You have successfully subscribed!
Language: English, Putonghua and Cantonese (Simultaneous interpretation in English, Putonghua, Cantonese and Sign Language)
English, Putonghua and Cantonese (Simultaneous interpretation in English, Putonghua, Cantonese and Sign Language)
Speakers:
Chairperson, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
A graduate of Pomona College in California, Mr. Bernard Charnwut Chan is the Chairman and President of the publicly-listed Asia Financial Holdings and Chairman of Asia Insurance. He is Chairman of the Hong Kong – Thailand Business Council and an advisor to Bangkok Bank (China) Co. Ltd. He sits on the boards of several local and overseas companies in financial services and is a director of Bumrungrad Hospital Public Company in Thailand.
Bernard has a long record of public service. He is Chairperson of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club. A patron of the arts, he is Chairman of M Plus Museum Ltd. and Tai Kwun Culture & Arts Co. Ltd. He is also Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute and Chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation.
He was a Hong Kong Deputy to the National People’s Congress of The People’s Republic of China (2008-2023) and the previous Convenor of the Non-Official Members of the Executive Council (2017-2022). He is a former non-official member of Hong Kong’s Executive Council (2004-09 and 2012-2022) and former member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (1998-2008) representing the insurance industry.
Other past positions including Council Chair of Lingnan University, Chairman of the Hong Kong Palace Museum Ltd., Chairman of the Council for Sustainable Development, Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings and Chairman of the two Standing Committees on Disciplined Services and Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service.
He has been conferred honorary degrees from Lingnan University, City University of Hong Kong, Open University of Hong Kong and Savannah College of Art and Design. He is also a Trustee Emeritus of Pomona College.
Bernard was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2002, and Commander (3rd Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand in 2004. In 2006, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government, and in 2020 he received Hong Kong’s highest honor, the Grand Bauhinia Medal.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Professor, Department of Social Governance and Ecological Advancement, National Academy of Governance, People's Republic of China
Prof. Ma Xiu-lian is the professor in the Department of Social Governance and Ecological Advancement, National Academy of Governance in China. After gaining her Ph.D. in Sociology and Master in Statistics from the University of Utah, she joined the China National Academy of Governance. She serves as an expert for the Science and Technology Commission, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in PRC.
Prof. Ma's research areas include housing policy, urban studies, social policy & governance. Her major works include Perspective on Affordable Housing: Practice, Experience and Lessons in US (2012, Social Sciences Academic Press: Beijing), City and State under Globalization: A Network Approach (2018, LAP LAMBERT). She also widely publishes in Chinese journals like Sociological Study, Journal of Public Management, Chinese Public Administration, as well as in English journals like Urban Studies, City & Community, Cities and Housing Studies. As principal investigator, she has presided over more than 10 projects at national and provincial level, including those from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and National Social Science Fund of China.
Before studying in USA, Prof. Ma obtained a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Renmin University of China, and later became a journalist in Economic Daily and won the China News Award. During her studying in USA, she also won the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad, and the United States National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Award and etc. She was a visiting scholar at Stanford University during 2017-2018, and interned as a deputy director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau in Yantai Municipality during 2018-2019.
Chief Executive Officer, Social Innovation Exchange (SIX), United Kingdom
Ms Louise Pulford had led Social Innovation Exchange (SIX) for over a decade, and now leads a global team based in London, Spain and Saudi Arabia. Under her leadership, SIX has hosted events across six continents in over 30 cities, engaging over 5,000 people. SIX has developed from being the world's primary social innovation network to now running major programmes to help philanthropy, companies and governments embrace social innovation and prepare for future challenges more effectively.
Louise has worked on social innovation with the European Commission since 2010, and advises several European projects. Louise also sat on the Advisory group for social innovation for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and worked with the Mayor of Seoul to embed social innovation and community engagement into the city agendas. Louise now works with other cities in Europe and the Middle East helping them engage citizens and prepare for the future.
Louise is a seasoned speaker on cross sector/border collaboration, bridge building, future thinking and social innovation globally. She regularly runs social innovation training programmes for governments, foundations and universities around the world. Louise also publishes regular articles on networks and social innovation.
Chief Executive, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Mr. Chua Hoi-wai is the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), which represents over 500 non-governmental social services organisations. The HKCSS aims at building a socially sustainable society through enhancing the development of social services and policies. The HKCSS provides a joint platform for cross-sectoral collaboration and social innovation, and has championed gerontechnology and transitional social housing in recent years
Mr. Chua is a graduate of the University of Hong Kong in Mechanical Engineering. He studied Master of Social Work at University of Illinois at Chicago and is now a social worker by profession. He was the President of the Hong Kong Social Workers Association (2004 – 2008).
Language: English, Putonghua and Cantonese
English, Putonghua and Cantonese
Speakers:
Chairperson, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
A graduate of Pomona College in California, Mr. Bernard Charnwut Chan is the Chairman and President of the publicly-listed Asia Financial Holdings and Chairman of Asia Insurance. He is Chairman of the Hong Kong – Thailand Business Council and an advisor to Bangkok Bank (China) Co. Ltd. He sits on the boards of several local and overseas companies in financial services and is a director of Bumrungrad Hospital Public Company in Thailand.
Bernard has a long record of public service. He is Chairperson of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club. A patron of the arts, he is Chairman of M Plus Museum Ltd. and Tai Kwun Culture & Arts Co. Ltd. He is also Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute and Chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation.
He was a Hong Kong Deputy to the National People’s Congress of The People’s Republic of China (2008-2023) and the previous Convenor of the Non-Official Members of the Executive Council (2017-2022). He is a former non-official member of Hong Kong’s Executive Council (2004-09 and 2012-2022) and former member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (1998-2008) representing the insurance industry.
Other past positions including Council Chair of Lingnan University, Chairman of the Hong Kong Palace Museum Ltd., Chairman of the Council for Sustainable Development, Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings and Chairman of the two Standing Committees on Disciplined Services and Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service.
He has been conferred honorary degrees from Lingnan University, City University of Hong Kong, Open University of Hong Kong and Savannah College of Art and Design. He is also a Trustee Emeritus of Pomona College.
Bernard was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2002, and Commander (3rd Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand in 2004. In 2006, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government, and in 2020 he received Hong Kong’s highest honor, the Grand Bauhinia Medal.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Professor, Department of Social Governance and Ecological Advancement, National Academy of Governance, People's Republic of China
Prof. Ma Xiu-lian is the professor in the Department of Social Governance and Ecological Advancement, National Academy of Governance in China. After gaining her Ph.D. in Sociology and Master in Statistics from the University of Utah, she joined the China National Academy of Governance. She serves as an expert for the Science and Technology Commission, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in PRC.
Prof. Ma's research areas include housing policy, urban studies, social policy & governance. Her major works include Perspective on Affordable Housing: Practice, Experience and Lessons in US (2012, Social Sciences Academic Press: Beijing), City and State under Globalization: A Network Approach (2018, LAP LAMBERT). She also widely publishes in Chinese journals like Sociological Study, Journal of Public Management, Chinese Public Administration, as well as in English journals like Urban Studies, City & Community, Cities and Housing Studies. As principal investigator, she has presided over more than 10 projects at national and provincial level, including those from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and National Social Science Fund of China.
Before studying in USA, Prof. Ma obtained a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Renmin University of China, and later became a journalist in Economic Daily and won the China News Award. During her studying in USA, she also won the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad, and the United States National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Award and etc. She was a visiting scholar at Stanford University during 2017-2018, and interned as a deputy director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau in Yantai Municipality during 2018-2019.
Chief Executive Officer, Social Innovation Exchange (SIX), United Kingdom
Ms Louise Pulford had led Social Innovation Exchange (SIX) for over a decade, and now leads a global team based in London, Spain and Saudi Arabia. Under her leadership, SIX has hosted events across six continents in over 30 cities, engaging over 5,000 people. SIX has developed from being the world's primary social innovation network to now running major programmes to help philanthropy, companies and governments embrace social innovation and prepare for future challenges more effectively.
Louise has worked on social innovation with the European Commission since 2010, and advises several European projects. Louise also sat on the Advisory group for social innovation for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and worked with the Mayor of Seoul to embed social innovation and community engagement into the city agendas. Louise now works with other cities in Europe and the Middle East helping them engage citizens and prepare for the future.
Louise is a seasoned speaker on cross sector/border collaboration, bridge building, future thinking and social innovation globally. She regularly runs social innovation training programmes for governments, foundations and universities around the world. Louise also publishes regular articles on networks and social innovation.
Chief Executive, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Mr. Chua Hoi-wai is the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), which represents over 500 non-governmental social services organisations. The HKCSS aims at building a socially sustainable society through enhancing the development of social services and policies. The HKCSS provides a joint platform for cross-sectoral collaboration and social innovation, and has championed gerontechnology and transitional social housing in recent years
Mr. Chua is a graduate of the University of Hong Kong in Mechanical Engineering. He studied Master of Social Work at University of Illinois at Chicago and is now a social worker by profession. He was the President of the Hong Kong Social Workers Association (2004 – 2008).
Language: Cantonese and Putonghua (Simultaneous interpretation in English, Putonghua and Cantonese)
Cantonese and Putonghua (Simultaneous interpretation in English, Putonghua and Cantonese)
Moderators:
Chairperson, Specialized Committee on Elderly Service
Chief Consultant, Ma Kam Wah & Co
Mr Timothy K. W. Ma is the Founding Executive Director of Senior Citizen Home Safety Association. He is also the co-founding member of the Hong Kong Social Entrepreneurship Forum with Dr K.K. Tse. He is currently the Council Member of the Hong Kong Chamber of Social Enterprises. He has served as the core member of the Organising Committee for the annual Social Enterprise Summit in Hong Kong since 2010. He was awarded Outstanding Social Entrepreneurship of East Asia on 2009 by the SCHWAB Foundation. He also serves as a member of the Expert Network at the Global Agenda Council of World Economic Forum, ex-Member of Elderly Commission of HKSAR Government. He had served as the Executive Director of Project Flame – Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation, Department of Public Policy, The City University of Hong Kong. He serves as Advisors in various organisations, such as Hong Kong Elderly Service Association, Council member of Banyan Elderly Services as well as Honourary Advisor of Sai Kung District Community Centre.
Speakers:
Executive Director, Great Bay Smart Linked Company Limited
Mr. Michael Xu Lingyun has been engaged in the senior care industry in Mainland China for over 15 years. He has successively served as the CEO of Aveo China, the General Manager of China Merchants Shekou Elderly Care Business Department, and the Executive President of Fosun Healthcares Group. He has established the representative CCRC project Shanghai Tiandi Health City, and the state-owned enterprise China Merchants Seniro Care brand "China Merchants Guanyi", and established Guanyi Senior care institutions in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou. During working at Fosun Group, his represented projects include Foshan Chancheng Medical and Senior care Complex, Ningbo Xingjian Lanting CCRC, etc.
In 2023, Mr. Xu founded the Great Bay Smart Linked Company in Hong Kong, aiming to promote the integration of the Senior care industry in the Great Bay Area from the perspectives of intelligence.
Mr. Xu graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Huazhong University of Science and Technology and a Master's degree in Finance from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics. In his early years, he worked for the listed company Gemdale Group and held positions such as Assistant General Manager of the Capital Department.
Assistant Director, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Limited
Ms Cannis Chan is the Assistant Director of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council, primarily responsible for rehabilitation services and Mainland projects. Since 2007, she has been actively involved in the management and specialised training of elderly care institutions in the Mainland, as well as social work talent development and supervision. Additionally, she has received visits and engaged in exchanges with civil affairs departments, social service organizations, universities, and enterprises from different provinces and cities in the Mainland. Ms Chan has also shared her experiences at various elderly care service seminars in the Mainland. In January 2024, she was invited to attend the National Standard Symposium on “Guidelines for Social Work Services for the Elderly” cum the Exchange Meeting on Social Work Services in Elderly Care Institutions. She is currently involving in formulating the “Care Service Standard for the Elderly with Cognitive Impairment” in Mainland.
Ms Chan has obtained a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a Master’s degree in Clinical Gerontology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Elderly Services Director, Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club
Mr. Louie Wing-bong is a Social Worker and the Elderly Services Director of the Hong Kong Chinese Women’s Club. He graduated from the University of Hong Kong and earned a bachelor's degree in Social Work and a master’s degree in Behavioral Health. The Hong Kong Chinese Women’s Club developed the "e-ICP" system and the "e-護存" and began its digitalization of date management in elderly units since 2005 for Clinical Service Monitoring and Quality Control System.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Founder & CEO, World Green Organisation
Dr. William Yu is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of World Green Organisation (WGO). Dr. Yu is an energy economist and climate professional by training and completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge. He also earned an Executive MBA degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in the U.S. Dr. Yu had gained valuable regional management experience by working at US multinationals and a financial institution. He is currently the Adjunct Professor of several local and overseas universities. Dr. Yu has successfully organised a Climate Finance and Sustainable Investing Conference with the United Nations (UNESCAP) in Hong Kong.
