Regional Hearth Summit Malaysia 2024

Collaborators

Meet The Speakers

Lara has been producing documentaries for more than 25 years and has worked on a vast range of projects from wildlife to history, megastructures and archaeology. She has produced for international broadcasters including the National Geographic Channel, History Channel and Channel NewsAsia. Several of her films have won awards locally and internationally. These include “Among the Great Apes with Michelle Yeoh”, “Sumatra‘s Last Tigers”, “On Borrowed Time”, “Rising Sun Over Malaya” and “The Highland Towers Disaster”.But her passion has always been in conservation. Throughout her career, she has worked with various NGOs to make short documentaries that have changed attitudes towards the way we treat our planet and its animals. She has been heavily involved in tiger conservation over the last 10 years and is now the President of RIMAU, an NGO dedicated to saving tigers.

Lara Ariffin

Arts, Culture & Indigenous Wisdom Pillar
Role: Speaker

Shanthi Periasamy is a distinguished educator and leader in the realm of social responsibility, with a career marked by profound contributions to education and community development. With over three decades of experience as an educator, Shanthi has profoundly impacted countless lives, fostering a love for learning and empowering students from diverse backgrounds.Beyond her teaching career, Shanthi has played a pivotal role in leading education-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Her strategic vision and leadership have driven initiatives aimed at improving educational outcomes and creating equitable opportunities for all. Shanthi's work with NGOs highlights her deep understanding of the systemic challenges faced by many communities and her determination to address these issues through impactful programs and advocacy.

Shanthi Periasamy

Arts, Culture & Indigenous Wisdom Pillar
Role: Speaker

Geraldine has rediscovered the creation story of the Mayan peoples and actively encourages the formation of discussion circles to explore these foundational narratives. Her work emphasizes the ancient wisdom of civilizations regarding architectural designs that capture and conserve water. By reconnecting with life-sustaining energies and forces, her initiatives aim to restore watersheds, revive springs, and bring clarity to individuals’ sense of purpose within their communities. These principles also highlight the potential to harmonize weather patterns and life cycles, offering a holistic approach to environmental and communal healing.

Geraldine Patrick Encina

Arts, Culture & Indigenous Wisdom Pillar
Role: Speaker

A Malaysian musician celebrated for her pioneering fusion of contemporary sounds with traditional Bornean music. Hailing from the Indigenous kelabit community of Sarawak, Alena’s mastery of the sape, a traditional lute instrument, sets her apart in the music scene. Her debut album "flight" showcases her exceptional talent and deep connection to her cultural roots, earning her widespread acclaim and establishing her as a leading figure in Malaysia’s music landscape.Alena's unique blend of modern sensibilities with age-old traditions captivates audiences, offering a fresh perspective on Bornean music and fostering cross-cultural appreciation.

Alena Murang

Opening Performance

A proud Orang Asli hailing from Kampung Sahom Valley, Perak. Ronnie Bahari is from the Semai tribe, one of the 18 sub-tribes of the Orang Asli (indigenous peoples) in Peninsular Malaysia. The photographer by trade is also a fierce protector of Orang Asli arts and tradition, faithfully preserving them through the organisation he founded, Persatuan Kebudayaan Kesenian Orang Asli Perak (PKKOAP). Since its establishment in 2018, PKKOAP has created much-needed visibility and appreciation around Orang Asli culture, arts and tradition.

Ronnie Bahari

Heritage Art and Culture Showcase Orang Asli Nose Flute and Photography Exhibit by Ronnie Bahari

EFOZY is a collaborative audio visual production. EFOZY has spent more than a decade of wonderful opportunity to explore audio visual cultures in various multi platforms. Today, his work continues to explore the possibilities of visual graphics invention into seeking innovative forms for user experiences.

Fauzi Yusoff

Heritage Art and Culture Showcase Performance Artist

DiAbolution was founded by Ryn Mah in April 2018 who is also its Artistic Director. DiAbolution aims to bring the traditional diabolo culture into the Malaysia performing arts and explore the possibilities of diabolo (juggling or circus prop) and Chinese culture beyond conventional practice. Recently, Ryn Mah started to invent his own light props to be used in conjunction with his diabolo performances. By adding new elements and technology, he is able to bring this traditional art form to modern times.

