the regional subject matter expert, she oversees emerging regulatory policies at the food and health products interface, ensuring compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and industry guidelines. Liza also develops and implements regulatory initiatives that support the business's strategic goals. Liza holds a Bachelor of Food Technology from Massey University.

Naomi Carissa Intaqta

International Halal Partnership - LPPOM MUI

Obtained Bachelor (S1) degrees at IPB University. She became a Halal Auditor of LPPOM MUI and Trainer for IHATEC (Indonesia Halal Training and Education centre). She was appointed as International Halal Partnership and writer of Jurnal Halal and IHATEC Publisher.

Nur Aini Hamid

Head, Stakeholder Engagement | Halal Development - Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS)

Nur Aini serves as the Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Halal Development at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), where she spearheads strategic initiatives in Halal public education and industry engagement. Drawing upon her extensive experience in Halal certification and regulatory frameworks, she plays a pivotal role in enhancing awareness and compliance amongst businesses and consumers alike. At MUIS, she leads HalalSG's public education programmes, cultivating meaningful collaborations between stakeholders to strengthen Singapore's robust Halal ecosystem.

Rachel Tan

Senior Strategist, Food & Drink - WGSN

Rachel’s understanding of the food and drink industry and keen insights into the Asian market inform her role at WGSN, where she delivers incisive research and data-led trend forecasts. With expertise in tracking regional trends and sensitivity to market and cultural nuances, she empowers clients with insight-driven solutions.

Reshma Merchant

Head and Senior Consultant, Division of Geriatric Medicine - National University Hospital, Singapore

A/Prof Merchant is the head of Division of Geriatric Medicine at National University Hospital. Her expertise in healthy aging has made her a significant figure in geriatrics both locally and globally. She is a member of the Ministry of Health Frailty Implementation Workgroup, WHO Global Network on Long-term Care and Clinical Consortium on Healthy Ageing. Throughout her career, she has received multiple clinical and teaching awards, including the Distinguished Senior Clinician award in 2024 and the NUHS-Mochtar Riady Pinnacle Master Clinician Award in 2022. Her research focuses on sarcopenia, falls prevention, frailty, and healthy aging. She is well published, PI for population health grants and is involved in numerous ongoing population-level healthy aging programs, such as the Health District @ Queenstown and the Movement for Health initiative. She serves in multiple editorial boards and co-author in multiple global consensus papers.

Richard Khaw

Chief Product & Technology Officer - Genesis Bioscientific Pte Ltd

Mr Richard Khaw is the Chief Product & Technology Officer in Genesis Bioscientific Pte Ltd, with over 20 years of expertise in food sector. Widely respected as a key opinion leader in food safety, he has established a strong reputation in Singapore, the Asia Pacific region, and internationally. With a proven track record of over 20 years, he has been a trusted trainer for government officials and food industry practitioners across ASEAN and the Asia Pacific region, fostering a culture of food safety excellence. His vast expertise and influential voice in the field of food safety make him an invaluable resource for organisations seeking guidance on ensuring the highest standards of food safety and quality.

Roger Chan

Senior Lecturer - Nanyang Polytechnic

Roger Chan possesses extensive knowledge of sustainable practices and has significant experience in developing educational programs focused on food waste reduction. His active engagement in promoting sustainability within the hospitality industry has been instrumental in raising awareness and implementing effective strategies to tackle food waste.

Sng Mui Tiang

Division Director - Setsco Services Pte Ltd

Ms Sng Mui Tiang joined Setsco Services Pte Ltd in September 2021. She is responsible for the development of new test capabilities and the management of the Biological & Chemical Technology Division. Her experience spans from analytical chemistry, sampling, environmental testing to programme management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Master in the Management of Technology from the National University of Singapore.

Sophia Wei

Assistant Director - Nanyang Polytechnic

Dr Sophia Wei brings over 13 years of expertise in leading AI initiatives for industries at Nanyang Polytechnic. She spearheads consultancy projects and develops AI & digital solutions to help SMEs maximise ROI while overcoming resource constraints. Her leadership also includes designing and implementing contextualised training programmes to upskill the workforce and orchestrate various resources to provide cost-effective solutions.

Stewart Tan

Senior Lecturer - Nanyang Polytechnic

Stewart Tan is a new product development specialist focusing on functional beverage development for various market sectors, such as silver age health, active consumers, and general health.

