Question 1

Martin Bonney - Educator & Artist

Accepted Answer

Martin is the lecturer-in-charge at LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore on the BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Textiles course. He coordinates the textiles disciplines and supervises student research across all 3 levels among other duties. He holds a Ma in Textiles and Innovation from Nottingham Trent University, and a PGCHE from Falmouth University in the UK, where he challenged the notions of textile craft contemporary processes in teaching and practice. Martin was awarded the junior researcher award in 2022 at IFFTI an international fashion conference for his work in this field and former Texprint Graduate way back in 2016.  His work has been showcased and continues to be featured across the world from New York, London, Paris, Singapore and Shanghai.

Martin’s research sits at the intersection between fashion design and textiles, fine art and craft practices, where he explores notions of traditional craft within Southeast Asia, and textile theory within expanded fashion fields. He continues to explore practice-as-research within fashion and textiles and is currently active in a number of international sustainable objectives within education.  He is on the Education Committee at the International Foundation of Fashion and Textiles Institutes, IFFTI through LASALLE College of the Arts for global exchange and network.

Question 2

Anisa Johnny- Educator & Social Entrepreneur

Accepted Answer

Anisa has spent over 15 years doing a variety of roles in the fashion industry in the UK and more recently Singapore. From training in the buying office at Marks & Spencers Head Office, launching her own fashion brand with clients across Europe, to working her way up to a consultant for TopShop. Anisa cut her teeth on design thinking and branding whilst establishing one of London's best heritage buildings into a unique venue as part of her postgraduate research.  She then transitioned to academia, spending the last 7 years as a Senior Lecturer in Fashion Marketing & Management. Her area of expertise is in sustainability, branding and entrepreneurship. In 2012 she co-founded a social enterprise which became Style Nomads, training single Mums to jewellery so they can look after their children. Anisa currently volunteers with the social enterprise and enjoys mentoring brands that want to create social impact.

Question 3

Lara Rath and Anuja Aggarwal - Secondsguru Cofounders

Accepted Answer

Lara Rath and Anuja Aggarwal are the co-founders of Secondsguru. They set up their social enterprise in 2014, pivoting away from their respective careers in media and finance towards a world where "Caring for the planet is everyone's business!".
Lara has over a decade of experience in the finance industry having worked in financial institutions across Singapore, Hong Kong and India. She has an undergraduate degree in Economics with an MBA majoring in Finance and Marketing. Anuja has written for financial publications in India and Hong Kong. She earned her undergraduate degree in Commerce, followed with an MBA majoring in Finance and Marketing and a diploma in Communications.
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Both founders set aside time to mentor and support the eco-community in Singapore  - they have been involved as judges and mentors at various hackathons and youth challenges by NYC, SMU, NTU among others. Via Secondsguru, the duo have been focusing to create impact via educational initiatives in the community.Secondsguru is on a mission to promote eco awareness and environmental action. It runs corporate workshops to promote planet-positive action (yes virtual sessions too!) and also conducts outreach programmes to give back to the community. Plus, the portal Secondsguru.com is a one-stop informational source for anyone looking for a greener lifestyle. With the motto "Green Living. Made Easy.", it focuses on solutions that make sustainable living a fun, creative and practical goal for all.

Question 4

Melissa Tan  - Climate Action Influencer

Accepted Answer

Melissa Tan is a Climate Action and Sustainability Advocate, TV host, model, and actress. A passionate environmental speaker, she produces events such as The Conscious Market, Fashion Revolution Week at REXKL, and clothes swaps to engage the public in sustainable living.

She is the only Malaysian ambassador of EarthDay.org and is a Climate Reality Leader trained under Al Gore. She currently leads the Malaysia country office for Fashion Revolution, the world's largest fashion activism movement.

Melissa connects to a wide, mainstream audience through her social media and website, creating digital content in sustainable living and fashion, climate action and other areas of the circular economy. She works with numerous organisations and facilitates sustainability programs that promote waste reduction at home and in the workplace, regularly collaborating with BCorps and international brands.

Question 5

Mayur Singh - The Green Collective Cofounder & Investor

Accepted Answer

As an impact driven entrepreneur, Mayur Singh is passionate about sustainability and building ‘tech for good’ businesses. Mayur has lived in four countries and co-founded three companies across Asia and Europe. He is currently the co-founder of Green Collective SG – a venture builder for sustainable D2C brands based out of Singapore.

Before starting on his entrepreneurial journey, Mayur had over a decade of experience across investments, corporate strategy, turnaround management and business development.
Mayur has an undergraduate degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, India with an MBA majoring in Finance and Strategy from Indian School of Business. Mayur is also a HIVE Global leader and UNLEASH Talent.

A firm believer in accelerating the path towards sustainable development, Mayur is a strong advocate of building businesses with a purpose and inclusive growth and is actively involved in mentoring, advising and investing in early stage tech ventures in alternative meat, cleantech and agri-tech space.

