NextGen
PHILANTHROPISTS
Founder / Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
Ms. Faye Lo is the Founder of the Good Soil Foundation. Faye believes in harnessing the transformative power of private capital to inspire and empower youth to drive meaningful change.
Faye founded the Good Soil Foundation Next Generation Future Philanthropy Leaders Program for students to learn about the philanthropic sector and to incubate student projects with a focus on ensuring positive social impact to communities in Singapore.
In 2010 Faye co-founded China’s first legally registered charity by a grassroots organization – the Guang Dong Mai Tian Education Foundation. Faye next founded the Sky3 Seed Foundation in 2013, where she supported the growth of 52 charitable projects. In 2017, Faye began a poverty alleviation project in Sichuan’s Daliang Mountains through investigative journalism. Starting with an initial seed fund of 50,000 yuan, she fundraised over 700 million yuan in social and government resources leading to improvements within the vicinity of over ten schools. The project became the most influential charity project of 2017 in Tencent’s philanthropy rankings.
Faye’s keen ability to innovate saw her organise a donation drive for relief supplies at the National University of Singapore during the 2020 pandemic, mobilizing a vast network of volunteers to support eighty hospitals worldwide.
Faye has earned an Executive Master of Philanthropy by the China Philanthropy Research Institute of Beijing Normal University and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Faye also attended the Harvard Kennedy School for the Executive Leaders in Philanthropy Program as a scholarship recipient.
Ryan Cao is the co-founder of the Next Generation Philanthropy Leadership Program. For Ryan, inclusion is not just an ideal but a personal mission shaped by his own experiences. Having faced social challenges growing up, he understands the impact of exclusion and the importance of creating welcoming spaces for everyone. These experiences instilled in him a profound empathy for those who feel isolated and a determination to foster environments where everyone feels valued and supported.
A vivid memory from his junior high years, after moving to a new school in a foreign country, exemplifies this. During lunch breaks, Ryan often found himself alone, observing groups of students effortlessly engaging while he felt the weight of distant stares and struggled to belong. This challenging period taught him the critical value of inclusivity and inspired his mission to ensure no one else feels the same isolation.
To Ryan, inclusion means building spaces where every individual is seen, heard, and valued, while actively embracing diversity. His commitment to inclusion has driven him to step beyond his comfort zone, connecting with others and cultivating a sense of belonging.
Ryan’s journey in philanthropy began at the age of eight, traveling each summer with his family and volunteers to impoverished rural areas. Meeting children in need of support left a lasting impact, transforming him from a young volunteer into a dedicated advocate for meaningful change. Ryan believes in the power of collective action and aims to inspire young people to join him in creating a more inclusive and connected world, proving that united efforts can drive positive change on a larger scale.
Zack Cao is the co-founder of the Next Generation Philanthropy Leadership Program, where he empowers youth to engage in impactful philanthropic initiatives and create meaningful change. Zack has been deeply passionate about philanthropy from a young age, inspired by his parents, particularly his mother, who worked extensively with communities in rural China. A pivotal moment in Zack’s journey was a trip to Guangxi, China, which profoundly changed his understanding of poverty. Before that experience, he associated poverty with homelessness or a lack of basic needs. However, visiting the village revealed a deeper level of hardship. Despite their struggles, the villagers greeted Zack and his family with warmth, offering them a simple meal of rice and bread, and teaching Zack a powerful lesson about resilience and kindness.
Over time, Zack began volunteering alongside his mother during these visits, helping verify families’ financial situations to ensure that donations reached those most in need. These experiences instilled in him a deep sense of gratitude for the privileges he once took for granted—education, food security, and stable living conditions—and inspired him to view these advantages as opportunities to drive meaningful change.
His ambition is to follow in his mother’s footsteps, using the knowledge and resources he gains to give back to communities similar to those he encountered in Guangxi. He is committed to supporting education initiatives in under-resourced areas and providing resources for future generations. This dedication to service drives Zack’s active involvement in projects aimed at improving education and supporting underserved communities, with the goal of creating real, lasting change.
Richard Buttrey is a Director in the Developer Eco-system Group at Arm, the world leader in semiconductor designs, and its IPO case is the largest in global history. Arm’s primary business involves designing central processing unit (CPU) cores that implement the ARM architecture family of instruction sets, positioning it at the forefront of the industry chain.
In particular, he helps clients work their way through the strategy, innovation and leadership challenges that emerge when circumstances change, sometimes in an unpredictable way. Richard has designed and delivered a wide variety of large scale leadership programmes for both corporate clients and professional service firms. He draws inspiration from exemplars he has seen or been involved in, both successful and not, to show how humility in leadership is vital and that those organizations that are genuinely curious to learn always beat the rest.
Richard Buttrey is presently an instructor at the Moller Institute Cambridge, where his practical approach has earned him widespread praise from students. He possesses extensive experience in teaching youth scholarship programs and is deeply passionate and patient in fostering an exceptional younger generation.
Ms. Cindy Chen offers a rich tapestry of marketing expertise, honed over 20 years with giants like Pepsi, Unilever, Gillette, and Revlon, where she led in brand management, product development, media and public relations, consumer research, and market development.
Her background, fortified by a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising from Shanghai University, equips her with a nuanced understanding of market dynamics and consumer behavior, making her a key player in driving impactful initiatives.
Ms. Tracy Chen is a finance professional with over 10 years of audit experience at Ernst & Young, specializing in sectors such as retail, automotive, medical, luxury, and manufacturing. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in law and a second degree in accounting from Shanghai Jiaotong University, equipping her with a strong understanding of accounting, tax, and audit standards.
Her background utilizes her financial expertise to support the mission of cultivating future philanthropists and entrepreneurs. She is committed to driving impactful initiatives that promote social change and empower the next generation to make a positive difference in their communities.
Ms. Sinchita Valalan-Rajendran is a passionate advocate for youth empowerment and social change, with a strong focus on underserved communities in Singapore. Sinchita has led impactful initiatives aimed at addressing systemic challenges such as poverty and mental health while creating opportunities for education and mentorship. Her expertise in research, coupled with her skill in program evaluation, has allowed her to design innovative approaches that create meaningful, measurable outcomes for underserved communities. With a Master of Arts in Sociology from Nanyang Technological University and a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the National University of Singapore, she brings a wealth of experience in program design, evaluation, and social research.
Founder & CEO, Strategic Moves,
Former Nominated Member of Parliament
Social Impact Manager (APAC), TikTok
Executive Director, Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees
Founder,
Jade Life & Wellness Coaching Academy
Former CEO, UL Standards and Engagement
Former Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs, Samsung Electronics North America
CEO, Shin Kong Life Foundation
Director of Research and Development, 51WORLD
Founding Partner,
Shanghai Yingzhile Education Technology Company
To cultivate the next generation of future philanthropists and social entrepreneurs, driven by a shared commitment to transforming lives and advancing the public good.
