NEW YORK, August 24, 2016 — Asia 21, the preeminent network of young leaders from across the Asia-Pacific, today announced its 2016 class. Comprised of 32 rising professionals from 24 countries representing the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, this year’s class is a remarkable group focused on shaping a brighter future for the Asia-Pacific region.
“Asia Society was founded six decades ago by John D. Rockefeller 3rd to create an institution that would build bridges between the U.S. and Asia. He saw the potential of Asia when few did — and that vision has proved prescient,” said Asia Society President and CEO Josette Sheeran. “Today, Asia 21 embodies Rockefeller’s legacy by connecting the brightest minds in Asia and in the United States — bridge builders in their own right — to confront the most vexing challenges facing the region today.”
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The members of the Class of 2016 are:
- Anoka P. Abeyrathne (Sri Lanka), co-founder and director, Sustainsolution.org
- Basanta Adhikari (Nepal), founding chairperson, Bikalpa-an Alternative
- Ankit Agarwal (India), founder and chief executive officer, Helpusgreen
- Ravi Agrawal (U.K./ India), New Delhi bureau chief, CNN International
- Maysam Ali (Lebanon), deputy director, Stevens Initiatives at Aspen Institute
- Faisal Almarzooqi (UAE), assistant professor in chemical and environmental engineering, Masdar Institute
- Qasim Aslam (Pakistan), founder, The History Project
- Mitrah Elizabeth Avini (Iran), founder, United Voices
- Avinesh Singh Bhar (Malaysia), assistant professor of internal medicine, Mercer University
- Arnold Chan (Hong Kong), founder and chief executive officer, Teach4HK
- Clarissa Delgado (Philippines), co-founder and chief executive officer, Teach for the Philippines
- Ronak D. Desai (U.S.), counsel, U.S. Congress
- Madiha Gul (Pakistan), co-founder and creative director, Mishermayl Productions
- Mohit Gupta (India), global strategic pricing lead, Cargill, Inc.
- Kongngy Hav (Cambodia), founding director, My Dream Home
- Sylvia Kim (Canada), regional director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles
- Kwok Jia Chuan (Singapore), assistant director for sector strategy and planning, Ministry of Social and Family Development
- Je-Wook Lee (Republic of Korea), president and publisher, The Jeonnam Ilbo
- Liu Bin (China), co-founder and vice chairman, Hua Jing Society
- Nanxi Liu (U.S./China), co-founder and chief executive officer, Enplug, Inc.
- Maria Lukyanova (Russia), head of country office in Tunisia, U.N. World Food Programme
- Anna Meloto-Wilk (Philippines), co-founder and president, Human Heart Nature
- Abdullah Oskay (Turkey), founder, Hayat Sende Youth Academy Association
- Catlin Ishihara Powers (U.S.), co-founder and chief executive officer, One Earth Designs
- Anita Ghazi Rahman (Bangladesh), founder and partner, The Legal Circle
- Maiwand Rahyab (Afghanistan), executive director, Afghanistan Institute for Civil Society
- Phalgun Raju (U.S./India), founder and chief executive officer, Morph Ventures and Morph.org
- Magdalena Seol (Republic of Korea), founder and managing director, Global Development Advisors
- Gede Robi Supriyanto (Indonesia), musician, activist, writer, and director, Akarumput
- Shuyin Tang (Australia/Vietnam), principal, Unitus Impact
- Yusumasa Yamamoto (Japan), angel investor, Green Capital Management
- Mimi Zou (Australia), assistant director, Center for Rights and Justice, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Read the full article on the Asia Society’s website here.