2024 – In Motion

Anita Lam – Reimagining a zoo of the future

Anita Lam is an entrepreneurial change-maker who uses design as a catalyst to her cause. She holds a master degree in design strategies, focusing on problem-solving through play.  She is the co-founder of The Collective, a digital art creative studio and Curator for a charity art platform ALAN (Artists who Love Animals and Nature). Anita uses her artistry for environmental advocacy.  

In 2008, she founded the “31 Days in Laos” photography project and contributed to the planting of 300,000 trees in Southeast Asia. Her commitment to environmental issues led her to participate in a permafrost research project in the Arctic in 2010, to better understand the effects of climate change. 

Anita co-created the HAPPY ZOO series with co-founder of ALAN, Andy Stokes, in 2020. It is an innovative platform that integrates science, art, and technology to engage the public in wildlife conservation, offering an ethical alternative to traditional zoos and aquariums. In 2023, Anita curated the world’s first digital art aquarium, BLUTOPIA, for ALAN.

Camille Cheng – Bringing an Olympic mindset to life

Camille Cheng is a three-time Hong Kong Olympic Swimmer (2016, 2020, 2024) and a seven-time Asian Games medalist. She is also the co-founder of Mind the Waves, a Hong Kong based charity aimed at promoting mental wellbeing among the youth.

Using her background as an Olympian, and her multiple masters and certificate degrees in psychology, Camille uses her platform to share her experiences in hopes of inspiring and empowering the younger generation.

Camille holds a psychology degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a master’s in industrial-organizational psychology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a sports and performance psychology certificate.

Katya Virshilas – How not to be a TEDx Speaker (and what it taught me)

Katya Virshilas had her passion for dance ignited at the age of 13, which set her on the path to becoming a National Ballroom Champion, where she gained widespread recognition as a professional dancer on the BBC’s hit show, Strictly Come Dancing, and showcased her talent as a choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance.

Katya has collaborated with renowned personalities such as Antonio Banderas, Richard Gere, and Jennifer Lopez, both as a dancer and choreographer for Hollywood films like Take The Lead and Shall We Dance. However, her true calling has been to break down gender stereotypes with BallroomBees, an initiative that makes dance more accessible and inclusive for kids in Hong Kong and beyond.

Debra Au – Let’s harness AI to fight financial crime

Debra Au has led the Hong Kong Legal Compliance and Compliance Secretariat teams at DBS Hong Kong since 2022 and embraces AI technology as the APAC Co-Chair of the Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime.

She kick-started her career at Goldman Sachs, where, due to the 9/11 terrorist attack in the US, she specialized in compliance, anti-money laundering, and financial crime. Throughout her career, Debra has used her innovation and leadership to empower individuals and organizations to protect themselves from fraud and financial crime.

Jessica Chan and Sophia Hutung – Invisible and visible disabilities

Jessica Chan was born into this world with Achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. Despite being shorter in stature, she has never stopped dreaming or striving for the same experiences as others, in both her professional and personal pursuits.

She is an advocate for gender and disability equality in society through social and education platforms in Hong Kong. She studied architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, focusing on inclusive spaces and accessible design which led her to an international career in real estate and construction at JLL.  She is also a champion for the collaboration and connection of women, co-founding a number of Women & Allies Networks in Hong Kong.

As an extreme sports fanatic, Jessica has proven that her perceived physical limitations are no match for her tenacity. Having picked up surfing over the COVID-19 Pandemic, she has been embraced by local surf communities throughout South East Asia and the United States. She is currently training for the 2025 Standard Chartered 10K. Despite small strides, she aims to go far.

Sophia Hotung is a Eurasian writer and illustrator, best known for creating The Hong Konger art collection, which features 100 artworks inspired by The New Yorker magazine and her experiences growing up in Hong Kong.

Sophia speaks and writes regularly about invisible disabilities and living with chronic illness and autoimmune diseases. Her work funds and supports advocacy programs and educational initiatives focused on chronic disability awareness, women’s rights, and the representation of Hong Kong in art and literature. She is the author and illustrator behind various Hong Kong-related fiction and non-fiction books, and has been featured in The New York Times, Tatler Asia, South China Morning Post, and Harper’s Bazaar.

Professor Paul Wong – How can we prevent suicide in vulnerable communities? 

Paul Wong is an accredited registered clinical psychologist and an Associate Professor at The University of Hong Kong. For over 25 years, Paul has dedicated his career to clinical psychology and academia, with a passionate focus on supporting individuals with suicidal behavior and young people facing hidden challenges.

Paul aspires to use his teaching and research to foster a socially inclusive Hong Kong, where those who suffer in silence can find a voice. He is also one of the very few academics in the Asia region to champion the transformative power of positive human-animal interactions to connect and uplift marginalised individuals.

Paul’s work has received the Faculty of Social Science’s Research Output in 2015, and Knowledge Exchange Award in 2020. He has also recently been nominated by Save the Children for the 2024 Children’s Champion Youth Award. 

Mitche Choi – The art of Cantonese opera

Mitche is keeping the culture and craft of Cantonese opera alive, by curating performances and workshops with Shan Opera, a non-profit venture which aims to promote, preserve and develop Cantonese Opera and which she founded in 2011.

Mitche was first exposed to Cantonese opera at the age of 12 and has since participated in Cantonese opera performances in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Canada and the United States. She is the apprentice of renowned Cantonese Opera performers MAN Chin Sui and LEUNG Siu Sum and has worked with global brands such as Cathay Pacific, Christie’s, and Asia Art Archive.

Dr. Vanessa Wong – Trauma beyond the physical scars

Vanessa Wong’s fascination with the human psyche, nurtured through her education in Hong Kong and England, has instilled in her a profound understanding of cultural nuances in patient care. Vanessa founded her private psychiatry practice in 2014. Although conventionally trained, her own healing journey from hormonal imbalances, gut issues, detoxification, and multiple surgeries kick-started a passion for more holistic healing methods especially when it comes to women.

Beyond her clinical practice, Vanessa is also an honorary Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong and holds board certification from the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine, along with a fellowship from the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine.