Bring it On
We shine the spotlight on Singapore’s young visionaries
T wo years ago, singapore marked its Golden Jubilee with SG50, a year-long exercise in looking back at our history. Two years later, we are closing in on National Day after an extraordinarily tumultuous period of public debate about 38 Oxley Road. The present seems murky, but that doesn’t mean the future cannot be bright. This month, we unveil our 2017 cohort of Generation T disrupters, and selected five of them to spotlight in our cover story. These five bright sparks work in very different fields, but what they all share is an inspiring vision of a future where Singapore drives innovation that can change the world. If their ambitions bear fruit, we can all look forward to a world that is more connected, more socially aware and more humane. Cybersecurity expert Benjamin Mah, who is on the cover this month, is learning from one of the world’s most exciting e-commerce players and working on plugging Singapore into the growing mobile payment network. Eldercare entrepreneur Gillian Tee is staring down the traditional fears of ageing in her quest to help senior citizens feel in control. Architect Tan Szue Hann wants to build a greener Garden City, data analytics guru Daryl Neo wants to increase corporate transparency to boost cross-border trade, and Jigger & Pony’s Gan Guoyi wants to transform the hospitality scene by giving her staff a stronger sense of ownership. The passion they feel for their work is striking and very impressive. As we gear up for Singapore’s 52nd National Day this month, here’s hoping their talent, imagination and dedication will inspire you as well. We shot this month’s cover in tandem with the photo shoots for close to 40 of the 2017 Generation T listers, and with a steady stream of these young guns arriving at the studio over several days, these shoots were also a great chance for them to catch up with old friends and make new connections. We enjoyed seeing their camaraderie, and can’t wait to see how their bright ideas will light up our little red dot.