Professor Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, Brunel Business School, Brunel University of London, Co Founder, Social Value Malaysia & President, Social Innovation Movement
Professor Ainurul Rosli is a Team Coach and an Entrepreneurial Mindset Practitioner (EMP), an avid believer in the importance of co creation. She works on evidence-led  social impact strategy and social value initiatives to support business strategic agendas. An enthusiastic ecosystem builder, an effectual and social value practitioner, she brings innovative methodologies in her impact and consultancy work to help champion the importance of managing for impact. She is a co-founder of Social Innovation Movement and Social Value Malaysia, and currently chairing the Practice and Impact Special Interest Group of the Institute of Small Business Enterprise (ISBE), UK.

Founder and CEO, 1337 Ventures
Bikesh Lakhmichand is a visionary strategist and a dynamic entrepreneur with a proven track record in stimulating growth and innovation across diverse industries. As the founder and CEO of 1337 Ventures, Bikesh has been instrumental in fostering the development of startups from the seed stage, guiding them through complex business landscapes, and helping them scale successfully. His deep expertise in corporate dynamics and talent for forming strategic partnerships have made him a key figure in the world of business development and innovation. Bikesh is known for venturing beyond the conventional, exploring new frontiers like space technologies, augmented reality, and other emerging challenges. His approach to entrepreneurship transcends traditional boundaries, constantly seeking new opportunities to push industries forward without displacing the workforce. Over the past decade, Bikesh has established himself as a crucial connector between entrepreneurs, investors, and corporations, creating an ecosystem that thrives on collaboration and forward-thinking. His unwavering commitment to building a vibrant and inclusive startup ecosystem in Southeast Asia has cemented his influence across the region. With his extensive experience, Bikesh has become a sought-after speaker, mentor, and advisor, offering keen insights and actionable strategies for innovation and growth. He advocates for a balanced approach to growth that integrates societal advancement and technological innovation in harmony, avoiding unnecessary disruptions to existing industries. For anyone looking for an experienced leader who can provide strategic insights and foresight into the future of industries, Bikesh Lakhmichand is the go-to expert.

Co-founder, Za Altera
Cheryl Cheah-Shankar, a Malaysian, brings over 30 years of expertise in the fashion and garment retailing industry. She began her career at Trend Shops Pte Ltd (Singapore),  where she served as Regional Manager for six years, overseeing 20 outlets across Singapore and Malaysia. In 1999 for about 15 years, she co-founded Retail Atwork Sdn Bhd, a retail management agency that provides consultancy and management services for international fashion brands, looking to expand into the booming retail scene in Kuala Lumpur, namely into the major departmental stores like Isetan, Metrojaya, Parksons, Robinsons, Sogo and Tangs. Amongst the brands brought in and managed were Glenhill, Eden, Anne Kelly (all successful Singaporean labels), Kamiseta (Philippines) and Maison Francis Kurkdjian or MFK (parfums France). Some of the brands have gone on to grow successfully to multiple locations and outlets and have a strong foothold throughout Malaysia. Having run and managed the diverse brands from other companies  successfully for more than15 years, and having  made some industry connections, the plan to own her very own brand was decided and launched. Zara Altera Sdn Bhd was co-founded and  "Za Altera" was launched in 2002. Today, there are a combined total of 9 "Za Altera" outlets and 3 "i-alter" outlets throughout Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. Her extensive experience and leadership have made her a recognizable figure in the fashion and retail management industry of Malaysia.

Founder, StartupMalaysia, act2.life, and DashInsights
Dash Dhakshinamoorthy is an Entrepreneurship Enabler on a mission to inspire more people to think and act entrepreneurially. With over 30 years of experience in the entrepreneurship space, he was one of the earliest fire-starters in the entrepreneurship ecosystem and helped shape and influence the entrepreneurship landscape in Malaysia. As an entrepreneur, he has launched five ventures, two of which achieved commendable success. As a mentor and educator, Dash has guided and educated entrepreneurs to not only learn about venture creation but also to build entrepreneurial expertise. He continues to help policymakers and leaders create environments that foster entrepreneurship and the building of enduring ventures. He is the founder of StartupMalaysia, act2.life, and Dash Insights.

