Currently a Ph.D. candidate and research fellow at the Center for Strategic Studies at the Fletcher School of Tufts University, she's recognized for independent research, including reports on the Women’s Penal System in Afghanistan, Women’s Participation in the Afghan Peace Process, NATO's Security Sector Reform, and numerous analytical articles.

Lima founded the Paywand Afghan Association, dedicated to women's issues research. With a track record of collaboration with national and international organizations, she emphasizes gender mainstreaming. Formerly the Monitoring and Evaluation Director at the Administrative Office of the President of Afghanistan, she drove system reforms for enhanced governmental accountability.

She holds a master's degree in International Security from The Fletcher School at Tufts University and a bachelor's degree in Women and Gender Studies from Bucknell University.

Seamon serves as Chair of the Milken Institute Young Leaders Circle (Asia), the Advisory Council of Asia Society Southern California, the Advisory Board of Mekong Future Initiative, and the Board of Trustees and Review Committee of the United Chinese Americans Community Foundation. He is a Term Member at the Council on Foreign Relations,  and a member of the Economic Club of New York, China Institute Next Gen x Serica, and Gold House. He was recognized as a Committee of 100 Next Generation Leader in 2018 and serves on the C100 NGL Advisory Council.

Seamon graduated from Stanford University, the OPM Program at HBS, and is completing the Belt Road Initiative EMBA at Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance.

As part of management, Hao leads a group of ESG champions embedded within the business and ensures implementation of the Asia Symbol 2030 sustainability goals.

Prior to joining the private sector, Hao spent eight years in Kenya serving the United Nations Environment Programme actively engaged in environmental multilateralism. She was awarded a "Baobab Staff Award" for her work in supporting the significant 2017 ivory trade ban in China. Her journey in global environmental cooperation has been featured in Chinese national media such as Xinhua News Agency and China Daily.

Hao holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Bath University in the United Kingdom, where she was the first elected Chair of the International Students Union, and an MPA in International Economics from Columbia University.

His works include the novel Waste Tide and a book co-authored with Kai-Fu Lee, AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future.

He focuses on topics such as climate change and environmental issues, the inequality of tech society, culture and biodiversity, and many other subjects. He currently travels around the world and does field study for his future projects.

He is also the chairman of Y7&Y20 of Japan, a national U-40 organization of the G7&G20. Soichiro received a dual B.A. from Peking University and Waseda University and an MBA from Harvard Business School as a Fulbright Scholar. He is the co-author of "Japan: Land of the Setting Sun?” a case study on Prime Minister Abe's economic policy taught to all 900 Harvard Business School students in the required curriculum. Soichiro is a violinist who has played for the first lady of Japan.

Beyond her professional commitments, Nomin is actively involved in initiatives that foster the next generation of Mongolian leaders, facilitate inclusive and accessible education, and expand opportunities for the children of Mongolia.  She currently serves on the boards of Teach for Mongolia, Lean in Mongolia, and the Hobby School Alumni Association.  She also previously served as the Vice President of the Mongolian Association of State Alumni (MASA), one of the top three U.S. alumni associations in the world. 

Nomin is an alumna of the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) and a Rumsfeld Fellow.  She received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arizona and her Bachelor of Laws degree from the National University of Mongolia.

Tsedon was an AusAID scholar and earned her master’s degree with distinction in Diplomacy and Trade from Monash University. While attending Monash, she served as President of the Monash Graduate Association.

Zak is also the author of the critically acclaimed Young China: How the Restless Generation Will Change Their Country and the World, which explores how the country’s young generation, born after 1990, feels about everything, from education, money, and sex, to their government. Zak has been invited to speak on six continents including Harvard University, The Wall Street Journal CEO Council Summit, Google’s Next Billion Users Initiative, and the Aspen Ideas Festival, among others.

Arnaud is the co-founder of the Marco Polo Institute, a think tank active in Beijing and Shanghai from 2012 to 2016, aimed at identifying innovative public policies and corporate practices in China.

Arnaud graduated from Harvard Business School (MBA, 2016) and Sciences Po Paris (bachelor’s, 2008; MPA, 2010). He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Chinese language and civilization from the National Institute of Oriental Studies in Paris (INALCO).

Prior to Dedrone, he spent over a decade at Centerview Partners advising corporations in China, Japan, Ukraine, Spain, Turkey, the UK, and the U.S. on M&A and strategic corporate matters. He also helped establish the firm’s technology practice in Silicon Valley.

Henning is actively engaged with nonprofits and serves as a board director for the East Palo Alto Kids Foundation. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Beijing, Henning has lived in six countries: China, Germany, Malaysia, France, the UK, and the U.S.

