Join us in building a global network and connecting people around the world, with Singapore at its heart.
22 years ago, armed only with a couple suitcases, Rebecca Bisset moved to Singapore as a ‘trailing spouse’ with her then young family in tow. She had grown up as an expat in different countries, so moving was something she was used to. As Editor in Chief of Expat Living Publications, she has now been helping other expats settle into Singapore for nearly 20 years. Read about her journey below.
Believing that there should be no boundaries when it comes to chasing after her dreams, Nicole Anne Hia set off to South Korea to pursue higher education, spurred by her interest in studying international relations but also wanting additional global exposure and a regional focus in East Asian affairs.
Singapore is a country of immigrants. We are constantly welcoming newcomers to our shores, but we are also bidding adieu to many who leave to set up homes overseas with their foreign spouses or to pursue their careers. In the process, many Singaporeans take their children along, or have children born away from the island. How much do these children, “SG Jr.”, know about their parent’s homeland?
Meet Wendy Ong, a Singaporean who manages Hollywood's biggest stars.
In most developing nations, there is a strong demand for trained individuals to serve in the non-profit sector. Non-profit Strategy and Project Management Consultant Haanee Tyebally shares the unusual path that’s brought her everywhere from Cambodia to Myanmar.
Our 5Qs series is a chance for you to get to know more about folks in the Singapore Global Network community, where we pose 5 questions to exciting individuals to find out more about what they do!
Technology has the power to radically enhance our lives. Previously based in the U.S., GovTech Singapore’s Deputy Director, Open Government Products, Li Hongyi and software engineer Janice Tan share their passion about the Tech for Public Good movement and what’s needed to ensure it continues to make a positive impact on life in Singapore.
When asked how long he has been in Singapore, Teymoor finds it a difficult question to answer. After all, he has had his first contact with our island from way back in 1993. Read about his journey back to the Little Red Dot after being away all this time.
Southeast Asia’s tech sector is thriving with increasingly connected consumers and a spike in businesses adopting digital solutions. We chat with Prithvi Rai, Founder and CEO at borneo and Forrest Li, Chairman and Group CEO of Sea Group, to find out what makes Southeast Asia and Singapore a growing market for tech.
Singapore has experienced stellar growth in the technology sector, and it is beyond a commercial centre today. Global tech companies have set up regional headquarters here and are steadily building industry-leading product and engineering teams, and homegrown companies are flourishing with Singapore as a springboard for the region.
Our 5Qs series is a chance for you to get to know more about folks in the Singapore Global Network community, where we pose 5 questions to exciting individuals to find out more about what they do!
Born in the US, his father a black man from Jamaica and his mother a white woman from Cleveland with Russian and Czech heritage, Triston has been acutely aware of racial differences since his childhood. Read about his journey as he finds a place where he finally feels comfortable enough to call home.
Our 5Qs series is a chance for you to get to know more about folks in the Singapore Global Network community, where we pose 5 questions to exciting individuals to find out more about what they do!
In the past 15 years, positive mindset and perseverance helped Anna Ratala pursue her career adventures across 3 continents and 5 countries. From Finland through Belgium, Germany and the U.S., Anna navigated a unique path, which finally led to her current job as CEO & co-founder of Zvook, an AI-powered audio advertising platform that started in Singapore.
Katadata Insight Centre Research Director and Jakarta Property Institute Program Director Dr Mulya Amri is an Indonesia-based senior public policy and urban development specialist with over 20 years of experience working with government officials, businesses, and civil society groups through policy analysis, regional economic development, and city planning projects in Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, China, and the U.S.
Technology has seen explosive growth in the past decade, with Singapore and Southeast Asia’s (SEA) tech ecosystem expanding rapidly on a global scale to unlock many growth opportunities. SGN chats with Silvanus Lee, Director of Twitter’s APAC Engineering Centre and Co-Founder of BasisAI, who went from living every techie’s dream – building and leading critical teams at Dropbox and Uber in California – to returning home to Singapore at the height of his career. Why did he make the switch? Read on to find out and learn how Silvanus continues to pave the way forward for the future of tech in Singapore and the region.
Global experiences are always a plus on any resume (or bucket list!) but how do you go about landing such an opportunity? In our new An Alumni’s Guide to The Galaxy series, we crack the code with our SGN community on insider tips when landing your dream job abroad.
Ever wondered what it’s like to run several businesses at once? In the first of our series exploring the myriad variety of jobs in Singapore, SGN chats with Federico Folcia – full-time CEO & Founder of Crane, Managing Director at PowerHouse, and part-time Founder and Chef at Fork In The Jungle.