Tai Seng Yee

Executive Director - Zenxin Agri-Organic Food Pte Ltd

Mr Tai Seng Yee, Executive Director of Zenxin Agri-Organic Food Pte Ltd, developed a deep passion for sustainable agriculture, health food research, and innovative sales channel management. Over the past 17 years, he has led the company’s growth, expanding into three associate companies across Singapore, Malaysia, and China, establishing Zenxin as the largest organic food producer and retailer in Southeast Asia. Beyond business leadership, Mr Tai actively contributes to standards development in Singapore and Malaysia. He is a member of Singapore’s Technical Committee on Food Processing, Distribution, and Services, as well as Malaysia’s Organic Standards drafting Group under SIRM. Additionally, he spearheads research into new organic products, including functional foods and supplements, to meet evolving consumer needs.

Takuya Kitada

Director of Ishikawa Division - JETRO Singapore

Yiru Shen

Founder - Gentle Foods, Gentle Group

Shen Yiru is the founder of GentleFoods, a leading therapeutic food brand under The Gentle Group in Singapore.,With a strong background in the food and nutrition sector, Shen Yiru aimed to address the dietary challenges faced by individuals with dysphagia. Her passion in creating nutritious and palatable food options for those with swallowing difficulties has driven the growth and success of GentleFoods in providing essential therapeutic food solutions in Singapore.

Aidan Chan

Head of Asia Pacific - .bungkus

Aidan Chan is the Head of Asia Pacific for .bungkus, a sustainable fashion brand that transforms single-use plastic waste into high-quality fashion accessories. With a design philosophy rooted in sustainability, .bungkus combines artistic craftsmanship and material innovation to reshape the perception of waste, contributing to a circular economy. Aidan leverages his extensive background in venture capital, growth and business development to scale .bungkus’ mission of turning discarded plastics into fashion-forward pieces that blend artistry with function. Aidan’s passion lies in overcoming challenges in scaling sustainable ventures, balancing innovation, profitability, and environmental impact.

Andy Tan

Principal Scientist and Group Leader - Bioprocessing Technology Institute, A*STAR

Adjunct A/Prof Andy Tan directs the Centre of Innovation for Sustainable Banking and Production of Cultivated Meats (CRISP Meats) funded by a Singapore Food Story (SFS) Future Foods grant involving a multidisciplinary team of investigators to develop innovative technologies that enable manufacturing of cultivated meat (CM). He also leads a SFS grant project to identify compounds of toxicological concern that accumulate in spent media and animal cells to inform safety assessment of CM. Andy concurrently leads the Immune Cell Manufacturing group at BTI to develop processes supporting clinical manufacturing of allogeneic immune cells for cancer therapy.

Bi Xuezhi

Senior Principal Scientist/Group Leader (Protein analytics) - Bioprocessing Technology Institute, A*STAR

A/Prof Bi was trained as biologist, has more than 30 years of research experience on proteins and proteomics with samples ranging from crop plants, fungus, virus, microbials, mammalian cells and human cancer tissue and cell lines to various biotherapeutics modalities. He joined A*STAR since 2009; he is leading the protein analytics group at the Bioprocessing Technology Institute, focusing on LC-MS-based biotherapeutics product quality attributes characterisation, manufacturing process analytical technologies, alternative proteins ingredients profiling, and production process characterisation. He has been an adjunct associate professor at Duke-NUS medical school since 2019 and Singapore Institute of Technology since 2023.

Calisa Lim

Senior Project Manager - APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture

Calisa Lim is the Senior Project Manager at the APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture. Her area of focus are monitoring and managing of regional regulations and policies, alongside key trends that could impact the industry across Asia. Through relationship building between key stakeholders and the development of science-based reports, advocacy tools and communication materials, she aims to enhance the industry's role as a trusted partner in the development of robust regulatory frameworks and standards to advance the cellular agriculture space. Calisa manages the APAC Regulatory Coordination Forum and the APAC-SCA (Student Chapter) programmes. She holds a BSocSci in Sociology from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Caroline Struye

Singapore Country Director - Muuse

Caroline is a passionate and dynamic sustainability advocate with extensive international experience. Holding an International Business degree and Masters in Sustainability, she began her career at aerospace giant Airbus, where she held a variety of central roles including Water & Waste Sustainability management while also being a Board Member of the Airbus Foundation. Strong of her expertise in project management and operational excellence, she drives and implements sustainable practices wherever she goes. After 14 years in a corporate environment in France, Spain and Germany, Caroline has recently made the bold move to switch her career and join Muuse as Singapore Country Director. Caroline will share with you her insights on transitioning to a circular economy, inspiring others to embrace sustainable solutions for a brighter future.

