Samurath Jabir is a Digital Co-ordinator at InspirAlba for the Rural Social Enterprise Hub, a network supporting over 600 rural social enterprises across Scotland, Europe, and beyond. He helps facilitate network meetings, community learning exchanges, and strategic gatherings, enabling rural social enterprises to connect, share knowledge, and collaborate for growth.

Uliantie Sarjuni is an Acting CEO of the Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (SCENIC). A dedicated driving force behind Sabah’s creative and innovative landscape, Uliantie leads initiatives that nurture local talent, strengthen the creative economy, and cultivate an environment where innovation can thrive.

With her strong commitment to ecosystem development, she bridges policy, community, and industry—creating meaningful impact and sustainable growth across Sabah.

Shah is a Manager Innovation Driven Entrepreneurship (IDE) Pillar at SCENIC. He has led over 50 impactful initiatives since 2022, supporting nearly 200 social enterprises and startups many in rural Sabah—to grow and scale their impact.

Passionate about collaboration and new economic models, Shah continues to shape Sabah’s social enterprise and tech ecosystem with vision and impact.

Eadie Pfahlert is a Policy Officer at Social Enterprise World Forum. She is based in Edinburgh but originally from a rural community in Australia.

In 2024, Eadie played a key role in facilitating the development of the Rural Social Enterprise Manifesto and now provides support to the global Rural Social Enterprise Network, connecting people around the world who face similar challenges and opportunities in their rural communities while advocating for policy change.

She is currently assisting the coordination of the Rural Social Enterprise Gathering 2025 in Malaysia, where rural social entrepreneurs will come together to share knowledge, connect and learn from one another.

Eadie also provides capacity to SEWF’s Community Hubs programme and supports the SEWF Youth Advisory Group. Her work focuses on making policy more accessible and representative by centring lived experience and connecting grassroots ideas to global decision making.

She is especially passionate about rural equity and youth leadership in the social economy. 

Matt is a pioneering social entrepreneur starting his first social enterprise in 1993, working with youth-at-risk in wilderness settings. Since 1996, when Matt was Young Australian of the Year, he has dedicated his career to youth entrepreneurship development, rural communities and building the ecosystem for social enterprise. He co-founded ACRE in 2012 to drive the renewal of Australia’s rural communities so that the next generation may thrive. ACRE hosted the SEWF Rural Gathering in 2022 and co-convened the development of the Rural Manifesto for Social Enterprise. Matt was also a co-founder and inaugural board member of Social Enterprise Australia.

Amelia is an investment banker turned social entrepreneur. A story-teller by heart, her 1st foray into the social impact space began at Teach For Malaysia as a fundraiser. She later co-founded 100% Project by EdSpace, a crowdfunding platform that raised RM3 million for teachers across Malaysia. She was also the Project Director for Mangosteen and the Marketing Lead for Acumen Malaysia.

Amelia is now the co-founder and CEO of Conscious, an impact brand builder that aims to redirect the forces of capitalism to fund sustainable solutions for people and planet. Conscious aims to bring together the best of technology, community, business and media to bring forth a world that is better for all.

Khair is a leading voice in Malaysia’s social entrepreneurship movement, driving inclusive growth through impact-driven business. At INSKEN, he works across ministries, universities and communities to build a thriving ecosystem that empowers underserved groups. With expertise in business development and impact strategy, he champions a new generation of changemakers, proving that businesses can create both economic success and meaningful social change.

Sagarika is Regional Head - CSR for SAP in APAC. She brings over 25 years of experience in CSR, sustainability, and social development. She has demonstrated her expertise in program management across various thematic areas, including skilling & entrepreneurship, public health, livelihoods, impact enterprises, and environmental conservation. Sagarika holds two Masters from the London School of Economics and is a trained Special Needs Educator.

