NEXUS ASIA

 
 

History of NEXUS in Asia

NEXUS Asia was founded in 2011 and convened the first NEXUS Summit in 2012 in China. Since then there have been eight country and regional summits. The NEXUS Asia community has grown to include members in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

 

MISSION

NEXUS Asia strives to create a supportive community of young leaders challenging the status quo and working towards a sustainable future through family business, impact investing, philanthropy and social entrepreneurship.

Connecting the financial, intellectual, creative and social capital of our generation in an action-oriented, solutions-focused and safe space, the NEXUS Asia aims to inspire learning and collaboration between a uniquely powerful network of peers.

In a region that has undergone incredible transformation and growth NEXUS Asia host frequent salons to discuss how best to deploy wealth and resources to support innovative solutions and meet the challenges facing the region today.

 

Goals and Actions

Upcoming Summits:

 

  • NEXUS Asia hosts regular programming and salons throughout the year
NEXUS Asia has convened and inspired its members through numerous Summits:

 

  • The 2018 NEXUS Asia convened March 23-25th in Bali, Indonesia
  • 2017: 2nd Annual Asia Summit (Phuket, Thailand)
  • 2015: Inaugural Asia Summit (Beijing, China)
  • 2014:  China Summit,  Thailand Summit, Singapore Summit
  • 2013 – China Summit, Thailand Summit, 
  • 2012 – China Summit 
Organizations we support

China

Bivou: http://www.bivou.com/

Ganglha: http://www.ganglha.org/

Gigabase: http://www.gigabase.org/

Xihan Action: http://www.xihanaction.org/

Hong Kong

Foodlink Foundation: http://www.foodlinkfoundation.org/

Givo: http://www.givo.org

MakerBay: http://www.makerbay.org

Synergy Social Ventures: http://www.synergysocialventures.org

Indonesia

Campaign: http://www.campaign.com

Evoware: http://www.evoware.id

PLUS Platform Usaha Sosial: http://usahasosial.com/

Sayurbox: https://www.sayurbox.com/

Japan

re:terra http://www.reterra.org/

Philippines

Altum http://www.altumconcepts.com/

Singapore

Getai Group: https://www.getaigroup.com/

Ishk Tolaram Foundation: https://www.ishktolaram.com/

The Social Co.: http://thesocialco.sg/

Unframed http://www.unframed.so/

South Korea

Marymond: https://oliamoda.com/designers/marymond/

Root Capital: http://www.rootcapital.org

Thailand

Learn Education: http://www.learneducation.co.th

Oxford Thai Foundation: https://www.oxfordthaifoundation.org/

Wedu: http://www.weduglobal.org

Nornnorn: https://www.nornnorn.com/

OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM 

Abbie Jung-Harada

Abbie Jung-Harada

Regional Director of NEXUS Asia
Abbie Jung is the co-founder of Synergy Social Ventures, a nonprofit that supports social entrepreneurship in Asia through financial and non-financial support. She also advises individuals and institutions on philanthropic investment in Asia and promotes philanthropic engagement in young people. Her perspective on social entrepreneurship as a means to sustainable development is shaped by her experiences living and working in

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  under-served parts of Asia, Europe and North America with organizations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders, PSI, Save the Children, World Bank and World Health Organization. In 2009, as one of the early key staff at a Hong Kong-based venture philanthropy foundation, Abbie was at the forefront of the budding social entrepreneurship and social investment sectors in Asia.

She co-founded Synergy in 2011 to address critical capacity building and financing gaps for early stage social ventures in the region. Abbie serves as advisor or director to many social initiatives/organizations such as the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans, iBoP Asia, iOnPoverty, Philanthropy in Asia Summit and Asian Social Entrepreneurs Summit. She is passionate about developing the culture and practice of innovative and strategic philanthropy in Asia to support both traditional and new social change models (like social entrepreneurship) as a means to creating a more just and sustainable world.

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Cat Wang

Cat Wang

NEXUS China Country Director
Cat Wang has been interested social issues and has wanted to help others since childhood but only took her first independent steps in philanthropy after joining NEXUS China in 2014. She started by visiting rural areas of Henan Province and bringing supplies to local communities. She then donated winter clothing to a Tibetan primary school with more than 300 students. She is now exploring ways to develop a sustainable initiative to provide free eye exams and free prescription 

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eyeglasses to students in low-income communities in China. Since 2014, she hasbeen deeply involved  in building the NEXUS China community and has served as NEXUS China Country Director since 2015.

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Nophol (NAPS) Techaphangam

Nophol (NAPS) Techaphangam

NEXUS Thailand Co-Director
Naps is currently the Vice Managing Director of Somphol Bedding and Mattress Industry Co., Ltd. (SPB), his family’s mattress and bedding firm based in Bangkok, Thailand. Carrying on the legacy of his grandfather, who founded the modern mattress and bedding industry in Thailand over 50 years ago, he has since 2005 led the company’s expansion into the AEC and beyond. He has also made sure the company makes a positive impact on

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every community in which it operates. For example, SPB regularly donates its products  to those in need and provides relief to the unfortunate during times of natural disasters.

In addition to his main responsibility, Naps is also the Sponsorship Manager of the Bangkok Charity Orchestra (BCO), Thailand’s first and only orchestra dedicated to raising funds for charities; a Director of the Thai Young Philanthropist Network (TYPN), a group of over 2,300 young, highly educated professionals in Thailand whose aim is to be a key development agent for the country; and the Secretary of the Boss Association, a group of over 3,000 leading Thai executives whose objective is to make a positive impact on Thailand. Naps, a Cambridge-Thai Foundation Scholar, holds a Post Dip in Economics from Downing College, the University of Cambridge, and a BSc (Hons) in Physics with Theoretical Physics from the University of Manchester. He was given the Model Business Person of the Year Award (Household and Office Goods Sector) from the Foundation of Science and Technology Council of Thailand in 2012.

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Rebekah Lin

Rebekah Lin

NEXUS Singapore Advisor
Rebekah is Co-Founder of The Social Co., and since 2014, has successfully launched the 50 For 50 SG, Pledge It Forward Singapore and Samsung’s #PowerToProgress campaigns. The team brought together more than 100 individuals, 90 corporations and more than 250 partners to raise awareness and $5 million for more than 80 lesser-known charities in Singapore. The Social Co. has since decided to focus on serving

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the ageing sector in Singapore.

In February 2018, Rebekah hosted and interviewed several practitioners and experts in the healthcare space in a documentary on the state of healthcare in Singapore, screened on Channel News Asia.

Rebekah was on the committee of the Yellow Ribbon Fund from 2011-2015 and served as a main committee member of Community Chest of Singapore for 2 years before moving to London where she has now taken on an ambassadorial role. She has also been running her family foundation, Jia Foundation since 2013. She was selected to be a Leader of Tomorrow at the 2015 St. Gallen Symposium and was also recently selected as 1 of 18 Young Societal Leaders by the SMU Institute for Societal Leadership and Temasek Connects for the Singapore Summit.

Rebekah graduated from Nanyang Technological University with an honours degree in Business Administration and has completed an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck College, University of London. She is currently pursuing her MSc in Gerontology at King’s College London, has been nominated as an Ambassador for the King’s Global Health Institute and was a speaker at the TedX KCL conference in November 2018. She has also completed the Executive Education program at Singularity University in November 2017. 

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Sumitra Aswani

Sumitra Aswani

NEXUS Singapore Advisor
Sumitra Aswani is a fourth generation family business member who recently assumed the role of executive director at her family foundation, the Ishk Tolaram Foundation. The newly incorporated foundation focuses on issues related to education, skills training and financial independence in vulnerable groups in Indonesia and Nigeria. Prior to her current appointment, Sumitra trained as a medical doctor in Singapore, where she held both 

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clinical and policy-related positions with an interest in family and community medicine. 

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Viria Vichit-Vadakan

Viria Vichit-Vadakan

NEXUS Thailand Country Co-Director
Viria Vichit-Vadakan serves as the Director of New Business Development for Learn Education—a leading Education Technology social enterprise in Asia. She leads the company’s new business unit—serving as a research and innovation arm to create learning products for K-12 students in all types of schools throughout Thailand and the region. Prior to Learn Education, Viria help

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established the Bachelor of Arts program  in Global Studies and Social Entrepreneurship (GSSE) and a social innovation lab “G-Lab” at the School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, Thailand (www.sgs.tu.ac.th). As a founder of G-Lab, she managed social

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impact projects including: working with an EdTech startup to scale its technology to reach 20,000 students and implemented an accelerator for 100 emerging social entrepreneurs to scale their social enterprises in areas of education, health, agriculture, and community based tourism in partnership with JP Morgan Global Philanthropy. Prior to G-Lab, she worked at Ashoka and IDEO.org. Viria received graduate training in human-centered design from the Stanford Design Institute (d.school).

Viria was named Global Shapers by the World Economic Forum in 2015, selected as a Curator in 2016, and in 2017 represented the global shapers community as a speaker on the topic of Social Entrepreneurs: Agents of Systems Change at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In addition to her work, she is an Advisory Board Member for the Arts and Humanities Research Council for Service Design & Social Innovation, Asia-Pacific and a Program Advisor, Designing for Social Innovation and Leadership program for the UN University of Peace, Faculty Council at School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, and Co-Country Director of NEXUS Thailand. She is interested in working with organizations, both public and private, to greater their social impact/ innovation, and improving the quality of education in Thailand and the region at large.