Cecilia Hough

Impact Management Lead - B Lab Singapore

Cecilia has a diverse professional background spanning the education, social services, and hospitality sectors. Within her current capacity in Impact Management at B Lab Singapore, she guides companies across various industries to articulate their impact, leveraging B Lab’s B Impact Assessment tool. Cecilia regularly leads educational workshops on impact management. Before assuming her role at B Lab Singapore, Cecilia served as the operations manager at MINDS Bakers, a social enterprise operating under the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore. She was instrumental in exposing her team to digital platforms to enhance the learning experience. She is deeply committed to fostering the ethos of responsible business practices, advocating for environmental stewardship, inclusivity, and social justice.

Craig Houliston

Regional Executive Director of Consulting and Insights - NielsenIQ

Craig Houliston is a Regional Executive Director at NielsenIQ, who leads Asia Pacific Above Market Consulting and Insights. Craig has been at NielsenIQ for 17 years and has worked in the UK, China and Singapore. Craig drives regional thought leadership and bringing breakthrough consumer and retail insights to the industry. In 2024, he has presented at events such as The Asia Growth Forum, IMA Asia Management Forum, Food & Grocery Australia, Food & Grocery New Zealand and had interviews with The Straits Times, CNA and Money FM. Furthermore, he has a passion for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and is a Fellow of the National Volunteering and Philanthropy Centre’s Company of Good Fellowship. In 2024 he led NielsenIQ to be awarded NVPC’s highest accolade, the Champion of Good recognition. Craig has a Management degree from Aston University and, in 2022, completed the Oxford University Artificial Intelligence programme.

David Chen

CEO - AgriG8

David, CEO of AgriG8, applies his 18-year rice industry background to promote sustainable agriculture with focus on rice. He concentrates on bridging the capital gap for Southeast Asian smallholders through Agri-Fintech. He co-authored the "Financing the Transition to Sustainable Agriculture" whitepaper and contributed to the ASEAN Carbon Neutrality Guidelines in Agriculture, aiming to foster a more sustainable food system. In addition to his professional dedication, David is a father of two and the President of the Singapore Fencing Federation.

Elaine Lee

Innovation Scientist - Nourish Ventures

Elaine is an Innovation Scientist at Nourish Ventures, based in Singapore. With a strong background in food science and manufacturing, she leads technical due diligence efforts in the Asia-Pacific region, leveraging her expertise to assess and validate emerging food technologies. Nourish Ventures serves as the corporate venture capital (CVC) arm of Griffith Foods, a global product development company specialising in food ingredients and solutions, headquartered in the U.S. Aligned with Griffith Foods' global strategy, Nourish Ventures invests in and partners with innovative start-up companies that are shaping a healthy and sustainable food system. We are committed to forming partnerships with entrepreneurs who share our aspiration to blend care and creativity while nourishing the world.

Elyssa Ludher

Visiting Fellow - Institute for Southeast Asian Studies

Ms Elyssa Ludher is a food security expert and urban planner. She is currently a Visiting Fellow at ISEAS- Yusof Ishak Institute and concurrently an advisor at MORROW Intelligence, a data-driven, foresights urban solutions company. Ms Ludher has contributed to food policy research at the World Bank, Centre for Liveable Cities Singapore, and the Singapore Food Agency. Ms Ludher’s publications have included “Rice Production and Food Security in SEA under Threat from El Niño”, “RICH Food Smart City”, “Food and the City: Overcoming Challenges for Food Security”, and “Preparing for a Climate Resilient Singapore”. She has a double Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning and Bioresource Engineering.

Islah Ishak

Deupty Director - Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

Islah is the Deputy Director of Market Transformation division for Singapore & Malaysia at Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil or RSPO- is a non-profit international organisation with more than 6,000 voluntary members representing every link in the supply chain: oil palm producers to consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation non-governmental organisations, environments and social NGOs united to sustainably transform the palm oil industry for the benefit of the environment, wildlife, and communities. Islah was previously with the State Government of Victoria Australia as Biotech Director and with Malaysian Biotech Corporation as Commodity & Agriculture VP.