Hazwan is the CEO of BioVerde Technologies, a government-backed biotech venture transforming Sarawak’s rainforest biodiversity and indigenous knowledge into sustainable economic opportunities. By applying biotechnology, he partners with rural communities to generate income, preserve cultural heritage, and build a bioeconomy that delivers prosperity with purpose. Previously, he led state-level efforts to grow Sarawak’s digital ecosystem, supporting over 60,000 entrepreneurs, students, and innovators in harnessing technology and collaboration. With experience in international development, Hazwan is committed to co-creating community-driven solutions that advance inclusion, sustainability, and opportunity for all.

Tony Joy is a Nigerian social entrepreneur, environmental advocate, and Ashoka Fellow championing prosperity in rural Africa. She is the founder of Durian Foundation, a pioneering organization that empowers rural communities by transforming local resources into sustainable solutions, fostering economic opportunities, and redefining how rural stories are told. With over a decade of work at the intersection of indigenous knowledge, environmental sustainability, and women’s empowerment, Tony is recognized for her innovative models that inspire self-sufficiency and resilience across rural communities

Ir. Ts. Kuhan Pathy is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng, C.Eng), award-winning social entrepreneur, and Co-Founder of Pepper Labs, which has empowered over 400,000 underserved individuals and reinvested more than USD 4 million in social impact initiatives. Recognized with over 30 awards, including Obama Leaders 2022 and ASEAN Business Awards 2021, he works with partners such as Khazanah, Microsoft, Google, and the Securities Commission. Kuhan serves on the Social Enterprise Development Committee and the Working Committee for Social Enterprise Accreditation (2025–2027). Globally, he is an Incubation Board Member at Catalyst 2030 (World Economic Forum) and a multi-series TEDx and ASEAN speaker.

Sreevas Sahasranamam is a Professor of International Business and Entrepreneurship at the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow, UK. His research explores how emerging technologies, futures thinking, and ecosystem development can drive entrepreneurship aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He served as Co-Chair of the G20 Startup20 Sustainability Taskforce in 2023 and currently contributes to the World Economic Forum’s Advisory Group on Social Entrepreneurship. Sreevas is passionate about inclusive innovation and building capacity for entrepreneurial ecosystems, especially in the Global South.

Lorraine Corcoran is the founder and principal of Afanite, which combines strategy, policy and implementation expertise to bridge the gap between the social, commercial and public sectors. She also hold several board and advisory roles, including with the Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (national representative body), the Dublin City University Educational Trust, and Chair of Microfinance Ireland, a government-backed loan fund for micro-enterprises. She chairs the Credit Union Advisory Committee, advising the Minister for Finance on sector sustainability. She's a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and hold a Master’s with a focus on social enterprise from Dublin City University.

Helianti Hilman is an award winning social entrepreneur and founder of Javara, a pioneering enterprise that bridges Indonesia’s indigenous food heritage with modern, premium markets. With a background in law and a passion for food sovereignty, her organizations has worked with over 10,000 smallholder farmers and food artisans across Indonesia. Through inclusive value chains, regenerative practices, and ethical branding, Helianti has turned rural traditions into global opportunities. Recognized globally for her impact, she champions rural innovation, food biodiversity, indigenous knowledge and sustainable food systems—making her a leading voice in driving equitable and resilient rural economies. Her work exemplifies the power of culture-based, community-led enterprise.

Redza Shahid is the Assistant Director of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center at Asia School of Business, where he leads ASBhive, an entrepreneurship hub supporting startups and social enterprises across Malaysia. A serial entrepreneur and ecosystem builder, Redza has founded multiple ventures in sustainability and social impact, and has raised over RM1 million through grants and investments. He also serves as President of the Chamber of Social Entrepreneur Development (CSED), championing policies and partnerships to scale impact-driven enterprises.

Mary-Anne is a seasoned business strategist, facilitator and communicator who specialises in working with rural social entrepreneurs who want to make an impact beyond the city lights. As Executive Director of Services at the Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE), she leads a team focused on designing, delivering, and evaluating ACRE programs, including Social Enterprise Schools, Understanding Social Enterprise workshops, Community Asset Ownership and Accelerators - harnessing the power of entrepreneurship to drive positive change in rural communities. Mary-Anne was a driving force for ‘Unlocking the power of rural’ – an international manifesto for rural social enterprise developed in partnership with SEWF.