Dr. Yu is the ESBN Task Force Member of The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) of the United Nations. He also serves as Chairman in the Judging Panel of BDO ESG Award and Deputy Chairman in Smart Living Award under HKICT Award. He is a Faculty of The Hong Kong Green Building Council. Dr. Yu belongs to the Air Quality Objectives Review Working Group of HK Environmental Protection Department, and is a Member of the Appeal Board Panel, Town Planning as well as Sustainable Development Council, HKSAR Government. He advises investment banks and accounting firms on Sustainable Investing. Dr. Yu is also appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director of a publicly listed company.
Dr. Yu is currently member of Real Estate Working Group, Hong Kong Green Finance Association and Project Leader of Asian Corporate Coalition for Climate Change Resilience (A4CR) for corporate transition to Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
Speakers:
Co-founder and CEO, CarbonCare InnoLab
Mr. Chong Chan-yau is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of CarbonCare InnoLab and a member of the Board of Director of Climate Finance Asia.
He served in the HKSAR Government as an Administrative Officer. He also served as an Executive Director of Oxfam Hong Kong and a member of the Board of Directors of Oxfam International. He then joined the University of Hong Kong as the Director of Student Development for its Centre for Development and Resources for Students. Mr. Chong is active in promoting civil society in Hong Kong. He has been the President of the Hong Kong Blind Union, and a member of the Education and Publicity Subcommittee of the Council for Sustainable Development, which is an advisory committee to the HKSAR Government on sustainability issues.
Mr. Chong has received the Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award in 1991 and the MBE honour in 1995 for his outstanding service to the Hong Kong community. In 2012, Mr. Chong has been awarded one of the "Leaders of 2011" by the Sing Tao Publishing Co Ltd and the Honorary Fellowship by the University of Hong Kong. Mr. Chong is a graduate from the University of Hong Kong. He obtained a Master's degree in Information Systems from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Chief Executive, Land Education Foundation
Mr. Loong Tsz-wai is the Chief Executive of Land Education Foundation. Mr. Loong is academically trained as a scientist and political theorist and has professionally grown as a community organiser and campaigner. He is actively involved in walkability, sustainability and community engagement projects. Four years ago, he started his adventure with community-supported agriculture and farmland conservation in villages. Recently, he opened a community hub called "Good Old Soil" to sell made-in-Lantau products, including the craft beer made by wampee fruit produced in the Lantau.
Believer in asset-based community development. He is a book writer and columnist and the HKJC Chicago Booth EMBA Scholar.
Senior Social Work Supervisor, Caritas Labour-Friendly Communities Project
Mr. Benjamin Sin obtained his Master of Social Work degree from the University of Hong Kong in 2002 and shortly joined the Caritas - Hong Kong, having led teams in Sham Shui Po, Cheung Chau, Pokfulam, Aberdeen, Sai Ying Pun, Shek Tong Tsui and Kennedy Town. He is currently Senior Social Work Supervisor of Caritas Mok Cheung Sui Kun Community Centre, practicing Asset-based Community Development approach to conserve historical neighbourhoods, promote poverty alleviation, foster community resilience, and deliver social innovation. Benjamin has implemented community-based projects like The Pokfulam Farm, JC Healthy Neighbourhood Kitchen, Labour-friendly Communities Project, and Magic Lanes Studio. He is invited to be honorary adviser of Health in Action, selected as JC InnoPower Social Worker Fellow, and elected as member of Standing Committee on Policy Research & Advocacy of HKCSS in 2022/23.
Community Partnership Officer, Caritas Labour-Friendly Communities Project
Ms Fish Tsoi is a social worker and community convenor who integrates social service work with social innovation. She is currently Community Partnership Officer of Caritas Labour Friendly Community Project. She engages in community affairs and development, serves the underprivileged groups (e.g. cleaners and grassroots women) by encouraging their community participation and self-empowerment. She co-founded "Translate for Her" to promote gender and racial equality. She also founded "Sightfeeling" to promote sensory photography taken by the visually impaired. Fish is selected as JC InnoPower Social Worker Fellow, board member of Translate for Her.
Senior Manager (Community Resilience), Hong Kong Red Cross
Ms Eva Yeung is the Senior Manager of Community Resilience Service at the Hong Kong Red Cross. Ms Yeung is passionate about promoting participatory development and community resilience. Over the years, she has been actively involved in humanitarian development work, both locally and internationally, including disaster relief and preparedness. Since 2014, she has been a core member of the International Red Cross Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group and the Urban Community Resilience Group focusing on research related to community resilience development and climate related disasters.
In recent years, Eva has placed special emphasis on enhancing resilience in high-risk areas of Hong Kong by integrating international and local experiences and examining comprehensive strategies for resilient communities. Including introduce of nature-based solution for disaster risk mitigation in local communities, aiming to mitigate the impact of climate disasters on vulnerable populations. These projects incorporate the potential of natural ecosystems and the power of community collaboration into disaster reduction strategies for the unique challenges faced by high-risk areas in Hong Kong.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Speakers:
Managing Director, Hong Kong, Jobsdb by SEEK
Bringing with him deep industry experience in both tech and logistics, Mr. Bill Lee joined Jobsdb by SEEK as Managing Director, Hong Kong in 2021. He leads the company’s sales, operations and strategic development.
Previously he was the Director of New Verticals at Foodpanda, developing the “quick commerce” model in Hong Kong from the ground up. In addition to his time at Foodpanda, he also led multiple businesses in e-commerce, delivery and logistics.
Mr. Lee holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Multimedia University in Malaysia, and is an avid debater.
General Manager, Hong Kong & Macau, Klook
Mr. Kenny Sham is the General Manager of Hong Kong & Macau at Klook. He leads a dynamic team responsible for multiple sectors including travel, experiences, leisure, F&B and entertainment, to create a more diversified business portfolio with unique one-stop travel and leisure experiences for customers.
With years of relevant industry experience across sectors, Kenny supports the company in steering sales and marketing strategies, coordinating organisational planning, and driving business expansion. He also identifies emerging opportunities and develops strategic partnerships to ensure sustained growth and success of the company. By fostering collaborations with various authorities to bring in more large-scale events to Hong Kong, this helps boost the local tourism and travel ecosystem, contributing to the economic growth and vitality of the region.
With his visionary leadership and commitment to innovation, Kenny is dedicated to shaping the future of the travel industry by bringing the world closer through experience. On a personal front, he focuses on mentorship to develop the builders of tomorrow and is highly involved in the marketing industry's speakership and university sharing.
Chief Executive Officer/ Secretary General, Hong Kong Red Cross
Ms Bonnie So is the Chief Executive Officer/ Secretary General of Hong Kong Red Cross since 2015. She takes charge in different humanitarian services, management functions and fundraising. She has been involving in a wide range of disaster relief and reconstruction projects all over the world, such as the war thorn areas in Afghanistan, tsunami in South Asia, cyclone in Bangladesh, earthquake in Pakistan, flooding and earthquake in Mainland China, etc.
Bonnie is enthusiastic in contributing to the social service sector who is the founding Chairperson of the Face-to-Face Monthly Giving Alliance in Hong Kong, Chairman of the Steering Committee on Work in Mainland China, and member of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, advisor of the Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women, and the InspiringHK Sports Foundation.
Bonnie holds Bachelor of Arts, Master Degree in New Media, and Diploma Certificate in Social Work of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Executive Master of Business Administration of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and attended a Strategic Perspectives in Non-profit Management Course in Harvard Business School. In 2006, Bonnie was awarded The Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Hong Kong. In 2022, she was awarded Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive’s Commendation for Community Service.
Associate Director, Corporate Sustainability, PricewaterhouseCoopers China
Ms Catherine Tsui is the Associate Director (Corporate Sustainability) of PricewaterhouseCoopers China. With over 15 years of consulting experience in both private and public sector organisations in particular with a view to develop strategic options that maximise the commercial value or public value contribution of relevant business propositions or government-led initiatives.
Over the last eight years, Catherine has focused more on the social and welfare sector and works closely with a number of not-for-profit organisations in addressing specific social issues, including, social inclusion of disadvantage children and ethnic minorities, basic needs provision of the working poor, community care of the elderly, mental wellbeing of children and youths and outcomes-based contracting of social programmes. In addition, Catherine is also responsible for NGOs capacity building initiative in Hong Kong leveraging professional expertise of the firm as well as offering pro bono/subsidised consultancy services.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Executive Director, The Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong
Mr. Billie Lau is the Executive Director of The Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong. He has been serving the young people, parents and seniors for nearly 30 years. Billie served as a Part-time Lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong with his practice and research covering from outreaching social work, youth arts, grassroot families, young parents, parent education, the Golden-aged, people with dementia and their carers, social enterprise to tele-health in the early years. Recently, he focuses on organisational development, strategies and management, social innovation and digital transformation. He is especially interested in the interaction between people and their context, with a strong belief in teamwork and diversity. Billie aims to drive a more humanistic development in social service through practice, research as well as cross-disciplinary collaborations.
Speakers:
Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, Saint Francis University
Prof. Wong Yu-cheung is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Saint Francis University. He specializes in social welfare policy and social work research. In the past decade, he has taught courses on the application of information technology in social services at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong. He has been involved in various research projects in Hong Kong, Macau, and Shanghai, focusing on topics such as digital inclusion, internet use in parent-child relationships, social security, retirement protection, and elderly employment. Prof. Wong has also participated in government-commissioned studies as a consultant on the development of information technology in the social welfare sector. Currently, he serves as a member and chairperson of the Information Technology Committees in several social service organizations. He has also been a member of husITa (Human Services Information Technology Association) for many years. Prof. Wong is the current editor-in-chief of the Hong Kong Journal of Social Work.
Assistant Professor, Department of Religion and Philosophy, Hong Kong Baptist University
Dr. Wong Pak-hang is the Assistant Professor at the Department of Religion and Philosophy, Hong Kong Baptist University. He is a philosopher and ethicist of technology, focusing on the social, ethical, and political aspects of AI, data-driven technologies, and other disruptive digital technologies. He holds a doctorate from the University of Twente and has held academic positions at University of Hamburg, Oxford University, and in various institutions in Hong Kong. He has also worked in the industry as a specialist on the ethics and governance of AI, and thus is experienced in both theoretical and practical dimensions of AI ethics and governance. He has published numerous articles in the area of philosophy of technology. Most recently, he co-edited with Tom Wang Harmonious Technology: A Confucian Ethics of Technology.
Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong
Dr. Cheung Chun-Sing, Johnson is the Senior Lecturer and Registered Social Worker (RSW) at the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong. He has been actively engaging in social work services with children, youth and communities for years, and now mainly teaches the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) programs. Dr. Cheung is also Elected Member of the Standing Committee on Social Development (2023-2024) of the “Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS)”, Consultant of the “Society for Innovation and Technology in Social Work (SITSW)”, Disciplinary Committee Panel Member of the “Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB)”, and Editorial Board Member of a number of international academic journals.
Co-founder, Society for Innovation and Technology in Social Work
Mr. Stanley Ho Chun-yu is the Co-founder, Society for Innovation and Technology in Social Work. With over ten years of experience in youth work, he had been involved in various services, including Community Support Service Scheme, School Social Work, and Cyber Youth Outreach. He has gained extensive expertise in handling digital wellness issues and NGOs' social media strategies. His projects have been recognised with prestigious awards such as Hong Kong ICT Awards and Hong Kong Ten Outstanding Community Services. Driven by a passion for integrating innovative technology with humanistic care, Stanley co-founded the social enterprise "Society for Innovation and Technology in Social Work" in 2019 with his counterparts. Currently, he focuses on providing training and consulting services to NGOs and universities, advocating for the digital transformation of social services, fostering cross-sector collaborations in social welfare technology, and actively participating in the planning and management of innovative service initiatives. Stanley is a registered social worker. He holds a MA in Anthropology and a MSocSc in Media, Culture and Creative Cities.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Chief Officer, Membership Liaison and Service, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Ms Cheung Lai-wah holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Work and a Master of Arts in Communication. She currently serves as the Chief Officer of Membership Liaison and Service at the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS). In her role, she is responsible for promoting the development of small organizations, facilitating connections and exchanges among HKCSS members, and advocating for funding issues that are of great concern to member agencies. She is a registered social worker with experiences working with diverse populations, including marginalized youth, individuals recovering from drug addiction, ethnic minority families, single-parent families, individuals with mental health issues, and unemployed individuals,
Speakers:
Executive Director, Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women
Ms Doris Chong is the Executive Director of Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women. She is a Registered Social Worker and has served the field for more than 20 years. She has extensive experience both in frontline service and service management. Doris specialises in working with women experiencing violence and mental distress, and has thorough understanding of gender policies, as well as sexual violence victim-survivor support. She has developed a strong sense of devotion for the nonprofit sector and is passionate about making change in relation to gender equality and gender-based violence.