James Yin

CEO & Co-Founder - V-plus Agritech

“From Green Uniform to Green Economy” James Yin is a seasoned leader and strategist with over 2 decades in the military, where he tackled complex challenges and led high-performing teams in various crises, disasters, and conflicts. With a passion for sustainability, he pivoted from protecting his country, to protecting our planet. At V-Plus Agritech, a circular agriculture company that aims to reduce food waste, carbon emissions, and water consumption, James is on a mission to drive climate action and create environmental and social impact. James is a qualified sustainability professional. He is also Affiliate Faculty of SMU where he teaches sustainability, a Fellow at LKYSPP, and is an SID-Accredited Board Director.

Jeremy Goh

Founder - WorldFarmX, World Food Chain, and MetaFarms

A serial entrepreneur in the tech and fundraising space, Jeremy has been involved in incubated start-ups, directly managing equity fundraising projects and companies. Jeremy was inducted into the Blockchain Council of The Philippines and is assisting the Philippines in developing and funding 60 hectares of the CIAC National Food Terminal in Clark Airport Terminal. Previously, Jeremy served as a Senior Vice President with BreadTalk Group from 2005 to 2007, where he was involved in group concept development and investments, such as St James Power Station, Pacific Star Ventures Wisma Atria, and Japanese Food Concepts in Taiwan.

Jonathan Teo

Associate - Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow

Jonathan Teo is an Associate in the Intellectual Property and Technology (IPTech) practice Group at Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow. Jonathan represents local and international clients in contentious and non-contentious intellectual property and technology matters. He advises clients on IP protection and brand management; disputes; civil and criminal IP enforcement; cybersecurity and data privacy; and the commercialisation of intellectual property and technology through licensing, mergers & acquisitions, franchising, etc. He also advises on a broad range of regulatory issues relating to the F&B and consumer goods & retail industries, including on market entry; regulatory and licensing requirements; labelling; and advertising.

Kelvin Ng

Managing Partner - Green Bridge Partners Singapore

Kelvin has over 25 year’s experience working in multinational blue-chip companies. He has experience in key strategic management positions and has held various senior management roles in Yum! Brands, Green Monday, SATS, DHL Logistics and HP. He is currently the Managing Partner at Green Bridge Partners and serves as the Strategic Venture Partner at Optimal Investments. He is also the innovation and commercialisation lead at Agrifood Futures, an Ag-Tech accelerator. He also serves on the Asia Board of the non-profit MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) and is the Senior Advisor to Focus Insight. Kelvin is an F&B expert and adviser to several companies based locally and internationally. He also coaches and mentors startups in the Asia Pacific Region.

Luke Tay

Founder - Cornucopia FutureScapes

Luke leads a Singapore-based, globally oriented foresight and strategy practice advancing future-readiness, sustainability, and innovation across the public, private, and people domains in food and urban systems. He is an acknowledged thought leader on emerging opportunities in food systems transformation, on corporate and national success strategies amid the “polycrisis”, and on leading with foresight. Luke has authored book chapters on the future of Asian food security and on global water futures; developed scenarios on geopolitics, carbon markets, and sustainable development; and advised on strategies for food system transformation and startup and corporate innovation. Luke is a board member of the Association of Professional Futurists, and also a member of the World Futures Studies Federation, the Smart Cities Network, and the Economic Development Board Society.

Matthew Tan

CEO Asia - Assentoft Aqua

Prof Matthew Tan is an Aquaculture veteran with more than 20 years’ experience in the Aquaculture Industry. He is currently Singapore Representative (Private Sector) to APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security and is also the current APEC Chair for Sustainable Development in Agricultural and Fishery sectors (PPFS) where he co-ordinates discussions between senior officials, APEC governments and the private sector on the use of technology and combined resources. In tandem with his current APEC appointment, he is also serving as the CEO, Asia of Assentoft Aqua Asia Pte Ltd - one of the world's leading Aquaculture Engineering companies. Prior to his current corporate appointment, Prof Tan was previously the Group Chief Technology Officer of Oceanus Group Ltd – One of the world’s largest land-based aquaculture companies listed on the main board of SGX.