Eve shares how her short trip back to Singapore earlier this year for the Lunar New Year turned out to be her longest visit home in a decade. With a golden ticket in hand, she is finally back in Shanghai after spending 7 months in Singapore, and shares her journey back with her family.
What is the start-up scene like in Vietnam? How do businesses navigate an ever-evolving regulatory landscape? Yee Chung sheds light on the dynamism of Vietnam’s business landscape and the opportunities present for investors looking to leverage opportunities in this emerging market.
As COVID-19 accelerates future work trends, SGN digs deep into the new workplace normal and how behaviours, culture and skillsets are shifting. We chat with the CEO and Co-Founder of San Francisco-based hiring solution Workstream, Desmond Lim, on his success story from humble beginnings in the little red dot to pushing the boundaries of the future of work.
Our 5Qs series is a chance for you to get to know more about folks in the Singapore Global Network community, where we pose 5 questions to exciting individuals to find out more about what they do!
In this edition of SGN’s Women In Tech series, we chat with Aparna Saxena, the Chief Executive Officer of TORAJAMELO and Chapter Head of She Loves Data (SLD) Indonesia, on how she pushes to create and find meaning with data to empower other women in ASEAN.
For some youths, their dream job is to be self-made bosses. For Kendra Liew, Founder of I Love Katfood, and Hong Kai, Co-Founder and CTO of Roceso Technologies, they have taken that step towards pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams – albeit a tough road they’ve had to navigate. Hear their personal stories on why and how they started, challenges they faced, experiences of starting businesses in Singapore, and why you should be following them right now.
Join Afshan, a freelance artist and writer based in Texas, as she shares her experiences during the pandemic, and how the entire family coped through it all.
Eng-Lok Koh, Vice-President and Country Manager of Frost & Sullivan Thailand, gives us an insider’s view on on-ground business sentiments and shares his view on opportunities in Thailand.
This year’s National Day is unlike any other – it’s the first digital National Day Parade we’ve experienced! Whether you’ve had a downsized celebration with friends and family or tuned-in for a Zoom party, it’s the perfect time to reminisce the journey of our little red dot through the eyes of some of our overseas Singaporeans and local expat friends.
Singapore is a gastronomical city that is big on its diverse cultural influences and even bigger on flavour. We chat with our SGN friends living around the globe for the quintessential guide on the best Singaporean eats you must check out outside of the little red dot – hungry yet?
Synthetic Media leverages AI technology, and it will completely reshape the landscape of media and entertainment. Learn more from Arif Khan, CEO and Founder of Alethea AI, about some real-world use cases that the technology enables. 5 August 2020 / By Arif Khan…
Read More Re-imagining Media & Entertainment: Entrepreneurship in AI-generated Media
From bringing together the community virtually to rallying help for local businesses, these volunteers help make our community a home away from home. With Singapore’s 55th birthday around the corner, we also asked them for their wishes for our little red dot.
As we sing to the tunes of Home this month, Christine shares her heartwarming journey on how she came to make our sunny island home.
Our 5Qs series is a chance for you to get to know more about folks in the Singapore Global Network community, where we pose 5 questions to exciting individuals to find out more about what they do!
The adoption in fintech has accelerated in the past few months and will continue to do so in a post-pandemic landscape. We speak with Imran Hajimusa, GM & Head of payments platform at Silicon Valley Bank, on what the future of payments will hold and where Singapore stands. Married with three daughters, Imran’s fondest Singapore memories include enjoying seafood at East Coast Park with family and friends.
In the last of our three-part series on Lockdown Cooking, Lim Monica Devi, a Singaporean in Belgium seeks out the Singaporean community around the world to share a common love – food! This month, as we celebrate National Day, many countries are still practising some form of quarantine. With safe distancing in mind, Monica takes a virtual peek into their larders (which often has a second refrigerator) and gardens to uncover how Singaporeans living overseas dish out a plateful of home while away from the island.
Singaporean author Gwen Lee shares about her experience growing up in Singapore, and how she wondered why there were no HDBs in storybooks. Now based in the USA and as a writer of childrens' books with a local twist, Gwen shares her favourite Singaporean e-books for kids as young as 3, to adults.
In this edition of our Women in Tech series, we speak to two tech leaders – Dr Megan Yao, head of advanced analytics at NTUC FairPrice, and Shaowen Ang, regional lead of seller operations and listings at Shopee – who are both leading teams to capitalise on data for organisational success.
Julien Labruyere is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Sleek, a fast-growing Singapore-based business incorporation and management startup. Find out how he built a business in Singapore and expanded his company to the region.
In the second of our three-part series on Lockdown Cooking, Monica Devi Lim, a Singaporean in Belgium seeks out the Singaporean community around the world to share a common love – food! She will be speaking to them about their journeys and joys during the global lockdown, including their favourite dishes to make and memories of the Little Red Dot. Get your forks ready as she dishes out this month’s flavours: international recipes from Italy, Greece, and India. And if you wish, of course you can adapt the recipes to suit your taste – just go easy on the chilli (or not)!
5Qs with Joanna Lau - Joanna came to the U.S. to attend New York University 13 years ago. As the Founder & CEO of JEMMA, a fashion e-commerce handbag brand, Joanna shuttles regularly between Singapore and New York, where the brand is based.
Following a childhood in Hungary, and studies in the UK and Australia, moving to Singapore is when Trang finally felt like she belonged. The Vietnamese-Hungarian, who has made Singapore her home for close to a decade now, shares her struggles with racism growing up, and how she fights for greater diversity and inclusion today.
2020 is an unprecedented year for all of us. Some of us may be fearful, some optimistic. Some could be very anxious, and perhaps some excited. But no doubt 2020 is a year of learning, of survival, of trials and of successes. Hear from Harshika, as she shares snippets of her thoughts through the past couple months.
Sharmishta is only 26 years old, but in this short amount of time, she has lived in nine countries, across 3 continents. She shares her rootedness to Singapore even though she has spent a majority of her life away from this island, her insights as a third culture kid moving around the world, and how being a global nomad steered her passion for international affairs and global governance.
Singapore is a gastronomical city-state where enjoying good food is a shared culture but vegans may find it a challenge to find options that work for their lifestyle. Vikas Garg, founder of smartphone app, abillionveg that boasts a global community of vegans, shares his plans to change that and rally for more to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.
In the very first of our three-part series on Lockdown Cooking, Lim Monica Devi, a Singaporean in Belgium seeks out the Singaporean community around the world to share a common love – food! Over the next few months, she will be speaking to them about their journeys and joys during the global lockdown, including their favourite dishes to make and memories of the Little Red Dot. Dig in as she rolls out this month’s flavours: baking recipes. Start with the truly simple one-pan, rise to a cake made without an oven, then crank up the heat with a slightly more complicated braided beauty. The recipes here will entice both circuit bakers and circuit eaters!
They say you don’t shoot what it looks like, but what it feels like. Hear from Makiyo Lio, a Singaporean girl who followed her dreams and took a different career path from the usual conservative route. After buying her first camera at the age of 17, I guess you could say the rest is history. She shares her journey through the years, and some tips for young aspiring photographers!
Our 5Qs series is a chance for you to get to know more about folks in the Singapore Global Network community, where we pose 5 questions to exciting individuals to find out more about what they do!
When resources are stretched during the pandemic, these three community initiatives — of the many — have stepped in to offer crucial support to those in need. Find out how you can support their cause…
Iterative is an operator-led accelerator modeled after YC. We invest US$150K into promising early-stage startups, then rigorously help founders navigate early-stage startup challenges in a 3-month program to facilitate their raising a Seed / Series A round comfortably. Investing in all of Southeast Asia (Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, etc.), we’re particularly fond of Fintech, SaaS, marketplaces, AI, healthcare, and consumer.
Singaporean director Thomas Lim, Head of Sun Entertainment Culture Los Angeles, recounts his experiences as a filmmaker and shares how cheetah cubs in the zoo inspired him to realise his potential on the biggest stage in the world — Hollywood. Growing up in Tampines and having lived overseas for the past 20 years, Thomas says Singapore is still home no matter where he is.
With the lockdown across borders around the world, overseas Singaporean Eve’s short trip back to Singapore for the Lunar New Year turns out to be her longest visit home in more than a decade. She shares her journey during these…
With travel bans in place due to the global pandemic, it pains us to know that people are separated from their families and friends. With gyms and fitness centres closed, many of us are struggling to keep fit. Local professional athletes, Herlene Yu (triathlete), Radeem Rahman (pro-MMA fighter) and Ng Ming Wei (taekwondo athlete) are especially feeling the heat. These professionals share their experiences adapting to training in the new ‘norm’ and how you can adapt too!
In this edition of our Women in Tech series, we chat with Elisha Tan – founder of TechLadies, a regional community that champions the minorities in tech.
With travel bans in place due to the global pandemic, it pains us to know that people are separated from their families and friends. HOur 5Qs series is a chance for you to get to know more about folks in the Singapore Global Network community, where we pose 5 questions to exciting individuals to find out more about what they do!
With travel bans in place due to the global pandemic, it pains us to know that people are separated from their families and friends. However, amidst these challenging times, here are some love letters from our overseas community to their loved ones in Singapore. Love truly knows no distance, and we all hope that the world will be reunited soon. Till then, stay strong everyone!
In the first of our Women in Tech series, we chat with Annabelle Kwok – the 27-year-old breaking down gender barriers as she spearheads technology and AI in the region.
Singaporean entrepreneurs are making waves of positive impact off the shores of the sunny island and into global waters where they continue to champion for the greater good. Dive deeply into the stories of passion-led organisations – Freedom Cups, Wateroam and Project Dignity – who are successfully expanding their scopes to the globe.
It rained yesterday evening – one of those tropical thunderstorms that leave the air feeling fresh and cool and the entire landscape looking washed clean, ready to start anew. The windows of my Stay-Home-Notice hotel room right in the heart of the city look out towards a balcony adorned with lavender-pink bougainvillea; in the distance, ancient trees rise into the skies, stately and serene. I’m not sure if these trees belong to the Istana grounds – but whatever the case, they are beautiful. Once in a while, I spot some bird of prey with outstretched wings coasting in the air, a dark speck against the steel-blue skies.
Our 5Qs series is a chance for you to get to know more about folks in the Singapore Global Network community, where we pose 5 questions to exciting individuals to find out more about what they do!
Despite having lived in Zurich and Los Angeles, learn why Anytime Mailbox co-owner, Marcel Buechi, regards Singapore as a prime destination for his business and family.
Our 5Qs series is a chance for you to get to know more about folks in the Singapore Global Network community, where we pose 5 questions to exciting individuals to find out more about what they do!
Ms Mae Ng was 23 when she first moved to China to work. During the 10 years when she was formerly with The Ascott Limited (Ascott), she lived in four different cities across the country. Mae, who currently oversees operations for faculties and student accommodation with one of Singapore’s top tertiary institutions, shares the lessons she has learnt from her stay in China.
It is common to face anxieties — even culture shock — when moving home after a prolonged stay abroad. But fret not, here’s sage advice from fellow Singaporeans on easing those fears!
Far from home in Washington, DC, Singaporean art consultant Peggy Sparks is contributing to the robust arts scene in the United States’ capital by showcasing Singaporean artists. She shares how artists can evolve with the times as the art industry goes online.
Get to know Felicia Lim, a Singaporean based in Buenos Aires, who is passionate about freelance writing, recipe development, food photography, and portrait sessions.
Singapore film is returning to global prominence with critically acclaimed productions such as Boo Junfeng’s Apprentice and Anthony Chen’s Ilo Ilo. For journalist and researcher Alfonse Chiu, he believes more can be done for the film industry in Singapore, because of the special role it plays in defining our culture.
This Christmas, three Singaporeans share heartwarming stories about celebrating the holidays abroad in Shanghai, Hong Kong and New Zealand. Read on and discover their unique Christmas traditions and how they stay close to their loved ones despite being so far from home.
We all know the classic tale of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol – a story of about miser Ebenezer Scrooge, visited by three ghosts that changed his life. It has been more than a century since this story came about, but the tale of love, family and Christmas never gets old. This festive season, as we celebrate the season of gifting and giving, gather the entire kampung under the Christmas tree, and let us tell you our version of the Singaporean Christmas Carol lah!
For so many Singaporeans residing overseas all over the globe, maintaining their ties to our Little Red Dot can require a dash of creativity and a generous helping of impressive out-of-the-box thinking. In this final instalment of our “Love Letter to Singapore” series for the year, United States-based mother and daughter Lena Gan and Sara Kay share how they remain connected to their home country.
Starting a non-profit organisation in Singapore may not be a common goal for many graduates, but when Luzerne Cheng returned home, he knew that he needed to continue the good work he was doing in Australia. In his own words, he shares more about his experience bringing non-profit organisation Red Frogs to Singapore.
Angie lives in Paris with her French husband and their son. Find out what Singapore hawker culture means to her.
Living her entire life everywhere except for Singapore hasn’t stopped Cheryl Low from adopting a Singaporean identity. Having moved halfway across the world from her family, Cheryl shares her story on how she has developed this strong sense of identity over her university years.
Imagine adventuring across the world to live, work and play in a land that you’ve only read about online. Three US college students were given the opportunity of a lifetime to experience Singapore as they spent their summers interning in our global metropolis.
Representing Singapore is no small feat, and dancer Adelene Stanley did just that on a literal global stage when she became the youngest dancer in the original cast of INALA – a Zulu Ballet back in 2014. Having returned to Singapore in 2016, she shares how she turned a passion into a profession.
Eve Wee-Ang shares why as she pens her own love letter to Singapore for National Day.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to do important work at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known as NASA. That’s what Singaporean scientific researcher Poh Gang Kai discovered when he was hired by NASA to work at the Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland. His role is studying the space environment on Mars so that humans can, as one famous television show proclaimed, boldly go where no one has gone before.