Karena Belin is Founder and CEO of HK’s biggest startup platform and community builder WHub
(whub.io) and Founder and COO/CFO of AngelHub (angelhub.io), Hong Kong’s first (approval in
principle) SFC licensed startup investment platform for professional investors and global startups raising growth capital.
Since 2013, she has been passionate about entrepreneurship and a leader in the startup scene. She acts currently as speaker, mentor, and judge at events and organizations such as the APK (Asia Pacific Conference of the German Industry), Chicago Booth GNVC, Google EYE, RISE Conference and Web Summit, Jeju Peace and Prosperity Conference, FinTech Valley Vizag India, Techsauce Thailande, Tech Open Air Berlin, IFLR, Nexchange, Techstar’s StartupWeekendHK, global YPO YNG+ and more. She is a member of the Global FinTech Core Group at the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Vice President and Ex-Com member of The Indus Entrepreneurs Network (TiE) HK, member of the FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK), President of the board of the parent organization (PFO) at Hong Kong International School, as well as driving diversity and inclusion as board member of WOW at the American Women’s Association.
Alexandre Kech has 20+ years of experience in the capital market industry. From global custody and asset servicing at the Bank of New York Mellon to data standardization and Head of Securities & FX APAC at SWIFT, Alex has developed a strong post-trade industry leadership experience, extended in recent years to digital assets and blockchain.
Debbie Bingham is an accomplished Founder & CEO at Bingham Performance Marketing, LLC, with a strong track record in driving rapid revenue growth and spearheading successful business development initiatives. With a background in marketing across both B2B and B2C sectors, Debbie has played a pivotal role in identifying new revenue streams and partnership opportunities that have significantly contributed to the success of the organizations she has been involved with. Debbie’s professional journey includes a notable achievement of growing a travel and entertainment company, Vegas.com, from a startup to achieving $300 million in annual revenues. Her expertise spans strategic planning, product development, go-to-market strategies, and the identification of new business opportunities. She is also well-versed in channel/partner development, having successfully implemented new sales channels, joint venture partnerships, affiliates, and 3rd party resellers while focusing on customer engagement and retention. In the realm of marketing, Debbie possesses deep knowledge of cross-channel marketing, native advertising, and programmatic advertising, ensuring that she stays abreast of the latest trends in digital advertising to drive impactful campaigns. She provides strategic leadership in brand architecture and positioning, emphasizing the importance of a strong brand presence in the market. A key aspect of Debbie’s expertise lies in her ability to grow, train, and manage national sales and business development teams. She excels in developing sales strategies, analyzing sales performance matrices, and optimizing prospecting techniques to enhance overall operational effectiveness. Her excellent relationships with C-level executives, channel partners, and strong interpersonal communication skills have been instrumental in fostering successful collaborations. Debbie is known for her proactive client management approach, prioritizing top-line revenue growth, profitability, operational efficiencies, client satisfaction, and retention. She is also adept in business negotiation and contract drafting, ensuring that agreements are tailored to meet the needs of all parties involved. Overall, Debbie Bingham is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in driving business growth, forging strategic partnerships, and delivering exceptional results in the realm of marketing and business development. Ask GPT-4o
Industry 4.0 expert and decentralization paradigm evangelist, co-founder and CEO at 482.solution R&D company, focuses on scientific and technological challenges of the DLT, cluster-based crypto economy, IoT and robotics domains.
Ajit Raikar is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Validus Capital, Singapore’s leading peer to- business lending platform. With over 30 years’ experience in SME banking, Ajit has held senior management positions at DBS Bank, Citibank, Fullerton Financial Holdings and Bank Danamon. His knowledge and expertise in the field of SME financing spans across geographies and comes with a depth of experience in banking verticals for coverage as well as risk management. A regular speaker on fintech and alternative lending topics, Ajit has shared his insights on prominent media including Channel NewsAsia and The Edge Singapore.