Nandini Prabhakar

Head of Operations, Singapore - Meatable

Nandini Prabhakar is an accomplished scientific leader with vast experience of over 15 years spanning academia and industry. A Nutritional biochemist/ Immunologist by training, she has a strong track record of leading teams in upstream bioprocessing technology and driving molecules from discovery to clinical phase in traditional biologics specifically in viral vaccines. Specific to cultivated meat, she has the distinction of a few “firsts” As Scientific Head, she headed the manufacture of the world’s first cultivated meat product in a Singapore based CDMO for commercial launch during the challenging pandemic period. She oversaw design and construction of the first, commercial cultivated meat manufacturing facility. Subsequently, she was the first R and D leader at ThermoFisher to secure an internal funding for Cultivated meat media development. In this capacity, she also led a Bioproduction services team as subject matter expert to lead innovation and increase profit ability through external service projects. In her current role as Head of Operations, Singapore, she implements operational strategies and scaleup operations at Meatable’s local manufacturing partner. Drawing upon her skills in people management, risk management, process optimisation and negotiations, she has implemented strategies that have resulted in successful scale up production of Meatable’s product in a few short months. She continues striving to implement cost reduction strategies through close collaboration with technical teams based at Meatable’s headquarters. Currently, she is leading Meatable’s regulatory efforts for approval of their product in Singapore as well as in outreach programmes across the region.

Neha Poddar

Partner - Good Startup

Neha is a Partner at Good Startup where she heads investments and is responsible for deal origination, investment analysis and portfolio management. She works closely with Good Startup’s portfolio companies to help them in their mission of furthering the alternative protein industry. She has 15+ years of experience in financial markets spanning private equity, fixed income, credit, and public equities. Previously, she was a director of investments at JI Capital Partners, and before that an equity derivatives trader at Bank of America Merrill Lynch covering Southeast Asia and India. Neha holds an MBA (High Honours) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering from IIT Bombay. Neha is a recipient of the prestigious Siebel Scholarship.

Ng Shengyong

Co-Founder & CTO - ANTS Innovate Pte Ltd

Shengyong is an MIT-trained tissue engineer who leads efforts to translate Ants Innovate’s intellectual properties and technologies into innovative products that will accelerate the nascent hybrid meat transition. Ants Innovate is a deep-tech spinoff from A*STAR that envisions a world where authentic and affordable meat cut alternatives help to address the increasing global demand for meat in a more sustainable and ethical manner. We provide specialty ingredients which are designed for affordable hybrid and blended meat cuts that recreate the complete meat-eating experience for the mass market.

Paul Teng

Food Security Adviser, Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies - NTU

Professor Teng is internationally recognised for his expertise in Food Security, AgTech, Biotechnology applications in agriculture, Digitalisation in agrifood systems and Smart/Precision farming. He has done project work in over 40 countries and has published over fifteen books and over two hundred technical papers. Prof Teng is also Visiting Senior Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS – Yusof Ishak), and Senior Fellow at the Southeast Asian Regional centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Additionally he advises several agtech startups (Tropic BioSciences UK, AgriG8 Singapore, Rize, Singapore) and venture funds (Wavemaker Impact and Milltrust International), and is a Director in Terrasys Innovation Ventures and Chair of Asia Biobusiness Pte. Ltd. Singapore. Paul previously held leadership positions in the Worldfish Centre (Deputy Director-General), the International Rice Research Institute (programme Leader), Monsanto Company (Asia-Pac VP), The National Institute of Education Singapore and U.S. universities (Minnesota, Hawaii).

Peter Yu

Program Director - APAC-SCA

Peter Yu is the programme Director at the APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture – an association and coalition cultivated meat and seafood companies across the APAC region. Through the society, Peter works as a drive-force to both promote the industry as well as to encourage the establishment efficient and transparent regulations and policies. Peter is actively engaging towards creating a coordinated cultivated food industry, and have experience in driving various of industry-moving projects across the globe. Peter holds triple masters’ degrees in Business Administration, Laws, and Bioengineering.

Raymond Tham

Founder - Mycrocell

Raymond Tham is founder of Mycrocell, a Singapore company specialising in functional materials from mushroom mycelium biomass fermentation. He has 20 years of experience in cellular R&D at Flinders University, Australia, and in his previous business in China with 20 tonnes GMP plant cell culture for skincare and nutraceutical products. Raymond is actively involved in Standards Singapore as co-convenor, Novel Foods Manufacturing Working Group; member of ISO/TC34/WG30 "Tissue cultured and cellular food technology products“; and is the ISO Joint Cooperation Representative between ISO/TC34 WG29 “Vegetable and algae proteins used for food products” and WG26 "Plant-based foods“.