Josh Stoltz is the Director of Grow Benzie, a Rural Prosperity Incubator that provides essential backbone services for dozens of local initiatives and businesses—fiscal sponsorship, bookkeeping, grant writing, and communications—as well as a community campus with facilities including a fiber makerspace, co-working offices, an event center, a commercial kitchen, and an incubator farm. Josh received the Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange Program award, spending time in Mozambique studying food systems. He was also awarded the Changemaker Fellowship by Rotary Charities of Traverse City to study systems change in England and Russia with Forum for the Future.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) drives economic and community development across over half of Scotland, fostering growth, innovation, and sustainability. An experienced business woman, Mags McSporran has held a number of senior roles with HIE since 1995. As head of community wealth building, Mags leads policy development and supports third-sector clients and communities throughout the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

Meg Allan brings a systems lens to social enterprise and community-led approaches, working to shift the conditions that enable rural communities to shape their own futures.
Initially studying politics and policy, and later completing postgraduate studies in regional development, Meg was drawn to the role of social enterprise as a lever for systemic change. She lives in the remote town of Mallacoota, Australia, where she works with the Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE), leading advocacy and market development.
Meg is co-founder and board chair of the Wilderness Collective, a non-executive director of the Gippsland Community Foundation, and a member of the SEWF Youth Advisory Group.

Wan Dazriq Wan Zulkiflee a social entrepreneurship ecosystem advocate and ecosystem builder brings extensive experience in impact entrepreneurship, venture building, as well as innovation-led transformation initiatives. He bridges the worlds of business and social impact. His work spans startups, multinationals, and GLCs where he has led large-scale transformation initiatives and fostered multi-stakeholder collaborations. A passionate advocate for social entrepreneurship, he plays an active role in building Malaysia's impact startup ecosystem and advancing impact-driven ventures. His perspective on sustainability is shaped by hands-on experience aligning purpose with performance, offering practical insights into how impact and innovation can converge to drive meaningful as well as long-term value.

Joji Pantoja as most people call her is a passionate advocate for sustainable peace and development in the Philippines. As a leader at Coffee for Peace, she empowers Indigenous Peoples and local communities through social entrepreneurship, environmental stewardship, and inclusive economic initiatives. Her work bridges cultural values and enterprise, cultivating peace from the ground up.

Rustic Borneo Craft is a local social enterprise based in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We are committed to supporting local communities by utilizing the rich natural resources of the Borneo rainforest. We specialize in supplying locally crafted amenities, including eco-friendly, sustainable products such as soaps and amenities, massage oil, herbs and plant essences, and aromatherapy essential oil.

Matthew Johnny Kulai, CEO and co-founder of Agridata, leads agricultural transformation in Sabah by blending innovation and collaboration. Born in Keningau, his rural roots fuel his passion for agribusiness. He co-founded Agridata at 22, winning MyHackathon 2020 and earning RM250,000. Further recognition came through Petronas FutureTech 2.0, along with grants such as the Khazanah Impact Innovation Challenge (RM400,000), Cradle CIP Sprint (RM500,000), and the Yayasan Hasanah Social Enterprise Fund 2024 (RM400,000). Together with Sabah Credit Corporation, Agridata has successfully disbursed more than RM1.7 million in 0% interest loans to smallholder farmers. Matthew's vision drives Agridata's mission to support underserved farmers and introduce modern cultivation methods for a sustainable future.

Adrian Lasimbang is an Indigenous rights advocate, renewable energy expert, He founded TONIBUNG, a social enterprise focused on developing community-based renewable energy systems, particularly micro-hydro and solar mini-grids, to electrify remote Indigenous villages in Malaysia. With over 20 years of experience, Adrian has led projects advancing sustainable community development, energy access, and capacity building among Indigenous communities. A former Malaysian Senator (2018–2021), advocates for environmental sustainability and youth empowerment