Elise is a startup ecosystem builder with over a decade of experience in startup accelerators & venture capital. Elise previously served as Director of Communications and Community at Vertex Ventures, one of the largest venture capital firms in Asia. She also previously coached and helped over 40 companies raised their first $1.4M at Entrepreneur First.

A startup ecosystem builder at heart, Andrew co-founded a social enterprise, helped scale an early-stage startup through to Series B, and gone on to establish a venture capital firm. Now serving as General Manager at Japanese HR technology company Wantedly, He is passionate about helping people help others and driven by a long-term ambition to grow stronger, more connected startup ecosystems.

Aparna is an impact investor at Vriksh Impact Partners and founder of AHANA, a multi-brand platform championing authentic, eco-focused, and sustainable businesses across the Global South. She is an action-oriented supporter of initiatives advancing women and children, education, the future of food, and environmental sustainability, with a strong focus on turning purpose into measurable impact.

Germee is the Founder and CEO of Roni AI, a smart CEO/CFO AI finance assistant. She brings over 17 years of experience as an independent financial advisor and CFO, supporting international businesses from startups to large corporations. A graduate of the MS in Finance program at Universita Bocconi, she combines deep financial expertise with technology-driven innovation to help leaders make smarter, data-informed decisions.

Karn is a venture investor and three-time founder with extensive experience in branding, product, and marketing for technology startups. He is the founder of ThisIsCreativeAi, a marketing agency that helps senior leaders and deep-tech, purpose-driven founders amplify their voice through thought leadership and founder-led marketing.

Benjamin brings over 15 years of frontline experience across sales, marketing, and business development roles in multinational corporations, including contributing to high-budget mobile e-lock initiatives at a Japanese MNC. Over the past five years, he has been actively involved in the startup ecosystem as a co-founder and appointed leader across ventures spanning social impact, hardware, and nonprofit sectors.

Teen Fong drives partnerships, creates content and boosts ASN’s digital content, analytics, and ops. He previously led operations at DECODE (a student-focused technology conference affiliated with UC Berkeley) and crafted multimedia strategy at Vertex Ventures.

Wendy is a marketing operations manager at SMU Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. A CX and Product Design Manager with over 11 years of experience, she has an extensive portfolio of marketing, creative, and customer experience materials for various domestic and multinational organisations across a variety of sectors.

JC is a Business Development Director at EY, working closely with tax partners to build strategic pipelines and support companies expanding in and through Singapore. He is passionate about helping disability champions and early stage startup founders.

An active instructor at General Assembly, Kai mentors design beginners and career switchers while facilitating workshops for early-stage entrepreneurs. Kai brings eight years of experience across product design, product management, and entrepreneurship, specializing in Product-Market Fit (PMF) coaching for startups,

Adeline is a Career Consultant & Alumni Relations professional at NUS. She has extensive experience in career development and recruitment, connecting talent with opportunities and managing alumni and industry relationships. She also has prior experience in ICT, consulting, and financial services recruitment.

Rahul currently serves as the Director of Communications & Community at Vertex Ventures SEAI. He is also the founder and host of Understanding VC, a podcast, the premier resource on venture capital on the internet, so that founders can make informed decisions about their businesses and secure the funding they need to succeed.

Jing Rui is the Director at VentreSEA Consulting, a firm providing GTM & market accessibility for companies venturing into Indonesia, Singapore and Southeast Asia.

Sydnie is a Business Development Manager at Formidium, a leading global fund administrator specializing in alternative investment funds.

Samuel is a Director of Corporate Development at YouTrip, the leading and fastest-growing multi-currency payment platform in Asia Pacific.

Calvin in the Country Director for Singapore at Selaras Group. With a background in Business Law, Calvin has extensive experience in sales and marketing and as an Edutech coach. His work spans across product management, creative solutions, Edutech, and the intersection between technology and psychology.