An Early Spring

A social perspective and commitment amplifies the measure of young achievements

In their late 20s, these individuals have already cracked the code for success. Now in their early and mid-30s, they temper their pursuit of professional and entrepreneurial excellence with a mission to serve society at large.

DAN RIEGLER

Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Karana

“We make a substitute for pork that is extremely sustainable, less processed, and healthier than existing products, using ingredients that would otherwise be wasted,” Riegler, 35, explains. Karana is a whole plant-based food company that takes highly sustainable ingredients and turns them into minimally processed but still convincing and delicious meat analogues, among them pork made from jackfruit. The company sells its first products through local restaurants and will launch a line of consumer-facing products soon, starting with a ready to cook dim sum line.

“Our business has been built around delivering a social impact on a number of levels. First, in taking on industrial animal agriculture we are addressing one of the most environmentally destructive and polluting industries on the planet, to say nothing of the related public health issues and the human and animal welfare aspects. Shifting to a more sustainable and ethical food production system is one of the single most pressing issues our generation is facing, and this pandemic has only underscored the need to prioritize this.

Riegler believes that a venture is only worth pursuing if there is real value to be created. “What drives me personally is making sure that value in some small way contributes to building a better society. I have always been passionate about making good quality food accessible, and my work on agriculture projects across Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa opened my eyes to how fundamentally broken our food systems are so it became very clear that if I was going to continue working in the space it should have as much of an impact as possible.

GAURANG JHUNJHNUWALA

CEO — Australia & New Zealand, Naumi Hotels

At 33, Jhunjhnuwala has already led the creation of several new properties for Naumi Hotels, focusing on the brand’s consistent development in Australia and New Zealand, and spearheading the launch of Naumi Auckland Airport in 2018, the recipient of several industry awards and accolades from Forbes, Telegraph UK and Wallpaper. Naumi Hotels is an asset owner and boutique hospitality group, a brand known for imaginative micro-experiences and bespoke services in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

“We are very conscious of supporting communities both in Singapore and further abroad through the work that we’re doing,” says the member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). In 2015, Naumi Hotels founded the Shyam Sundar Jhunjhnuwala Charity Fund, which has pledged to support Community Foundation Singapore to provide grants for education and women welfare purposes.

In April this year, Jhunjhnuwala and his wife Arshiya will launch the earlier-planned Naumi Hotels Humanity partnering with charities from different parts of the world aiming to reduce food insecurity among children by pledging to take $1 from every hotel room bill. They have already partnered with women organizations from low-income communities to create products for their hotels and guests, providing employment opportunities, skill upgrade and household income supplement.

DR. KERWIN KWEK ZEMING

Senior Postdoctoral Associate, SMART

Dr. Kwek, 36, together with his team at SMART CAMP, is developing ground-breaking analytical technologies in the manufacturing of immune and stem cells for personalized therapeutics such as cancer.

“My work is extremely dynamic and rewarding due to a multidisciplinary team of engineers, biologists, physicists, data scientists and clinicians discovering new science and developing industrial applications at the forefront of advanced cell therapy manufacturing and clinical diagnostics.” His primary contribution is to design and engineer precision micro-chip technologies to control the fate of biological cells by sorting them based on the inherent biophysical properties of cells. “We can use these biophysical properties to determine cells in different states of maturity, function, and activity; enabling advancements that greatly benefit patients and healthcare systems.”

Dr. Kwek, hopes to enable decentralized disease diagnostics without needing to queue in the hospitals; personalized medical treatments within reach at the local pharmacy. “The technology we have today has all the ingredients to achieve that, and all we need is to discover the recipe. We only have one life. How we live and the positive impact we can bring to the people around us is within our control. Personally, I wish to take control of my life and give it meaning — to me that would be to contribute to the advancement of science for the betterment of humanity.”

DR.GOH BOONCHONG Research Scientist, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART)

Dr. Goh, 34, is currently developing two types of anti-superbug drugs: one that reverses antimicrobial resistance, and another that combats antimicrobial resistance. If that sounds complicated, he breaks it down further: he is making antibiotics work again, and designing resistance-proof solutions.

“While antibiotics are largely safe, affordable, and highly effective to treat bacterial infections, many of them are no longer able to kill superbugs. At SMART AMR, I am developing a drug that makes antibiotics effective again by negating the resistance mechanism of highly-resistant bacteria. This, combined with antibiotics, would be able to kill a wider range of bacteria, including previously resistant ones. A big focus in my research group is to study, engineer, and customize phage lysin, a unique protein derived from bacteriophage, the natural predator of bacteria. Using engineered lysins, we would be able to selectively kill harmful bacteria while leaving good bacteria untouched.”