Founder and Strategic Advisor, Teen's Key – Young Women Development Network
Ms Bowie Lam founded Teen's Key Hong Kong in 2011 and currently serve as Executive Director. Teen’s Key has been empowered and provided support services to over 15,000 marginalised young women and girls, including health, education and employment support. She recently shifted to strategic advisor to continuous her support to Teen's Key and received a senior fellowship from Fire Tree Philanthropy to explore how to better support the mental wellbeing of young people in Hong Kong.
Bowie earned an EMBA at Chicago Booth on a scholarship from HKJC. She also holds a Master Degree in Nonprofit Management. Bowie has been recognised by Gen. T Leader of Tomorrow 2022, as well as Inspiring Women Award from Marie Claire Hong Kong by her work in Teen's Key. She is also the Advisory Committee Member of Tai Kwun and Hong Kong Jockey Club Level Mind project.
Director, The Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres
Ms Sisi Liu is the Director, Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres (HKFWC). She has devoted years of work to promoting the rights and interest of disadvantaged women in Hong Kong. Under her directorship, HKFWC has expanded from a NGO with 15 staff to now more than a hundred, and linked services with policy advocacy to address the challenges facing carers, single mothers and other grassroots women. Sisi is currently a member of the Advisory Group for Carer Policy and Service Development of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, member of the Advisory Board for Master of Social Sciences in Comparative Social Policy (International) of Lingnan University, and an Executive Committee member of the Gender Research Centre of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Programme Director, AIDS Concern
Ms Neda Ng is the Programme Director of AIDS Concern since 2022. Her mission began on youth sexuality education project and then evolved in sex industry health project. She leads the management of HIV/AIDS & sexual health services for targeted communities including men who have sex with men (MSM), ethnic minorities, diverse male communities and people living with HIV/AIDS. She also oversees the business development of My Place – a community health service social enterprise that delivers integrated and affordable sexual healthcare solutions (including sexual health checkup, PrEP use support, self-test solutions, counselling & sex therapy) to everyone in our city. Prior to joining AIDS Concern as director, Neda was the head of community service at Mother’s Choice for five years leading the development of school-based comprehensive sexuality education and pregnant girls programme. Trained as a health communicator, Neda was an associate director of a public relations agency partnering with Department of Health, pharmaceutical companies and universities respectively on mental health and oncology health promotion and public affairs projects. With 17 years of experience in both NGO and commercial sectors, Neda has a strong passion in advancing effective and inclusive healthcare innovation with the community. She received her Bachelor Degree of Public Relations and Advertising and Mphil. in Communication at Hong Kong Baptist University. She is currently pursuing her postgraduate study in Global Health Policy at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
Co-founder / Chairperson, Gender Empowerment
Mr. Kaspar Wan is a transgender man. Kaspar established a charitable organisation “Gender Empowerment” in 2015, to support transgender individuals at different stages of their gender transition, and work with different stakeholders to create social change. In the past decade, Kaspar has participated in various regional and international conferences and meetings concerning trans issues, such as the WPATH Symposium, the Asia Pacific Trans Health Blueprint meeting and the UN organised “Being LGBT in Asia” regional dialogue.
Since his transition, Kaspar becomes more interested in the way gender means to individuals and society. He acquired gender X on his Australian Passport. He made an award-winning short documentary on his journey of finding himself – “Kaspar X – If I Had a Soul”. He has also won the 2016 Hong Kong Transgender Inclusion Champion Award. He is yet to explore more of the world from his (trans)gender eyes. Kaspar has acquired his Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree with his thesis research focused on the coping experiences of parents during gender transition of their trans child.
Language: Cantonese (Simultaneous interpretation in English and Putonghua)
Cantonese (Simultaneous interpretation in English and Putonghua)
Speakers:
Deputy Government Chief Information Officer, Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Mr. Kingsley Wong is the Deputy Government Chief Information Officer of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. He supports the formulation of policies and strategic initiatives for driving the development of digital government and smart city in Hong Kong by strengthening local digital infrastructure, facilitating data flow and fostering the development of local IT industry, with a view to laying a solid foundation for accelerating the development of digital economy. As a strong advocate for digital inclusion, Kingsley actively promotes wider adoption of digital technologies in the community.
Head of Spatial Data Office, Development Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Sr. Chan Yue-chun possesses over 20 years professional experiences covers engineering surveying, hydrographic surveying, cadastral surveying and geospatial data analysis/management. Sr. Chan has been the Head of Spatial Data Office since 2021. Over the past few years, Sr. Chan has been actively involved in the smart city and Common Spatial Data Infrastructure (CSDI) development. The CSDI is a key initiative under the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong. In the end of 2022, the CSDI portal was open to public to use free of charge. It provides a map-based digital infrastructure as a one-stop platform to open and share the Government's spatial data. By allowing members of the public to harness the spatial data from the portal, a wide range of possibilities for application development will be opened to boost digital economy, facilitate social cohesion and improve quality of life.
Legislative Council Member (Technology & Innovation Constituency)
Mr. Duncan Chiu is committed to the development of technology and innovation. He is an advocate of local T&I policies, a tech entrepreneur, a veteran investor and is often regarded as the leading figure in Hong Kong's T&I sector. He is currently serving as Chairman of Steering Committee of the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme; Non-official Member of Digital Economy Development Committee, Advisory Committee on Attracting Strategic Enterprises, Advisory Committee on the Northern Metropolis, Committee on Innovation, Technology and Industry Development, Task Force on Promoting Web3 Development and President of Hong Kong Information Technology Joint Council.
Duncan is dedicated to community affairs. He is a Member of Hospital Authority, Chairman of its Information Technology Services Committee, and Chairman of Hospital Governing Committee of Tin Shui Wai Hospital. He is also a Co-opted Member of Action Group on Youth Engagement under the Youth Development Commission, Member of Sports Commission and Chairman of Hong Kong Squash.
Research and System Support Officer, JC JoyAge: Jockey Club Holistic Support Project for Elderly Mental Wellness
Mr. Eric Yiu serves as the Research and System Support Officer for the JC JoyAge project, bringing a unique combination of psychology and engineering expertise to the role. Within the JC JoyAge project, he has led therapy groups specifically designed for older adults struggling with chronic pain. Eric has also been instrumental in developing innovative research concepts and methodologies for peer support training and services catering to older adults. His areas of expertise include data analysis, researching and establishing peer support networks for older individuals with depressive symptoms, creating age-friendly environments, and authoring academic papers in these related fields. In the process of developing the IT system for the stepped-care model within the JC JoyAge service, he has successfully maintained close collaborations with IT, research, and clinical teams. Through his valuable insights and user experience gained in working with service user information database systems, Eric has remained dedicated to achieving seamless integration between research, clinical, and information technology systems. This dedication ultimately aims to improve the mental health and overall well-being of older adults. Eric earned his Master's degree in Psychology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Training Officer & Senior Social Worker, JC JoyAge: Jockey Club Holistic Support Project for Elderly Mental Wellness
Mr. Nicholas Cheung is the Training Officer and Senior Social Worker for the JC JoyAge project team at the University of Hong Kong. His primary responsibilities include developing training content and providing clinical case consultation for non-governmental service organisations collaborated in the JoyAge program. Nicholas has amassed extensive experience in mental health services for teenagers and older adults, intervention services for male victims of domestic violence, and support services for individuals with social disadvantages. His clinical approach emphasises both "experience-based" and strength-based therapeutic methods. These approaches allow individuals to learn to take responsibility for themselves, freely enhance their self-understanding, and explore their beliefs more broadly by experiencing the therapeutic process and being present in the therapeutic relationship. Nicholas's commitment to the strength-based approach, coupled with his diverse professional experience, makes him a valuable asset to the JC JoyAge project team and a highly effective advocate for the individuals he serves.
Chief Executive Officer, St. James' Settlement
Hong Kong ICT Awards Smart People Award (Smart Inclusion) 2020 & 2021 Silver Award Winner
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Service Supervisor (Youth, Family & Community Services), The Salvation Army
Mr. Ho Chung-ho is the Service Supervisor of Youth, Family and Community Services, the Salvation Army. He has engaged in services for children and youth for 30 years, including youth outreach, school social work, and integrated children and youth services. Mr. Ho has organised various projects, including advocating youth to participate in the community as change makers, establishing intergenerational and cross-cultural inclusive community, and supporting physical and mental health of youth living in subdivided units. Mr. Ho is a registered social worker. In recent years, he assisted the organisation in promoting social innovation and actively responded to mental health issues of youth.
Speakers:
Deputy Executive Director (Social Work Division), Hong Kong Playground Association
Ms Ivy Yau is the Deputy Executive Director (Social Work Division) in Hong Kong Playground Association, responsible for supervisory and managerial work, and organizational development. She is a registered social worker with over 25 years of experience working in children and youth services. In the past 15 years, she has contributed her efforts in addressing youth mental health and youth sleep problems. As she is the social worker fellow of the first cohort of Innopower@JC, she launched a project named “Sleeping Hub” in 2017, using an innovative approach to carry out youth mental health service. After the successful trial, she committed to another project of LevelMind@JC and kept employing effective components in delivering mental health services.
As a new initiative using sleep/insomnia for youth engagement and clinical intervention, the project aroused the interest of social media. Ivy was interviewed by numerous of media.
Ivy holds a B.A. in Social Work from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a MSc in Applied Social Research from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a MSc in Psychology from the City University of Hong Kong. Gaining knowledge from different academic fields, Ivy is passionate about blending different perspectives to build a wellness city in which the youths have a sense of hope, and achievement and find their agency.
Youth Work Officer, Wellness PLUS (HK), The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups
Ms Maggie Yeung is a Youth Work Officer at Wellness PLUS (HK), a division of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. Maggie is dedicated to empowering young people with a focus on youth wellness and mental health work. She was responsible for coordinating the "Recharge Uself - Early Identification and Intervention for Young Carers" program which provides counselling, therapeutic groups, and lectures to young caregivers of mental health patients and the general public. She is currently dedicated to developing low-intensity psychological therapy and online youth support services.
Chinese Medicine Practitioner, Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong
Mr. Lau Ho-chuen received training in pscychology and sociology, and focused in drug cessation work under the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong. He recognised the importance of evidence-based research and started some pilot studies in methamphetamine, cannabis, and cocaine, with CUHK TCM key state laboratory as study partner, and relevant outcomes warranted some notices. The medication is based on treatment of sleeping and mood disorder, such result also benefitted regular patients of mood disorder, who did have co-morbid sleeping problem. With The D.H. Chen Foundation’s support, a multi-disciplined project on treatment of juvenile mood disorder, which included TCM, the project is launched and its interim outcome is encouraging. Mr. Lau was a former chemistry teacher and suffered from mood disorder, and changed his career path to Chinese medicine in later stage.
Project Manager, Tin Shui Wai Youth Outreaching Social Work Team, Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong
Ms. Sonia Leung is currently a Project Manager of the Embrace Your Heart program - a pilot project operating in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong, Tin Shui Wai Youth Outreaching Social Work Team that enhances the physical and psychological well-being of youth through the collaboration of interdisciplinary professionals. She leads the liaison work between Chinese Medicine Practitioners, Expressive Art Therapists, Clinical Psychologists and Social Workers etc. to deal with youth sleeping problems and emotional disturbance.
Prior to this, Ms. Leung had been a youth outreaching social worker for 5 years after graduating from her Bachelor Degree in Social Work from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She served to cater the developmental needs of youth and assisted them in coping with the pressures from different systems including family, school, career and the social environment. She provided online outreaching service and reached youths experienced emotional disturbance, mental distress and poor interpersonal relationships. Although some youth displayed self-harm behavior and had overwhelming suicidal thoughts, many of them did not seek help. The alarming mental health crisis among youths in recent years aroused her concern.
