By SGN | 9 Sep 2026
When Muralee Kanagaratnam (MK) stepped off the plane in 2018, he carried with him the same cocktail of excitement and uncertainty that defines so many expatriate journeys. The promise of new adventures was undeniable, yet beneath the thrill of possibility lingered a quiet sense that something was missing.
Despite his thriving social and professional life, he felt estranged from his surrounding community.
Although he had found his Singapore tribe through work, clubs, committees, and sporting teams, he longed for something deeper and more meaningful. “Relationships grow organically when you start listening and sharing generously,” he mentions.
“Community means contributing beyond yourself. It is about lifting others as you climb and being part of a collective future. Success isn’t just about how high you climb; it’s about sending the elevator back down to lift others up.”
And he wasn’t alone. Many expats, just like him, wanted to contribute to their surrounding communities but did not know how to get involved.
“Shortly after I arrived in Singapore, I wanted to give back to the local community, but could not find a purposeful platform,” he shares. “That’s when the idea of offering mentorship sessions to local talent came to me. Expatriates usually have a lot of rich experience that they can impart to local talent, who more often than not only have Singapore as their frame of reference”.
Serendipitously, he connected with local early and mid-career professionals seeking guidance from experienced leaders to advance in their current fields and explore new industries.
And just like that, Expats Give Back (EGB) was born.
A platform with a purpose
At the time of setting up EGB in 2019, MK had already spent 20 years in the technology sector, gathering experience in building and scaling high-performance teams, and driving revenue growth across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and global markets; undoubtedly, his deep professional expertise would pay off.
But getting the organisation off the ground did not come without challenges. Trust had to be earned – first from mentors, who wondered if what they had to offer was valuable enough, and then from mentees, who questioned whether this type of access was genuine.
With no blueprint or playbook, he drew from his volunteer base (comprising professional networks, former colleagues, and community connectors) to assemble a grassroots team.
Next, he selected mentors with deep experience in all industries including human resources, law, financial services, recruitment, entrepreneurship and of course tech, all of whom shared a belief in the mission of social mentorship.
Operationally, building a user-friendly digital interface that ensured data privacy and user trust and contained robust AI-enabled matching technologies required considerable investment, which is no mean feat for a non-profit social enterprise. He initially set up a website and manually connected mentors with mentees.
To MK’s delight, the early response to the EGB platform was overwhelmingly positive. Through word of mouth, the program scaled to thousands of mentors and mentees globally.
Agencies like the National Youth Council, and ministers like Alvin Tan vocalised their support, drawn to EGB’s work on building bridges between locals and expats, and cultivating skills critical to the future of Singapore.
“One LinkedIn post about EGB’s mentorship garnered over 32,000 impressions,” he recalls, grateful that the platform was resonating with locals and expats alike.
The mechanics of EGB
At its core, EGB aims to build bridges across communities via mentorship and the empowerment of local leaders.
Its operational model is fairly simple: Expats and locals sign up as mentors or mentees via the platform. Using interest-based filters and AI-powered matching, participants are then paired up.
Mentees can choose their mentors, and book as many sessions as they like. Once both parties reach an agreement, they are encouraged to meet. While the mentee sets the agenda of the session, the mentor must support the conversation with advice and guidance.
Commonly discussed topics include guidance on career transitions, upskilling to enter new industries, and developing leadership skills. Mentors, in turn, offer advice, encouragement, and feedback.
“EGB is designed to be completely free, and offer access to high-quality mentors at no cost,” MK explains. “But naturally, people were apprehensive about whether this was too good to be true or not.”
“I’ve had mentees tell me they want to experience more tangible growth in their career, and having targeted guidance from industry leaders would greatly help. “This is where EGB can help them – the mentors can help them identify blind spots, and work on strategies and tactics to overcome these.”
“I was also very clear that the mentoring session had to be face to face and not virtual,” MK says. He emphasizes that the human connection in person is one of the critical differentiating factors to the success of EGB.
Witnessing transformational results
Over time, MK has seen firsthand how with the right guidance, mentees have been able to shine, and overcome their professional struggles.
Take Gaven Phoon, for instance, who MK refers to as one of EGB’s most inspiring examples. Under the guidance of his mentor, Gaven was able to build clear goals, and successfully develop strategies to position himself in the cybersecurity industry.
Throughout this process, he realised that his perspective on success had changed, thanks to a conversation with MK. Another mentee, Sriram, landed a Delivery Lead role and was immensely grateful to his mentor, Neil, for his support.
For Jane, EGB helped her see her own strengths and values more clearly. Her mentor, Uli, a tech leader in his own right, celebrated her non-traditional background and helped her see its benefits. “Jane shared with us how refreshing it was to connect with someone who saw her unique life path as advantageous,” MK mentions.
As a result of the mentorship programme, several mentees have made bold moves. They’ve switched industries, launched small ventures, and even moved overseas for growth opportunities, all supported by their mentors’ insights and encouragement.
“One of our mentors, Richard Cornish, had a mentee who was promoted to a regional leadership position,” MK recalls.
“Later on, the mentee told us how Richard helped him refine his narrative, successfully navigate office politics, and build a strong executive presence. He even credits his evolved leadership style, which he describes as strategic and authentic, to Richard.”
Witnessing these success stories has been immensely rewarding for MK, who is reassured that with EGB, he is on the right track. “Once mentees feel comfortable and supported, their resilience and personal growth trajectory skyrockets,” he observes.
Initially, many mentees are apprehensive and doubtful of their own capabilities.
However, once taken under the wing of these experienced mentors, the mentees experience a renewed sense of identity and empowerment, which MK is always heartened to witness.
Returning the favour and paying it forward
Perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of running an organisation like EGB is seeing people who have previously benefitted from its programmes and mentors give back.
In a full-circle moment, many former mentees are stepping up to become mentors and paying forward the same guidance and support that helped them level up. Some have helped onboard new mentees, facilitated events, and created educational content for the wider EGB community.
“When mentees graduate to become mentors, that’s when the programme will have come full circle,” MK explains. “This is the flywheel effect in motion. When someone benefits from the mentorship and sends the elevator back down, a culture of paying it forward is created.”
A solid example of the “flywheel” effect in motion is EGB’s partnership with Pencil Labs, a local Singaporean tech startup. Amanda Tay, the co-founder of the company, once directly benefitted from MK’s guidance.
“As a seasoned professional in the IT industry, MK has been an invaluable mentor,” she shares. “He’s offered insights that have helped me confidently navigate the complexities of this field.”
MK, in turn, points to Amanda as a ‘north star’ example of how mentorship can come full circle, with former mentees going on to become mentors themselves.
Through EGB’s mentorship programme, Amanda gained valuable guidance and support that helped shape her entrepreneurial journey. Today, she leads Pencil Labs, empowering enterprises to transform their operations through custom-built agentic workflows and AI-powered chatbots.
Taking the mission beyond Singapore
MK’s long-term vision for EGB involves a sustainable mentorship ecosystem that transcends borders and fuels both personal growth and collective impact.
And while he may have started EGB in Singapore, he never intended for the organisation to stay confined to its borders. “Our focus is to expand and establish a presence in countries with strong expat communities,” he says.
“So far, we have already established a presence in Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the US, Dubai, Australia, Germany, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan and the UK, and have plans to set up a presence in other countries.”
These expansion plans are more easily achievable because of the mentors’ extensive work travel schedules, where they carve out time to meet with mentees in the countries they visit. “This helps establish our presence in more locations around the world,” MK explains.
Ultimately, the goal is to enable one million mentorship connections globally every year. While it may sound far-fetched to outsiders, MK is confident of the EGB team’s ability to achieve this. “To get there, the team will launch an AI-powered app built on OutSystems, which generously donated its platform and resources to build this agentic super app of the future. It leverages AI agents to seamlessly connect mentors and mentees while offering tools to track progress—including voice-to-text summaries, smart matching, career goal setting, and coaching frameworks,” he shares. “The app comes with built-in security, governance, and guardrails that help protect everyone involved.”
More than just an app, it serves as the foundation enabling Expats Give Back to scale, creating meaningful mentor–mentee opportunities for a rapidly growing community both in Singapore and globally.
“We’re also collaborating with governments and enterprises to scale mentorship infrastructure worldwide, and we are open to sponsorship and funding!” he shared.
Being grounded in Singapore
While EGB is quickly traversing borders, its heart remains in Singapore, where the journey began. This is certainly true for MK, who has quickly built up a close-knit community around him.
His first home in Singapore was in Tai Keng Gardens, which was surrounded by local families. “I spent a lot of my weekends keeping fit through ActiveSG activities and visiting hawker centres to enjoy local delicacies,” he reflects.
For those new to Singapore and keen to build their own community, MK recommends respecting local cultures and contexts, and engaging with respect and curiosity before making new connections.
One such community is Singapore Global Network, a 140,000-strong network of professionals, entrepreneurs, and friends across 168 countries and regions.
“Singapore had an abundance of opportunity for those looking to setting up their career,” he advises. “Yes, it is competitive, and you need to be resilient, but you will succeed as long as you display tremendous grit and a willingness to work hard.”
His success with EGB reinforces his connection with Singapore. “EGB has given me a reason to connect more deeply with locals, understand their stories, and feel like a part of something bigger.”
“I hope to pay it forward, and I hope that people benefitting from the programme are able to do the same. Everyone should be able to access professional advice and inclusive, judgement-free places where they can develop their skills.”
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About MK
In 2019, Muralee Kanagaratnam (MK) founded Expats Give Back (EGB), a platform connecting early-career executives with industry leaders in human resources, law, financial services, recruitment, and entrepreneurship.
Connect with him here.
Those interested in joining Expats Give Back as a mentor or mentee can refer to this link for more information.