Dr. Goh points out that a lot of good research has stayed in universities, lacking the opportunity to realize their full potential. Although publishing research results in scientific journals is important, he believes it shouldn’t stop there. “I personally resonate with the mission of SMART AMR IRG of being a translational research and entrepreneurship program, as I am determined to bring my research to the market and make a difference in someone’s life. Antibiotics are wonder drugs that we have taken for granted, and we have to act now before it is too late. Trust me, we are not ready for a world without effective antibiotics.”

PANG FUWEI

Group Managing Director, Kin Hin International

“Customer satisfaction lies at the heart of our work,” declares Pang Fu Wei, 32. “My job is to understand, even anticipate, the evolving needs of our customers, and to set, communicate, and implement our organization’s goals accordingly. To this end, as MD, I create value, organize people into highly effective teams, and maximize resource allocation so as to achieve optimal outcomes for our customers and for the company.”

Kim Hin International provides products and services to mothers and their babies through retail concepts such as mothercare, Early Learning Centre (ELC), and The Entertainer in Singapore and Malaysia. Its distribution arm manages a portfolio of over 35 international brands, including Cybex, Tommee Tippee, and Jujube, as well as house brands Snapkis, Mimosa, and Love Amme.

“Preparing for the arrival of a newborn is joyful experience, but it can also be a confusing and stressful one,” Pang, a YPO member, elaborates. “Our job is to help soon-to-be parents navigate the world of baby products, make sensible purchasing decisions, and hopefully take the stress out of shopping. Personally, it is not only important to do well, but to also do good. Knowing that I am not only creating economic value but also social value gives me a deep sense of purpose and fulfilment. The organization supports the Made For Families initiative, which implements inclusive and profamilies HR policies, and offers incentives for new parents.

WONG KAIQI SHARLENE Technical Product Manager, Temasek

For over two years, Wong has been working as a Technical Product Manager in Temasek’s Digital Technology team, an entity that runs like a start-up housed within the firm. “Temasek is a global investment company headquartered in Singapore. We are an owner investor mostly invested in equities, committed to generating sustainable returns for the long term.” Her main duty is to figure out what her colleagues want or need, then build the right software products that are strategic to the business. “Sometimes solutions already exist,” Wong, 28, and an SUTD alum, says, otherwise, she and her team build it.

“Day-to-day, I am responsible for facilitating the process of product development to deliver what users want. I work with my colleagues to craft the product’s vision and roadmap. I also work with my team’s engineers and designers to build solutions that can be delivered on time while leveraging open source tech innovations.”

Wong appreciates working in a place that has, since the onset of COVID-19 last February, set up a dedicated fund to fight the pandemic. “I’m heartened that over 400 of my colleagues stepped forward to volunteer for COVID-related initiatives. Opportunities came about to supercharge the fight against COVID-19 with the help of technology. In collaboration with a group of in-house Life Sciences experts, Wong and her team built an in-house AIpowered app that tracks credible breaking developments in COVID-19, and Life Sciences from scientific publications and news. “The entire experience has felt like chasing lightning. It gives me joy that this app has enabled my colleagues to make better assessment of technologies and companies, such as our investment in BioNTech, a leading biotech company developing personalized cancer treatment and also one of the world’s first approved COVID-19 vaccines.”

TOH ZILING

Co-Founder & COO, RE:TERRA

RE:TERRA straddles skincare and food supplements sector, and is renowned for applying two exotic types of turmeric — Japanese White Turmeric and Japanese Spring Turmeric from Kyushu, Japan — to formulations backed by studies from Kindai University and Oxford University. Its leading products are targeted at high levels of efficacy in improving long-term skin health (under RE:ERTH) and joint health (with Turmeron).

“Built on the tenets of dedication to quality, simplicity, and sustainability, my team and I are currently growing two brands, namely RE:ERTH and Turmeron, in Singapore (& SEA region) and the United States. On a daily basis, I toggle between being a cherished, conscious consumer and a cold-headed, critical business analyst. Naturally, behind both attitudes lie an affection for the brands,” Toh, 30, explains.

“I’ve always been surrounded continuously by caring individuals, and I hope to be just like them. In particular, my late grandmother who, despite her advanced age, used to rise early almost every day to volunteer cooking at a soup kitchen, using her talents to serve her community. I view work not as a means to maximize personal profit, but as a pursuit of excellence — with integrity. I am honored to take care of the skin health of our customers, so they can feel confident, comfortable, and beautiful, just as they are wonderfully made to be.”