SPEAKERS, MENTORS AND JUDGES
Get ready for a lineup that will leave you in awe! Stay tuned as we unveil the stellar roster of speakers set to grace the stage at our prestigious corporate event. This extraordinary gathering will feature renowned thought leaders, trailblazing entrepreneurs, and visionary influencers who are redefining the boundaries of innovation in business. Keep an eye out for updates and be the first to discover the extraordinary minds that will ignite your imagination and propel your business to new heights.
Alex Xu, a Game/Entertainment industry veteran, boasts 29+ years of experience. He pioneered game development in China, founded indie studios, and excelled in cross-border investments. Notably, Leyou Technologies HK, under his guidance, was acquired by Tencent for 1.37 billion USD. Leading MultiMetaverse Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: MMV), he focuses on international animation and gaming IP operations.
Dr. Jia Zou is a Vice President of Engineering at Luobu (Roblox China), where he leads engineering, developer relationships, and trust and safety teams. He was former CTO of OYO China, and Former VP of Software Product and Engineering for Mobike which was acquired by Meituan in 2018. As a founding member of Uber’s China Growth team, he supported Uber China’s business up until its merger with Didi in 2016.
Managing Director of Asia Era One Co. Ltd (AERA-1), Dr. Cheung oversees the revenue service of the Airport Rail Link and the transition to expanding the network with high-speed railway. With 30+ years of experience, she’s been an advisory member of many government advisory committees, held strategic roles in HK Mass Transit Corp and Avery Dennison, and was a City University Principal Lecturer.
Alex Xu
Chief Executive Officer, MultiMetaVerse; Former CEO, Leyou Technologies
Dr. Jia Zou
VP of Engineering, Roblox China
Dr. Sara Cheung
Managing Director, Asia Era One
Mr. Yip has over 25 years of experience in the R&D management of IT solutions and computer gaming especially in massively multiplayer online role play games (MMORPG) from PC, web base to mobile versions. Currently Mr. Yip is operating a metaverse platform under Web 3.0 environment.
Julia Charlton, a solicitor since 1985, excels in corporate finance, specializing in mergers, private equity, and securities. Fluent in Mandarin, she advises international funds on investments in China, particularly in mining. Her expertise extends to regulatory matters, as evidenced by her roles in industry committees and panels in Hong Kong.
Ir. Eric Chan is the Chief Public Mission Officer of Cyberport. Chan oversees the public mission operation and the ecosystem of nurturing start-ups in HK. Chan is an ICT veteran, a chartered engineer, and a Fellow of IET (UK). Prior to Cyberport, Chan held various senior positions in global ICT companies. Chan has been active in public services, especially in education & industrial training and serves on a number of advisory committees for government and universities.
Terence Yip
Co-founder & Principal Consultant, Metaverse Corporation Limited
Julia Charlton
Managing partner, Charltons
Ir. Eric Chan
Chief Public Mission Officer, Cyberport
Patricia, General Counsel at Scroll, leads a blockchain project for Ethereum scaling. With expertise in blockchain, fintech, and banking, she guided web3 regulations at OKX and drove growth at WeLab. Formerly at HSBC and Linklaters, her career spans global finance hubs.
Lukas applies targeted AI, smart automation and knowledge-based solutions to augment HKEX’s operations. Lukas has been involved in flagship initiatives such as the acquisition of London Metal Exchange and China-Hong Kong Stock Connect. A former investment banker with Rothschild, he focused on structuring bank bailouts during the global financial crisis, most memorably those of Lehman Brothers, Fortis, ABN AMRO and the Irish banking sector.
Dr. James Zhang serves as the Chief Investment Officer for Venture Capital at Great Eagle Holdings and is an Adjunct Professor at HKUST Business School. With a rich background in venture capital, startups, and genetics, he previously worked with GRC Fund, Formation 8, Softbank China, and Khosla Ventures, showcasing a diverse skill set. Dr. Zhang holds a PhD in Genetics and has completed post-doctoral and business training at Stanford University and Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Patricia Ho
General Counsel, Scroll
Lukas Petrikas
Managing Director and Co-Head, HKEX Innovation Lab
James Zhang
Chief Investment Officer, Great Eagle Holdings
Calvin Cheng, the visionary CEO of Wizpresso, a Hong Kong-based technology firm, boasts multiple FinTech awards. As the inaugural laureate of the BOCHK Science & Technology Innovation Prize, he holds esteemed positions as a fintech guest professor at HKU Space and an MBA mentor at The University of Hong Kong.
