Deputy Secretary General (Policy), Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM)
Director of Socio, Economy, Market Intelligence and Agribusiness Centre, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI)
Chief Executive Officer | Mesinkira Sdn Bhd
Chun Jia Sio
Founder | Life Origin Sdn Bhd
Mr. CJ Sio (Sio) an ambitious MBA student at Strathclyde University with a creative multimedia bachelor's degree from Multimedia University Malaysia, is a seasoned marketing and advertising professional with over a decade of experience in the IT and Banking sectors across the SEA region. Venturing into the insect protein industry, Sio founded Life Origin in 2019. Through relentless research and refinement, Life Origin has achieved consistent production of defatted larvae protein, oil, and fertilizers. Collaborating with research institutions, Sio aims to advance insect ingredient utilization in bio-energy and further develop insect protein for human consumption. With a passion for sustainability, Sio is poised to make a significant impact in the industry.
Mohd Rashid Rabu
Director of Socio, Economy, Market Intelligence and Agribusiness Centre | Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI)
Mohd Rashid Rabu is currently serving as the Director of Socio, Economy, Market Intelligence and Agribusiness Centre of MARDI. He holds a Bachelor Science of Resources Economic from University Putra Malaysia which was conferred in 1989 and graduated with Master of Art (Commerce) from Otaru University of Commerce Hokkaido, Japan in 1999.
He is currently serving at the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (“MARDI”) with more than 30 years of vast experiences, acquired skills and knowledge for various research and development management posts. He started as an Administrative Officer at the Finance Division before he was appointed as a Research Officer in 2002 at the Economic and Technology Management Centre of MARDI. Throughout his carrier in MARDI, Rashid has been designated with various distinguished positions. Firstly, he was appointed as the Deputy Director of Gene Bank and Seed Technology Centre in 2016, then, he became the Director of MARDI Negeri Sembilan in 2017, and his last promotion before the current took place in 2018, which he was granted the position as the Director of Governance and Legal Centre. Currently, he is actively serving as the Director of Socio Economy, Market Intelligence and Agribusiness active since 2020.
Rashid has spent a massive part of his carrier being involved in various research disciplines in agriculture economy and policy study on agriculture production and modernization strategy. As an established subject matter expert, he was a lead consultant of developing of National Grain Corn Industry Development Blueprint, National Blueprint of Coconut Industry and currently he was involved in developing Medical Industry based on Malaysia Indigenous Biodiversity Plant resources. He is also currently working on a consultancy project with the United Nation Environment Programme and European Union Partnership Instrument on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Initiative for Agriculture and Food.
Director, Investments | Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Kayse is a Director of Investment, Khazanah Nasional Berhad leading the Dana Impak initiatives. Kayse joined Khazanah in 2006 from Ernst & Young, where she was a Senior Consultant advising on corporate, transaction and due diligence tax consulting. Over 2006 to 2019, she executed, set up, restructured and managed Khazanah’s investments across various sectors such as Aviation, Infrastructure, Property, Leisure & Tourism, Vietnam and Funds investments. Across 2019-2021, she was the Deputy Chief International Officer of TNB where she executed TNB’s international strategy, restructure TNB’s international portfolio companies and grew TNB’s renewables footprint in UK/Europe with acquisitions in solar, onshore wind & offshore wind. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States and Bachelors of Commerce (Accounting & Finance) at Monash University, Australia."
Mohamad Taufik Mahamad Zakaria
Chief Strategy Officer | Agrobank
Previous position in Agrobank:
Zainnurain Othman
Program Director Alternative Investment Department | Agrobank
Zainnurain Othman is currently the Program Director of Alternative Investment at Agrobank. He leads Agrobank’s efforts in implementing Alternative Investment Initiatives, which aim to provide comprehensive financial solutions to support and uplift the agricultural sector in Malaysia.
With a wealth of experience in the financial industry, Zainnurain has played integral roles in various domains, including corporate banking, corporate finance, project finance, and Private Public Partnership Program Financing Initiatives. Notably, his contributions were instrumental in setting up the Group First Regional VC/PE Fund during his tenure at Maybank Ventures, the VC/PE Arm of Maybank Group.
Zainnurain’s qualifications include being a qualified Chartered Management Accountant, showcasing his expertise in financial management. Additionally, he holds an MBA from the International Islamic University of Malaysia.