Language: Cantonese and Putonghua
Cantonese and Putonghua
Moderators:
Vice-Chairman, The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund Task Force
Mr. Alvin Miu is a founding taskforce member of the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund) and is currently serving as its vice-chairperson. In 2020, the SIE Fund appointed a collaborative coalition led by The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) to develop and operate the Gerontechnology Platform, with the aim of fostering the development and application of gerontechnology, to enhance the well-being, quality of life, independence and self-reliance of the elderly as well as provide support to their families, caregivers, healthcare staff and institutions.
In addition to being a member of the Hong Kong Government’s Commission on Poverty, Alvin also serves on the Assessment Panel of the Social Welfare Department’s I&T Fund, and the Labour and Welfare Bureau’s Rehabilitation Advisory Committee. He takes a keen interest in promoting social innovation and social ventures, and is especially keen on promoting the use of gerontechnology and development of gerontechnology ecosystem.
Alvin has a commercial background and is the Group CEO of MF Jebsen Group, a private company group with interests in tourism, insurance, electronics, automotive, distribution, shipping, and nature conservation. He has a background in management consulting and retail.
Speakers:
District Officer (Sham Shui Po), Home Affairs Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Mr. Paul Wong joined the Administrative Service of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in 1999. He had held posts in the Constitutional Affairs Bureau, Health and Welfare Bureau, Tourism Commission, the Economic and Trade Office in Berlin, Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, Environment Bureau. He was appointed District Officer (Sham Shui Po) in December 2020. He was awarded the Chief Executive’s Commendation for Government/Public Service for his work in coordinating Covid-19 vaccination programmes for the elderly and pupils. Since taking up this position, he has been advocating using technology and data analytics to address community “pain points” to develop Sham Shui Po into a smart district. Relevant projects that have been implemented in Sham Shui Po include air purifier tailored for sub-divided units, GeronTech, Passive Radiative Cooling Paint and audible bus-stop for visually-impaired persons.
Operations Manager, Tencent SSV Gerontechnology Lab
Ms Wendy Wang is the Operations Manager of Tencent SSV Gerontechnology Lab. She initiated the application of Tencent’s AI capabilities to the security protection of elderly care services and ageing-in-place, exploring and practicing Tencent’s technological power in the ageing sector.
Vice President cum Co-Head of Research, Our Hong Kong Foundation (OHKF)
Mr. Kenny Shui is the Vice President cum Co-Head of Research at Our Hong Kong Foundation (OHKF). He has extensive experience in the field of public policy and his research interests are wide-ranging, covering Economic and Technology Development, Fintech, Green Finance, Biotechnology, Gerontechnology, Art Innovation, Social Innovation and others. In recent years, his research team has published market-leading reports in areas such as Central Bank Digital Currency, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Green Bonds, Hong Kong-Shenzhen Biotech cooperation and Hong Kong’s Gerontech Ecosystem, contributing to Hong Kong’s development in multiple ways.
His research team collaborated with the Hong Kong Social Services Council to publish the first “Landscape Study on Gerontechnology” in Hong Kong and the subsequent research report “Building an Age-Friendly City—Embedding Gerontechnology into Everyday Life”, helping Hong Kong to develop a comprehensive gerontech ecosystem. The team was also invited by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific to contribute to a report summarizing the experience of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea in promoting gerontech development.
Language: Cantonese and English (Simultaneous interpretation in English, Putonghua and Cantonese)
Cantonese and English (Simultaneous interpretation in English, Putonghua and Cantonese)
Moderators:
Professor, Saint Francis University
Prof. Alice Chong is the Research Professor of the Saint Francis University (formerly known as Caritas Institute of Higher Education). She has an impactful career integrating practice, education and research in social work. She was Senior Researcher in the Labour and Welfare Bureau; an academic in the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), and a social worker and manager in a few NGOs before that. Her research interests include social gerontology, caregiving and ageing policies. She was awarded more than 60 research grants, has published over 90 academic articles and presented over 90 conference papers.
Prof. Chong participates actively in community services, being chair or board members of a few NGOs, and was invited to numerous government advisory committees (e.g., Elderly Commission, CIIF). She was the Founding President of the Hong Kong Association of Schools of Social Work (2015-2019).
She was awarded the Medal of Honor by the Government for her active community service, and Teaching Excellent Award by CityU and the University Grant Committee respectively.
Speakers:
Chief, Caregiving and Community Mental Health Division, Agency for Integrated Care Pte Ltd, Singapore
As the Chief, Caregiving and Community Mental Health Division, Agency for Integrated Care, Ms See Yen-theng leads the development and implementation of the Caregiving Support Action plans aimed to engage, empower and enable caregivers during their caregiving journey. Her team developed useful caregiver resources to provide information and tips, as well as piloted new respite programmes for caregivers where they can take a break. She was also instrumental in leading team in the development and implementation of the Community Mental Health Masterplan to build sector mental health capability and development of integrated mental health networks. One of the key initiatives is the implementation of Dementia Friendly Communities (DFC) which aims to bring together health and social care providers, community partners, businesses and faith based organizations to support those with dementia and their families in a safe and inclusive community.
Assistant Professor, The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Dr. Connie Chong is the Assistant Professor at the Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, specialises in contextual behavioral science (CBS). Her research primarily targets the implementation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for families of children with special needs and chronic conditions. Dr. Chong has authored numerous scholarly articles, delivered invited lectures, and secured competitive external funding, securing her reputation in applying CBS to caregiving within the local context. Her international contributions to CBS are highlighted by her roles as the first Asian Chair of the Awards Committee for the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science and as an Editorial Board member of the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. Dr. Chong's latest invention, Pai.ACT®, integrates natural language processing with ACT to enhance therapeutic communication in Cantonese, offering personalised mental health interventions. The AI chatbot, trained on an extensive collection of Cantonese therapeutic dialogues, demonstrates over 80% accuracy in identifying ACT-related psychopathological processes. This level of precision enables Pai to parallel the assessment and empathy of ACT therapists, delivering an interaction that closely mirrors human support.
In the forthcoming session, Dr. Chong will discuss the development and practical applications of Pai.ACT®. She will emphasize how Pai.ACT® narrows the divide between advanced technology and patient-oriented care, presenting it as an empathetic and accessible tool for caregivers and parents. Additionally, she will address its prospective impact on the future of mental health services.
Senior Manager, St. James' Settlement
Ms Jenny Choi is the Senior Manager of Continuing Care in St. James' Settlement. With nearly 20 years experiences in elderly service, she is still ambitious for serving local elders with innovate projects, like “656carer.com” to echo the changing needs for elders and their carers. Jenny holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Social Science (Social Work) and Master’s Degree in Gerontology.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Founder, Health In Action
Dr. Fan Ling is the Founder of Health in Action. Over the last ten years, Dr. Fan has endeavored to promote universal health and develop primary healthcare. He emphasises that collective efforts from various sectors of society are necessary to achieve good health for all and maintain the quality of life in old age. This includes improving areas such as urban design, public services, private market operations, education, employment, housing, healthy food access, social inclusion, community participation, and poverty eradication.
Dr. Fan advocates for a transdisciplinary model and socio-medical integration as the backbone of primary health care. He supports the St. James' Settlement in deploying ShamShuiPo District Health Center works, promoting community living rooms with Caritas Hong Kong, and securing alternative primary care access through community pharmacy services.
At the moment, Dr. Fan is focusing on developing an End-of-Life compassionate community model through the work of Forget Thee Not. Some of his public works include positions as an Honorary Clinical Assistant Professor at the Medical schools of both HKU and CUHK, a mentor at the JC School of Public Health & Primary Care, CUHK, the Institute of Health Equity, CUHK, an Executive Committee Member at the ShumShuiPo District Health Center, the Community Pharmacy Working Group, Health Bureau, and an Advisor for Public Housing Well-Being "WELL.BEING" at the Housing Bureau.
Officer, Policy Research and Advocacy, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Ms. Natalie Yau has been engaged in social service and research work in different local social service organisations in the past 10 years. She joined the Hong Kong Council of Social Service in 2017 and is currently responsible for housing and health-related policy research. In recent years, through implementing health research surveys for different target groups, publishing research findings and the HKCSS Policy Bulletin, and organising multi-disciplinary seminars, she has learnt about the service cases of primary health care services at district level, and the health inequalities faced by various deprived groups in Hong Kong.
Speakers:
Research Assistant Professor, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Dr. Crystal Chan is a public health researcher and practitioner with a particular interest in healthcare service access and delivery for marginalized populations. Her dedication lies in developing and evaluating innovative approaches to ensure equitable healthcare access for vulnerable groups, including migrant workers, people living with dementia and their caregivers, and housing vulnerable people such as families living in sub-divided flats.
Dr. Chan has obtained a several competitive grants as a principal investigator or co-investigator, including a commission project funded by the Wellcome Trust and three community-based health promotion projects funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. She is also experienced in supporting consultancy projects funded by government agencies, district councils, and non-government organizations. Her work has led to several publications in high-impact journals such as the British Medical Journal and Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific.
Vice Chairman and Chief of Medical Services, Virtus Medical Group Limited
Dr. C.C. Luk has been a health care executive in the public sector for 31 years with a full range of exposure and track record on management of complex and big health care systems. He has worked in Hospital Authority Head Office for 10 years and then managed various public hospitals for 21 years. He was the Cluster Chief Executive of three different hospital clusters managing multiple number of hospitals like Queen Mary Hospital, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Kwong Wah Hospital and United Christian Hospital.
Dr. Luk has retired from Hospital Authority in 2021 and is currently the Vice Chairman and Chief of Medical Services of the Virtus Medical Group Limited. Virtus is a major medical group in Hong Kong with 10 odd specialist clinics providing a holistic range of specialist medical care.
Dr. Luk has multiple community engagements in healthcare, welfare and education fields. He is currently a member of Executive Council of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Council of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Tung Wah College and Adventist College, Trustee of United College, School Committee of Diocesan Boys’ School and 2 other secondary schools and a voting member of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. He is an advisor/consultant to many patient groups and NGOs. In recent years he has been actively engaged in Social Housing Movement and Modular Housing initiatives.
He was awarded Justice of Peace by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in 2019 and Distinguished Alumni Awarded by Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2020.
Chief Executive Officer, The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation
Dr. Pamela Leung is the Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation (HKSR), a non-profit organisation advocating holistic health, social participation, and equal opportunities for people with disabilities, health challenges and the elders. The HKSR provides primary health care, accessible transport and travel, community rehabilitation and long-term care services in Hong Kong and Mainland China. HKSR is one of the designated Rehabilitation Collaborating Centres of World Health Organisation in the West Pacific region.
Dr. Leung specialises in integrative care for chronic patients with extensive publications on psychosocial-spirit intervention in peer-reviewed books and journals. She is Fellow of Hong Kong Academy of Social Work, Fellow of Centre on Ageing and Centre on Behavioral Health of the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Leung is also a member of the Lump Sum Grant Steering Committee, The Lotteries Fund Advisory Committee of HKSAR, the Admissions, Budget and Allocations Committee of the Community Chest, and a member of the Board of Directors of Hong Kong Social Service Professional Alliance of the Guangdong-HK-Macau Greater Bay Areas Ltd. and Honorary Advisor of different patients’ self-help organisations in Hong Kong.
Wellness PLUS Complex Unit In-charge, Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups
Miss. Sandy Ma Pui-man is the Unit In-charge of the Wellness PLUS Complex (WPC) of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG). She is responsible for developing wellness and primary health service. She pioneered the introduction of the Social Prescription model from the United Kingdom to Hong Kong, training youth to become "Wellness Manager" who serve as bridges and advocates in the community. By providing personalised and comprehensive health improvement plan, HKFYG WPC integrates community resources to supports physical, mental, and social well-being of children and youth.
Furthermore, HKFYG WPC dedicated to drive a culture of holistic wellness in the community by (1) enhancing public health awareness through online and offline channels, (2) nurturing health management capabilities, (3) capacity building of youth, and (4) collaboration between healthcare and social sectors.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Member, Management Committee of the Hong Kong Joint Council for People with Disabilities (HKCSS Specialised Committee on Rehabilitation Service)
Mr. Ng Hang-sau is a registered social worker, and is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation. Mr. Ng is the RI National Secretary for Hong Kong SAR, China.
Speakers:
Vice President, Asia Pacific, Rehabilitation International
Ar. Dr. Kwan Kwok-lok, Joseph is the Vice President, Asia Pacific, Rehabilitation International. He is an architect and universal design and access consultant with over 40 years of experience in the international architectural community, 30 years of which have been focused on universal design and accessibility, transportation, and inclusive tourism projects. He has been the Founding Director of UDA Consultants Ltd (Universal Design and Accessibility Consultants) in Hong Kong since 2005.