Henning completed his undergraduate studies at the European Business School in Germany where he currently serves as their Silicon Valley Alumni Chair. Henning speaks German, French and Mandarin. He is based in San Francisco and Washington D.C.

Deborah began modeling at age 15 and has worked in Hong Kong, India, and London. She has been featured on the cover of Vogue, Marie Claire, and others.

While studying Political Science and Economics at the University of Queensland, Deborah became passionate about children's and refugee rights. She co-founded Fugee School, a nonprofit school for refugee children in Malaysia in 2009, as well as Fugee.org focusing on education access and empowerment for marginalized communities in Malaysia. In 2017, she founded Fugeelah, a social-impact jewelry business.

Deborah has represented Malaysia on humanitarian trips to Brazil, Myanmar, India, and Lebanon. She is a children's rights advocate for World Vision and a refugee rights advocate for UNHCR. In 2013, she was listed in Forbes among leading Asian Philanthropists.

Deborah was selected to represent Malaysia in the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). She also moderated a talk with Michelle Obama and Julia Roberts at the Obama Foundation Leaders: Asia-Pacific program.

Before joining the ACLU of Hawaiʻi, Wookie was an associate at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP in Washington, D.C. He also served as a law clerk on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Before becoming a lawyer, he taught high school English and journalism in the District of Columbia Public Schools.

Wookie received a B.A. in Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University, an M.A.T. in Secondary English Education from American University, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, India, Ashutosh is a  2013 fellow of the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (ILVP) and a 2018 fellow of The Asia Foundation. He was a member of the India@75 Taskforce for Skilling and Entrepreneurship, an initiative by CII (Confederation of Indian Industry). He is a TEDx speaker, a theatre enthusiast, and a filmmaker.

He is also an international affairs strategist focusing on East Asia. His thought leadership has been featured in various leading publications and forums. He is passionate about youth and civic engagement, creating a new wave of globalization.

He is the Curator for Global Shapers Community Hong Kong hub, an initiative of the World Economic Forum (WEF), where he founded the ‘Future City Dialogue Series,’ growing an audience of young professionals to actively future-proof and shape policy together.

Neville has worked as a Consultant in Myanmar for the International Trade Centre, a joint agency between the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation. He is currently based in Hong Kong.

As the APAC Regional Strategy & Impact Director at International Justice Mission, Sinni directs teams across the APAC region to support governments in protecting vulnerable people in poverty from violence. She partners with global, regional, and national organizations to build thought leadership on emerging, cross-sector, and transboundary crimes such as the online sexual exploitation of children and forced labor.

In addition to her professional roles, Sinni has held several leadership positions in nonprofit organizations, including serving on the board of Care for Children Singapore and as a Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum.

She holds degrees from Oxford University and Stanford University.

Jieh-Yung was a key architect behind the formation of CAAL in its establishment in 2020 by the ANU. As its Director, Jieh-Yung is spearheading CAAL’s academic and evidence-based research and advocacy in order to shape practical solutions to tackle the ‘bamboo ceiling’ in Australia.

Jieh-Yung is one of Australia’s most influential voices and thought leaders on the topics of cultural diversity, multiculturalism, inclusion, and leadership – especially on Asian-Australian representation and cultural diversity leadership where he played a major role in putting this issue on the national agenda in Australia.

Prior to CAAL, Jieh-Yung worked in various public policy, project management, and leadership roles across the nonprofit, advocacy and government sectors. He graduated from the University of Melbourne with a B.A., majoring in Political Science and Asian Studies.

Previously, Angga served as a Social Policy Specialist at UNICEF Indonesia, overseeing youth engagement in urbanization, advocating for Sustainable Development Goals, and managing UNICEF's contributions during the Indonesian G20 Presidency. He held the position of UN Youth Adviser on SDGs Implementation in Indonesia from 2017 to 2018, playing a pivotal role in mobilizing youth for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. He is both a Global Atlantic Fellow and a member of the inaugural cohort of Obama Leaders: Asia-Pacific.

Angga holds a Master's in Public Policy from the University of Indonesia and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School.

Before joining NPR, Vincent was a correspondent for The Guardian, a London-based newspaper, and its Sunday edition, The Observer. Prior to The Guardian, he spent seven years at the BBC, where he also worked on the network’s flagship news magazine show, Newshour. In 2019, Vincent created and edited an Asia-focused podcast. It was later acquired by the Brussels School of Governance in 2022.

He is the founder of Yedi Technologies, Inc, a venture focused on revolutionizing the quality, sustainability, and accessibility of restrooms around the world. He also founded Maia Technologies, a company specializing in agricultural digital twins, using AI and computer vision to help make farming more efficient, ethical, and sustainable.