Co-Founder | Fefifo
Chris is a technologist with 12 years of corporate experience in process re-engineering and technology risk management across Big 4 accounting firms and large financial institutions. In 2017, he left his role as VP in Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC to do his Masters in Technopreneurship and Innovation in NTU. Chris is now Co-founder of Fefifo, spearheading co-farming as a new world model to disrupt and democratise the US$159b contract farming industry with a mission to make sustainable, profitable, smallholder farming commonplace.
Kaeden Ho
Executive Director | Newleaf Eco Development Sdn Bhd
Executive Director of Newleaf
Brenda Cheah
Senior Manager | PwC Malaysia
Brenda is currently a Senior Manager in the Economics & Policy practice at PwC, where she has advised clients in the areas of policy development, business planning, feasibility studies, as well as project management and governance.
Prior to PwC, Brenda was a Senior Economist at Bank Negara Malaysia, where she led macroeconomic forecasting, research and surveillance on consumers, industries and international trade for national policy deliberation. During the COVID-19 crisis, Brenda was actively involved in crafting stimulus measures to support the vulnerable groups.
Brenda also briefly explored the areas of sustainability and disruptive business strategy following her stint at the Bank. She holds a BSc (Honours) in Economics from the University of Warwick, UK.
Elain Lockman
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder | Ata Plus Sdn Bhd
Elain holds a BSc. in Actuarial Science and MSc. in Operational Research from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
She began her career in PETRONAS and further at Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Malaysia Debt Ventures, Digi Telecommunications and Packet One Networks until she co-founded Ata Plus in 2015. She is currently a Council Member for the Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN), the President of the Registered Digital Markets Association Malaysia, Advisor to Women in Tech Malaysia Chapter, Independent Board Member of Reservoir Link Berhad, Propel Global Berhad, Leet Technology Inc (Nasdaq listed) and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM).
Elain is also on the Board of Trustees for Khazanah Foundation, Prosperity Development Foundation and KRU Foundation. She was awarded the BERG 2019 Women Icons Malaysia and also the 2020/2021 Batch of Digerati50 for her exceptional contributions to Malaysia's Digital Economy.
Director | Ever Fresh Cameron Sdn Bhd
Co-founder of Ever Fresh Cameron Sdn Bhd
Head of Ventures | Sunway iLabs
Dr Melissa Foo is the Head of Sunway iLabs Ventures, where she works with works with startups to co-create solutions for a sustainable future, leveraging on the network and resources of Sunway Group and Sunway University. As an angel investor, impact investor and Vice President of the Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN), she is also actively involved in early-stage investments and innovation across sectors such as Health, Education, Fintech, Food & Agritech, Smart Cities, Retail Tech and Social Impact. In the past 10 years, she was highly involved in the entrepreneurship and investment world, with much of her focus on driving social innovation. Some of her highlights include generating 3x social return to the government through Social Impact Bonds, establishing partnerships with 25 Malaysian corporations for entrepreneurship involvement, and managing ~US$400M in deal flow for an entrepreneurship fund.
Tunku Danny Mudzaffar
Founder & Chief Executive Officer | MicroLEAP
Tunku Danny is an ex-banker having worked in senior positions in London and Kuala Lumpur at Standard Chartered and BNP Paribas, from diverse fields such as Asset-Liability Management, Money Market Sales and Financial Institutions Coverage.
Tunku Danny had 15 years of financial services experience before he founded microLEAP, an Islamic & Conventional Peer-to-Peer (P2P) financing platform. microLEAP is a proudly Malaysian fintech company that helps underserved businesses access crowd-sourced funds and is regulated by the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC).
Tunku Danny is also a Founding Member of iConnect – Fintech in Islamic Finance, a group made up of industry players, regulators and researchers tasked with the mission of making Malaysia a global Islamic fintech hub.
Tunku Danny holds an MBA from the Nottingham University Business School.
Director | Farmers Organization Authority (FOA)
Dr. Mohamad Azizi B. Mohd. Atar works as an Entrepreneur Director of Farmers Organization Authority (FOA) that helps developing farmers into a successfull entrepreneurs. The assistance that FOA provides including training, financial and coaching.
President & Co-Founder | Pula
"I am not your typical insurance salesperson. For the last fifteen years i've been part of teams pioneering agriculture insurance, first with the award winning program Kilimo Salama, of the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture and now with Pula, an award winning InsureTech.
At Pula I lead a team that develops and implements data driven financial solutions that assist millions of small-scale farmers across 16 countries in Africa and Asia, safeguarding their crops and allowing farmers to invest in their farms through financial tools that take advantage of the rising use of mobile technology.
I grew up in Tanzania but now call Nairobi home. I have a Master’s degree with Distinction from the University of London and am a Poptech and Mulago Social Innovation Fellow and have spoken at TED about the impact and potential of agriculture insurance."
Yang Berbahagia Datuk Azah Hanim binti Ahmad
Deputy Secretary General (Policy) | Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM)
Yang Berbahagia Datuk was born in Kuala Lumpur. She graduated in Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Michigan State University, USA and has a Degree in Public Administration from the National Institute for Public Administration as well as a Master of Business Administration from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Yang Berbahagia Datuk has also served in the Malaysian Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance and currently serving in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security
Deputy General Manager | Securities Commission Malaysia
Azrina currently heads the Digital Department which is part of the Digital Strategy & Innovation Business Group of the Securities Commission Malaysia. The Digital Department is tasked with formulating and implementing initiatives to facilitate digital innovations in the Malaysian capital market.
Among others, Azrina has led the development of the digital investment management regulatory framework, and was involved in the development of policies relating to Islamic fintech, equity crowdfunding, P2P financing, venture capital, private equity, investment banking and Islamic banking frameworks. Her previous portfolios include leading capital market negotiations in international, regional and bilateral free trade agreements. Prior to her involvement in policy work, her earlier portfolios include advisory work on capital market regulations and law reform involving the Parliamentary process. She holds an LLB from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Dr. Wong Huei Ching
Executive Director, Digital Strategy & Innovation | Securities Commission Malaysia
Dr Wong Huei Ching is an Executive Director at the Malaysia Securities Commission (SC). She leads the Digital Strategy and Innovation division, overseeing the Innovation, Digital Strategy, Analytics, Cyber Security and Technology departments.
Her appointment serves to further the potential of digital and innovation in the area of alternative fundraising and investments, towards shaping a capital market that is more inclusive and sustainable for businesses and investors.
Dr Wong joined the SC in 2017 and has been involved in various market development initiatives ranging from facilitation of market vibrancy to greater industry digitisation efforts. She was also instrumental in the development of the recently launched Capital Market Masterplan 3.
Dr Wong is currently a member of the Labuan Financial Services Authority as appointed by the Minister of Finance.
Prior to joining the Securities Commission, she was with a global management consulting firm as part of their strategy practice, and one of Malaysia’s largest bank. Her experience in financial services sector spans across consumer, wholesale and international banking, particularly in strategy development and transformation.
Dr Wong Huei Ching holds a Bachelor in Electronic and Communications Engineering and a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Bristol, UK.
Executive Chairman | Securities Commission Malaysia
Dato’ Seri Dr. Awang Adek Hussin was appointed the Executive Chairman of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) on 1 June 2022. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
Prior to his appointment as Chairman of the SC, Awang Adek served as Malaysia’s Ambassador to the United States of America (USA) from 2014 to 2016 and Chairman of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) from 2017 to 2018.
Awang Adek has extensive experience in economics and finance, having spent over 30 years in government and public service. He served as Deputy Minister of Rural Development from 2004 to 2006 and Deputy Minister of Finance from 2006 to 2013. He was also a member of Parliament from 2004 to 2008, and a senator from 2009 to 2013.
Awang Adek was with Bank Negara Malaysia for 17 years from 1985 until 2001, holding several positions and eventually rising to the rank of Assistant Governor. He had also served on the boards of directors of several financial institutions and organisations including the SC, the first Director General of the Labuan Financial Services Authority (LFSA), Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Chairman of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), and also Chairman of Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (PERNAS).
Awang Adek received his Bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics from Drew University, USA, as well as his Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in economics from University of Pennsylvania, USA.
Director, Digital Finance and Islamic Digital Economy | Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn Bhd (MDEC)
Ruslena Ramli is an Islamic Finance advocate with 20+ years of experience. Her banking repertoire include corporate strategy, advising on sukuk/bond issuances, as well as development of Islamic banking products. She is an avid speaker in local and international Islamic Finance conferences.
She brings to MDEC her expertise in Shariah-compliant structures and established relationships with Islamic finance communities locally and aboard. Ruslena holds a BA (Honors) in Accounting and Finance from Middlesex University of London and a Master’s Degree in Islamic Finance from International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF).