Miles Wen, the visionary co-founder and CEO of Fano Labs, is at the forefront of AI innovation. With expertise in Automatic Speech Recognition and Natural Language Processing, Miles has led Fano Labs to remarkable success. Recognized as an IT enterprise by Hong Kong’s Innovation and Technology Fund and funded by renowned investor Horizons Ventures, Miles is also an Honorary Assistant Professor at HKU, a prolific author, and an inventive mind.
Nick Chan, a seasoned lawyer and lawmaker with a computer science background, is Chairman of HKSARG Innovation and Technology Venture Fund Advisory Committee. He’s a Partner at Squire Patton Boggs, blending legal expertise and tech insights. Chan serves on influential committees, showcasing his significant role in Hong Kong’s legal and tech sectors.
Calvin Cheng
Founder and CEO, Wizpresso
Miles Wen
Co-founder and CEO, Fano Labs
Nick Chan
MH, JP, Hon Fellow (HKUST)
Elliot (Shuo) Wang is the General Manager and Founder of Thales Medtech, a cutting-edge digital medical device company in China. Under his leadership, the company has revolutionized the dental industry with 3D smart manufacturing technology and obtained approvals from NMPA (CFDA) and FDA. Mr. Wang gained experience in smart manufacturing, consumer electronics, and new materials investments while working for a boutique venture capital firm before founding Thales Medtech.
Erich Wong is the Head of Growth for The Sandbox Hong Kong, driving business development in Greater China and building brand partnerships for the metaverse community. With a gaming and design background, he has achieved significant successes in previous roles as Chief Marketing Officer for CanvasLand NFT and Marketing Director for nxTomo Games.
Evan Auyang is the Group President of Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based blockchain company. He also serves as Chairman of Civic Exchange and on several boards. With experience at GLG International and McKinsey & Company, he brings a diverse background to his leadership role.
Elliot Wang
General Manager and CEO,
Hangzhou Thales Medical
Technology Co. Ltd
Erich Wong
Head of Growth, The Sandbox
Evan Auyang
Group President, Animoca Brands
Donna NguyenPhuoc, Managing Partner at SPARQ Capital, is a respected investor in global tech scaleups. Based in Hong Kong, she excels in due diligence, investment management, and strategic support. With a rich background spanning technology, art, and real estate, Donna aids startups in refining business plans and leveraging her extensive network.
Investment banker at HSBC and UBS turned crypto rainmaker, Jerome has advised and invested in 60+ projects, including Dapper Labs, Animoca Brands, Sandbox and Immutable. Wearing both hats of an investor and an entrepreneur, he also built and incubated multiple technology infrastructures to reshape internet culture for financial inclusion.
Bertha is a passionate advocate for conscious living, known for conducting eco-educational workshops with businesses, schools, and NGOs. As the creative force behind Earthero Studio, she curates sustainable events and exhibits. Her blog, Earthero Project, promotes accessible eco-habits. Bertha’s background includes roles as a Real Estate Development Analyst. Committed to a greener future, she founded Earthero Project in 2018.
Donna NguyenPhuoc
Managing Partner, SPARQ Capital
Jerome Wong
Co-founder & Chief Business Officer, Everest Ventures Group
Bertha Shum
Founder, Earthero Studio
Akina Ho is a Co-founder & APAC Lead Ambassador at AllstarsWomen DAO, Board Advisor to BEETc & Co-Founder of HK Proptech Alliance. She served as the Head of Digital Transformation & Innovation and a member of the Investment Committee at Great Eagle Holdings. Over 20+ years of web2 & web3 experiences from Silicon Valley to Asia.
Oat Jirapath is the co-founder and CEO of SHOUT! He has formerly held positions in Business Development at Rabbit’s Tale (Digital Agency), Product Owner at Pickle (SME Influencer Matching Platform), and co-founder and CEO at Serb (Service Booking Platform).
Derek Kwik
Managing Partner, BraveSoldier Venture Capital
Akina Ho
Co-founder & APAC Lead Ambassador, AllstarsWomen DAO; Board Advisor, BEETc; Former Head of Digital Transformation, Great Eagle Holdings
Oat Jirapath
Co-founder and CEO, SHOUT!
Chan Ahn is the Chief Technology Officer of ALEXGO, building finance on Bitcoin, the most decentralized and secure blockchain. Prior to joining ALEXGO, Chan spent 17 years in the finance industry, building financial derivatives at the likes of Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Credit Suisse, in Hong Kong, New York and London. Chan has PhD in Computational Finance and BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science both from Imperial College London.
