Alfie Othman

Chief Executive Officer

“Social entrepreneurs are mavericks. But nothing great is achieved without a touch of madness.”

Alfie Othman heads the Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise, raiSE.

Alfie has had a successful banking career of over twelve years in the banking sector. Alongside his private sector work, Alfie has devoted significant time to the public sector and civil society. He founded his own social enterprise and has served as advisor and mentor to many social enterprises in Singapore and in the region.

Before raiSE, Alfie was the Executive Director of the Social Enterprise Association.

Alfie is recognised as a Social Enterprise practitioner within Singapore. Since 2016, Alfie has been appointed as a Fellow at SUSS, providing advice on the emerging Fin Tech phenomenon.

Tham Jierong

Assistant CEO and Head, Venture Building

“Social issues are multi-faceted. It is therefore important that policy makers understand the issues on the ground before taking out a quill to write some fanciful paper.”

Tham Jierong currently oversees the Corporate Services and Venture Building teams at raiSE.

Prior to raiSE, he was with the Ministry of Finance (Singapore) handling various policy portfolios from economic, security, to land and infrastructure financing.

Subashini Balakrishnan

Head, Ecosystem Development

“It is indeed rewarding to be serving a business community with a double bottom line and I am excited about the opportunity I have been given to articulate their value.”

Subashini oversees the Ecosystem Development team that champions the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders in supporting and nurturing the social entrepreneurial community in Singapore. In raiSE’s endeavor to encourage every enterprise to be a Social Enterprise, the team is at the forefront of welcoming interested Corporates to make Social Enterprises a part of their sustainability journey.

Concurrently, she also heads the Strategic Communications unit that manages the marketing, branding, and public relations efforts to increase the awareness of and raise support for Social Enterprises in Singapore. Prior to joining raiSE in 2017, Subashini has led various teams in the areas of Enterprise Development, Marketing and Communications, and Corporate Development. She has 15 years of exposure in varied industries both in government and the private sector.

Subashini is passionate about the impact that inclusive businesses can have on our communities and takes a personal interest in the narration of their impact through integrated communications. Having managed her own fashion retail business, she has an astute understanding of the trials and tribulations of a local startup founder and is known for her sensibilities and contagious enthusiasm.

Mohamed Fairuz

Lead, Grant Management

“I am excited to be part of the team developing an emerging sector by supporting the growth of sustainable social enterprises to maximise social outcomes.”

Mohamed Fairuz is part of the Venture Building team at raiSE, to evaluate and support grant cases.

Fairuz has 11 years of accounting and finance experience in the local social service sector. He has worked closely with local Volunteer Welfare Organisations as well as directly with beneficiaries for various social enterprise projects, focussing on youths at risk and ex-offenders. In his previous position, he helped lead his organisation from an accumulated surplus of $2mil to $10mil in 10 years. His professional background, coupled with his passion for the social sector, also prompted Fairuz to lead a number of fundraising events.

Sera Peh

Manager, Grant Management

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to support the passion and commitment of social entrepreneurs alongside the Venture Building team.“

Sera supports the Venture Building team at raiSE through the evaluation of grants applications.

Prior to joining, Sera worked at Agency for Integrated Care where she evaluated grants for individual beneficiaries. She looks forward to witnessing a society where every enterprise endeavours to become a Social Enterprise.

Sera graduated from Murdoch University with a Bachelor of Business , Accounting and Finance.

Erwin Chan

Lead, Venture Insights & Capabilities

"What makes an Entrepreneur rich? Risk taking, Innovation, Can-Do Attitude and always asking themselves - How do I add value to society?"

Erwin Chan designs innovation and entrepreneurial capacity building programmes at raiSE that activates the Social Entrepreneur’s Head, Heart & Hands for transformation.

Erwin has a PhD in biomedical research and is interested in seeing systemic transformations in healthcare. During his post-graduate days, Erwin led medical and dental teams to Cambodia and facilitated social innovation projects in Indonesia and Australia. In 2012, Erwin co-founded a medical device startup that focused on developing solutions for chronic pain management. After failing, he became interested in understanding how the entrepreneurial experience can enrich the personal leadership journey. Erwin was part of the team that won first place at the MITx Entrepreneurship Bootcamp in 2016. He is a Certified Instructor for “Disciplined Entrepreneurship” for new venture creation. Erwin has taught in universities & polytechnics including Bioentrepreneurship at NTU. He also volunteers as a mentor in developing children & youths holistically.

Ong Hui Yu

Lead, Collaborative Financing

“Social and environmental issues are traditionally sidelined, and for a long time society has been operating with a blinkered view of success, which needs urgent revision.”

Ong Hui Yu supports the Venture Building team and finds fulfilment in forging cross-sector collaborations to advance social innovation.