DiAbolution

Heritage Art and Culture Showcase Performance Artist

Chef Risma, an Indonesian culinary expert and Le Cordon Bleu graduate, specializes in gluten-free baking and healthy cuisine. With a substantial social media presence, she offers online culinary courses and develops food and nutritional supplements made from organic ingredients. Having lived in Kuala Lumpur for over 13 years, it was during this time that she honed her skills and pursued her professional culinary training.

Chef Risma

Ranee Udtumthisarn,hails from Ban Phak Yam, a small village in the Esan region of the Mekong Delta in northeastern Thailand. Raised in a rural setting far from tourist hubs,Ranee's family relied on self-sufficiency, eating what they grew, caught in the river, or found in the jungle. As a child, Ranee would often join their father on fishing trips that could last months, selling the catch along the way. It was Ranee's mother who instilled a love for cooking, with a strong influence from Northeast Thailand. However, Ranee also developed a deep appreciation for Italian and French cuisines, often incorporating ingredients like artichokes into dishes, blending diverse culinary traditions with a Thai foundation. Ranee now runs a successful restaurant in Copenhagen.

Chef Ranee Udtumthisarn

Chef Sufiz Allatif is the founder of Soofeast Catering Services, a company built on the idea of connecting communities through food. Known for transforming popular street food into elegant, bite-sized creations, Chef Sufiz brings passion and creativity to every dish. With a focus on quality, innovation, and personalized service, Chef Sufiz has become a trusted name for family events and memorable feasts. Guided by the motto "Creating a food network with every feast," Chef Sufiz continues to inspire with unique culinary experiences.

Chef Sufiz

Mia Jafari specialises in transforming organisations through the design and implementation of startup and innovation programs that address environmental, social, and business challenges, having collaborated with various institutions since 2010. She founded Fluid Labs in 2023 to provide customized innovation solutions, leveraging her expertise in facilitating complex concepts and fostering sustainable partnerships in the travel and tourism sectors.

Mia Jafari

Business & the Wellbeing Economy Pillar
Role: Pillar Steward

Abraham Ologundudu is an award-winning changemaker, multidisciplinary designer, and social innovator dedicated to advancing social impact in Africa. With over eight years of experience in research, design, strategy, and leadership development, Abraham blends media arts, design, technology, and leadership to drive sustainable change. As founder of FA Creative Studio, he partners with leaders and organizations to develop impactful brand and media projects. He also leads SocialGood Lagos, a youth-led chapter of the UN Foundation’s +SocialGood initiative, and co-founded The Leverage Africa to cultivate transformational leadership

Abraham Ologundudu

Planetary Wellbeing Pillar
Role: Advisor and Speaker

Rubén Cantú, a social entrepreneur and educator, founded the Office of Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UT Austin, mentoring over 100 students at Product Prodigy Institute and WIELD Texas. Now leading LMNTS, an ed-tech company for underserved communities, he also directs the Frontera Leadership Institute, earning accolades like the 2024 Presidential Volunteer Community Service Award.

Rubén Cantú

Arts, Culture & Indigenous Wisdom Pillar
Role: Advisor & Speaker

Deki Choden, Founding Principal of Bhutan’s Educating for Lifelong Citizenship School (ELC), promotes holistic education through global partnerships and initiatives. As Bhutan's Design for Change Country Lead, she has empowered thousands of students to drive positive change, advocating for "EduCARING for Universal Happiness and Wellbeing" to realize Bhutan's vision of Gross National Happiness in education.

Deki Choden

Next Generation Wellbeing Leadership Pillar
Role: Speaker

Tim is Head of Wellbeing at Bhutan’s Educating for Lifelong Citizenship (ELC) School, where he leads social-emotional learning programs to promote happiness and wellbeing. As Country Co-Lead of Design for Change Bhutan and lecturer for the Happy Schools course, he combines expertise from Stanford and Harvard with his experience as former Chief Impact Officer at OneSky to drive educational transformation and wellbeing initiatives across Asia.