Ar. Dr. Kwan was a consultant to the United Nations on the preparation of a Technical Guideline on the “Promotion of Non-Handicapping Environments for Disabled and Elderly Persons in the Asia-Pacific Region” and a resource person for the UN-ESCAP training course on “the Promotion of Non-Handicapping Environments for People with Disabilities. He was the Global Chair of Rehabilitation International - International Commission on Technology and Accessibility New York (2006-2016) and is the current Vice-President of Asia Pacific for Rehabilitation International.
Ar. Dr. Kwan was a member of the Hong Kong Government’s Rehabilitation Advisory Committee (RAC), Chair of the RAC Sub-Committee on Access, Convenor of the RAC-RPP Task Force on Accessible Built Environment (2013-23); and was a member of the Working Group on Access of the Equal Opportunities Commission, and of the Technical Committee on Design Manual: Barrier Free Access of the Buildings Department.
President, Hong Kong Blind Union
Mr. Billy Wong Chun-hang is visually impaired. He has been participating in the leading positions of local self-help organizations of the visually impaired and rehabilitation agencies. Billy has been the president of the Hong Kong Blind Union since 2021 and he is also the current member of the Management Committee of the Hong Kong Joint Council of Rehabilitation and the convenor of the Service Network of the Visually Impaired of the Joint Council. Billy concerns about various public policies regarding the disabled in Hong Kong especially the visually impaired. He also strives very hard for the equal opportunities of the disabled in the territory.
Founding President, Unleash Foundation
Mr. Nelson Yip is the Founding CEO and Director of EP Venture Limited, a business strategy consultancy, and Appetizup Company Limited, an ESG consultancy. Nelson is also the Founding President of Unleash Foundation, an NGO that emphasises social empowerment through education, and the Founding President of the China Hong Kong Culture Exchange Association, an NGO that promotes inclusion through cross-cultural exchange. The Association is committed to provide a platform for cultural exchange between Hong Kong and international through organizing a wide variety of programs, also contributes in discovering talents and nurturing incubation projects in the Greater Bay Area.
Nelson was also a recipient of the HKSAR Government’s Medal of Honor in sports promotion for disabled athletes in 2011. Nelson graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a bachelor’s degree in Statistics and Computer Science and a master’s degree in Business Administration. He also holds a master’s degree in Quantitative Analysis in Business from the City University of Hong Kong from there he was conferred an Honorary Fellow in 2011. He serves as an honorary lecturer in various local Universities and was awarded Lion Rock Entrepreneur Award a in 2014 as well as was conferred a Honorary Fellow from Lingnan University in October 2021.
Vice-Chairperson, Management Committee of the Hong Kong Joint Council for People with Disabilities (HKCSS Specialised Committee on Rehabilitation Service)
Ms Rabi Yim Chor-pik is the Vice-Chairperson of Management Committee of the Hong Kong Joint Council for People with Disabilities (HKCSS Specialised Committee on Rehabilitation Service).
Rabi is a visual designer. Due to a car accident years ago, she was paralysed from her neck down and became a wheelchair user. Over the past decade, she has been actively participated in advocacy efforts related to disability policies and life education. She hosts radio programmes and online media outlets.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Speakers:
Founder, Sportcanheal852
Aron is the visionary founder of Sportcanheal852 and an esteemed alumnus of the Hong Kong Karate National Team. His competitive career is highlighted by his triumph as the Hong Kong Kumite Champion, a commendable third-place finish in the East Asian Karate Federation Championship, and an impressive top 32 ranking in the World Karate Championship. Aron is currently enriching his expertise with a second bachelor's degree in Physical Education and Recreation Management at HKBU. His ambition is to leverage his academic knowledge and coaching experience to enhance mental health through sport. He is passionately working to link scholars and coaches, aiming to create a powerful synergy that promotes a systematic and academic approach to sport intervention for mental well-being.
Founder, Youth Incubator
Calvin, a Global Business student at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology who is deeply committed to fostering social empowerment. He has founded Youth Incubator, a social enterprise aimed at empowering under-served youths, and serves as the manager of the incubation division in Enactus HK, the Hong Kong Chapter of a prominent student-initiated international NGO focused on Social Entrepreneurship. Calvin's passion for social change and his dedication to mentoring and entrepreneurship make him a valuable asset in driving positive impact.
Founder, MetaGreenX
Papa, a Finance student at The Hong Kong University Of Science and Technology, who is passionated in youth empowerment and creating positive impact to the envirnoment. He has founded two startups -- Metaprint & MetaGreenX, where Metaprint is dedicated in providing AIoT Metaverse STEAM Education to Hong Kong students while MetaGreenX is innovating product focusing on saving the saplings to increase their survival rate in Hong Kong.
Co-founder, Stote
Chi is the co-founder of Stote, dedicated to repurposing textile waste and extending the residual value of textiles. He studied Decision Analysis and Cognitive Science at the University of Hong Kong and has worked in supplier management in the apparel industry, responsible for various process improvement projects. Additionally, he founded Stote, which uses textile waste as raw material to provide various accessories and event souvenirs, promoting the concepts of upcycling and sustainable fashion.
Stote , Co-founder
Kenny is the co-founder of Stote, dedicated to repurposing textile waste and extending the residual value of textiles. He studied Hotel Management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and has held positions in product management at various local enterprises. Subsequently, he founded Stote, utilizing textile waste and eco-friendly materials to provide sustainable hotel supplies, helping the hotel industry practice sustainability concepts.
Co-Founder, RiceFort
Tommy Li is a master year one student from the University of Hong Kong who study environmental management. He always like joining different competitions and voltuneer work. He also got the 31st Outstanding Service Awards for Tertiary Students. He co-founded a startup called RiceFort with different univerities' students. RiceFort is an innovative green materials team dedicated to rice husk recycling and sustainable development. By utilizing rice husk waste, RiceFort create high-quality, environmentally friendly materials and products that embody our commitment to sustainable development.
Lead App Developer, ReCube
Isaac is a year five Computer Science student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He currently serves as the Lead App Developer at ReCube, responsible for managing and developing the Web App. ReCube is a reusable tableware rental service aimed at reducing disposable tableware, based on the three principles of Re - Reuse, Reward, and Reduce. Isaac is dedicated to developing and managing ReCube's Web App, continuously learning and exploring new technologies to meet user needs and contribute to sustainable development.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Renowned Local Illustrator-author
Bigsoil (大泥) is a renowned local Illustrator-author. He creates the story of "The Polar Bear and The Boy… they accompany, encourage each other in the discovery journey of a beautiful world". Delightful watercolour drawing with warm message are the characteristics of Bigsoil comic. His work was published in “Oriental Daily” from 2011 to 2016.
His published works include: Fairy Tales of Our City (《我們的都市有童話》), Bigsoil’s Music Illustration – A Lelecooper Travelogue (《大泥音樂繪本 — 一個人去旅行》), Always Out There, (《和你在一起》), Because of Love (《因為愛》), To Love Oneself (《喜歡自己》), My Treasure Map (《生命的寶藏》) and Should We Keep the Faith (《假如我們不放棄》).
Besides artistic creation, Bigsoil acted as a tutor on illustration at various academic institutions in recent years. At the same time, he was the host of different radio programmes at Metro Radio. Apart from art creation, he has been engaged in illustration education, life education and emotion education in number of tertiary institutions, primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Speakers:
Senior Programme Officer, CarbonCare InnoLab
Founded in 2014, CarbonCare InnoLab (CCIL) dedicated to nurture and expand the active communities, focusing on the youth and students in Hong Kong, encouraging them to mitigate climate change and develop sustainable low-carbon lifestyle through innovation, education and action. CCIL emphasises on multi-stakeholder engagement and solution-oriented processes, as well as awareness-building across the community.
Project Manager, Land Education Foundation
Founded in 2013, Land Education Foundation uphold three missions through placemaking projects and public education, they are :
- protecting natural ecosystem and cultural heritage;
- improving the living of the poor and the marginalised;
- educating the public on the importance of protecting natural environment and preserving cultural heritage.
Co-founder, Beetales
Established in 2020, Beetales dedicates itself to bees’ conservation in Hong Kong through conservation, education and vocation, as well as envisioning to ensure a sustainable future for both bees and humans.
Bees and humans share a delicate and interwoven relationship that has been instrumental in supporting the well-being of both species. Bees are vital pollinators of almost two-thirds of the corps that are integral to human nourishment and health. Humans can play a crucial role in fostering a supportive environment for bees by providing habitats, resources such as flowers, and managed hives.
Founder, The Loops Hong Kong
Established in 2019, the Loops Hong Kong is a closed-loop door-to-door collection network to reallocate all material and resources. The project offers the smoothest and easiest recycling path for both households and offices at $128 per month, to collect more than 40 types of recyclable materials at the doorstep, categorise the recyclables, and deliver it to recycling factories for recycling or shops for reuse.
The project hires unemployed homemakers from the disadvantaged group, with a flexible, family-friendly work schedule, which empowers them to financially contribute to their families and the society.
Co-Founder, GreenPrice
Founded by Terence Hon, Allison Chan, Ben So and Cherissa Hung in Hong Kong in 2016, GreenPrice specialises in retailing surplus and short-dated stock. The first retail store were opened in December 2016 in Kowloon.
GreenPrice started at a university social innovation competition, is committed to create more than a place where people discover quality merchandise at discount, but also a community platform where people could learn and discuss the way of living a sustainable life. They emphasis to establish relationships with customers and understand their dining habits, things they are passionate in and facilitate them to celebrate their goals.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Publisher & General Manager, Hong Kong Economic Times
Ms. Diane Chan graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a Master's degree in Business Administration. She is currently the General Manager and Publisher of Hong Kong Economic Times (HKET). Over the past 13 years with the Company, she has led various business units, including the recruitment platform CTgoodjobs, ET Press and ET Education and has played a key role in integrating the print business to comprehensive digital platforms.
Prior to joining HKET, Ms. Chan held positions in local and multinational companies including the Regional Marketing Director of AST Computer Asia , General Manager for Dell Computer in Hong Kong and the Sales Director for the China division. She has extensive leadership and market development experience.
Ms. Chan is also an executive coach and has served as an organizational development consultant, specializing in the development and transformation processes of organizations. In 2022, she was awarded the Fellowship by the Hong Kong Institute of Marketing and appointed by the Association for Coaching, headquartered in U.K. to promote corporate awareness of the coaching profession in the Greater China region.
Speakers:
Marketing and Development Manager, VolTra
Mr. Konrad Lee is the Marketing and Development Manager of VolTra. Konrad has over 10 years of experience in the field of marketing, with expertise in digital marketing, advertising promotions, event management, customer relationship management, and public relations. He has held positions in the corporate sector, international non-profit organisations, and large charitable organisations, skilled in applying marketing strategies in social sector. Konrad successfully drive to increase VolTra social media followers by 10 times, reach to an average of over 800,000 users per month, with an average engagement rate of 15% of social media posts. He has also trained up over 100 marketers during this period.
Konrad assisted the organisation in navigating the challenges posed by the pandemic and continues to promote its mission. He also provides marketing consultancy, teaching, and social media management services to welfare organisations and higher education institutions.
Deputy Supervisor, Hong Kong Christian Service
Mr. Lee Chin-hei is the Deputy Supervisor of the Quality and Talent Development Office and the Unit Head of TOP Professional Training and Development Service at Hong Kong Christian Service. He has been dedicated to promoting talent matching in the youth career and life development project, particularly in the business sector. Mr. Lee is also a pioneer in the Hong Kong Benchmarks for Career & Life Development, using a systematic self-improvement framework to assist schools and social welfare organisations in establishing internationally standardized career development activities. He holds a Master's degree in Social Service Management from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and is certified as a Corporate Coach and Personality Dimensions Facilitator Trainer (Level II).
Co-founder and CEO, CareER Association
Mr. Walter Tsui is the Co-Founder and CEO of CareER. Though Walter is visually impaired, he has a strong commitment to support highly educated people with disabilities and special education needs in Hong Kong. He found CareER in 2014, which was recognised with the Zero Project Award 2021, and awarded by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service as the "Most Impactful Small and Medium-sized Non-subvented NGO" in 2019. In 2022, Walter was awarded as one of the "Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow" by Tatler, recognising his contribution in the community.
Walter has acquired his executive training in Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Business School in 2021 and 2023 respectively. Prior to joining CareER, Walter worked in a number of multinational corporations. Walter has devoted himself to serving the local community, was nominated to various committees hosted by the HKSAR Government and other statutory organisations. Walter has been a guest lecturer at HKUST in the MBA program, City U at Master of Social Work programme on the topic of driving diversity, equality and inclusion in the business sector. Despite his visual impairment, Walter is passionate in sports, he participated in winter swimming and practiced Wing Chun for years.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Associate Professor, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Well-known Musician
Prof. Roger Chung has been described as a“modern-day Renaissance Man”. On one hand, he is a university scholar focusing on social epidemiology and bioethics with important contributions to the academic field; on the other, he is an award-winning and chart-topping recording artist.
Prof. Roger Chung is currently Associate Professor of the School of Public Health and Primary Care of CUHK, Co-Director of the CUHK Centre for Bioethics, and Associate Director of the Institute of Health Equity at CUHK. He is also an executive member of the Centre for Quality of Life, and Research Fellow (by courtesy) at the CHUK Institute of Ageing. He received his BA (Public Health Sciences) from Johns Hopkins University, MHS from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and PhD (Social and Lifecourse Epidemiology) from the University of Hong Kong (HKU). He also anticipates to graduate from the Master of Science in Bioethics (MBE) program at Harvard Medical School in 2025.
As a social epidemiologist by training, Prof. Chung’s research uses the lens of biomedical ethics and justice to examine the social determinants of health and health inequalities. He is currently examining social determinants such as poverty, deprivation, socioeconomic disadvantage, environmental and housing factors, and migrant status. Prof. Chung is also particularly interested in the health of the vulnerable populations, including migrant workers and rare disease patients. Moreover, he is conducting research on aging‐related issues, such as multimorbidity and long‐term/end‐of‐life care. Collectively, the purpose of his research is to inform health services and public policy, domestically and beyond.
Prof. Chung has had more than 100 peer-reviewed international publications and have been awarded with numerous research grants of over US$10 million as Principal and Co-investigators. He has had frequent cross-disciplinary and international collaborations. One major achievement was Hong Kong’s first international consortium with world-leading experts that established a longitudinal cohort to examine the situation of socioeconomic inequalities of health in Hong Kong.
Prof. Chung also currently serves as a board member for the International Advisory Board of the 2024 World Congress of Bioethics (WCB), organized by the International Association of Bioethics.
Prof. Chung has been actively involved with social services with considerable public impact – he is the Vice President of Hong Kong Life and Death Studies Association (香港生死學協會), a social enterprise that focuses in innovating life and death education, advance care planning, long-term care and after‐death arrangements in Hong Kong; and he has been a co‐host of the only “Life and Death Education” Radio Program in Hong Kong in 2017-2018. In 2019, he co-edited the publication “What Life and Death Education Talks About” (《生死教育講呢啲》) .
Moreover, Prof. Chung is a vocalist, producer, and songwriter, radio host and music educator. He and his brother Henry formed The Chung Brothers, influential in Hong Kong's gospel, jazz, blues, and audiophile scenes, and had won numerous significant awards. He has also been featured in major music festivals, including Clockenflap, Freespace Jazz Fest, etc. Prof. Chung is also dedicated to music promotion and education. He is the host of the radio show "In Love with Jazz”. He is the creator and lecturer of the course “Jazz: History and Appreciation” at the University of Hong Kong since 2014. He is also the speaker of the Fringe Club’s “Jazz Speak” Community Workshop Series in 2018, and “The Evolution of Jazz” Public Lecture Series in 2020, to promote a greater appreciation of jazz to general public.
Speakers:
Renowned Local Illustrator-author
Bigsoil (大泥) is a renowned local Illustrator-author. He creates the story of "The Polar Bear and The Boy… they accompany, encourage each other in the discovery journey of a beautiful world". Delightful watercolour drawing with warm message are the characteristics of Bigsoil comic. His work was published in “Oriental Daily” from 2011 to 2016.
His published works include: Fairy Tales of Our City (《我們的都市有童話》), Bigsoil’s Music Illustration – A Lelecooper Travelogue (《大泥音樂繪本 — 一個人去旅行》), Always Out There, (《和你在一起》), Because of Love (《因為愛》), To Love Oneself (《喜歡自己》), My Treasure Map (《生命的寶藏》) and Should We Keep the Faith (《假如我們不放棄》).
Besides artistic creation, Bigsoil acted as a tutor on illustration at various academic institutions in recent years. At the same time, he was the host of different radio programmes at Metro Radio. Apart from art creation, he has been engaged in illustration education, life education and emotion education in number of tertiary institutions, primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong.
Well-known Movie Director and Script Writer
Mr. Nick Cheuk is a member of the Hong Kong Screenwriters' Guild, he is also the scriptwriter of “Paradox”and “Zombiology: Enjoy Yourself Tonight”. He is the Creative Director of the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards. Graduated from the School of Creative Media of the City University of Hong Kong in 2013, majoring in Film Arts, in 2022, Nick wrote his directorial debut “Time Still Turns The Pages”.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Speakers:
Founder, Festyle Festyle (Hong Kong) Limited
Hong Kong citizen often neglect nutritional diet due to busy lifestyle. On the other hand, women unemployment due to family care responsibilities the lack of recognition for their experience in caring for their families. In response to these challenges, Festyle hires experienced housewives and chef to create meal kits, promotes women's empowerment and employment opportunities, while also advocating for a culture of healthy home cooking with dietitian’s advices.
Founder, Anewtoys
Anewtoys aims to promote waste recycling, sustainable development and shared values in the areas of environment, society and governance. The project not only revitalises unwanted toys, but also creates a variety of toys from cardboard by ultilising creativity of young people.
- Empower Infinite Value from Garbage: promote sharing and homemade toys to minimise over-buying and wastage, and to "bring toys back to life and values back to life". Bring toys back to life and regenerate value.
- Embrace Boundless Joy through Interactive Relationships: help the underprivileged, enable children from different backgrounds to share the joy of making toys.
- Empathize through Community Care and Joyful Programs: collaborate with local schools and organisations to provide training and promote innovation.
Founder, Happeriod
Happeriod is Hong Kong's first one-stop online platform for menstrual education and products. The platform showcases the most up-to-date menstrual products to Hong Kong and building a supportive environment for menstruators to share experience and to learn about our bodies. Through debunking social norms on menstruation and making menstruation a popular topic, our goals are to help menstruators find their suitable menstrual products, to build a menstrual friendly society and to promote bodily autonomy.
Founder, Ginger Innovation
Ginger Innovation is a pioneering creative social enterprise that advocates for "Ageing Education," inspires the imagination of growing old, and promotes intergenerational communication through real-life stories. It is dedicated to reshaping societal perceptions of ageing and connecting different generations through publishing, public speaking, training, multimedia production, and storytelling campaigns.
One of the key projects is the Old Ginger Academy which is supported by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund. This project provides storytelling training for older adults, empowering them to become senior ambassadors and share stories with over 1,000 students across various universities, covering over 20 different majors. This exchange helps foster a deeper understanding of an ageing society from diverse perspectives.
Founder and CEO, Beyond Vision International Limited
Beyond Vision International (BVI) aims to enhance the quality of life of the visually impaired by enabling them to actively participate in the arts and culture, and stimulate their creativity and learning. The project facilitates people of visually impaired to access to visual information in arts and culture by adopting innovative tools, training and empowering experiences. BVI also utilises their innovations and expertise of tactile and social design to empower visually impaired people.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Country Director, Pedius Srl
Ms Fiona Wat embarked on her journey as a social entrepreneur in 2011. Through Dialogue in the Dark Hong Kong’s support, she founded both Dialogue Experience and Silence, which received the respected 2013 Social Enterprise Champion Award - Innovation and Silence le cabaret, the world’s first silence theatrical dinning experience. The performance has created a unique experience of “Impactainment - Impact + Entertainment” and exposes a different vision of the art world for the general public with a group of hearing-impaired talents.
Chairman, Chartered Institute of Marketing Hong Kong
Mr. Johnson Lo is the Chairman of Chartered Institute of Marketing in Hong Kong and Executive Committee member of International Food Safety Association. Johnson is also a visiting lecturer at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, College of Professional and Continuing Education since 2022. Johnson is a branding, marketing, and business development professional with over 20 years of leadership experience developing the Asia Pacific market over various industries including IT, Food & Beverages, and Entertainment. Experienced in serving multinational Fortune 500 companies’ clients such as Boeing, HP, J&J, Agilent etc.
Since 2015, Johnson has served as the Lead Consultant for Impact Incubator, the appointed intermediary of Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund. In 2024, Johnson has been appointed as Care Food Ambassador under HKCSS’s CareFood team.
Johnson is a columnist of cpjobs.com and was a host for several television shows or online programs such as Guangzhou Mobile TV, Shanghai Dragon TV, Hong Kong Movie++ and Malaysia EnjoyTV.
Senior Lecturer, Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Dr. Raymond Tam Kin-yuen is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Applied Social Sciences and the Programme Leader for BA (Hons) in Social Policy & Social Entrepreneurship at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research interests encompass men and masculinities, sexual violence, and social policy issues. He has contributed to various academic journals, including the Journal of Family Issues, Journal of Affective Disorders, Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, and Hong Kong Journal of Social Work. In addition to academic work, Dr Tam has been serving as a member for the Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women and the Caritas Tsuen Wan Community Centre Advisory Committee. He was also involved as a member of the Policy Research and Advocacy Standing Committee for the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. He has always been concerned about grassroots housing and quality of life issues and has completed a social impact assessment for the Community Housing Movement Program to understand the changes in residents' quality of life.
Deputy Executive Director, The Neighbourhood Advice Action Council
Mr. Antony Pang is the Deputy Executive Director in The Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council (NAAC), which provides a range of social services with over 80 units serving over 2 million users annually, including service to family, youths, elderly, rehabilitation, community development, education, medical needs and the Mainland Chinese.
Antony is a cross-disciplinary professional. He found his own consultancy and training company which specialising in application of Narrative therapy on experiential design, executive management and human resource trainings. Antony has served in the social welfare field for over 20 years. He has initiated, invested and operated various social enterprises Hong Kong and overseas. He was a part-time lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Antony is also a Registered Social Worker, Certified Gambling Counselor Canada, and Narrative Therapy Practitioner Australia; equipped with plenty of solid experience on NGO that crafts his professionalism on social work, marketing, criminology and Narrative therapy.
His instrumentality to the societal development is widely recognised locally and internationally. He was invited to be the judge for Hong Kong Jockey Club Project Innopower Judge, 2017; Community Investment & Inclusion Fund 2017 and NUS Entrepreneurship Asia (Singapore). He has also been designated to prominent institutional advisory positions including the Department of Social Work of HKBU, Centre of Entrepreneurship of CUHK, Enhancing Self-Reliance Programme of Home Affairs Department, HKSAR and “SC.Net” under CIIF of Labour and Welfare Bureau, HKSAR.
Project Manager (Social Housing), The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Ms Agnes Yang is the Project Manager (Social Housing) of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. She supported the project of Community Housing Movement and Modular Social Housing since 2017, provided operational supports to the projects and closely collaborated with housing operators in the development of social housing operation and service. Agnes gained her Bachelor degree in Social Science at City University of Hong Kong.
Manager, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Mr. Norman Kwan serves as Manager in the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, his work focuses on palliative care and end of life topics. He has been working in various NGOs, accumulating 14 years of frontline as well as management experience. He has been dedicated to promote different health topics and addressing related issues through education, training, and advocacy work. Norman holds a Bachelor degree in Social Science from City University of Hong Kong, and a Master's degree in Social Work from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Speakers:
Ms Iris Chan is a patient with a rare disease. She suffered from multiple epiphyseal dysplasia since childhood. She was diagnosed with spinocerebellar atrophy type 35 through genetic testing. She underwent eight surgeries before the age of 20. Her physical condition was deteriorated to self-care deficit.
Iris has served as a director of three patient organisations since 2012, and later resumed her interest in music. In 2019, she joined the Hong Kong Enharmonica Orchestra to participate in large-scale music performances, and also participated in life and music sharing lectures in the community. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong Neuro-Muscular Disease Association and the Project Officer of the Rare Disease Hong Kong, dedicated to serving patients with rare diseases.
Founder and Peer Worker (Eldercare), Carer Matters
Merida's family has a 100-year-old big baby who has been experiencing cognitive decline (cognitive impairment) in recent years. She is actively learning about caregiving and preparing for the future. Having experienced discrimination due to their "intergenerational caregiver" identity, she now works as a peer professional, using her experiences to support other peers and help them avoid making mistakes.
