Professor Benjamin Horton is the Director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His research concerns sea-level change. He aims to understand the mechanisms that have determined sea-level changes in the past, which will shape changes in the future. Professor Horton has won a number of research awards from European Geosciences Union, American Geophysical Union and Geological Society of America. Professor Horton is an editor for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report. Professor Horton has published over 250 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including 40 articles in high profile journals such as Science, Nature, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Bruce Hood is Professor of Developmental Psychology in Society at Bristol University since 1999. He undertook his Ph.D. in neuroscience at Cambridge followed by appointments at University College London, MIT and a faculty professor at Harvard. He researches child development, origins of superstition, self-identity and ownership. Bruce is a Fellow of the American Psychological Society, the Royal Institution of Great Britain and the British Psychological Society. His BBC Royal Institution Christmas Lectures “Meet Your Brain” were watched by over 4 million viewers and has written four popular science books published in 16 countries. Bruce’s next book about the science of happiness is published in March 2024.

Denise Dillon is Associate Professor of Psychology at James Cook University, Singapore. Her primary research focus is biophilia (love for life and lifelike processes) and she has commented on climate-related anxiety and behaviours for the Straits Times and CNA. Denise is a certified Forest Therapy Guide and is one of three pioneers of forest therapy guiding in Singapore.

Emily Soon is Lecturer of English Literature in the College of Integrative Studies and the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University. Her research focuses on cross-cultural literary engagement between Asia and Europe in the premodern and modern eras, with a particular emphasis on Southeast Asia. Her research has been published in Modern Philology, Shakespeare Survey and England’s Asian Renaissance.

George Wong is Senior Lecturer of Sociology at the School of Social Sciences in Singapore Management University. He is also a visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Wealth Management Institute (WMI). His research sits at the intersection of urban politics, regimes and governance, community development, and capital flows. He is also a trained ethnographer with a decade of experience working on public, private and people sector projects in both academic and industry settings. His current research projects include an eco-political analysis of sustainability regimes in Asian cities and a study on the role of business families and private capital on the non-profit sector as urban development. Beyond academia, he is a community organiser and town councillor where he puts theory into praxis, and vice versa.

Kelvin Tay, Managing Director of Future Mobility at Goldbell Group and CEO of BlueSG, is the driving force behind innovation and transformation within the group. He spearheads the development of new revenue streams through venture building, with the vision of positioning Goldbell as a pioneer in the future mobility landscape for smart cities. A Cornell University graduate, Kelvin's career spans eight years at the Singapore Economic Development Board, followed by executive positions in the private sector. Notably, he led over ten mergers and acquisitions across Southeast Asia and established a $10 million venture capital fund.

LinDa Saphan, a Fulbright Scholar, is an urban anthropologist and an established voice in the field of Cambodian cultural studies and has published extensively on Cambodian early popular music. She was the lead researcher and associate producer for the documentary film Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll and is an executive producer for several other film projects. She is the author of Faded Reels: The Art of Four Cambodian Filmmakers 1960-1975 published by the Royal University of Phnom Penh in 2022.

Mathew Mathews is Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. He is also Head of Social Lab, a centre of social indicator research that manages many large scale research projects including large-scale cross-sectional surveys, longitudinal panel studies, evaluations and ethnographies. He has been the lead investigator of 50 research projects and Co-investigator of about 20 other projects. Much of his research focuses on social policy issues – social cohesion, inequality, poverty and family. Mathew has served on a number of national committees and is active in the non-profit sector. 

Matthew Hammerton is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Lee Kong Chian Fellow in the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University. He is a moral philosopher whose published works cover well-being, meaning in life, moral reasoning, and Buddhist ethics.

Nicole Ooi is the current lead of Welcome In My Backyard (WIMBY), a ground-up initiative whose vision is to dispel negative stereotypes and humanise migrant workers in Singaporeans’ eyes. As a mental health advocate, Nicole is convinced that a sense of belonging is key to migrant workers’ mental well-being, and she is a strong champion for equal and meaningful interactions between migrant workers and Singaporeans. 

Rishika Selvan is a graduate community development student who is currently the Vice President and Partnership Head at Singapore Youth for Climate Action. Her work as a youth activist includes mobilising communities to promote ground-up climate action and enabling diverse voices in environmental policy-making in Singapore.

Sherman Ho is the Co-Founder of Happiness Initiative, a research-based social enterprise focused on accessible well-being skills. He leads marketing and product development, bringing innovative ideas and products – such as Let’s Unpack This and the Well-being Journal – to life. Sherman also sits on the steering committee of the SG Mental Well-being Network, a national committee which aims to build caring and inclusive communities in Singapore.

Sindhura Kalidas is a theatre practitioner and educator. She is currently an Associate Artist with The Necessary Stage (TNS) and a core team member of The Finger Players (TFP). Her recent notable credits include performing in Wild Rice’s Psychobitch (2023) and writing and co-directing TNS’s Happy Indian Women (2023). Sindhu is a recipient of the NAC Postgraduate Arts Scholarship and holds an MA (Distinction) in Dramaturgy and Writing for Performance from Goldsmiths, University of London. She hopes to continue exploring themes of race, gender, and community in future works and shed light on underrepresented and misrepresented groups in Singapore.

Justin Tse is Assistant Professor of Religion and Culture (Education) at Singapore Management University’s College of Integrative Studies. His book Sheets of Scattered Sand: Cantonese Protestants and the Secular Dream of the Pacific Rim is forthcoming this year from University of Notre Dame Press. He teaches Big Questions, as well as Publics and Privates on the Pacific Rim.

Giovanni Ko is Assistant Professor of Economics (Education) in the College of Integrative Studies at Singapore Management University. He graduated with a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA (Hons) in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge. His research interests lie at the intersection of economics, politics and law. His articles have been published in the Journal of Law and Economics and the European Journal of Political Economy. He is currently teaching the Core Curriculum course Economics and Society.