Captain, KL Chapter of Epic Angels
Elena is the Captain of the KL Chapter of Epic Angels, the largest network of female angel investors investing in APAC.  Since 2021, Epic Angels has invested over US$ 1.9 million across a portfolio of 29 startups which are actively supported by a membership of over 400 women.  Elena is also an investor with Epic Angels and is building her own portfolio of early stage startup investments.

Managing Partner, Gobi Partners
A supporter of Gobi’s ASEAN expansion efforts since 2014, Jamal joined the firm in 2019 and now oversees operations and investment activities at the Kuala Lumpur office. He brings 15 years of experience in equity research, investment evaluation, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and an additional 19 years in venture capital. Before joining Gobi, Jamal served as CEO of MAVCAP, Malaysia’s largest venture capital firm. During his tenure, MAVCAP directly and indirectly invested in over 1,100 startups. Under his leadership, Jamal shifted the firm's strategic direction to focus on raising private sector funds and collaborating with local and international VC partners, such as 500 Startups, Elixir Capital, Gobi Partners, Vynn Capital, and Intres Capital. He also brought local corporates and sovereign funds into the VC ecosystem, including Axiata, Johor Corporation, and Khazanah Nasional. In total, Jamal helped MAVCAP establish, manage, and participate in nine funds with a combined value exceeding US$500 million. At Gobi, Jamal successfully launched a US$28 million venture fund in Pakistan in partnership with the Fatima Group, one of the country’s largest conglomerates.

Malaysia Country Director, Social Value International
Jane is the Malaysia Country Director for Social Value International. She is a leading entrepreneurship educator in Effectuation, revolutionizing the field by empowering individuals and communities to create sustainable ventures. Jane, an advanced social value practitioner and accredited trainer for Social Value International in Social Value, SROI, and Impact Measurement and Management for social practitioners, focuses on a transformative approach that equips entrepreneurs with the tools to measure and maximize their social impact. By combining Effectuation with a strong foundation in social value, Jane's programs empower entrepreneurs to create ventures that not only succeed financially but also contribute positively to society.

Actor, writer and director and co-founder and Artistic Director, The Instant Café Theatre Company
Jo Kukathas is an actor, writer and director and co-founder and Artistic Director of The Instant Café Theatre Company (1989) best known for its political satire and theatre reflecting Malaysia’s diverse ethnic, linguistic, religious, migratory composition. Her work tackles issues of race, religion, politics, gender, censorship climate change, migration and xenophobia. She has run arts spaces, produced/curated festivals, staged productions, given talks and run workshops in Malaysia and abroad (Brazil, Germany, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Australia, Singapore) and toured work to Singapore, Japan, Australia, USA, Indonesia. She believes in the need for a more egalitarian, empathetic society. She is an API and DDS Fellow.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Digital News Asia
Karamjit Singh is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Digital News Asia. Karamjit founded Digital News Asia with a vision that media should play its role as the Fourth Estate and on the belief that timely, insightful and analytical coverage can help the tech ecosystem in South-East Asia, especially Malaysia, grow and develop.

Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, pitchIN
Kash is pitchIN’S co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer. pitchIN operates Malaysia’s leading equity crowdfunding (ECF) platform on which 181 companies have successfully raised more than RM337 million. In 2024, pitchIN launched PSTX, Malaysia’s first secondary market for ECF shares as well as a token crowdfunding (TCF) platform. All platforms are registered with the Securities Commission. He is also the co-founder of WTF Accelerator, a well-known early stage startups accelerator that invests in and accelerates technology startups and a partner at Jati Growth, which invests in rising startups. A serial entrepreneur, he previously was founder of Mobile World, a technology publication and was co-founder of GoMobile, a groundbreaking technology expo and conference.