Merida is the Administrator of the Facebook page "My Home Has a Big Baby" (《我家有個大bb》) and author of "My Home Has a Big Baby - A Guide for Intergenerational Caregivers to Avoid Mistakes" (《我家有個大bb - 隔代照顧者防撞板秘笈》),
75-year-old Sister Yong (Grandma Pun) currently lives with her husband and their son in social housing. She wakes up at 5am every morning to attend to the various tasks at home. She not only has to take care of her husband who has limited mobility, but also prepares meals for their mild intellectually disabled son in his 30s. As the primary caregiver for the family, she worries about leaving her husband alone when she goes out shopping. Being an elderly individual, her focus has predominantly been on tending to her family's needs, leaving little time for personal future planning. She hopes to move into public housing, and plans to rely on community and government support for her future living arrangements.
A 75-year-old senior took care of her four children and her mother-in-law with dementia for a long time. Currently, she lives with her 46-year-old mentally incapacitated son with autism. She has developed her own parenting methods. When doctors diagnosed her son as nonverbal in his early years, she would take him on bus rides every day, explaining the scenery along the way. She also taught him about financial management and cooking skills. She even often introduces her son to employees of shops in the community and doctors at clinics, hoping that he can eventually live independently within the community in the future.
A retired individual aged 63. In 2007, his wife was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and he became as a full-time carer for 10 years. He felt gratitude that she was diagnosed shortly after the onset of symptoms and received appropriate treatment. Also, she was introduced to use different advance assisted equipment, which significantly stabilized her condition for a long time. They even managed to travel to Taiwan frequently. After his wife passed away, he started to take care of his mother, and he continued to support other patients from time to time.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Social Sustainability Lead, Humans Matter
Humans Matter is a human-oriented change and design agency, set out to accompany corporations and governments on their transformation journey, from design to roll-out. With the belief that people and their ability to act are foundational to a successful and enduring transformation, the change journey designed by Humans Matter always emphasizes engagement, learning, and development.
Leveraging their expertise in applied cognitive and behavioral sciences, Humans Matter ensures that the transition takes human nature into account. Project experiences include business and operational transformations towards circular models, leadership and soft skills development, improved workplace dynamics, psychology, and overall mental health. Clients span the private, public, and third sectors.
Humans Matter is a team of 140+ talented professionals, including change consultants, cognitive and neuropsychologists, coaches, and transdisciplinary designers. Offices are in Hong Kong, Singapore, the US, and France.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Language: English, Putonghua and Cantonese (Simultaneous interpretation in English, Putonghua, Cantonese and Sign Language)
English, Putonghua and Cantonese (Simultaneous interpretation in English, Putonghua, Cantonese and Sign Language)
Moderators:
Chairperson, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
A graduate of Pomona College in California, Mr. Bernard Charnwut Chan is the Chairman and President of the publicly-listed Asia Financial Holdings and Chairman of Asia Insurance. He is Chairman of the Hong Kong – Thailand Business Council and an advisor to Bangkok Bank (China) Co. Ltd. He sits on the boards of several local and overseas companies in financial services and is a director of Bumrungrad Hospital Public Company in Thailand.
Bernard has a long record of public service. He is Chairperson of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club. A patron of the arts, he is Chairman of M Plus Museum Ltd. and Tai Kwun Culture & Arts Co. Ltd. He is also Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute and Chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation.
He was a Hong Kong Deputy to the National People’s Congress of The People’s Republic of China (2008-2023) and the previous Convenor of the Non-Official Members of the Executive Council (2017-2022). He is a former non-official member of Hong Kong’s Executive Council (2004-09 and 2012-2022) and former member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (1998-2008) representing the insurance industry.
Other past positions including Council Chair of Lingnan University, Chairman of the Hong Kong Palace Museum Ltd., Chairman of the Council for Sustainable Development, Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings and Chairman of the two Standing Committees on Disciplined Services and Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service.
He has been conferred honorary degrees from Lingnan University, City University of Hong Kong, Open University of Hong Kong and Savannah College of Art and Design. He is also a Trustee Emeritus of Pomona College.
Bernard was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2002, and Commander (3rd Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand in 2004. In 2006, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government, and in 2020 he received Hong Kong’s highest honor, the Grand Bauhinia Medal.
Executive Director, Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy (HKAWL)
Ms Angel Chia is appointed as the Executive Director of Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy (HKAWL) in 2024. Ms Chia is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, brings in-depth professional knowledge and a proven leadership track record in the family office sector. Prior to joining the HKAWL, she currently serves as the Chair of the Family Office Association Hong Kong. Ms Chia has held senior leadership positions including Chief Strategy Officer of a multi- family office and CEO of overseas operation of a Mainland brokerage firm. She also has a broad international exposure having worked with global financial firms in Hong Kong, Singapore, New York and Taipei. Ms Chia holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Toronto and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Speakers:
Board Member, The Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy
Founding Director and Senior Advisor, Roger King Center for Asian Family Business and Family Office, HKUST
CEO, HolonIQ
Mr. Patrick Brothers is the Co-CEO and Co-Founder at HolonIQ, the global impact intelligence platform. He leads HolonIQ’s data and deep technology teams, advising governments, institutions, foundations and investors around the world on strategy, impact and investment powering a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Patrick has had a significant impact on global impact investment and strategy. His career is marked by his dedication to fostering co-operation and collaboration between the public and private sectors to address global challenges.
Patrick hosts HolonIQ’s global leadership summits, now in more than 30 countries around the world, gathering senior leaders to discuss and collaborate on pressing global issues, including economic development, environmental sustainability, education and healthcare innovation.
Prior to HolonIQ, Patrick served as Chairman, CEO and senior executive roles in strategy, technology and corporate development in energy, infrastructure and education. He served as a senior advisor at Deloitte in M&A and Corporate Finance working with sovereign wealth funds and private equity clients around the world after starting his career as an Australian Army Officer leading paratrooper in reconnaissance and humanitarian assistance operations.
Patrick holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management, a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of New South Wales, and graduated first prize in field leadership and military skills from the Royal Military College Duntroon.
Deputy CEO, China Foundation Forum
Mr. Tan Hong-bo is the Deputy Secretary-General of the China Foundation Development Forum. He has previously worked for international and local charitable organisations such as the Salvation Army and Oceanwide Foundation. He possesses extensive knowledge and expertise in charity project management and foundation operations. Mr Tan graduated from Minzu University of China with a degree in Journalism, and obtained his Master of Public Administration from Beijing Normal University.
The China Foundation Forum (CFF), where Mr Tan currently serves, is a platform established voluntarily by foundations aiming at pursuing excellence and achieving progress in the foundation sector. In 2008, under the guidance of the State Administration of Civil Society of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, eight institutions-initiated China Private Foundation Forum. In 2016, its name formally changed to China Foundation Forum. In 2017, the secretariat of China Foundation Forum registered at Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau as Beijing Jiye Evergreen Social Organization Service Center.
CEO, Gravity Capital Partners Company Limited
Ir. Prof. Alan Lam joined Gravity Capital Partners Company Limited in 2021, and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer. Prof. Lam is also an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University supervising Ph.D. research, and teaching AI and IoT technologies as well as startup courses, and actively participated in various professional and public services in the innovation and technology industry.
In 2004, he founded Sengital Limited and he has led the company to win dozens of technology awards and related patents. He is a member of Innovation and Technology Fund Vetting Committee, approving grants for more than 13 years. Prof. Lam is currently the President of Steering Committee, HKSTP Startups Alumni Association. He actively serves the industry as an executive member of HKEIA, HKETA, and founding president of several innovation and technology associations. Prof. Lam has served on the Board of Directors of ASTRI for six years. He is currently the Chairman of LSCM R&D Centre. He was selected as one of the ten outstanding young persons in Hong Kong in 2015. He awarded the Chief Executive’s Commendation for Community Service in 2019 and was appointed as Justices of the peace by Chief Executive. In addition, he started angel investment in 2014 and he hopes to continuously serve innovation and technology industry in Hong Kong.
Executive Manager, Charities (Sports & Institute of Philanthropy), The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Ms. Donna Tang joined The Hong Kong Jockey Club in 2000. She served in the business development functions before she took up her role in the Club’s Charities Trust in 2012. Donna is responsible for planning and recommending funding strategies and new Charities project initiatives, and driving the implementation of Trust projects to create impact to society. Her major focus area is Sports, to promote sports to different segments in the community through innovative approaches and collaboration among various stakeholders, and to develop initiatives to support elite athletes development in Hong Kong. Latest addition to Donna’s portfolio is the newly established Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), a think-fund-do tank providing a dependable source of philanthropic knowledge and sector-wide infrastructure and standards development in China, Asia and beyond. IoP also aims to work together with fellow foundations and other institutions to co-create impactful initiatives for the betterment of societies.
Donna obtained her Bachelor Degree in Environmental Science from the Queen’s University in Canada, and a Master Degree in Urban Planning from the University of Hong Kong.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Officer (Family & Community Service), The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Ms Qubie Tang has over 10 years of experience in youth and community work since her university days. Her work encompasses overseas and mainland care projects, online to offline community services, and cross-sector innovative co-creation. Her focus is on poverty alleviation, mental wellness, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), and talent development.
In January 2021, Ms Tang joined the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) to further develop services and advocacy for family and community, including ethnic minority youth.
She holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Hong Kong and a Master of Arts from Columbia University in the United States. She is a Registered Social Worker.
Programme Coordinator, Yuen Long Town Hall
Mr. Mohammad, Meraj is a firm believer in the power of exploration and pursuing one's passions. He embarked on his academic journey at Lingnan University, where he pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree. It was during his time as a student that he had the opportunity to experience teaching English classes as a part-time teacher in a couple of primary and secondary schools. While Mr. Meraj enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to interact with students, he realized that becoming a teacher as a full-time profession may not align with his long-term aspirations.
Motivated by a desire to find a career that resonated more with his personal goals, Mr. Meraj took a leap and ventured into the field of social services. Currently, he is working as a program coordinator in project PRAISE at Yuen Long Town Hall. This role has provided him with a platform to contribute to the betterment of the ethnic minorities' community and make a positive impact in the lives of individuals within the community. He has the privilege of organizing and managing initiatives that promote community development and welfare.
Prior to the 2023 Policy Address, a series of District Forums were organized throughout Hong Kong. Mr. Meraj had the honour of being selected as a representative, allowing him to actively participate in engaging with the Chief Executive on matters aimed at improving the EM community.
This work has ignited a passion within Mr. Meraj to further pursue this field and continue making a difference, in whatever capacity that may be. With this mindset, he is dedicated to enjoying the journey and embracing the challenges that come his way. By doing so, he hopes to contribute to the betterment of society and create a more fulfilling and meaningful life for himself and the community around him.
Speakers:
Chief Executive Officer, Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service
Mr. Raymond Chiu Han-man is a Registered Social Worker with over 30 years of experience. He has intensive experience in Mental Health Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, CSR business collaboration, and Poverty Alleviation. Mr. Chiu has been dedicated to establishing an inclusive working culture and developing employment services for people of all ethnicities since 2014. Over the years, he has promoted intrapreneurship, innovative social services and intervention approaches within the organisation. Through his initiatives, Mr. Chiu has partnered with stakeholders from various sectors in the community to establish collaboration platforms.
Mr. Chiu is engaged in collaborations across different sectors. Aside from his role as the committee member of HKCSS’ Executive Committee and the chairperson of the Strategy Committee on Co-Creation. He also serves as a consultant on advisory committees for the Labour and Welfare Bureau and several universities.
Mr. Chiu acquired his Master Degree in Mental Health and Non-profit Management in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the University of Hong Kong after finishing his Bachelor degree of Social Work and Master of Business Administration. He also completed the Executive Education Program in Harvard Business School in 2015.
Registered Social Worker, Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service
Mr. Dhillon, Gurbir Singh Jatt, is an Indian who was born and raised in Hong Kong. He received his education in Hong Kong, attending schools specifically designated for Ethnically Diverse students. Fluent in Cantonese, English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu. He became a Registered Social Worker in 2020.
For the past three years, he has been employed as a full-time social worker at Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service, where he focuses on providing employment services and vocational training programs for Ethnically Diverse youth. Mr. Dhillon's aspiration has always been to serve the community as a social worker, and he sees himself as a mediator who can bridge the gap between hiring corporations and the Ethnically Diverse population, thereby creating more career opportunities and cultivating a talent pool.
Additionally, he holds the position of convener for the Chapter on Ethnically Diverse Social Work under the Hong Kong Social Worker Association. In this role, he contributes to the professional development of Ethnically Diverse Social Workers, advocates for the needs of Ethnically Diverse communities to government officials, and aims to reduce the use of the term "Ethnic Minority".
