Universiti Putra Malaysia
Associate Professor

Masrah Azrifah Azmi-Murad is an Associate Professor at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and serves as the Deputy Director (Corporate Data) at the Center for Corporate Strategy and Relations at UPM. In this role, she manages and coordinates the university’s data for strategic planning and ranking purposes. Masrah earned her PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Bristol, UK, in 2005 and has established herself as an expert in text and sentiment mining, natural language processing, and information systems and retrieval.

She has achieved significant milestones both nationally and internationally in the field of artificial intelligence. Masrah has published more than 100 scholarly works as a senior author and co-author, which includes journal articles and conference proceedings. Her research primarily focuses on AI-driven healthcare, education, and crime forecasting solutions. Her work is highly regarded, with over 1000 citations across the fields of computer science, engineering, and mathematics. She has led multiple AI-based research projects and collaborated on numerous initiatives with funding exceeding RM2 million, showcasing her ability to drive impactful innovation.

Outside of academia, Masrah is instrumental in promoting AI adoption in Malaysia. She has served as a Senior Associate at the Malaysia Industry-Government for High Technology (MiGHT), where she provided expertise in developing a framework for system integration. Additionally, as an Expert Reference for the Malaysia Youth Index & Sports Culture Index (IYRES), she has contributed to data-driven analytics modeling for national development. Masrah is also a member of the IEEE Computer Society and a reviewer for several reputable journals. Furthermore, she serves on multiple international and national conference committees, continuously pushing the boundaries of AI research and innovation.

Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN)
Senior Lecturer 

Ts. Dr. Noor Akma Abu Bakar is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computing at Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), specializing in simulation modelling, artificial intelligence applications, disaster management systems, and data‑driven decision support. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al‑Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), where her research focused on hybrid agent‑based and social force simulation for human evacuation modelling.

She has extensive teaching and academic leadership experience across computing and information systems, having coordinated courses, supervised numerous undergraduate and postgraduate projects, and contributed to curriculum development, micro‑credential design, and academic quality assurance. Her research portfolio includes leading and contributing to grants on AI‑powered food security analytics, flood evacuation modelling, virtual learning environments, and resilience modelling for disaster response.

Dr. Noor Akma is also an active contributor to the academic community as a reviewer, conference committee member, and innovation competition jury. She has earned multiple awards at CITREX, IUCEL, and other exhibitions for her work in AI applications, simulation modelling, and digital system development. A certified Professional Technologist (MBOT), she continues to advance impactful research, innovative teaching, and community‑centered technological solutions.

Partner, WERU Investment
Faculty, Waseda University

Kiichiro DeLuca is a partner at WERU Investment, a global early-stage venture capital firm based in Tokyo, where he leads the firm’s US investments in frontier technology areas. He began his career as an aerospace engineer working on a number of spaceflight projects in the US and Japan in the private and public sectors, including NASA/JPL, then led business development at technology startups in San Francisco and Tokyo, prior to joining WERU Investment. He holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering with Highest Honors from Georgia Tech.

IIT Madras
Professor

Boby George received his M.Tech. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras, Chennai, India, in 2003 and 2007, respectively. Following his doctoral studies, he pursued postdoctoral research at the Institute of Electrical Measurement and Measurement Signal Processing, Technical University of Graz, Austria, from 2007 to 2010. In 2010, he joined the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Madras, where he currently serves as Professor. He is also the Head of the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology at IIT Madras. Earlier, he was the Head of the Central Electronics Centre and Faculty Head of the Centre for Innovation at IIT Madras.

Prof. George has a strong passion for developing hands-on engineering solutions that address impactful real-world problems. He is actively involved in the IIT Madras hybrid program for the BS degree in Electronic Systems, working towards making education more accessible, inclusive, and affordable.

His research interests include advanced sensor technologies and measurement science, with a particular emphasis on capacitive and magnetic non-contact sensing, industrial and biomedical instrumentation, and novel sensor interfacing techniques. He has coauthored over 100 papers in leading IEEE journals and transactions in these fields. He serves as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, IEEE Sensors Journal, and IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

University of the Philippines Diliman
Assistant Professor of Technopreneurship, College of Engineering
Adviser for Innovation at the University of the Philippines System
 

Jimbo Reverente is a seasoned innovation coach, business strategist, and educator dedicated to fostering innovation ecosystems and driving organizational transformation. As Adviser for Innovation at the University of the Philippines System, he leads initiatives to strengthen research commercialization and entrepreneurship. He also serves as an Assistant Professor of Technopreneurship at UP Diliman’s College of Engineering. In addition, Jimbo is Chief Innovation Officer at The Rizal Academy for Innovation and Leadership (TRAIL), where he helps organizations integrate innovation culture as a strategic advantage. He has extensive experience in the corporate sector, having held Vice President roles in Finance, Business Development, and External Relations at Aboitiz, Ayala, and JG Summit. He also served as Undersecretary of Finance for Privatization and Corporate Affairs in the Philippine government. Jimbo holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of the Philippines and an MBA in Finance and Strategy from Cornell University. He is a certified Exponential Organizations (ExO) Consultant, Sprint Coach, and Trainer, and an alumnus of the IDEAS Asia Pacific Program at MIT.

De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines 
Project Director, DLSU Innovation and Technology Office 
Chief Marketing Officer, VISON Technologies Corporation 

Paulo Luis Tan Lozano is a Project Director at the Innovation and Technology Office of De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila, where he actively contributes to the university’s patenting and technology transfer activities. His broader engagements in research, mentorship, and social impact within the university have earned him several distinctions, including the Gawad Lasalyano for Social Engagement and multiple Gawad Saliksik awards for Research. He is also the Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of VISON Technologies Corporation, an AI computer vision spin-off company from DLSU College of Computer Studies. Through his initiatives, VISON Tech received the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) National Award for Inventors in 2024, recognizing its innovative contribution to the Philippine tech landscape. Beyond his institutional roles, Pau supports national and regional innovation ecosystems. He contributes as an Industry Advisory Board Member at the Polytechnic University of the PhilippinesInstitute of Technology (PUP-ITech) and mentors startups across ASEAN through the SDG Venture Scaler by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP). In 2018, he mentored the Philippine delegation to the FIRST® Global Challenge in Mexico—an Olympics-style international robotics competition—where the team earned a silver medal, bringing international recognition to the excellence of Filipino youth in STEM. To deepen his expertise, he completed the PatentX: Patent Law and Global Public Health course by WIPO and Harvard Law School and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Engineering Management at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM)

Multimedia University
Deputy Director, Alumni Engagement

Putri Syaidatul Akma is currently the Deputy Director at the Alumni Engagement, Career and Entrepreneurship Development (ACE) taking care of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) in Multimedia University, Malaysia (MMU). She was previously the Deputy Director of EDC and the Deputy Dean (Research and Development) at the Faculty of Law, MMU. Prior to joining MMU, Putri practiced as a litigation and corporate lawyer. Although she is now the Deputy Director of ACE, as a lecturer, she teaches and researches at Faculty of Law, MMU. 

Her main areas of research include company law, corporate governance, and social enterprises, especially to help in addressing challenges in empowering local communities and generating economic and social value. In championing entrepreneurship, Putri actively works on inculcating, nurturing, and fostering entrepreneurship culture in MMU. She helps to develop entrepreneurship programs and build connections with ecosystem builders while grooming students’ entrepreneurial mindset and enhancing their skillsets. Putri is trained in Entrepreneurial Leaders and Educators, a certified Micro and Small Business Advisor and TRIZ Level 1 & 2. 

She is actively involved in training, coaching and mentoring start-ups in transforming their ideas into commercially viable startups. In grooming student entrepreneurs, Putri believes in the alignment of growth in the startup and founder. She recently won Best Mentor Award (3rd place) at the Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education Entrepreneurial Award 2023 held in March 2024.

Fudan University,
Associate Director, Visiting Associate Professor, Fintech Research Center

Richard Wang, Ph.D.,  is currently the Associate Director of the Fudan Fintech Research Center and Faculty Advisor for the FMBA L.I.T.E. (leadership, innovation, teamwork, ethics) courses at Fudan University, International School of Finance (FISF).  Prior to this, he was a fulltime Visiting Associate Professor of Practice and Director of LIVE (Learning Through Integrated Vocational Experience) Learning Center at the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF), Shanghai Jiao Tong University and taught management at Chihlee University of Technology, Taiwan.  He is the founding partner and COO of a private equity firm based in Taiwan.

Wang has over 20 years of experience working in the financial and investment industry.  He previously worked at UBS in New York in risk management, Blackstone in Hong Kong evaluating real estate investment opportunities in Asia, and a listed non-life insurance company in Taiwan responsible for business strategy and development.   As an entrepreneur, he participated in startups ventures in family entertainment/F&B, real estate, insurance, private equity, education, and mobile app industries.

Wang received his Ph.D. in Risk Management and Insurance from Nankai University and an MBA from University of Texas – Arlington.

He has been a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization since 2003 and was the founding President of Greater China Bridge Chapter from 2020 – 2022.

King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok
Lecturer, Department of Production and Robotics Engineering

Temsiri Sapsaman, Ph.D., graduated from Georgia Tech in 2009 with a minor in management and an entrepreneurship certificate. Temsiri has been interested in entrepreneurial education since started her academic career at KMUTNB. She has gained entrepreneurial experience from several hackathon participation and organization. During 2020-2021, she co-organized two hackathon with New Energy Nexus, Co, Ltd., in which students ideated solutions to the energy crisis and the climate change. During the same time, for National Innovation Agency’s program, she also advised middle and high school students to generate ideas and prototypes that help waste-to-energy process. Her entrepreneurial teaching experiences are Design Thinking course for Robotics Engineering students, Innovation for Industrial Digital Transformation short courses (6 cohorts) for industry personnel, and an elective course on Innovation for 3rd- and 4th-year Undergrads. As direct entrepreneurial experiences, she had co-founded 4EV Global Co. Ltd., originally attacking the lack of ecosystem for electric vehicle charging station in Thailand, and KNB Engineer and Service Co. Ltd., providing robotic and automated solutions in healthcare and manufacturing industry.

Temsiri was a director of Robotics Engineering Program for PRE department, and Associate Dean for Research and Innovation, Faculty of Engineering, KMUTNB.