Hui Yu is hugely inspired by businesses that stay committed to their social mission even when the going gets tough. She firmly believes that impact leads to sustained profit and profit helps one make a bigger difference.

She graduated from LSE and spent some years in the foreign service before joining raiSE.

Hannah Wang

Manager, Collaborative Financing

“The solutions proposed to address social gaps are often innovative and exciting, but we need all hands on deck to ensure the sustainability of these solutions and make long-lasting social impacts.“

Hannah supports the Venture Building team at raiSE.

As an advocate of “working for a purpose”, Hannah is deeply inspired by entrepreneurs’ dedication to their social cause. She believes that Social Enterprises play a pivotal role in filling the gaps left in the provision of social services and is motivated to play her part in building up this emerging sector.

Hannah graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, majoring in Economics and Psychology.

Mark Sayer

Specialist, Impact Investments

“Facilitating the growth of raiSE’s investment portfolio enables inspiring social entrepreneurs to achieve their social missions in a financially sustainable manner.”

Mark Sayer draws from his extensive experience and background in the social sector to help manage and grow raiSE’s investment portfolio.

Mark has over two decades of international investment banking and private equity experience. In recent years, he has provided advisory and investment services to many social entrepreneurs as well as managing a family office’s social enterprise direct investment portfolio. His understanding of both the social and economic drivers of social enterprises enables him to appreciate their challenges and work with them within the raiSE portfolio management structure to assist in their growth.

Mark is also the CFO of AVPN, a unique funders’ network based in Singapore committed to building a vibrant and high impact social investment community across Asia. He is a board member of various social enterprises and charitable organisations, including Halogen Foundation, a Singaporean IPC charity.

Serene Tay

Lead, Capability Development

“Harnessing the best of humanity by creating opportunities for growth, innovation, collaboration to achieve greater good while building sustainable businesses.”

Serene Tay plays a dual role in Capability Development and SE engagement. She focuses on developing SEs' leadership and enterprise capabilities, implementing initiatives to build a vibrant community and providing advisory to entrepreneurs, C-suite level of corporations and industry partners.

Prior to joining raiSE, Serene spent ten years working with businesses to achieve profitable growth, create social value, and build their capabilities by providing strategic consultation on strategy and organisation transformation, corporate planning and development, strategic marketing, regional development, operational improvement and capacity development. Serene is familiar with social issues through her volunteering work with vulnerable women, children and youths, with a focus on learning and skills development.

Sarah Ng

Manager, Capability Development

“I believe that there is more than enough to go around in the world. I am glad I get to play my part in deploying the resources to the underserved communities.”

Sarah  supports the capability development team at raiSE.

Sarah has always been very intrigued by the term social entrepreneurs. Achieving sustainability as a business entity is challenging enough. Concurrently, having to achieve social impact makes it an even greater challenge. Although, it is a challenge worth taking on.

Ho Yen Yee

Lead, Sector Growth

“Having received much support during my social entrepreneurship journey from many dedicated and inspiring people, I hope to do the same for aspiring social entrepreneurs.”

Yen Yee develops and facilitates programmes for raiSE and our ecosystem partners to share insights and experiences in the areas of business and social impact, thereby developing capabilities in social enterprises, companies and social service agencies looking to create social impact in a sustainable manner. She also oversees the engagement of SEs and stakeholders to elevate raiSE's value and credibility as a membership body, through the curation of membership benefits, refinement of raiSE's membership evaluation framework, and organising of outreach activities.

Yen Yee was a winner of the Singapore International Foundation’s Young Social Entrepreneurs programme in 2012. She co-founded a social enterprise - IMPad - to provide low-cost and biodegradable sanitary pads for women in rural India. Her volunteering experience with various non-profit organisations also gave her a good understanding of the social issues in Singapore and the developing countries, strengthening her desire to help the less privileged.

Prior to joining raiSE, Yen Yee was part of the founding teams of three media and digital solutions start-ups. With her experience in start-ups and the social sector, she wants to support aspiring social entrepreneurs in creating sustainable solutions to address social needs.

Cassandra Chow

Manager, Sector Growth

“Social entrepreneurs are innovators who use market-driven strategies to tackle critical social issues. The work they do is awe-inspiring and I am excited to support them through this journey!" 

Cassandra is part of the sector growth team, taking charge of partnerships with other ecosystem stakeholders to benefit and grow the Social Enterprise sector.

Upon graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Banking & Finance from the University of London (SIM), she interned at a charity advocating for skills-based volunteering, to bridge the gap between corporates and non-profit organisations. This spurred her on to take up the role at raiSE, to leverage her expertise and interest to continue working with partners in building the Social Enterprise ecosystem in Singapore.

Caroline Ang

Manager, Sector Growth

“Social Enterprises are made up of everyday people with extraordinary passion and vision.”

Caroline supports the sector growth team at raiSE.