Question 6

Vivian Lim - The Idea Co Founder

Accepted Answer

Vivian is a community builder and license holder for TEDxSingapore. She was part of the co-founding team at TEDxNTU, where she curated years of Ideas Worth Spreading since 2011. Building communities has always been her passion, and she believes in the importance of curating impactful ideas and conversations that matter for our society.

She is also the co-founder of GEN (previously Women In Asia), where her work focuses on building a new roadmap to a more equitable society that embraces diversity and promotes inclusivity. She hopes to change the current narratives and build more contextualized case studies for a more equitable future- starting from Asia.

Most recently, she was recognised as NTU Outstanding Young Alumni Award by Nanyang Technological University for achievements in community engagement and activation, and gender related work.

She was also selected as an Obama Leader in 2019, one of the 200 leaders on a year long program under The Obama Foundation Leaders: inaugural Asia-Pacific Program. Representing Singapore, she was chosen for Women In Asia’s work on gender-related issues in the region.

In 2020, she was recognised by Gen.T (Tatler) as one of the 400 leaders of tomorrow in Asia leading change and social impact. Her work in building inclusive communities and bridging gender equality has been featured by the publication as well.

Question 7

Jasmine Tuan and Yin Ling Tan - Cloop Cofounders

Accepted Answer

Cloop founders aims to reduce fashion overconsumption and waste by keeping apparels circulated within the community through their Cloop Cycle.

Question 8

Priyanka Shahra - Swapaholic & One With Earth Founder

Accepted Answer

As a former shopaholic (turned Swapaholic), Priyanka Shahra was shocked to learn of thecolossal environmental and social hazardsthat exist through the textile lifecycle as late as 2015.

Being from a fairly exposed and well educated background, it came as a surprisethat someone like her was unaware such ansignificant fact. Whilst pursuing a Certificate in Sustainabilityand a parallel Masters Degree in Strategic Design Management, she began to study the industry and quickly learnt that there were many others like her in cosmopolitan milieus who were shielded from this knowledge.

Swapaholic was born to create an alternate platform for fashion lovers like herself to beable express their personal style without compromising our planet. Swapaholic Priyanka believes that fashion doesn’t haveto cost the earth - literally.

Priyanka’s experience with entrepreneurshipbegun in 2010, when she cofounded the brandsolutions company, A Brand New Day (ABND)in India. Realising her creative passions were most ignited by projects that uplifted society, she transferred her enterprise innovation skills into founding the social enterprise, One With Earth (OWE) in 2015. In alignment with the UN’sSustainable Goals, OWE was born from the epiphany that all initiatives, for profit or otherwise OWE it to the earth to act responsibly.

One With Earth is a social enterprise that nurtures, supports, develops and partners with solution based-initiatives that are socially and/or environmentally sustainable. OWE’s portfolio consists of a range of diverse impactdriven projects that focus on Textile Sustainability, Education, Community Welfare as well as Sustainability Consulting.

Aside from meaningful entrepreneurship, Priyanka has been fortuitous to experience fulfilment through enriching opportunities such as; being on the board of the prestigious Shirin Fozdar Programme under the SMU President’s Office; teaching Visual Expression at Ecole Intuit Lab; using her training in Hindustani Classical Music to set up a successful vocal music program at SPJ Sadhna School as a means of speech therapy to mentally challenged children; delivering a TedX speech; pursuing a certificate in Sustainability from Harvard Extension School; attaining a MS in Strategic Design Management from Parsons New School.

B LAB SINGAPORE

French Filmmaker and
Animal Rights Activist

BOLD AT WORK

Founder
ZERRIN

SWAPAHOLIC

Founder & CEO
Swapaholic

Martin Bonney - Educator & Artist

Anisa Johnny- Educator & Social Entrepreneur

Lara Rath and Anuja Aggarwal - Secondsguru Cofounders

Melissa Tan - Climate Action Influencer

Mayur Singh - The Green Collective Cofounder & Investor

Vivian Lim - The Idea Co Founder

Jasmine Tuan and Yin Ling Tan - Cloop Cofounders

Priyanka Shahra - Swapaholic & One With Earth Founder

B LAB SINGAPORE

French Filmmaker and Animal Rights Activist

BOLD AT WORK

Founder ZERRIN

SWAPAHOLIC

Founder & CEO Swapaholic

Martin Bonney - Educator & Artist

Anisa Johnny- Educator & Social Entrepreneur

Lara Rath and Anuja Aggarwal - Secondsguru Cofounders

Melissa Tan - Climate Action Influencer

Mayur Singh - The Green Collective Cofounder & Investor

Vivian Lim - The Idea Co Founder

Jasmine Tuan and Yin Ling Tan - Cloop Cofounders

Priyanka Shahra - Swapaholic & One With Earth Founder

French Filmmaker and
Animal Rights Activist

Founder
ZERRIN

Founder & CEO
Swapaholic