Joshua is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Mind AI, which is a prominent South Korean AI startup known for its advanced symbolic reasoning engine. He also established Synesis One, the first Solana-based AI data crowdsourcing platform. Since 2017, his web3 ventures peaked at $2.7B market cap in aggregate with $100M+ in venture capital raised. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Sho Dewan is the founder and CEO of Workhap, where he has helped thousands of people land their dream jobs. He’s been recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice for job search and careers and posts career advice daily on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
Chan Ahn
Chief Technology Officer, ALEXGO
Joshua Hong
Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Mind AI
Sho Dewan
Career Coach, CEO and Founder, Workhap
Christine Deschemin is a rocket scientist, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate. With two Masters of Science degrees and an MBA from Harvard, she founded UpNow Health, a mental health platform. Christine has spoken at esteemed institutions such as Asia Society and HSBC, and has expertise in AI, CV, ML, and app architecture. She’s dedicated to making mental health resources accessible to users worldwide.
Stacy Ho is a visionary youth leader, passionate about uplifting and empowering others through Web3 education. She brings extensive experience in education and innovation to her role as founder of LearnFI, a Web3 education company dedicated to making a positive impact on communities worldwide.
Jeffrey is a Hong Kong based Dutch entrepreneur turned venture advisor for derisking funding and M&A projects, with focus on technology innovation, working on bridging UX, business, stakeholders, user and design. He (co-)founded multiple businesses, including SmartLoop.ai in Palo Alto. He is actively involved in programs like HKUMed’s Biomedical Innovation Team and has served as Program Director for Accenture’s FinTech Innovation Lab APAC. He advises a blockchain VC fund, startup projects, and Graviton, an India-based Web3 Accelerator.
Christine Deschemin
Founder & CEO, Renewed Edge Hypnotherapy & Counselling Centre; Founder & CEO, UpNow Health; Hong Kong Hypnotherapy Association, Chairman
Stacy Ho
Founder, LearnFi
Jeffrey Broer
Advisor, Mulana VC
Jeanne Lim is the co-founder and CEO of beingAI, creating artificially intelligent virtual agents (“AI beings®) that blend art, technology, and psychology for positive AI-human engagement. With 25+ years in tech marketing, she was previously CEO and CMO of Hanson Robotics and held roles at Dell, Cisco, Danaher, and Apple. She holds a Ph.D. in integrated health, an MBA from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and a BA in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley and is passionate about AI’s positive impact on humanity.
Tracy is an award-winning personal branding & image consultant, and is the founder and director of Frame & Fame Personal Branding, a personal brand consulting and executive coaching firm dedicated to supporting senior executives, managers, and business owners to fast track their career success. Tracy is also a certified International Business Etiquette and Multicultural Communication Specialist, Gallup CliftonStrengths coach, DiSC trainer and visual facilitator. She is a co-author of an Amazon best-selling book, “#MyVoice”.
Alfonso Ballesteros is the founder of Crossbow, a firm specialized in accelerating the growth of startups in Asia using Hong Kong as a platform and has been helping companies expand into Asia since 2004. As a business development specialist, he leverages his 19 years in Hong Kong, wide network and experience as founder of 2 companies to provide solid strategic partnerships and robust growth. Recently elected Chairman of the Europe Committee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC).
Jeanne Lim
Co-founder and CEO, beingAI
Tracy Ho
Personal Branding & Image Consultant, Executive Presence Coach, Managing Director, Frame & Fame Personal Branding
Alfonso Ballesteros
Founder and Director, Crossbow
Angela Feng, co-founder of ness wellness, is a seasoned wellness leader with diverse expertise. Her workshops blend strategic thinking, leadership, and personal growth insights. Angela’s mission is to inspire holistic well-being and balance in individuals and organizations through engaging speaking and workshops.
Inspired by his mother’s health issues, Cavan combines Functional Medicine and corporate acumen to advocate a new breed of ‘Corporate Athlete’ — promoting mental wellness through health optimization. As a dedicated Sleep & Performance Coach, he hopes to shed light on those who are lost in fatigue and the daily routine, guiding them towards a vibrant, high-performing, and joyful life.
Matt is a technology journalist with over a decade of experience covering the Asian tech market. He is currently an editor on the South China Morning Post’s technology desk, where he leads coverage of the emerging Web3 ecosystem and writes about the intersection of technology and international trade.
Angela Feng
Co-Founder, Ness wellness
Cavan Chan
Sleep & Functional Medicine Health Coach; Corporate trainer; High-performance Life Stylist
Matt Haldane
Production Editor, Technology at South China Morning Post
With over 20 years in the tech industry, Carman spent a decade as a tech columnist and 13 years as an Internet/mobile startup founder. After multiple successful exits, she founded Click Ventures, investing in 50 early-stage startups over nine years. In 2022, she turned Click Ventures into her Single Family Office and began supporting Emerging Managers in the LP journey, investing in 11 funds. She received a PhD offer from Imperial College, and majored in Pure Math.
