SPEAKERS

Cesar Harada is a French-Japanese designer, environmentalist, and educator specialising in ocean technology and impact innovation. Founder of MakerBay in Hong Kong and the ocean robotics startup Scoutbots, he has also served as Associate Professor of Design at the Singapore Institute of Technology. His work has been recognised with the Ars Electronica Golden Nica (2009) and exhibited at the V&A Museum, ArtScience Museum, and included in permanent collections worldwide. A sought-after speaker with over 20 TED/TEDx talks, Cesar has presented at the UN, Harvard, and beyond. He holds master’s degrees from RCA (London) and ENSAD (Paris), and is pursuing a PhD in Design and Ocean Innovation at CNAM (Paris).

Clement Zheng is an Assistant Professor with the Presidential Young Professorship in the Division of Industrial Design at the National University of Singapore, where he leads the Interactive Materials Lab. His research explores material-based approaches to physical computing, tangible interactions, and interactive systems, regularly published at venues such as ACM CHI and DIS. Passionate about learning STEM through design and making, Clement translates research into hands-on curricula for learners of all ages. His creative work has been exhibited internationally at Milan Design Week, Ars Electronica, and the V&A Museum, and his games showcased at GDC and the ArtScience Museum.

Gracia Goh (she/her) is a designer and researcher working at the intersections of urbanism, storytelling, and collective learning. Her practice explores how cities are shaped and reshaped through participatory design, civic imagination, and community-led inquiry. She has collaborated with organizations such as the Shape of Cities to Come Institute, NYC Community Land Initiative, and Chemistry, focusing on projects that connect everyday urban life to broader systems and histories. Guided by curiosity and care, Gracia frames the city as both something we design and something that, in turn, designs us.

Jessica is part of the Apple Initiatives team focusing on key areas of Accessibility across all routes to market (Enterprise, Education, Consumer & Retail) in Australia, New Zealand and South Asia region. Since joining Apple in 2006, Jessica has been dedicated to ensuring accessibility is championed as a basic human right, and bringing that message across the globe.

Jordyn Zimmerman is a passionate educator and disability advocate. After being diagnosed as autistic at a young age, she did not receive access to augmentative communication, via iPad, until the age of 18. She now thrives on boldly showing up and redefining what is possible in learning spaces and throughout the broader community — and has personal experience challenging the status quo, which is featured in the documentary, This Is Not About Me. Jordyn is Manager of Education Products and Program Development for a nonprofit, an Apple Distinguished Educator, and a two-time appointee on The United States President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. She previously earned her Bachelor's degree in Education Policy from Ohio University, her Master's of Education at Boston College, and her Master's of Business Administration from Quantic School of Business and Technology.

Karin Aue is a Senior Lecturer in the Division of Industrial Design at the National University of Singapore, where she leads the Master of Design in Integrated Design. With nearly two decades of practice across Europe and Asia, she bridges strategic consultancy and impact-driven projects. A Partner at Chemistry, an award-winning innovation consultancy, Karin previously worked with IDEO, Tama BI Art University, KesselsKramer, and OMA. Her design focus lies in circular economy, systems transformation, and planet-centred participatory design, collaborating with public and private sectors to accelerate sustainable transitions. She holds MAs from the University of the Arts London and the University of Applied Arts Vienna.

Kenneth Chia Kai Liang is a Senior Project Manager at Digital Dream, a social enterprise creating inclusive digital solutions that merge innovation with social impact. He leads projects spanning immersive mixed reality, interactive installations, and assistive technologies, with a strong focus on supporting the Special Needs Education sector. With a background in Biotechnology and a degree in Game Design from DigiPen Institute of Technology, Kenneth blends technical expertise with creative practice to deliver fresh, engaging, and meaningful projects. His work reflects a commitment to cross-sector collaboration and to designing digital experiences that empower diverse communities.

Professor Lisa Scharoun is Head of the School of Design at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, and is internationally recognised for her contributions to design education, research, and practice. With a career spanning the USA, UK, China, Singapore, and Australia, she specialises in transdisciplinary design education, workplace culture transformation, and design for health and well-being. Lisa’s leadership emphasises building resilient, collaborative teams and developing innovative solutions to societal challenges. Her accolades include the QS Wharton Re-imagine Education Global Award, the Australian Awards for University Teaching, and Good Design Australia Awards. A design practitioner as well as an academic, she was also a top-10 finalist in the Bill & Melinda Gates Records for Life competition for her impactful vaccination reminder tool for mothers in developing countries.

Lynette Tan is a trailblazer in Asia’s space ecosystem and CEO of Space Faculty, where she leads initiatives from satellite building and training to nurturing future talent. With a career spanning Singapore’s government service, deep-tech non-profits, and the pharmaceutical industry, she brings a unique blend of public and private sector experience. Lynette is dedicated to demystifying space and leveraging space-based technologies for innovation across industries. Recognized on the inaugural Singapore 100 Women in Tech List, she is also a Karman Fellow and advisor to international deep-tech startups, positioning Singapore as a key player on the global space map.