Tim Huang

Next Generation Wellbeing Leadership
Role: Advisor & Speaker

Mindahi, a Ritual Ceremony Officer of the Otomi-Toltec people from Tultepec, Mexico, is a prominent advocate for indigenous rights and environmental stewardship. He directs The Fountain's Original Nations Program, supports sacred site preservation, and authored *Ancestors*, drawing on his experience from key roles at the Earth Summit and as former President of the Mexican Council of Sustainable Development.

Earth Elder: Mindahi Crescencio Bastida

Arts, Culture & Indigenous Wisdom Pillar
Role: Keynote Speaker

Deborah is an experienced, but non-practising UK qualified Drama and Movement Therapist. She worked in both mental health and community settings using drama and movement techniques as part of multidisciplinary teams. Her groundbreaking work at The Priory, Birmingham, was covered on BBC Radio 4. Having experienced burn out, she took a step back from frontline clinical practice to work in digital product development and transformation, including charities and Tech for Good. She has recently retrained as a Life Coach and weaves her Drama and Movement Therapy experiences together with the accountability of working in the tech sector into her coaching practice. She now supports her clients to find their balance and purpose whilst preventing burn out.

Deborah Rothenberg

Next Generation Wellbeing Leadership Pillar
Role: Speaker

Rea is a polymath and founder of trauma-informed platforms intersecting artivism, participatory arts, and wellbeing initiatives. Through her work with AI, arts, and education, she destigmatizes childhood sexual trauma and domestic violence. As founder of eduSOIL and Director of Design For Change in South Africa, Sudan, and Northern Ireland, she supports underserved communities in Africa.

Juanita Rea

Next Generation Wellbeing Leadership Pillar
Role: Speaker

Sydney has held key educational roles in the UAE, including Vice Principal in Al Ain, contributing to improved ADEK ratings. With expertise across ICSE, CBSE, IB, and IGCSE curricula, he is a Leading-Edge Digital Educator and Microsoft Certified Educator. Recognized as an influencer, Sydney received the Stanford University Exceptional Educator Award (2016) and University of Chicago Outstanding Educator Award (2020).

Sydney Atkins

Next generation: Youth Track Pillar
Role: Speaker

Niels de Fraguier is an advisor, author and ideator committed to empowering individuals and restoring Earth systems. With a background at the intersection of empowerment, social innovation, and sustainability, he has led multiple impact initiatives around the globe. Committed to building a new paradigm, Niels invests all his energy in elevating human potential, building capacity and catalysing networks for change.

Niels de Fraguier

Next Generation Wellbeing Leadership Pillar
Role: Pillar Steward

Elle, a global businesswoman, collaborates with royals and dignitaries on sustainability projects across Africa. Currently, she partners with Queen Diambi Kabatusuila in the Democratic Republic of Congo on initiatives to clean the Great Congo River, build waste management infrastructure, and improve access to clean water and education.

Elle Watson

Planetary Wellbeing Pillar
Role: Pillar Steward

Grace, the "Worth Architect," advocates self-worth as the key to success with her motto, "Be Bold or Italic, Never Regular." As an entrepreneur, community architect, and property developer with experience at Meta and the UN Foundation, she redefines wealth and empowers others to live authentically.

Grace Clapham

Business and Wellbeing Pillar
Role: Plenary Speaker

Tan Sri Prof. Emeritus Dr. Mazlan Othman, Malaysia's first astrophysicist, earned her Ph.D. from the University of Otago and lectured at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. She led Malaysia’s Space Science Division, directed the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, and was the founding director-general of ANGKASA. Completing Harvard’s Advanced Manager Programme in 2005, she later served as UNOV's deputy director-general before joining the Academy of Sciences Malaysia in 2014 as Mega Science 3.0 project director.

Tan Sri Mazlan Othman

Planetary Wellbeing
Role: Keynote Speaker

Nelson Ole Reiyia is a Maasai elder from Kenya and co-founder of Nashulai, the first Maasai-led conservation initiative. Nelson helped establish Nashulai by uniting community lands to form a vital corridor for wildlife migration, bridging the Mara and Serengeti ecosystems. Through this collective effort, families now live in harmony with diverse wildlife, while Maasai rangers actively protect the area from poaching.