Sumi Dhanarajan

Managing Director, Southeast Asia - Forum for the Future

Sumi DHANARAJAN is the Managing Director (Southeast Asia) at Forum for the Future, an international non-profit organisation with a mission to accelerate the shift towards a just and regenerative future. Sumi leads Forum's work in Southeast Asia towards enabling deep, transformative transitions across energy, food and market systems. Their current programmes in the region include Responsible Energy Initiative Philippines, Shaping the Future of Responsible Recruitment in Malaysia, and Enabling Systemic Circularity in Fashion.

Sunand Razu

Venture Capitalist and Chief Commercial Officer - GrubFeeds

Sunand has 15 years of experience in investment management, corporate development and startup-management across APAC. He is the Co-Founding Partner of EcoImpact Capital and the EcoImpact Food Security Fund, and an investor in multi-family offices in Australia and Singapore, focusing on property, cleantech and turnaround opportunities. A passionate tech entrepreneur, he has launched businesses in Finance, logistics and consumer tech, notably Audasis featured at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Tan Yong Quan

Specialist Team Lead, National Centre for Food Science - Singapore Food Agency

Yong Quan is currently the Specialist Team Lead for the Bioengineering team at the National Centre for Food Science, SFA. His team conducts food safety tests and monitors genetically modified organisms in food. He works with companies to ensure that innovative food products, such as genetically modified foods, genome edited foods, and novel foods, are introduced to the market in a safe and lawful manner. Yong Quan graduated with a PhD in Biochemistry from the National University of Singapore.

Tim Hill

Key Accounts Director, Southeast Asia - GlobalData PLC

In his work with GlobalData, Tim provides economic forecasts, consumer insights, brand share, channel assessments and business trends to F&B companies looking to expand in Asia. Tim has worked in media and research in Asia since 1992 with organisations such as the Economist Intelligence Unit, Ipsos Business Consulting and Eco-Business. Recent opinion pieces include “Losing taste for plant-based meats?”, “Will Gen Z disrupt the ASEAN corporate landscape?” “The market for plant-based milk in Asia”, “Covid 19, a chance for F&B to finally go green”, “The rise of food delivery in ASEAN” and “Winners and losers in post-pandemic Asia Pacific”. Tim’s work has been published in ASEAN Post, Channel News Asia, Eco-Business, QSR Media, The Business Times, The Economist and The Straits Times as well as other regional newspapers. He is a regular speaker and conference moderator for industry and client events. Tim has an MBA from Henley Business School in UK.

Weibiao Zhou

Head, Department of Food Science and Technology - National University of Singapore

Dr. Weibiao ZHOU is a chair professor and foundation Head of the Department of Food Science & Technology at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He is also Acting Director of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at NUS, as well as an elected Fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science (SNAS), International Academy of Food Science & Technology (IAFoST), Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology (AIFST), Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), UK, and Singapore Institute of Food Science & Technology (SIFST). Working as a food scientist for the past 33 years, Prof. Zhou has focused his research on food processing & engineering, functional food, and sustainable innovation.

Youwei Neo

Marketing Manager - Singrass

Youwei Neo is a passionate advocate for transforming indoor spaces into thriving ecosystems. As the Marketing Manager of Singrass, he seeks to build a brand that attracts collaborators who are looking for pioneering innovative solutions that marry stunning aesthetics for the indoor built up environment.

Zhang Hongzhou

S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies - Nanyang Technological University

Dr Zhang Hongzhou is an Assistant Professor and Deputy Coordinator of MSc (International Political Economy). His main research interests include regional and global resource conflicts and governance, the role of Big Tech in international politics, and the governance of emerging technologies such as AI and biotechnology. Beyond academia, he has contributed Op-Eds to several major newspapers and magazines across the Asia-Pacific. His insights are frequently featured in global media outlets such as The New York Times, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, Science, The Economist, National Geographic, WIRED, Reuters, Channel News Asia, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, CNBC, Forbes, People’s Daily, The Straits Times, and the South China Morning Post.