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Evan helped structure the go-to-market strategies for several large Silicon Valley companies, including LinkedIn and Microsoft. He has also worked around the world, including in Beijing, Tokyo, and Dubai, where he built an international robotics business.

He holds a B.A. in Economics from Harvard College.

Krystle is also an experienced strategic planner, focusing on process improvement, risk management, and product development. Her career took a different trajectory when she moved to a start-up specializing in B2B growth marketing, "We Are Team Rocket", where she holds the position of General Manager. Krystle also serves as the youngest non-executive independent Director at a trusted NBFI in Sri Lanka. She is a Community Champion of the Global Shapers for Southern India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives chapters.

Krystle became the first Sri Lankan to be honored with the "Commonwealth Young Person of the Year" award by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017. She was selected as one of the 50 young people to attend the 2019 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum.

His forthcoming book, The Kuroshio Frontier: Empire and Oceanic Environment in the Making of Japan’s Pacific (Cambridge University Press), draws attention to the social and environmental cost of Japan’s industrial emergence throughout the Asia Pacific. Jonas’ multilingual projects are dedicated to grassroots perspectives on the perceived realities of environmental change.

As a scholar and citizen, Jonas advocates for closer conversations between critical scholarship and solution-oriented policy. He helps create synergies between academic expertise and day-to-day practice to build sustainable relations between Europe, America, and Asia. His teaching is committed to fostering intercultural competence and an awareness of underrepresented voices, skills that are increasingly indispensable for inclusive decisionmaking.Jonas received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2022. 

In 2019 she launched Ta(r)dino 6 Art Platform. It supports the discourse on contemporary art from the EECCA region within an international context, focusing on gender, identity, and equality in the art world. In 2021 she registered it as a cultural NGO in Azerbaijan. Asli is a recipient of the Her Majesty Ambassador Award for contribution to U.K.-Azerbaijan cultural relations and Prince Claus Fund's inaugural Seed Award that identifies future trendsetters among artists and cultural practitioners from the Global South.

Furthering his academic pursuits, Thanasak pursued a master's degree in health policy at the University of Edinburgh under the prestigious Chevening Scholarship. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, he orchestrated the mobilization of over 800 dentists, enabling them to administer unconventional yet crucial care, thus sustaining healthcare systems. Through collaboration with the World Dental Federation, he has steadfastly advocated for universal oral health coverage. Moreover, Thanasak's advocacy for cleaner air earned him recognition as one of the ten Open Air Quality Community Ambassadors.

She is a regular contributor to media outlets such as CNBC, FT, Bloomberg, and Nikkei Asia on geopolitical and economic topics, and co-authored a multi-year case study of Haier Group with London School of Economics. Her fund, the Bamboo Asia Pacific ex-Japan, was awarded Gold in the Fund Selector Asia awards in 2022.

Alice studied Intellectual History at Yale University with a focus on China. While at Yale, she co-founded the Federalist Party, part of the Yale Political Union, and she is a Fellow of the Abigail Adams Institute at Harvard University. Alice is a soprano and a candidate for a diploma in vocal performance from Trinity College ‘23 and performs regularly. She is Co-Chair for the 2024 Gala Committee for The Wallace Collection

Sue-Lin graduated from the Australian National University. 

Emily has worked in Taipei, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, and New York. She is passionate about empowering discussions for emerging and progressive social issues and furthering dialogues between Taiwan and the world. Ghost Island Media shows are broadcast in Mandarin, English, and French. Topics range from climate, cannabis, gender, health, feminism, and emerging leaders, to cultural diplomacy, PRC influence, politics, and Taiwan in the world.

Emily began her career in journalism and international co-productions while at public television in Taiwan then at Next Media (Apple Daily). She was most recently the producer and presenter of "Game Changers with Emily Y. Wu," a 30-episode TV interview series on emerging leaders.

Emily graduated from Wellesley College.

Joanna's career has spanned investing and building new financial services businesses, including a US$2 billion pan-Asian fund strategy, and a digital infrastructure that has processed over US$12 billion in transactions among regulated institutions. Since 2012, she has also been involved in first-time sustainability reporting, investing, and product development across real estate, public equities, and debt.

Joanna began her career in international economic policy research, graduating summa cum laude from Harvard and with master’s degrees from Stanford GSB and Cambridge (Trinity College), where she was a Gates Cambridge Scholar.

ASEAN 40 Under 40 and Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia have both recognized his accomplishments.

Richard holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's in business entrepreneurship and technology from the University of Waterloo.