Nelson Ole Reiyia

Business and Wellbeing Pillar
Role: Keynote speaker

A seasoned professional / entrepreneur with strong experience in strategic planning, business development and market access across multiple industries including the TMT/digital space, banking/finance, government and social-enterprise related-sectors. Founder of Okki’s Gathering, a social club/marketplace for projects and investors to meet and close deals.

Okki Soebagio

Planetary Wellbeing Pillar
Role: Speaker

Aishah is a 20-year-old law student from Malaysia who is deeply passionate about driving change in society. She is dedicated to championing environmental sustainability and transforming education, through community-led projects and rights for all, and is committed to building a better future for everyone. Aishah has been part of the Design For Change programme in Malaysia since age 14, using the arts and design as a powerful means to create societal change such as with her performance art project to counter bullying in schools called “Singing to the Lions” which represented Malaysia in Taiwan. She has had an audience with The Pope at the Vatican, as part of her role being a student advisor on DFC Global Student Council. She has also been an advisor to Impact Hub Kuala Lumpur for their work with children under the Empowered Individuals pillar.

Nur Aishah Abdullah

Next Generation Wellbeing Leadership
Role: Youth Voice and Keynote Speaker

Anjaan blends spirituality and practicality. Raised in a Vedic family, he has lived as a Yogi since childhood. A Meditation guide and Tantra Mentor, he helps people achieve relaxation and wellness using ancient wisdom from Yoga, Tantra, and Zen.

Anjaan

Arts, Culture & Indigenous Wisdom Pillar
Role: Plenary Speaker

Shariha is an impact advisor and investor with over 15 years experience in roles in the public, private and non-profit sectors around the world. She brings deep knowledge of the innovation and impact ecosystem in Asia, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia. From founding organisations dedicated to building and supporting the next impact entrepreneur, to creating safe spaces and communities for cross-sector collaborations, to funding early-stage innovations that deliver impact, Shariha has been at the pulse of innovation and impact in the region. Shariha was a career surgeon in the healthcare systems in the UK, US & Malaysia prior to her career as an entrepreneur. As a +SocialGood Connector at the UN Foundation and a Global Good Fund Ambassador, she contributes her time to causes she’s passionate about: entrepreneurship and sustainable development.

Shariha Khalid

Hearth Summit Lead
Role: Opening remarks

Zhariff Afandi is a renowned motivator, life coach, public speaker, extreme sportsman, author, father, entrepreneur and humanitarian. A creature of adaptation, Zhariff has never let being born without arms hinder his ability to lead a fulfilling life. In fact, he had no concept of a ‘disability’ until early adulthood and has never viewed himself as disadvantaged. Any obstacle has always been overcome with a solution and his vivacious personality has meant he lives his life exactly how he wants to.

Zhariff Afandi

Arts, Culture & Indigenous Wisdom Pillar
Role: Pillar Steward

Miguel is a compassionate and innovative professional dedicated to fostering personal and organizational growth. With a strong foundation in coaching, he is certified by the European Coaching Center (2007), the Co-Active Training Institute (2012), and Emergent Essence Dynamics (2015), and has expanded his expertise through studies in Appreciative Research, Design Thinking, Mindfulness, Transpersonal Psychology, and Creative Body Expression. Holding an engineering degree from ETSI Industriales de Madrid and a master’s in Financial Management from ESIC, Miguel combines his academic knowledge with over 13 years of consulting experience. As a "Dream Awakener" since 2010, he mentors individuals and groups using tools like coaching, appreciative inquiry, and design thinking. Previously, Miguel served as a Senior Manager at Everis and a technology consultant in telecommunications. Currently, he is the President of Design for Change Spain, a Careholder at the Madrid Center for social innovators, and co-founder of TheGoodChain, an NGO promoting small acts of generosity.

Miguel Luengo Pierrard

Next Generation Wellbeing Leadership
Role: Speaker

Where wellbeing and social change gather

Transforming visionary ideas into bold actions

Expect immersive activities that inspire and engage

2.5 Day Conference