THE IMPACT LIST 2020
CAMBODIA
Suwanna Gauntlett Gauntlett, founder and CEO of the Wildlife Alliance, fights for the protection of the rainforest and wildlife.
Melita Hunter Hunter, co-founder of the Song Saa Foundation, protects the habitat and marine life of the Koh Rong Archipelago.
CHINA
Chang Sun Chang, founder of Black Soil Group, promotes a modern agriculture business with improved productivity by consolidating land and scaling up operations.
Charles Chen Yidan Chen, one of the co-founders of Tencent, whose Yidan Prize Foundation established the world’s largest education prize, provides educational innovators and pioneers with recognition and support.
Guo Jianmei Guo, a lawyer, author and human rights activist, provides thousands of disadvantaged women in China with free legal aid and counselling. She was also awarded the Right Livelihood Award in 2019 for her pioneering work on women’s rights.
Han Hong Han, a singer and founder of the Han Hong Love Charity Foundation, focuses on relief work across China. During the pandemic, the foundation launched a fundraising initiative to donate and distribute medical resources to workers fighting the coronavirus.
Hao Jingfang Hao, an award-winning science fiction writer and founder of the Tonxing Academy, aims to provide education to children in poverty.
Hu Shuli Hu, founder and publisher of Caixin Media Group and its
Caijing business magazine, upholds journalistic integrity by publishing groundbreaking reports on corporate fraud and government corruption, including illegal trading practices on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the extent of the Chinese government’s cover-up of the 2003 Sars epidemic.
Li Zhizhong Li, a science writer, uses the pen name Pineapple to create accessible materials that help demystify the topic of cancer. He is also co-founder of Curekids, a charity that provides parents with reliable information about children’s cancer treatment.
Jack Ma and Pony Ma Jack Ma, founder of the Alibaba Group, and Pony Ma, founder, chairman and CEO of Tencent, are central figures in the Paradise Foundation, a charity that focuses on the conservation of the natural environment.
May Mei Mei, founder of Goalblue, inspires long-lasting environmental change by promoting sustainable lifestyle practices.
Cao Peng Peng, a conductor who founded the Shanghai Angels Salon, provides free musical education to autistic children.
Qin Yuefei Qin, founder of Serve for China, alleviates poverty by sending top university graduates to work in remote villages, promoting development and social entrepreneurship.
Chung To To, a former investment banker and co-founder and chairman of the Chi Heng Foundation, supports the education and care of orphaned children whose parents have fallen victim to Aids.
Wang Canfa Wang, a professor who founded the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims, holds corporations accountable for environmental damage.
Wang Jiuliang Wang, director of Beijing Besieged by Waste (2011) and Plastic China (2016), documents unsustainable waste practices in China. His films prompted the Beijing municipal government to invest 10 billion yuan to regulate the waste disposal industry.
gave US$49 million to build new campuses for two high schools in their hometown of Shanwei.
Yao Li Yao, founder of BN Vocational School, the first private, tuition-free vocational secondary school in Beijing, provides education for impoverished youth and migrant children.
Yao Ming Yao, the basketball player and founder of the Yao Ming Foundation, provides educational opportunities to children in the United States and China.
Eric Yuan Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom, provides free videoconferencing tools to students from kindergarten through to 12th grade to continue their education while schools have been closed this year.
Zhong Nanshan Zhong, a pulmonologist who was one of the leading medical experts during the 2003 Sars outbreak, now leads China’s National Health Commission expert panel investigating Covid-19. He was also awarded the Medal of the Republic, China’s highest state honour, this year.
HONG KONG
David Begbie Begbie, founder of the Crossroads Foundation and director of Crossroads’ Global Village, provides humanitarian aid and relief to vulnerable individuals and families that are experiencing poverty.
Adrian Cheng Cheng, executive vice chairman and CEO of New World Development and founder of the K11 group of cultural-retail complexes, produces and donates hundreds of thousands of high-quality and affordable masks as part of his Covid-19 response. He is also spearheading the transformation of the State Theatre, a historic former cinema, into a cultural hub.
Christina Dean Dean, founder of Redress and The R Collective, aims to reduce waste in the fashion industry and creates sustainable clothes using luxury brands’ waste materials.
Alia Eyres Eyres, CEO of Mother’s Choice, provides support to teen mothers and young children without families.
Jill Robinson Robinson, founder and CEO of Animals Asia, fights the practice of bear bile farming and improves the welfare of animals throughout Asia.
Jessica Tam Tam, business development manager of Social Enterprise Business Centre, Hong Kong Council of Social Service, drives social change and advocates for social innovation through fundraising efforts.
John Wood Wood, founder of Room to Read, focuses on improving child literacy and gender equality in education.