CEO and co-founder, PichaEats
Kim Lim is the CEO and co-founder of PichaEats, a food business rebuilding lives of refugees in Malaysia. PichaEats was the winner of The Chivas Venture 2017/18 in Malaysia and thrived into the Top 5 at the international level, the winner of Allianz's "Empowering Future Generation" in Munich, Germany, Booking Booster's Top 10 sustainable venture with Booking.com and Top 10 Asia’s Social Enterprise. In 2017, she was awarded THE EDGE Inspiring Young Leaders 2017 awards, listed Forbes 30 under 30 Asia,  Asia Tatler's Generation T and recently an Obama fellow.

Professor, Kuala Lumpur’s Asia School of Business
Michael Frese, distinguished professor at Kuala Lumpur’s Asia School of Business (in collaboration with MIT Sloan Management), is a leading figure in the psychology of entrepreneurship, contributing to evidence-based entrepreneurship with meta-analyses and field experiments to enhance entrepreneurial success. He (co-)authored nearly 200 peer-reviewed articles to scholarly journals (such as Science, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology) and many books. With highly influential scholarly contributions (83.000 citations, h-index =120), he received various awards (e.g., 2024 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research, Stockholm, the most important entrepreneurship research award and is among to the 2% most influential management scholars worldwide, Stanford Study Ioannidis et al. 2022).

CEO/Founder, KIDDOCARE
Nadira is a venture builder, a serial entrepreneur, a community driver, a mother of 6 and a technology junkie. Graduated from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Skudai with BSc (Hons) in Electrical Engineering, Nadira started off as an Electrical Engineer, but soon found her calling in entrepreneurship. Throughout her 23 years of entrepreneurial journey, she has embarked on various technology driven businesses from hardware manufacturing and assembly, to software development, interactive edutainment program, renewable energy and now her latest venture, Kiddocare, a digital platform embracing gig-economy concept that provides access to trained, and certified childcare and early education services. She is driven by the desire to create positive impact through technology, and has now also taken a leap into impact driven ventures, where she champions women participation in the care economy. Nadira is also an active member of many non-profit organizations. She served as the Deputy President of the National Council of Women’s Organizations (NCWO) Malaysia (2018-2020), heading the Economy and Entrepreneurship pillar. She is also Malaysia’s focal point of the Asean Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN), and leads AWEN Malaysia as its President. She started and led Girls in Tech Malaysia for 5 years, and is also the past President of the Malaysian Women Entrepreneur Network (WENA). When not at work, managing domestic duties and practicing Muay Thai, she enjoys golfing, cooking and hosting friends and families.

Managing Partner, Artem Ventures
Sai Kit is a managing partner of Artem Ventures, a registered VC firm in Malaysia with a track record of successful venture investments and exits across various sectors and stages in Southeast Asia. He is a veteran venture capitalist who previously founded and led the corporate venturing division of a public company in Singapore. He has deep expertise and insights into the regional startup ecosystem and emerging opportunities. Artem Ventures is the fund manager of a partnership fund with FWD, a leading insurance company. Sai Kit is also the Chairman of MVCA, the industry body that advocates for Malaysia's VC and PE sector. He is passionate about nurturing the next generation of investors and entrepreneurs and actively participates in various mentorship and accelerator programs.

Fund Director, Orbit Capital Malaysia
Raymond is the Fund Director of Orbit Capital Malaysia, a venture capital firm co-managed by Sunway Group and Kejora Capital from Indonesia, with Mavcap as anchor partner. Apart from actively investing in Malaysia's ecosystem, Raymond is also a partner at Kejora Indonesia, a Southeast Asia focus venture capital focusing on cross-border ventures. The company's portfolio includes fifty startups and five unicorns. Raymond is also a Venture Partner to Sunway ILab Ventures, a subsidiary and CVC fund of Sunway Group. He was a serial entrepreneur with 3 successful IPOs. Graduated with a Dean List - Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, USA. He has also completed a Global MBA program with Manchester Business School, MIT Fintech Online Course, and Private Equity & Venture Capital Program at Harvard Business School.

CEO and Co-Founder, pitchIN
Sam is the CEO and Co-Founder of pitchIN, a registered Recognized Market Operator that offers an Equity (Shariah and Conventional) and Token fundraising platform as well as Malaysia’s first public secondary market for unlisted companies, the PSTX. To date, pitchIN has assisted 181 local companies to raise more than RM337 mil, making it Malaysia’s largest fundraising platform. Sam also invests in early-stage technology startups via WatchTower and Friends (WTF), an accelerator company that he co-founded. Some of the companies include startups such as TheLorry, MoneyMatch, MyCash Online, Lapasar, Ejen2U, Pomen and Mesolitica, to name a few. Sam is a legal graduate from UKM, having served previously in the Attorney General Chambers and the Securities Commission of Malaysia as a Deputy Public Prosecutor. He has also stint as the Network Security Director at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). In 2023, at the FinTech Frontier Awards, Sam was voted as the Ecosystem Builder of the Year. He’s also the founding committee member of MBAN, the Malaysian Business Angel Network.

Co-founder, Za Altera
Susan Liew has over 35 years of experience in the fashion and garment retailing industry in Malaysia. She began her career at Metrojaya Bhd, where she served as a fashion buyer and went on to be a Merchandising Manager in the 8 years there. In 1999, she co-founded Retail Atwork, a retail management agency that provides consultancy and management services for mainly Singaporean fashion brands, looking to expand into the booming retail scene at major departmental stores in Kuala Lumpur, like Isetan, Metrojaya, Parkson, Robinsons, Sogo and Tangs. In June 2002, she co-founded Zara Altera SDN BHD and the brand 'Za Altera' and 'i-alter' was launched to provide alteration and restyling services at most major shopping malls in the Klang Valley. Today, there are a total of 9 Za Altera outlets and 3 i-alter outlets located in Mid Valley, 1 Utama, Bangsar Village, Bangsar Shopping Centre, KLCC, Sunway Pyramid, The Curve, Kiara 163, 1MK mall, Paradigm Mall and The Linc.

Co-Creator | Director – Initiatives : Projects, StartupMalaysia
Vani Mahadevan is both a dynamic and emphatic leader with versatile experience in entrepreneurship, project management, and finance. As Director of Initiatives & Projects at StartupMalaysia, she has helped design and manage the execution of numerous high-profile global programs, including the Global Startup Youth (GSY) , the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), D-Code program and more. She has experience in managing multi-million-ringgit budgets and collaborating with international stakeholders. Her leadership and meticulous execution have earned her a reputation for excellence, with a strong focus on operational and financial management of projects with social impact. Vani is also the co-founder of TechSprint, a pioneering coding and software development school for women in Southeast Asia, where she spearheaded efforts to empower women through technology education. Her passion for social impact projects is evident in the impactful programs she has led, such as Go Digital ASEAN, Accelerate My Business, Rapid Response and Recovery, Coding At Schools, and Rebound—a career comeback program designed to support women returning to the workforce. With a solid foundation in accounting (she is a qualified CPA) Vani has held roles at Murdoch University and Ernst & Young, bringing sharp business acumen and financial expertise to her work. In addition to her entrepreneurial achievements, she is also a trained Cordon Bleu Chef, specializing in plant-based cuisine, showcasing her creativity and passion in diverse fields and a love for a greener planet.

CEO, Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (SCENIC)
Viviantie Sarjuni is a Malaysian leader with over 15 years of experience at an award-winning government agency focused on social innovation. As a pioneering force in the social enterprise ecosystem in Sabah, where poverty and unemployment rates are the highest in Malaysia, she leads the Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (SCENIC) in exploring alternative economic models to challenge capitalism. In just three years, her agency has assisted nearly 100 social enterprises, mainly in rural areas, in securing essential funding. Her achievements include receiving the Chevening Scholarship from the UK government in 2022, the Chief Minister’s Special Award in May 2024 and being named one of the 2024. Kindness & Leadership, 50 Leading Lights in Asia Pacific.