Managing Partner | RHL Ventures
Raja Hamzah is Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of RHL Ventures. RHL Ventures is a Southeast Asian-based private investment firm that focuses on growth capital investments in the Southeast Asia and US region. Hamzah brings his vast experience in various investment roles to advise companies and startups in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
Prior to founding RHL Ventures, Raja Hamzah was a Director in Rasma Corporation, a boutique mechanical and electrical engineering services firm based in Malaysia, focusing on infrastructure projects including railroads, stadiums and hospitals. He focused on building and developing partnerships with government-linked companies, listed and private corporates and local authorities, and helped the company secure cornerstone projects for the national stadium and national rail projects.
Prior to Rasma, Raja Hamzah was a Principal Investment Analyst with Guoco Management Company, a multi-billion US-dollar fund based out of Hong Kong. He used a fundamental, bottom up approach to investing, focusing on listed equities, IPO and pre-IPO investment opportunities across Asia and the U.S. He was also a Senior Analyst in the institutional coverage team of Goldman Sachs Asset Management based out of Singapore. GSAM has more than USD1 trillion dollars of assets under management There, he worked extensively with various institutional funds across Southeast Asia, recommending investments across private equity, hedge fund and other asset classes for clients which include Temasek, GIC, Bank Indonesia, the Employees Provident Fund of Malaysia and Khazanah Nasional.
Raja Hamzah graduated from the University of Warwick, UK with a first-class honours degree in Accounting and Finance. He was awarded as one of the ‘Top 50 people who are redefining the way we live’ by the Singapore Straits Times in 2018, ‘Top 40 under 40’ by Prestige Magazine in 2017, and was shortlisted as a Young Fellow of the World Islamic Economic Forum in 2019 and one of the leaders in the Malaysian tech space as part of the 2020/2021 batch of Digerati50 by Digital News Asia and Maxis. Hamzah is also one of the mentors for Endeavor’s Scale up Program, a global NGO that supports entrepreneurs with potential for economic and social impact in their regions. Hamzah is currently an Exco member of the Malaysian Manufacturer’s Association, focusing on mentoring young companies. Hamzah is also on the Board of Advisors of Indonesia-based Alami, a P2P financing company focused on Shariah compliant loans and economic empowerment for small and medium sized enterprises in Indonesia.
Chief Executive Officer | pitchIn
Sam is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of pitchIN. pitchIN is a registered Recognised Market Operator (RMO) that offers an Equity Crowdfunding (ECF) platform. pitchIN is also the 1st ECF platform to receive approval to launch a Secondary Market and also one of the two platforms given the approval to launch an Initial Exchange Offering (IEO) platform in Malaysia. pitchIN is also the 2nd ECF platform to be approved by the Securities Commission to list Shariah compliant companies on their platform.
Sam also co-founded WatchTower and Friends (WTF) Sdn Bhd, an accelerator of technology startups. WTF Accelerator opened its 1st batch of startups in January 2015 and has invested in more than 50 early-stage startups such as TheLorry, MoneyMatch, MyCash Online, PostCo, Runningman, Lapasar, iConstruct, Bereev, Ejen2U, Pomen, AdvanxHealth, Herepay to name a few.
Sam is legally trained having graduated from UKM’s Law Faculty and have served as a Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) in the Attorney-General Chambers as well as stints at the Securities Commission (SC) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Sam is also the founding committee member of the Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN).
Country Head | Funding Societies Malaysia
Director | Artem Ventures
Sai Kit has extensive experience in audit, corporate finance, corporate development, and venture building and investments across various industries, including manufacturing, property development, hospitality, financial services, enterprise software, and digital advertising. He set up the corporate venture investment arm of an SGX-listed company, which has made 18 multi-stage investments in Southeast Asia, with three successful exits to date, including two in 2022. Additionally, he founded Artem Ventures, a venture capital management corporation registered with the Securities Commission of Malaysia, which manages TIM Ventures, an insurtech and Islamic fintech fund created in partnership with FWD.
Recently, Artem Ventures launched a fund aimed at investing in sustainable solutions to address the needs of tomorrow's consumers, including sustainable food to improve food security, replacing synthetic and high-emission materials for everyday products, improving air quality, addressing climate change with sustainable energy and transportation, and promoting responsible consumption with natural and sustainable alternatives.