Marta Miguel is a Senior Academic Mentor at the School of Design, Temasek Polytechnic, where she supports the professional growth of lecturers through studio-based learning, exemplary teaching practices, and innovative pedagogy. Formerly an independent architect and urban designer, she has worked across Portugal, the Netherlands, and Angola, with academic appointments at TU Delft and Robert Gordon University (UK), where she completed her PhD. Her research focuses on urban and sustainable human development, exploring the transformative role of architecture in shaping resilient cities and communities. Marta brings a systems perspective to education, design, and urban sustainability.

Nadya Shaznay Patel is an Assistant Professor at the Singapore Institute of Technology with over twenty years of experience as an educator, researcher, and trainer. Her work sits at the intersection of Critical Design Futures (CDF), entrepreneurship education, and generative AI for innovation. Nadya has developed interdisciplinary design innovation and digital media modules that merge industry briefs with futures-oriented, AI-enabled experimentation, resulting in prototypes presented to industry partners. She leads a Ministry of Education Tertiary Research Fund project on a conversational AI coach to foster creativity and entrepreneurial readiness, and as Principal Consultant of Pagasa Lab, spearheads Cogito, an AI sparring partner for critical futures thinking.

Natalie Alexandra Tse is a sound artist, educator, and researcher whose practice blends experimental improvisation, traditional Chinese music, and early childhood pedagogy. Co-founder of SAtheCollective and Director of Young Audience & Community Engagement, she also founded LittleCr3atures®, offering immersive sonic experiences for infants and toddlers. Her doctoral research on babies’ sonic play inspired SonicPlay™, a pedagogy rooted in listening, response, and sound exploration. As Atelierista and SonicPlay™ Pedagogista at Trehaus School, and lecturer at LASALLE, NIE, and SUSS, she nurtures future artist-educators. Natalie’s work invites us to reimagine sound as a catalyst for empathy, identity, and ecological awareness.

Ng Fong Yee is a multidisciplinary artist and child culture designer who works with experimental, participatory design methods to co-create public spaces with young people. Her current practice explores how collaborative and inclusive exhibition-making can serve as a platform for play, improvisation, and meaningful co-creation—empowering children to claim their right to shape the environments around them. Previously, she was an EdTech educator, developing coding curricula for children aged 4–12. With experience working across London, Japan, and Sweden, Fong Yee brings a global, child-centered perspective to designing cultural spaces that nurture imagination, agency, and collaboration.

Nikki Martyn is the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of The Love Lab: Child Futures Innovation PlaySpace and creator of The Love Model. An educator, developmental theorist, and global innovator, she bridges neuroscience, attachment theory, and ethical design to reimagine childhood, education, and technology through a love-informed lens. Nikki leads pioneering initiatives that foster emotional safety, co-regulation, and digital discernment in learning environments. Her current work explores the intersections of AI, relational development, and predictive processing, with a mission to ensure children’s nervous systems—and the future of humanity—are shaped by love, not algorithms.

Rachna Johri is Deputy Director at Temasek Polytechnic’s Learning Academy, where she oversees programmes and partnerships that build staff capabilities in teaching and learning, ensuring alignment with institutional goals. Previously with the School of Design, she led academic quality, curriculum planning, and operations, and continues to contribute to cross-institutional initiatives such as the Joint Polytechnic Academy for Educators. Trained as an architect with a Master’s in Education from Sheffield University, Rachna is deeply committed to sustainability. She actively engages with The Circle of Human Sustainability while driving key organisational initiatives that connect design, education, and sustainable futures.

Tzang Merwyn Tong is an educator, award-winning filmmaker, and creative program designer at Republic Polytechnic’s School of Technology for the Arts, Media and Design. He pioneers innovative initiatives such as First Shot(s) X-Change, Zen-Mind Filmmaking, and Mindfulness Filmmaking for Wellness. Recognized with the Teaching Excellence Award and the Public Sector Transformation Award (2025), he has also co-developed programs with the DesignSingapore Council. Tzang holds a Master’s in Arts Pedagogy and Practice (Distinction) from Goldsmiths, University of London, and his research and films have been presented internationally from Glasgow and Tokyo to Berlin and Rotterdam.

Vince Siu is the Founder and Lead Producer of Press Start Studios, an edutainment media studio creating award-winning games for education and impact, and Founder and CEO of Press Start Academy, a globally recognized education startup whose immersive, game-based curricula have reached over 5,000 students and 1,000 educators worldwide. With a background in digital strategy, innovation, and consulting, Vince now focuses on game-based learning, design thinking, and interactive media. His leadership has earned recognition as an Asia-Pacific Leader by the Obama Foundation, a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum, and a Tatler Asia Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow.