Former Member of Parliament of Singapore and a serial entrepreneur, Penny is focused on mindful leadership, tech-for-good and innovation. As a well travelled (to over 100 countries) senior advisor to C-suites and political leaders, she has been seeding conscious leadership and global collaborations across sectors.
For close to 15 years as an elected Member of Parliament in Singapore, she had oversight of many ministries, including finance, trade and industry, national development, information, communication and the arts, environment and water resources, education, community development, youth and sports. Penny chaired the town development taskforce working closely with government agencies and the private sector to redesign, develop and shape the Punggol-Singapore's first eco-town in the tropics. Penny's leadership extended to numerous national committees and global boards, including the Asia Society Global Council, Yale World Fellows Advisory Board, Imperial College of London Leonardo Centre Advisory board, the Interlink Group and Operation Hope, marking her influence in shaping the future of humanity and sustainable urban living.
Penny's passion for leveraging technology for good and her commitment to mindful leadership have led to her pivotal roles in building and shaping over 100 deep-tech institutes and >350 innovation centres. Her vast global network enabled her to join dots, spot trends and ignite positive endeavours.
Penny was a successful financial advisor who developed her own unique financial advisory algorithm which outperformed the market during the financial crisis, landing her a role in anchoring a National TV programme on wealth management and regular radio interviews. She wrote and lectured the final year Financial Management module in the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and wrote curriculum for the Chartered Financial Consultant, Chartered Life Underwriter and Certified Financial Planning.
As the founder of the Social Innovation Park (SIP) and co-founder of SEA and raiSE, Penny is a pioneer and sector developer who has significantly contributed to the development of the social enterprise sector in Singapore and globally. Having incubated and supported hundreds of social entrepreneurs, organised the high impact Global Social Innovators Forum gathering thousands to the cause, co-produced and consulted on 3 television series on social entrepreneurship, her efforts in media, social entrepreneurship, and education have had a profound impact on communities worldwide.
Penny's accolades, including being a founding member of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders, founding curator of the Global Shapers Community, Yale World Fellow, Aspen Scholar, NTU-Lien Ying Chow Legacy Fellow, Salzburg Global Fellow and many more, underscore her contributions to global innovation and social change. Her insights as a frequent speaker on prestigious platforms and her publications on mindfuness, social innovations and sustainability reflect her thought leadership and commitment to creating a moreand more inclusiv, sustainable and mindful world.