Matthew Cartwright has worked in the APAC Hedge Fund industry for sixteen years. Prior to joining Fund One as COO, he was the Fund’s Prime Broker. At that Prime Brokerage firm, Matthew was Head of Hedge Fund Solutions for APAC, based in Singapore. There he built a multi award-winning business, focussed on emerging funds. Prior to that Matthew founded a FinTech firm in Hong Kong, where he worked with institutional investors and hedge fund consultants to innovate technology-driven due-diligence tools. He began his career in Hong Kong at ADM Capital where he was Head of Risk Management. Matthew holds an MA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Oxford, and has completed a Certificate in Algorithmic Trading at Oxford’s Said Business School.
Boon Ping is the Managing Editor of The Asian Banker, where he manages its publishing and research business in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. He regularly engages the financial services community on transformational issues shaping the industry; speaking at and chairing many of the Asian Banker’s as well as partners’ events. He has more than 25 years’ experience in strategic brand management, corporate & marketing communication and research & consulting, covering: retail, corporate and transaction banking, financial markets, risk management, compliance and financial technology. He had previously served in senior management positions at UOB and DBS Bank. He was also formerly a senior consulting manager at Ernst and Young and started his career as a financial journalist.
Nathan McFarlane is the Founder and CEO of Overseas Filipino specific financial advisory firm Filpera. He also is a Director of a Debt Management Firm and Financial Services Marketing Company based in Dubai. He has been working as a financial adviser in the Middle East for over 5 years and for the past 3 years specifically with the Overseas Filipino Market. Nathan aims to make his company Filpera the go-to place for Overseas Filipino finance across the Middle East and Asia.
Namitha Janardhan, a dedicated professional based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, boasts a diverse background encompassing finance, impact investing, and ESG. With over nine years of experience in the financial sector, Namitha has honed her skills in fund raising, fund structuring, and impact investing, positioning herself as a prominent figure in the industry. Namitha’s journey in the finance realm began at Infosys as a Senior Associate Consultant, where she laid the foundation for her career. She then transitioned to Northern Arc Investments, holding pivotal roles such as Associate Vice President, Associate Director, and ultimately Director & Head of Products. Her expertise in these positions shines through, showcasing her proficiency in strategic decision-making and leadership. Not only is Namitha an accomplished professional, but she is also a doting mother to a toddler. Her dedication to both her career and her family is evident in her recent role as a full-time parent, where she devotes her time to nurturing her young child. Namitha’s academic background is equally impressive, having obtained a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Development and Sustainable Finance from IFMR Graduate School of Business – Krea University. Prior to this, she completed her Bachelor of Commerce at Stella Maris College, laying a solid educational foundation for her future endeavors. In addition to her professional and academic achievements, Namitha is known for her thought leadership and commitment to driving positive change through impact investing and ESG initiatives. Her contributions to the field have not gone unnoticed, with a substantial following on social media and a vast network of professional connections. With a track record of success in finance, a strong educational background, and a passion for impact-driven work, Namitha Janardhan continues to make waves in the industry. Her story is one of dedication, resilience, and a drive to create a more sustainable and inclusive financial landscape for future generations.
Mario Aquino is the founder & Managing Partner of FutureLabs Ventures – a tech VC and Venture Builder focused on long-term digital mega-trends that are reshaping the world — with specific emphasis on big data & advanced analytics.
Prior to FutureLabs, Mario was a Partner of McKinsey & Company where he co-founded McKinsey Solutions and led the broader McKinsey New Ventures in Asia-Pacific (McKinsey’s innovation & corporate venture capital group). As leader of McKinsey New Ventures, Mario identified distinctive B2B start-ups and helped them collaborate with large corporate organizations to capture real economic value from innovation. During his tenure at McKinsey, he scaled the New Ventures team to over 500 professionals in the region and 40+ distinctive data & analytics portfolio companies that have become global innovators in their fields