Senior Station Officer (Ethnic Minority), Fire Services Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Mr. Poon Sung-fong is an experienced fire officer of Hong Kong Fire Services Department. Throughout his professional journey, Mr. Poon has held various positions with duties ranging from operations, licensing, policy and recruitment matters.
Since July 2023, Mr. Poon has taken on the role of leader of "Ethnic Minority Youth Development Team" (EMYDT), which was established in May 2019. The team's primary objective is to support young individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds in their integration into society and in planning for their future careers. Working closely with schools, non-governmental organizations, and religious institutions, the EMYDT organizes events and activities to encourage these youth to consider joining the Fire Services Department. Additionally, the team has been recognized for their outstanding efforts in supporting ethnic minority personnel through the project called "A Tale of Unity in Diversity – Customer care to Ethnic Minorities". This initiative received the prestigious Gold Award for Customer Care in the HKACE Customer Service Excellence Award 2022.
Fireman, Fire Services Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Mr. Mohammad Osama Minhas, aged 26, was born and raised in the bustling city of Hong Kong. After completing his studies at a local secondary school, he pursued his dream of becoming a firefighter by joining the Fire Services Department. For the past four years, he has served as a dedicated firefighter, a profession that had captivated his imagination since childhood.
During his primary school years, Mohammad Osama had a remarkable opportunity to visit a fire station for the first time, an experience that has remained etched in his memory to this day. The sight of professional firefighters and their firefighting trucks filled him with excitement and joy, creating a lasting impression.
In his high school years, he had another chance to visit a fire station during an open day event near his home. This visit provided him with valuable insights into the life of a firefighter, their duties, and the path to joining their ranks. Inspired by what he learned, Mohammad Osama set a personal goal for himself to become a firefighter, dedicating himself to physical fitness and academic pursuits. After completing his secondary education, he pushed himself even harder to achieve his dream. Through determination and perseverance, he successfully realized his ambition at the age of 22, becoming a proud firefighter.
Mohammad Osama reflects on his journey with deep gratitude, acknowledging the blessings that led him to fulfill his aspirations.
Founder, CEO & CTO, Motive Force Technology Limited
Mr. Terence Tseng is the founder, CEO, and CTO of Motive Force Technology Limited (Motive Force). He is experienced in computer-generated environments and founded Amzon (Hong Kong) Limited. In 2016, he established Motive Force, where he led a team in developing immersive virtual reality technology. Terence achieved technological breakthroughs with his expertise in 3D applications, motion tracking, VR enabler, and game engine software. These advancements have been widely applied in education, aging, and rehabilitation fields.
Furthermore, Terence advocates for racial diversity and inclusion, commits to promote workplace inclusivity. He has hired minority youth as programmers and collaborated with numerous NGOs, to provide them with more job opportunities.
Software Engineer, Motive Force Technology Limited
Joshua William Allagay Jenner, a 25-year-old British-Filipino who was born and raised in Hong Kong. Growing up in this vibrant city, Joshua attended international primary and secondary schools, immersing himself in diverse cultures and experiences. His passion for computer engineering and programming began at a young age, spending countless hours exploring the digital realm.
Joshua's enthusiasm for technology led him to pursue a bachelor's degree in computer science at university. Equipped with his academic background, he ventured into the professional world, contributing to the development of web and mobile applications.
Currently, Joshua is making a difference at Motive Force Technology Limited as a software engineer in their Research and Development Department. His role involves researching and applying new technology to enhance and create backend system of innovative products. Beyond his technical expertise, Joshua embodies the spirit of diversity and inclusion, recognizing the value of ethnically diverse talents in the workplace.
With his unique background and skills, Joshua exemplifies the importance of cultivating and promoting diversity in Hong Kong's talent pool, fostering an inclusive environment where individuals from all ethnic backgrounds can thrive and contribute to the city's growth.
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Moderators:
Officer (Membership Liaison and Service), The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Mr. Matthew Tse serves as an Officer in the Membership Liaison and Service at the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. He is primarily responsible for facilitating exchange among Agency Members and promoting the development of self-financed NGOs. In the past, he has held frontline and managerial positions in various social service organizations, promoting projects and services supporting children, families, ethnic minorities, and individuals with rehabilitation needs, while also serving as a lecturer at tertiary institution. Matthew graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a degree in Social Work and completed a Master's degree in Counselling Studies at the University of Edinburgh. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Computer Science at the University of Bath.
Speakers:
Founder and CEO, J Life Foundation Limited
J Life Foundation Limited (J Life) is a non-profit organization and was registered in July 2013. J Life aims to mitigate the cycle of child poverty and minimize the rate of cross-generation poverty in Hong Kong. The key missions of J Life are to mitigate intergeneration poverty in the low income and single parent families in Sham Shui Po District and neighboring areas, through an all-rounded operation of food rescue, education, and empowerment programs. As of 2023, J Life have served about 1,400 families and owned 5 centers.
J Life believes that physical and psychological needs go hand in hand. J Life creates a safe place where families can come together to share their burdens, build relationships to create connectedness and encourage members to help others to promote self-efficacy. Through a community environment, J Life aims to give them hope that will ultimately bless and help the others in Hong Kong.
Chairman, Rare Disease Hong Kong Limited
Rare Disease Hong Kong (RDHK), established in December 2014, is the first patient group in Hong Kong comprising cross-rare disease patients and their families with the support of experts and academics in the field. Its objectives are to spearhead and improve related policies and services, promote public education on rare diseases, and strengthen the community’s support for rare disease patients, in order to ensure equal respect and protection for them in terms of such fundamental rights as healthcare, social support, education, and daily needs. The projects successfully advocated by RDHK include: the Hong Kong Government adjusted and expanded the medical genetic services, gradual streamlining of the new drug registration process; the addition of "case managers" for rare diseases at the Hong Kong Children's Hospital; the establishment of a dedicated department at Queen Mary Hospital to facilitate the smooth transition of pediatric patients to adult care; the creation of a rare disease database by the Hospital Authority to set up and expand interdisciplinary teams for rare diseases involving multiple organs, providing patients with comprehensive follow-up services; the Samaritan Fund and the Community Care Fund optimized economic review criteria and more.
Team Leader, "Rare. We go" Community Support Project, The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation
"Rare. We go" Community Support Project, making rare diseases truly seen and accompanied.
Hong Kong has not yet to establish an official definition for rare diseases and lacks dedicated healthcare policies and social welfare measures for rare diseases. The scarce and fragmented resources for supporting rare diseases in society make the situation extremely challenging for patients and their families.
The Community Rehabilitation Network (CRN) of the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation is a social service unit with a mission to "walk alongside with Chronic disease patients". They are deeply concerned about and take responsibility for changing the helpless situation of the "rare disease" community. Therefore, CRN has launched the first-ever territory-wide service targeting the rare disease community - "Rare. We go" Community Support (Pilot) Project. The initial phase focuses on individuals awaiting diagnosis or with early diagnosis of rare neuro-muscular degenerative diseases. The Project places case managers at the core of our services, integrating social resources and providing holistic support in the physical, mental, social, and spiritual aspects. Their goal is to be able to accompany patients and their families from the moment symptoms first appear, standing by their side and supporting them through the ups and downs of their patient journey.
CRN strongly believe in the value of patient mutual support. Therefore, this project invites the Hong Kong Neuromuscular Disease Association (a self-help organization for neuromuscular disease patients) as a partner. Through close cooperation with patient self-help organizations and stakeholders in society, CRN aims to establish a "patient-society-medical collaboration model" and build a more comprehensive community support network for rare disease patients and caregivers.
Co-Founder & Executive Director, JUST FEEL
JUST FEEL is the first NGO in Hong Kong to systematically promote "Compassionate Communication" and "Social-Emotional Learning" in local schools, aiming to enhance children’s mental health. With the motto "Connection before Solution", JUST FEEL is dedicated to transforming the communication culture within schools and families, empowering educators and parents to enhance children's emotional well-being.
Programme Introduction:
(1) Compassionate School Programme
Through the prevention-oriented and whole-school participation of the "Compassionate School Programme", JUST FEEL works hand in hand to co-create a Compassionate School Culture within schools, resulting in systemic impact. Since 2018, we have collaborated with over 30 partner schools, reaching more than 26,500 students, training over 6,900 teachers, and positively impacting over 29,600 parents.
(2) Building Empathy at Work: Fostering Employee Well-being and Supporting Working Parents in Corporates
With the aim of enhancing employee well-being, including that of working parents, fostering effective workplace communication, and creating a positive community impact, our organization offers a range of tailored initiatives through the programme "Building Empathy at Work: Fostering Employee Well-being and Supporting Working Parents in Corporates". These initiatives include the Parental Wellness Workshop, Mental Health Seminar, and Corporate Volunteering.
Manager, Cancerinformation.com.hk Charity Foundation
Cancerinformation.com.hk Charity Foundation (CICF) is an integrated cancer patient service charity that provides financial and social support to families of cancer patients and educates the public on cancer prevention. We provide a wide range of services to meet the needs of our patients, including medical and rehabilitation support, sports training, emotional and carer support and public education.
Medical Services:
Free medical consultation "Easy Ask Doctor", Cancer Screening Easy Ask Medical Service, Cancer Screening, Greater Bay Area Medical Enquiry Hotline, Kowloon Rehabilitation Clinic
Cancer rehabilitation:
Exercise training, volunteer scissors, volunteer breastfeeding workshop, nutritional products transfer, welcome packs for the elderly
Emotions and carers support:
Art Therapy, Gathering with fellow travellers
Public Education:
School Health Talks, Online Health Education Live Streaming
Director, Tai Po Baptist Church Social Service
The Tai Po Baptist Church Social Service offers a range of essential services, namely the Rehabilitation Service, School Social Work Service, and Community Integrated Service. By adopting the 'Church, School, Community' development model, we provide comprehensive support to the community, schools, and families. Our services are tailored to meet the needs of students, parents, teachers, children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and their caregivers, grassroots families within the community, as well as the elderly. Our ultimate goal is to foster the development of a thriving and contented community.
Programme Manager, MY PLACE@AIDS Concern
MY PLACE is a sexual health social enterprise run by AIDS Concern. Everyone has the right to access friendly, affordable and quality sexual health service, including people of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. Using sexual health as an entry point, we strive to promote an inclusive health service culture in our city. MY PLACE provides one-stop professional services including sexual health check up and consultation, intimate relationship counselling service, comprehensive sexuality education and workers training. The MY PLACE service aims to fill a service gap in Hong Kong because the community has told us that such services are not widely available. We hope everyone can achieve their optimal holistic health through MY PLACE. All proceeds will go towards AIDS Concern’s HIV prevention and community education work.
Music Director and Founding Conductor, Yao Yueh Chinese Music Association
Yao Yueh Chinese Music Association (YYCMA) established in 1974, YYCMA is a registered charitable organization dedicated to promoting Chinese music and contributing to Hong Kong's social welfare affairs. It was hailed by the media as an "orchestra contributing to Hong Kong's culture". In 2020, it received funding from the Community Investment and Inclusion Fund to implement the "Yao Yueh Community - Caregiver Support Program", the results of which have attracting numerous media reports and close to 500,000 views in Facebook. In 2023, it was selected as a community cultural ambassador awarded by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. In 2024, YYCMA receives funding support from the China National Arts Fund, and becomes the first music organization ever admitted as a member of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.
YYCMA currently oversees four orchestras: Yao Yueh Chinese Orchestra (founded in 1974), YY PopUp Chamber Orchestra (founded in 2015), Hong Kong Legends Chamber Ensemble (founded in 2020), and Yao Yueh Community Orchestra (founded in 2022). YYCMA has gained recognition from various sectors and is sponsored by public and commercial organizations, including the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, Labour and Welfare Bureau, Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Hong Kong Arts Development Council, and Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Limited, the Hong Kong Composers' Guild, etc.
Language: Cantonese (Simultaneous interpretation in Sign Language)
Cantonese (Simultaneous interpretation in Sign Language)
Language: Cantonese
Cantonese
Speakers:
Curator, Learning and Engagement, M+
Ms Gigi Leung is the Curator, Learning and Engagement at M+. She joined the museum in 2014 and has led a wide range of initiatives and programmes that connect diverse audiences and communities with M+. She believes that museum learning experience should be audience-centred and be relevant to people’s life, and at the same time be experimental to open up multiple perspectives and expand people’s imagination towards museum. She is passionate about engagement and collaboration that encourages co-learning, increases empathy, and enhances wellbeing of people. Prior to joining M+, she worked for different art institutions and projects in Hong Kong including Art Promotion Office, the Legislative Council Secretariat, as well as the University Museum and Art Gallery in the University of Hong Kong.