Sai Kit presently serves as Vice Chairman of the Malaysia Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (2022/2023) and mentors at Endeavour Malaysia, Founder Institute, Startup Weekend, Thought For Food, SITEC, PitchIN and ScaleUp Malaysia. He is also a member of the advisory board and mentor of the impact ventures network within Malaysia’s Impact Circle, an independent agri-food tech ecosystem builder and multiplier which does impact works on the Southeast Asia food ecosystem and supply chain.
Senior Director | SME Corp Malaysia
Chai obtained Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Putra Business School, UPM Malaysia specialisation in Corporate Governance with MAICSA Graduateship (The Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators).
He is also qualified with a Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree (Hons) from the same university, Universiti Putra Malaysia and gained operating experience while working for private companies involve in metal products manufacturing, construction, engineering projects, Air Conditioning & Mechanical Ventilation (ACMV) and building facilities maintenance.
At SME Corp since 2006, he is directly involved in diverse financial and technological support development programmes for Malaysian SMEs from various levels. He is also the winner of Chairman’s Award that leads to successful admittance to the Leading Change and Organizational Renewal Program (LCOR) at Stanford Business School in 2013. Awarded the Best Business Counsellor and Best Business Counsellor Trainer by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) enable Chai to be appointed as the Head Business Counsellor providing effective advisory to help nurture competitive, innovative and resilient SMEs in Malaysia.
Previously in Business Advisory & Support Division, Business Development & Entrepreneurship Division, Implementation & Monitoring Division, Corporate Management Division, Strategic Transformation Unit, and International Cooperation Secretariat, Chai involves in charting strategic direction of the organisation, leading change and organisational renewal activities, SMEs business integration such as capability & capacity building, technology collaboration/transfer, alternative financing and investment capitalisation, business linkages between SMEs and large corporations in targeted sectors such as Aerospace, Oil & Gas, Medical Devices, Rail System, Business Matching, Market Access and Internationalisation are being performed to enhanced Malaysian businesses.
Currently, as the Senior Director of Programme Coordination Division, Chai is responsible in coordinating the implementation of development programmes for SMEs across all related Ministries and agencies, central point of reference and data dissemination on SMEs and entrepreneurs, as well as providing business advisory services to SMEs and entrepreneurs. Focus on coordinates, streamlines, monitors and evaluates the progress and effectiveness of SME development programmes throughout the country.
Chief Executive Officer | Selangor Information Technology & Digital Economy Corporation (SIDEC)
Yong Kai Ping is the Chief Executive Officer of Selangor Information Technology &
Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec).
Sidec is the Selangor government agency established to drive the digital
transformation of Selangor as ASEAN’s digital hub. Sidec focuses on three key sectors of the Digital Economy in Selangor, namely E-Commerce, Startup and SME Digitalisation. Sidec is tasked to nurture digital talents and narrow the digital divide in Selangor. It also aims to accelerate Selangor startups to become regional tech icons. By empowering Selangor businesses and the digitalisation of SMEs, Sidec promotes digital investment and inspire emerging technologies to thrive in Selangor.
Sidec’s predecessor—Selangor Information Technology & E-Commerce Council
(SITEC) achieved a stellar record in developing the Digital Economy in Selangor
from 2015 to 2010 by contributing RM334.37 million to the Selangor economy. It successfully organised multiple series of free e-commerce education, onboarded
650 e-commerce merchants, nurtured 90 startups under the Selangor Accelerator
Programme (SAP), SME digitalisation programme and the Selangor Smart City &
Digital Economy Convention.
Yong was a veteran journalist with 15 years of experience under his belt. Yong has
been with Malaysiakini, the most popular and influential online portal in Malaysia for
almost 12 years since 2004. He first founded the Chinese site of Malaysiakini and
later founded its online TV, KiniTV in 2013.
Yong is also a British Chevening Scholar, having graduated in International Studies
from the University of Birmingham UK. He also participated in the Senior Journalist
Programme of the East West Centre of Hawaii, USA in 2020. He had organised a
number of media conferences including the Asia Chinese New Media Conference
in 2010 and the Southeast Asia Internet TV Conference in 2015.
Chief Executive Officer | Crowde
Yohanes is an agropreneur with a dream to simplify the complex life of farmers. He has been in the industry for as long as he remembers. The Business Commerce Bachelor from Prasetiya Mulya University was inspired by a university’s community development program in which he was exposed to a million problems the smallholder farmers face daily. By 2016, he got a professional development certificate for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Stanford University and started his agribusiness.