Christina Pantin is a founding member of Web3 Women, runs her own communications consultancy, and most recently led Bullish’s communications. She is an active moderator, emcee and presenter. Based in Hong Kong, she joined the crypto exchange’s parent company Block.one in 2019 after senior roles at public relations agencies in Hong Kong, New York and Orlando. Previously, Christina led the product PR team at Samsung America. She started her career as a financial journalist with Reuters, working in senior roles in New York, Dallas, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and India for over 20 years.
Hao, the CEO and founder of Web3Go, has been immersed in the crypto realm since 2018, specializing in AI and on-chain data. Under his leadership, Web3Go, an AI-driven network, bridges on-chain and off-chain data, garnering investments from Binance Labs and Hashkey.
Carman Chan
Founder, Click Ventures
Christina Pantin
Founding Member, Web3 Women
Hao Ding
CEO, Web3Go
Maggie Lau is a Commercial Specialist in Hong Kong, overseeing Environmental Technologies, Education, and Travel and Tourism sectors. She also leads SelectUSA Tech, helping Hong Kong startups expand into the US. With a background in startups, marketing, and community building, Maggie was General Manager at SuperMatter, connecting deep tech startups with corporates. She founded Sam the Local, a peer-to-peer tourism platform that won Google’s Empowering Young Entrepreneurs grand award.
A serial entrepreneur in fashion jewelry, tourism, and innovative technology (pet technology and WEB3.0), Elaine Shu has received numerous local and international awards for her innovative approach and achievement over 12 years, including Hong Kong Outstanding Young Entrepreneur.
Sean is the CEO of “Nien Tai Medical Instruments” and the founder of “SJ Investments”. Sean is an accomplished professional and provides companies with business guidance, financing, and PreIPO coaching. With expertise in equity negotiation integration, industrial integration, and strategic mergers and acquisitions, he offers valuable insights to the companies he works with. Skilled in SPV company project management, Sean drives successful outcomes and fosters sustainable business development.
Maggie Lau
Commercial Specialist, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce
Elaine Shiu
Chairlady, Youth Innovation Development Charity and CEO, PetSense Limited
Sean Chen
Founder, SJ Investments
Tobias Bauer is a Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund which invests in and venture builds top-tier startups. He is a Startup Mentor for 500 Startups, APX, PlugAndPlay, NUMA New York, Alchemist Accelerator, and a Venture Partner of Republic. He worked in the investment team of Chinaccelerator, one of the global elite accelerator programs operated by the venture fund SOSV with $907M+ AUM in China.
Augustine, a Partner and CFO at SignalPlus, a HK/SG tech firm in digital assets. Former 10yr Goldman Sachs trader specializing in US interest rates, with global experience. CIO for HK family offices, diversifying into private equity, real estate, and more. Leslie Wong Fellow, CFA Charterholder, and UBC First Class Honours graduate.
Andy Lee, CEO of Mugen Interactive, is a gaming expert turned Web3 innovator. At Tencent Games, he oversaw multimillion-dollar mobile titles and spearheaded entry into India’s market. In his WeLab tenure, he drove FinTech expansion and initiated ventures in privacy computing, digital banking, and SaaS. Formerly an investment analyst at Merrill Lynch.
Tobias Bauer
Partner, Blockchain Founders Fund
Augustine Fan
Partner and CFO, SignalPlus
Andy Lee
CEO, Mugen Interactive
Ryan’s mission is to onboard the next wave of Hong Kong web3 ventures that solve real world problems on chain. As the previous head of digital & marketing at OSL & Prenetics, he’s a seasoned growth marketer in scaling startups from 0 to 1 to exit.
Scarlett began her professional journey in the field of consulting before transitioning to a prominent VC, Gobi Partners. She went on to join Hailstone Labs, a distinguished Web3 venture studio in Asia. As the Executive Director, she plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s strategic direction, spearheading research initiatives, and making critical investment decisions.
Michael is the COO at Gusto Collective, focusing on business strategy, product development, and regional expansion. He was a key member at WeLab Bank, leading the development of digital banking products and user engagement strategies. With over 15 years in institutional finance, he has a strong track record in electronic trading and digitization.
Ryan He
Co-Founder ICP.Hub Hong Kong
Scarlett Ho
Executive Director, Hailstone Labs
Michael Ng
Chief Operating Officer, Gusto Collective Group
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Interested in speaking? Please contact relena@jumpstartmag.com with the subject line “Jumpstart Startmeup 2023 – Speaking opportunity”