Danny Yeung Yeung, co-founder and CEO of the genetic testing company Prenetics, distributes rapid
coronavirus testing kits that are critical to re-establish travel and live events.
David Yeung Yeung, a plant-based food pioneer who is founder of Green Monday Group, makes vegan and vegetarian food accessible to people around the world.
Ricky Yu Yu, founder of Hong Kong’s first social housing enterprise, Light Be, aims to solve the city’s housing problem by providing social housing projects.
INDIA
Aparna Hegde Hegde, a urogynecologist and founder and managing trustee of Armman, leverages technology to expand access to medical treatment for pregnant women, mothers and children.
Azim H Premji Premji, founder and chairman of Wipro and the Azim Premji Foundation, has donated US $7.6 billion to his education centered foundations.
Urvashi Sahni Sahni, a women’s rights activist and CEO and founder of Study Hall Educational Foundation, provides educational programmes to vulnerable groups like girls, disabled children and rural children.
Ratan Tata Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, alleviates poverty by providing grants to help vulnerable groups.
INDONESIA
Raffi Ahmad and Nagita Slavina Ahmad and Slavina, entertainers, raise funds to purchase medical equipment and supply daily-need packages to those who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus.
Veronica Colondam Colondam, founder and CEO of the Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa Foundation, improves the welfare of underprivileged youth through education and economic access.
Rili Djohani
Djohani, co-founder and executive director of Coral Triangle Centre, works closely with local communities and the government to provide protection to coral reef ecosystems by promoting sustainable practices.
Hendrika Mayora Victoria Kelan
Kelan, the first openly transgender public officer in Indonesia, fights for transgender rights by trying to enact more inclusive policies that will empower the community.
Nadiem Makarim Makarim, founder of digital payment platform Go-jek and Indonesia’s minister of education and culture, gave up his career in start-ups to dedicate himself to public service.
Butet Manurung Manurung, co-founder of Sokola Rimba, an alternative education system designed for indigenous people in Indonesia, teaches modern literacy skills to help them integrate smoothly into society without forgetting their roots.
Tommy Tjiptadjaja Tjiptadjaja, co-founder and CEO of Greenhope, a green technology company that produces biodegradable plastic, works with local and national governments to reduce plastic consumption.
Yenny Wahid
Wahid, director of The Wahid Institute, an Islamic research centre founded by her father, the late Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid, improves welfare for those in poverty and facilitates understanding between Muslims and other religious people.
Isabel and Melati Wijsen Isabel and Melati Wijsen, founders of Bye Bye Plastic Bags, lead the fight against plastic bag use in Indonesia. They successfully lobbied their local government in Bali to ban single-use plastics, and subsequently founded Youthtopia, a platform connecting young changemakers around the world.
Tomy Winata
Winata, founder of Artha Graha Peduli Foundation and Tambling Wildlife Nature Conservation, provides humanitarian aid to vulnerable groups in Indonesia and runs a rescue centre that aims to protect the endangered Sumatran tiger.
JAPAN
Shiori Ito
Ito, a journalist and filmmaker, won a landmark civil case accusing a prominent reporter, who had close ties to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, of rape, making her the face of the #Metoo movement in Japan.
Nanako Kudo
Kudo, executive director of the Social Impact Investment Foundation, supports sustainable development. She also convinced the Japanese government to build a department in the cabinet office to advocate for impact investing.
MALAYSIA
Syed Mokhtar Albukhary Syed Mokhtar, founder of the Albukhary Foundation, specialises in community development and heritage preservation. The foundation donated more than RM$15 million in medical equipment to parties fighting the coronavirus.
Nisha Ayub
Nisha, a transgender rights activist and co-founder of Seed Foundation and Justice for Sisters, works to repeal laws that discriminate against transgender people.
Syed Azmi
Syed Azmi, a children’s rights activist and co-founder of Puakpayong, provides a safe space for children, including troubled youths and unwed pregnant women.
Jeffrey Cheah
Cheah, founder and chairman of Sunway Group and founder of the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, awards scholarships to disadvantaged students. In response to the pandemic, Cheah also donated RM$34 million and provided free Covid-19 tests.
Munirah Hamid
Munirah, founder of Pertiwi Soup Kitchen, provides food aid to the homeless in Kuala Lumpur.
Lee Kim Yew
Lee, founder and chairman of Country Heights Holding, provides humanitarian aid through the Bantu-bantu Malaysia initiative to combat the pandemic.
Lee Swee Lin, Kim Lim, Suzanne Ling
Lee, Lim and Ling, founders of Pichaeats, help refugees become financially independent by training them to become chefs.
John-son Oei
Oei, founder and CEO of Epic Collective, promotes collaborative social impact initiatives. Its flagship, Epic Homes, aids Orang Asli families by helping them build homes and obtain highervalue jobs.
Samsul Said
Samsul, a photojournalist whose work highlights marginalised communities, raises awareness of prejudice and discrimination.
Francis Yeoh
Yeoh, executive chairman of YTL Group and YTL Foundation, champions the use of technology in education. This year the group launched Learn From Home to provide free online resources and mobile data to all students in government schools.
MYANMAR
Ko Swe Win
Swe Win, editor of Myanmar
Now, provides critical in-depth reporting on human rights and social justice issues.
NEPAL
Nirvana Chaudhary
Chaudhary, managing director of Chaudary Group and the Chaudhary Foundation, strengthens communities and improves livelihoods. The organisation focuses on education, economic empowerment and healthcare.
PAKISTAN
Kalsoom Lakhani
Lakhani, co-founder and chief executive director of Invest2innovate, helps match investors with social entrepreneurs who aim to help low-income communities and alleviate poverty.
PHILIPPINES
Ramon Ang
Ang, president and chief operating officer of San Miguel Corporation, initiated a massive outreach programme
during the coronavirus outbreak, donating 13 billion pesos to provide food and medical equipment.
Cherrie Atilano
Atilano, founder, CEO and president of Agrea Agricultural Systems International, aims to end hunger, reduce waste and develop sustainable agriculture by providing educational programmes to Filipino farmers.
Clarissa Delgado
Delgado, co-founder and CEO of Teach for the Philippines, provides quality education to Filipinos.
Illac Diaz
Diaz, founder of Liter of Light, helps Filipinos living in poverty create eco-friendly lamps from recycled plastic bottles or materials they have available.
Angel Locsin
Locsin, an actress who launched a campaign to provide tents to hospitals to address overcrowding caused by Covid-19, has helped raise more than 11 million pesos, funding 225 isolation tents and 21 sanitation tents.
Anna Oposa
Oposa, founder of Save Philippines Sea, protects marine life and the coastal environment through volunteer efforts and environmental education.
Enrique K Razon Jr Razon, chairman of International Container Terminal Services and Bloomberry Resorts, has donated about 500 million pesos to pandemic relief efforts.
Hans Sy
Sy, chairman of SM Prime Holdings and China Banking Corporation, donated 100 million pesos worth of medical aid and supplies to government-owned hospitals.
Myla Villanueva Villanueva, chairwoman of MDI Group, leads the Philippine Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, which fights for fair and transparent elections.
Dee-anne Hora-zobel and Mercedes Zobel
Dee and her stepdaughter Mercedes, through the Enrique Zobel Foundation, enrich the lives of disadvantaged children through reforms in the public education system.
Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and Fernando Zobel de Ayala
Brothers Jaime and Fernando are major donors to various charities and also lead The Ayala Foundation, which supports the arts, environmental initiatives and educational programmes.
SINGAPORE
Christine Amour-levar
Amour-levar, founder of Women on a Mission and HER Planet Earth, leads allfemale teams on expeditions to empower women who have experienced violence or abuse, or have been affected by climate change.
Goh Wei Leong
Goh, a doctor and chairman of Healthserve, provides migrant workers with affordable healthcare, counselling and social assistance.
Hsieh Fu Hua
Hsieh, chairman of ACR Capital Holdings and founder of Binjaitree, helps local charities and social enterprises, focusing on issues of mental health and the development of the arts and social services.
Koh Choon Hui
Koh, chairman of Singapore Children’s Society and Singapore Pools, protects children’s welfare by providing homes, workshops, counselling and educational services.
Melissa Kwee
Kwee, CEO of National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, facilitates partnerships in Singapore with a vision to build a City of Good.
Nizar Mohamed Shariff Nizar, founder of Free Food for All, provides halal food to vulnerable groups like the elderly, migrant workers, disabled and impoverished.
Jack Sim
Sim, founder of the World Toilet Organisation, raises the standards of public restrooms and promotes proper sanitation.
Dipa Swaminathan Swaminathan, founder of It’s Raining Raincoats, helps migrant workers with legal claims, care packs and by strengthening their integration into the community.
Kim Tan
Tan, co-founder of Transformational Business Network, connects entrepreneurs with investors to create impactful businesses.
Danny Yong
Yong, chief investment officer and founding partner of Dymon Asia Capital, chairman and co-founder of The Majurity Trust, and founder of Yong Hon Kong Foundation, connects donors and charities. He is also the founding donor of the Sustain the Arts Fund.
SOUTH KOREA
Kyung-sun Chung
Chung, founder and CEO of Root Impact, invests in social enterprises and supports entrepreneurs who create solutions for social issues.
Hyun-joo Je
Je, CEO and managing director of Yellowdog, a venture capital firm, invests in start-ups that address social problems including discrimination, climate change and education.
Jung Eun-kyeong
Jung, a doctor who is the first female commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, leads South Korea’s antivirus efforts.
Suh Kyung-bae
Suh, chairman and CEO of Amorepacific Group and founder of The Suh Kyungbae Science Foundation, annually gives financial support to the research of five biotechnology scientists, such as developing models of the human alveoli that are used to study respiratory viruses.
TAIWAN
Sophie Chang
Chang, an artist who is chairwoman of the charity foundation of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, promotes women’s and children’s rights, education, environmental protection and corporate social responsibility.
Chi Chia-wei
Chi, a civil rights activist, championed a successful campaign to legalise same-sex marriage in Taiwan in 2019.
Tina Lai
Lai, a lawyer and advocate for women’s rights, focuses on cases involving domestic or sexual abuse.
Lee Yung-feng
Lee, founder of Paper Windmill Culture Foundation theatre group, provides free performances for children in rural communities.
Sunny Yi-han Lin
Lin, founder of Social Enterprise Insights, provides information about social innovation, entrepreneurs and businesses.
An-ting Liu
Liu, founder of Teach for Taiwan, places skilled teachers in remote communities.
Horace Luke
Luke, co-founder and CEO of Gogoro, makes electric scooters that embrace green technology.
Peter Tsai
Tsai, the inventor of filtering technology used in N95 masks, came out of retirement to help speed production of reusable masks for healthcare workers.
Tzu-hsien Tung
Tung, co-founder of ASUS and president of Pegatron, helps farmers and supports disadvantaged communities.
Benson Ping-cheng Yeh
Yeh, a professor at the National Taiwan University, is co-founder of Pagamo, a multi-student social gaming platform that incentivises learning and provides insight into students’ abilities.
THAILAND
Nalutporn Krairiksh
Krairiksh, a journalist and founder of Thisable.me, focuses on human news stories about disabled people and their rights in Thailand.
Angkhana Neelapaijit
Neelapaijit, a human rights activist and the wife of human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit who was dragged from his car and disappeared in 2004, demands accountability by exposing abuses by police and government.
Mechai Viravaidya
Viravaidya, founder of Population and Community Development Association, is known as “Mr Condom” for his promotion of family planning programmes and advocacy for safe-sex measures.
VIETNAM
Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao
Nguyen, CEO of Vietjet Air and founder of Wings of Love, is Vietnam’s first self-made female billionaire and provides scholarships and clothing to underprivileged children.
Pham Nhat Vuong
Pham, chairman of Vingroup and founder of Kind Heart Foundation, provides housing, education, healthcare and other aid to the poor.
HALL OF FAME
Ronnie Chan
HONG KONG
Chan, a co-chairman of Asia Society, promotes partnerships between people and businesses in Asia and the US. He is also co-founder of the Morningside Foundation, which donated US$350 million to Harvard University.
Linda Agum Gumelar INDONESIA
Gumelar, a breast cancer survivor and founder of Yayasan Kanker Payudara Indonesia, works with the government to offer free mammograms and promote breast cancer counselling services.
Koh Seow Chuan
SINGAPORE
Koh, an art collector and philatelist, donates thousands of historical artefacts and artworks to the Singapore Art Museum, Singapore Philatelic Museum and National Library Board.
Robert Kuok
MALAYSIA
Kuok, founder and chairman of Shangri-la Hotels & Resorts and the Kuok Foundation, offers scholarships and loans, provides aid to the poor and supports hospitals and medical institutions.
Li Ka-shing
HONG KONG
Li, founder of the Li Ka-shing Foundation, has pledged to donate one-third of his assets to charity and has called on other entrepreneurs in Asia to do the same. His foundation promotes positive and sustainable change through educational reform, medical research and aid.
Laurence Lien
SINGAPORE
Lien, co-founder and CEO of Asia Philanthropy Circle and chairman of the Lien Foundation, encourages entrepreneurs to engage in philanthropy by building a membership platform to support collaborative efforts to tackle social issues and challenges.
Victor Lo
HONG KONG
Lo, director of Hong Kong Design Centre and PMQ Management Company, and chairman of M+ under the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, promotes development and design in Hong Kong.
Anita Ratnasari Tanjung
INDONESIA
Tanjung, co-founder of the CT ARSA Foundation, offers educational opportunities to children from marginalised communities. Since the 2004 tsunami, the organisation has established 35 high schools across Indonesia that offer students free facilities and living expenses.
Joseph and Clara Tsai
TAIWAN
Joseph Tsai, co-founder and executive vice-chairman of Alibaba Group, and his wife Clara, together founders of The Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation, have donated US$2.6 million in medical supplies to hospitals in the US, and also pledged US$50 million to social justice and economic equality initiatives for people of colour.