NEW YORK, August 30, 2018 — Asia Society is delighted to announce the 2018 Class of its Asia 21 Young Leaders Program, an unparalleled network of accomplished young professionals from across the Asia Pacific region, representing the new generation of leaders in government, business, arts, media, and the nonprofit sector.
The new class adds to a dynamic pool of more than 900 influential professionals under the age of 40 from 40 nations who are engaged in thought leadership, dialogue, and meaningful collaborations for positive impact on both local and global levels.
This year, Asia Society has selected 31 leaders in their respective fields, including a slate of trailblazing women: Bulgantuya Khurelbaatar, deputy finance minister of Mongolia; Manizha Wafeq, president of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce in Afghanistan; Ernestine Fu, an American venture capitalist with diverse passions from cybersecurity to philanthropy; and Hana Hayashi, a game-changing behavioral scientist from Japan.
The 2018 Asia 21 Class also features activists and visionaries, policymakers and lifesavers: Khaled Khatib, an officer in the first responder organization White Helmets in Syria; Huy The Luong, a tireless campaigner for gay rights in Vietnam; Pradip Pariyar, a steadfast advocate for minority rights and ending caste-based discrimination in Nepal; Paul Rivera, a technology entrepreneur from the Philippines seeking to address the problems of poor recruitment and underemployment; Roopam Sharma, an Indian innovator best known for his work on the world’s first intelligent personal assistant for the visually-impaired; andTimothy Watts, one of Australia’s youngest members of parliament.
“These young change-makers are already reshaping the most dynamic region on earth,” said Asia Society President and CEO Josette Sheeran. “They are a remarkable and truly diverse group — and Asia 21 provides a platform for these young leaders as they tackle the most vexing challenges in the region, one connection at a time.”
Members of the 2018 Class will convene in Manila for the 13th Annual Young Leaders Summit fromNovember 14-16 to explore new and creative strategies to translate the network’s expertise into concrete actions. This Summit will also be the inaugural event to usher in the 20th anniversary of the Asia Society Philippines Center.
Since the first Summit in 2006, the Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative has encouraged collaborations among the members of the network to help respond to disasters, fight for girls’ education and mobilize youth, contribute to regional diplomatic efforts, and much more. Local Asia 21 chapters have sprouted in some of the toughest parts of Asia, where people are eager for the connections and counsel that the Asia 21 network has provided.
Asia 21 alumni include Foreign Policy managing editor Ravi Agrawal; Siam Commercial Bank Executive Vice President Sutapa Amornvivat; One Earth Designs co-founder and CEO Catlin Powers; former captain of the Pakistan national women’s cricket team Sana Mir; former Singaporean MP and founder of Social Innovation Park. Ltd. Penny Low; former Philippines Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV; Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti; Moby Group Chairman Saad Mohseni; Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy; Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah; Bank of America Merrill Lynch Head of Global Equities Distribution Soofian Zuberi; and incumbent Deputy Governor of Jakarta Sandiaga Uno.
For complete information about the Asia 21 Class of 2018, please visit here.
The members of the 2018 Class are:
Jam Acuzar (Philippines), Founder & Director, Bellas Artes Projects
Xyza Cruz Bacani (Philippines), Independent Photojournalist, Redux Pictures
Sopheap Chea (Cambodia), Executive Director, Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center
Tsechu Dolma (United States), Director, Mountain Resiliency Project
Amir Farmanesh (Canada/Iran), President & CEO, People Analytics Inc.
Ernestine Fu (United States), Investor, Alsop Louie Partners
Ziad Haider (United States), Head of Government Relations and Policy, Uber North Asia
Hana Hayashi (Japan), Asia Pacific Director, McCann Public Health
Jerry (Xiao Peng) He (New Zealand), Founder, Olivia Premium
Rashna Imam (Bangladesh), Managing Partner, Akhtar Imam & Associates
Gaoshan Junjian (China), National Program Officer, UN Population Fund China Office
Ratna Kartadjoemena (Indonesia), Partner & Director, Potato Head Family
Khaled Khatib (Syria), Officer, The White Helmets
Bulgantuya Khurelbaatar (Mongolia), Deputy Minister of Finance, Government of Mongolia
Ravi Kumar (Nepal), Founder, Code for Nepal
Sanghyun Lee (South Korea), Head of Public Policy, Airbnb
Susli Lie (Singapore), Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Dana Cita
Huy The Luong (Vietnam), LGBTI Activist, iSEE
Pradip Pariyar (Nepal), Executive Chairperson, Samata Foundation
Roshan Paul (India), Co-Founder & CEO, Amani Institute
Paul V. Rivera (Philippines), CEO & Co-Founder, Kalibrr
Abhay Saboo (India), Co-Founder, Viva Health
Ting Shih (Taiwan), Founder & CEO, ClickMedix
Roopam Sharma (India), Research Scientist & Innovator, Eyeluminati
Aiko Shimizu (Japan), Deputy Head of International Affairs, Daimler AG
Renard Siew (Malaysia), Senior Executive, Sime Darby Group
Manisha Wafeq (Afghanistan), President, Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Timothy Graham Watts (Australia), Member for Gellibrand, Parliament of Australia
Anam Zakaria (Pakistan), Independent Oral Historian, Researcher, Author & Cultural Facilitator
Namgay Zam (Bhutan), Independent Multimedia Journalist & Activist
Cherry Zhu (China), Principal, Venture Avenue Consulting
About Asia Society
Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to address a range of challenges facing Asia and the rest of the world. Asia Society has cultural centers and public buildings in New York, Hong Kong, and Houston, and offices in Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, Tokyo, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Washington, D.C., and Zurich. Across the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, Asia Society provides insight, generates ideas, and promotes collaboration between Asia and the world.