Caroline believes that Social Enterprises form a crucial bridge between social gaps and the public, allowing the public an avenue to support and alleviate these issues through small, everyday actions. She looks forward to a future where all businesses make the effort to do good and is excited to play a part in developing this future.

Caroline graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Master of Arts degree in History. 

Gigi Koh

Manager, Sector Growth

“Social Enterprises take on the challenge of tackling emerging societal and market needs with grit, innovation, and practicality. I am excited to work with them to increase the viability of their solutions!”

Gigi supports the Sector Growth team with membership engagement and application processes. She hopes to advocate for the needs of Social Enterprises through first-hand interactions with them and to translate this understanding into capacity-building and ecosystem development efforts.

Out of work, Gigi is also involved in the social impact space with her community building project, Garden2Gather, which aims to address social isolation among the elderly. Her interests lie in using design strategies and community development approaches to address social issues. She hopes to develop communities that will sustain change from within.

She graduated from Lasalle College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

Siti Nurdzafirah

Manager, Sector Growth

“The Social Enterprise ecosystem is always evolving, and it is exciting to see many individuals spearheading their own cause in the sector. I wish to provide support in any way I can.”

Siti supports the sector growth team at raiSE, reviewing new membership applications and guiding Social Enterprises on their social impact creation.

She is an advocate for social entrepreneurship because it gives companies a structure for achieving business success while doing good for the community. It also serves as a continued source of inspiration for individuals, particularly the youths, to continue making constructive contributions to the economy and society.

Having served the community in various capacities at Yayasan Mendaki and other organisations in Singapore, Siti aspires to make a meaningful contribution to raiSE by supporting the growth of the ecosystem and the Social Enterprise members.

Quek Guan Khim

Head, Finance

“You have to really believe in what you are doing, be passionate enough about it so that you will put in the hard work that it takes to actually succeed, and then you will be successful.”

Guan Khim was seconded from the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to oversee the finance and budget functions of raiSE. His professional experience in both the private and public sectors has built him a sound foundation in managing his finance duties conscientiously. His never-say-die attitude and 'look at big picture' mindset have enabled him to take in his stride the various and often, challenging, financial portfolios that he has handled.

With Guan Khim’s strong accounting knowledge and problem-solving skills, his key roles in MSF included managing and maximizing the utilisation of budget while working closely with policy and operation departments to provide value-adding insights on the financial feasibility of their projects.

Filza Hanani

Manager, Finance and Human Resource

“A single jigsaw piece is meaningless but when pieced together, a clear vision is materialised." 

Filza supports the Finance and Human Resource functions at raiSE. Having graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business and Management from the University of London, Filza served the community through various areas at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, also known as Muis, and various institutions in Singapore, helping to ensure governance and compliance with statutory regulations on Finance and HR matters.

She hopes to contribute meaningfully to raiSE through the empowerment of our people in order to serve the sector. 

Mohammad Farihin

Executive, Finance and Grant Administration

‘Working for a raiSE makes me feel good about myself because I understand that I am directly or indirectly contributing to benefit others in a socially responsible way.’

Mohd Farihin supports the Finance and Admin team at raiSE.

Prior to raiSE, he has more than 10 years of experience within the service industry; from handling a fitness club’s operations as a front-of-house manager to ensuring that the needs of premium class passengers as met as a Passenger Relations Officer with SATS. Most importantly, he is passionate to give back to society and is involved in charity events organised by a recreation club he joined in his free time.  

Koh Wei Shan

Lead, Strategic Communications

“Social Enterprises find profitable and sustainable solutions to social problems. That’s exactly what excites me to be part of the sector!”

Koh Wei Shan leads the digital marketing and public relations work at raiSE. She is also involved in venture building work with selected Social Enterprises and is leading the Sustainable Impact Accelerator, Asia's first VC-based accelerator for Socially Impactful Enterprises, powered by Quest Ventures and raiSE. 

Wei Shan began her journey with raiSE as a volunteer consultant from Ogilvy Singapore, guiding Social Enterprises with her digital marketing expertise at the raiSE MarComms Clinics. As a strong advocate of purpose-driven businesses, she joined the raiSE team to contribute to the sector in a more sustainable and meaningful manner.

Wei Shan graduated with a Bachelor of Business Management degree majoring in Marketing and Strategic Management from Singapore Management University.

Tashinnya Chandrasekaran

Manager, Strategic Communications

“It is more meaningful to work for a cause, not for applause. I am thoroughly grateful to be given the opportunity to do work that gives back to the community."

Tashinnya supports the strategic communications of raiSE. She has been in the communications scene for a few years with experience in the Advertising, Public Relations, and Marketing Communications sectors. 

Understanding the possibilities of Social Enterprises creating profitable solutions to social problems, she looks forward to a rewarding career at RaiSE. She graduated with a Diploma in Mass Communication and a Bachelors of Arts (Communications).