Yohanes started the journey to founding CROWDE after working as a farmer, planting chilies and mushrooms in Bogor area, and moving on to poultry farming a few years later. He enjoyed every aspect of it and has had a passion for agriculture ever since. However, he learned the hard way that the result of farming on his personal finances was not as pleasant as the process of farming itself.
After going bankrupt, he realized that farmers in Indonesia are in desperate need of help. It made no sense that in Indonesia, an agrarian nation whose growth depends on the agricultural sector, so many farmers live below the line. So Yohanes decided, along with his dear friend, Risyad, to build CROWDE in order to revolutionize the agricultural sector in Indonesia. Today, CROWDE reaches more than 17,000 farmers with the help of more than 31,000 personal lenders and has collaborated with five major institutional lenders.
Along the way, Yohanes has been awarded 30 Under 30 of Forbes Asia 2018 for his contribution in Social Entrepreneur category and 40 Under 40 of Markplus.Inc 2018.
Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder | AgriData Portal Sdn Bhd
Matthew Johnny Kulai's journey from a small-town farm to becoming the CEO and co-founder of Agridata is a story of innovation, determination, and resilience. Despite facing setbacks in his family farm business, he revolutionized agriculture in Sabah through technology and collaboration.
Born and raised in Keningau, a small town in Sabah, Matthew Johnny Kulai spent his formative years growing up on his family's farm. Surrounded by avocado, durian, and other cash crops, he developed a deep connection to the land and a passion for agriculture from a young age. This rural upbringing would later serve as the foundation for his revolutionary ideas in agribusiness.
When it came time to pursue higher education, Matthew chose to follow a different passion: sports materials engineering in Swansea University. However, during his second year of study, he realized the untapped potential of agriculture in Sabah. With vast underutilized land and a growing need for modern farming methods, Matthew saw an opportunity to make a difference in his home region.
Emboldened by his newfound vision, Matthew decided to turn his family's 20-acre farm from a hobby into a business. Facing numerous challenges as a farmer, he quickly realized that the key to success lay in collaboration and innovation. This realization led him to connect with other young agropreneurs in Sabah, and together they began to formulate a solution.
At the age of 22, Matthew co-founded Agridata, a company dedicated to serving the underserved agriculture community in Sabah. Through hard work and persistence, Agridata entered and won the MyHackathon 2020, earning a grand prize of RM250,000. This victory marked the beginning of Agridata's journey towards transforming agriculture in the region.
After the success at MyHackathon 2020, Agridata's momentum continued to grow. The following year, under Matthew's leadership, the company was selected for Petronas Future Tech 2.0. This prestigious recognition further solidified Agridata's position as a pioneer in the world of agriculture technology in the region.
To this day, Agridata remains committed to serving the underserved agriculture community in Malaysia. Through Matthew's vision and determination, Agridata has introduced modern farming methods and provided support to countless farmers, helping them achieve greater success and sustainability.
Melissa has a wealth of over 25 years of APAC regional experience in international trade, brand communications, market research, organisational development, social strategy, corporate and internal communications. She previously worked with various large organisations such as HSBC, IOI Group, KL Sentral (MRCB), and TNS (Kantar) where she was responsible for multiple portfolios covering 33 countries. She was the CEO of Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI), a non-partisan think tank governed and owned by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. She founded ASLI International Trade & Business Advisory Centre. She was instrumental in the setting up of the Malaysia-Bahrain Business Council and Malaysia-Russia Business Council. Melissa was attached to the Bahrain Economic Development Board (FDIs), INVEST Hong Kong (FDIs), and UK Department of Trade (DIT) based out of Bristol, UK responsible for business ventures of 45 UK companies in Southeast Asia.
Presently, Melissa is the Group Chief Officer of Impact Circle, an independent Agrifoodtech Ecosystem builder and multiplier with a purpose and impact mission to connect investment and power collaborations within the Southeast Asia food ecosystem and supply chain to catalyze profitable innovation, expand sustainability and environmental awareness, and bring greater impact on food and nutrition security as well as for youth empowerment and community development focusing on women and children. She is also the Thought for Food Regional CEO of Southeast Asia, with a mission to unlock the potential of the next generations to lead a sustainable food revolution through the development of cutting-edge, locally-relevant, science and technology-based entrepreneurial solutions.
Melissa received the Distinguished Australian Alumni Award in December 2019. She holds an MBA from the University of Sunshine Coast, Australia, and is a strong and passionate advocate of workplace gender equality, women empowerment, and women’s inclusion agenda.