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Sandhya Aswani

Sandhya Aswani

NEXUS Singapore Country Director
With a background in inclusive education and learning intervention, Sandhya is passionate about creating systems in which children and youth of all backgrounds and abilities can thrive. She is currently a Program Director at Ishk Tolaram Foundation, supporting communities in Indonesia, Nigeria, and Singapore with access to quality education, healthcare and skills training. She is also a trained counsellor and mental health advocate.
Michella Irawan

Michella Irawan

NEXUS Indonesia Co-Country Directors
Michella has always been passionate in doing social work but only knew the traditional way of donation & volunteering.Only when she was introduced to NEXUS Singapore Summit did she learn about different social change tools, especially related to sustainability, and committed to start her own social impact journey. 

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She studied in Singapore and the UK before going back to Indonesia in 2009 to manage her family’s fishing business, PT Etmieco Sarana Laut. She has a joint venture for her katsuobushi manufacturing plant with Yamaki Co.,Ltd, the biggest katsuobushi manufacturer in Japan. Presently, she is trying to convert her family business to adapt the sustainable practices. She is also working on building a green space dedicated to marine conservation in Manado, North Sulawesi. She hopes to create an ecosystem for all marine & ocean lovers while bridging her family business with her love for the ocean. 

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Jeffry Taniwan

Jeffry Taniwan

NEXUS Indonesia Co-Country Directors
Jeffry is a passionate young social entrepreneur dedicated to creating meaningful change. From an early age, he immersed himself in social impact, channeling his energy into charity work and helping others. He thrives on connecting with like-minded individuals and fostering a community of change-makers.

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He is a driven individual committed to enhancing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices within his family’s company. His tireless efforts are geared towards making a positive impact on sustainability and responsible business practices, shaping a brighter future. Jeffry is a dedicated advocate for climate change awareness and environmental preservation. Within NEXUS Indonesia, he plays a pivotal role in fostering a green ethos, emphasizing the importance of Earth’s care and supporting ecosystems. Jeffry passionately believes that collective efforts are essential for a sustainable future.

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Click here to see other NEXUS Asia Leaders

NEXUS China Snapshot

Over the past few years, NEXUS China has organised many events covering issues that interest the community including the environment, education, women, children, social enterprise, social impact, business for good, family heritage, food safety and many others. Special salons with The Rockefeller Foundation, The Gates Foundation, UN Social Impact Fund and SEE Foundation have helped our members learn about the ideas, experiences and journeys of philanthropic icons. We convened field trips all over China, including in Beijing, Guizhou, Qinghai, Shanghai, and Yunnan so our members can have firsthand experiences with problems we are facing in our country.

The first NEXUS Asia Summit was held in Beijing in 2015 where we discussed ways to create a sustainable future for Asia. Our recent 2018 New Year Forum had inspiring discussions about how the next generation is taking social responsibility, new movement of B Corps in China and being a changemaker in China. We are planning many more exciting activities for 2018. Please contact Yoyo Yan, NEXUS China Program Director for more information about NEXUS China. 

NEXUS 中国简介

从2012年成立至今，NEXUS中国围绕社区成员的兴趣议题组织了各式活动。这些议题包涵环境、教育、女性、儿童、社会企业与创业、影响力投资、商业向善、家族传承、食品安全等。往期与洛克菲勒基金会、盖茨基金会、联合国社会影响力基金、阿拉善基金会等机构慈善家的特别沙龙会，有力协助支持我们的成员深入了解和学习各位慈善家和变革者的社会事务旅程与可借鉴经验。另外，我们还在北京、上海、青海、贵州、云南等各地开展了社会项目的探索之旅，协助成员获取社会问题与其解决方案的实地经验。

首届NEXUS亚洲峰会于2015年在北京举办，聚集亚洲区域各个国家的代表一同探讨亚洲的可持续未来。近期结束的NEXUS中国2018新年沙龙围绕“家族青年的社会担当”、“共益企业在中国”、“创变者说”三个主题进行了分享交流。 欲更多了解NEXUS 中国及2018的活动资讯，请联系中国区项目总监严英 china@nexusglobal.org.

What We’re Up To

Summits

This March we’re hosting our 3rd annual NEXUS ASIA Summit in Bali Indonesia bringing together exceptional young social entrepreneurs, philanthropists and impact investors to catalyze change

Salons

We host regular salons throughout Asia that explore philanthropy, impact investing and social entrepreneurship, family dynamics, strategies for investing and attracting investment, social transformation, and more. These salons meant to inspire learning and collaboration between a uniquely powerful network of peers throughout the continent

Culture of Philanthropy

NEXUS Asia is fostering a network of next-gen members committed to using their philanthropy, resources and connections to shape a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous region

Delegations to NEXUS Global

NEXUS Asia is proud to send yearly delegations to our NEXUS Global Summit in New York to participate in NEXUS Global’s flagship event and network with NEXUS members from around the world