We are a diverse team of program staff, subject expert advisors and experienced leadership. We are equally proud to be part of a vibrant community, and to work in close consultation with a group of research partners.
Team
Raman is a passionate advocate of venture philanthropy and collective impact, and firmly believes in the potential of private capital collaborating with public and social purpose sectors to enable sustainable and just societies.
While starting her professional journey in the private sector working across UK, India and Singapore, she has spent the past 10 years in the practice of venture philanthropy, working with diverse philanthropists, foundations, impact investors and social purpose organisations.
At Octava Foundation, Raman stewards philanthropic investments in Singapore and across the Asia region supporting social innovation in Education, Student Finance and Technology in Education.
Team
Mun Hoe is a former banker with close to 20 years of experience working in the financial sector with major banks. After an extended medical leave of absence, Mun Hoe re-evaluated his priorities and was on a quest for a new beginning with a keenness in social impact related work.
Mun Hoe first joined the Octava family as an Investment Manager under Octava Impact Investment, which gave him the opportunity to work closely with start-ups and high-growth companies targeting social issues. He has since transitioned to join Octava Foundation with a focus on program evaluation, design and implementation for Octava Study Awards, in the Student Finance vertical. He also supports the finance and process functions internally.
Team
Felicia previously spent six years in the public service, initially advancing local efforts to better support individuals with mental health challenges through service planning and piloting initiatives, before supporting government’s efforts to nationalise an early childhood development program for families facing socio-economic barriers.
At Octava Foundation, Felicia oversees the Young Learners Fund in the Education domain, identifying and supporting catalytic solutions that create equitable learning opportunities for primary school-aged children.
She also contributes to the design and delivery of the Octava Knowledge Series and supports selected projects under the Social Innovation Fund
Team
As a local non-profit native, May has broad social sector experience, from traditional charities to government grantmaking and corporate philanthropic advisory. She believes change starts at the margins and aspires to weave support systems in community.
May leads an upcoming domain in Mental Wellbeing. She also oversees a development program for Octava’s bursary recipients, and supports communications-related work for the Foundation.
Team
Sanchita Talukdar leads the Foundation's Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) efforts. Trained as an economist, she has worked across development research – programme evaluation, philanthropy, and impact measurement for Southeast Asia and India. Her experience spans grant monitoring, cross-sector collaboration, and donor engagement, with a strong commitment to evidence-based philanthropy, education equity, and social impact.
Investment Committee
Khai is the Executive Director of Octava Pte Ltd, a single-family office with investments in real estate, fintech, and biopharma. As Chairman of Octava Foundation, he is dedicated to addressing Singapore’s unique social challenges.
Khai believes in stepping up as a Singaporean to fill gaps where structural policies may fall short, focusing on impactful, accessible solutions. He is committed to innovation and supports changemakers and with bold visions.
He is a member of the Asia Philanthropy Circle and serves on various boards and advisory groups for charitable organisations and impact funds.
Investment Committee
Ting Yong is a strategic leader and seasoned financial professional who has been instrumental to the foundation since its inception in 2017. As Treasurer and a founding Investment Committee Member, he brings astute financial governance and strategic oversight, helping to ensure the foundation remains both mission-focused and financially resilient.
Ting Yong serves as Investment Director at Octava Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based family office. He leads investment strategy, portfolio management, and growth planning—driving long-term value creation across a diverse portfolio spanning real estate, property development, financial technology, and artificial intelligence sectors. Prior to Octava, Ting Yong held senior leadership roles at DBS Bank’s Investment Banking Group, where he headed the Transportation & Logistics and Electronics teams. He holds an MBA in Banking and Finance and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the National University of Singapore, and is a qualified CFA.
Investment Committee
Alfred has over 20 years of wealth management experience and has recently been appointed CEO (Hong Kong) and Head of North Asia Markets for Lombard Odier Group. He oversees strategic development and private client coverage across Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.
Prior to this appointment he held senior leadership positions including Market Head of Greater China in HSBC Private Bank as well as Indosuez Wealth Management (Credit Agricole Group) where he was also part of the executive committees. Before his career in wealth management, Alfred was a Senior Assistant Director in the Ministry of Trade & Industry (Singapore), covering economic policy and free trade negotiations.
Alfred is keenly involved in the non-profit sector through his advisory role at Octava Foundation where he contributes strategic consul to advance learning opportunities for children. Alfred is also a part-time lecturer at Nanyang Business School (NTU).
Investment Committee
Suyin Tay is Assistant Director with Bettr Academy at the Bettr Group, and a current Board Secretary of Bettr Lives, dedicated to the social emotional well-being of people and systems. As a leader in education and livelihoods, Suyin is profoundly committed to the human condition and interdisciplinary solutions that catalyse change, aligning closely with the Foundation's commitment to nurturing the next generation.
In 2023, Suyin was recognised as an Obama Foundation Asia Pacific Leader and continues to play a role in the Asia-Pacific community of Obama Leaders. Suyin's work in the Asia-Pacific region includes serving as a curriculum design consultant for Generation, a non-profit founded by the McKinsey Social Initiative, leading as a certified Six Seconds EQ Master Trainer, Educator and Assessor, 1 of 14 leaders globally; she drives the EQ Curriculum and programmatic strategies at Bettr and Six Seconds APAC; she is also a former educational leader and an award-winning educator at the Ministry of Education, Singapore.
Investment Committe
Raman is a passionate advocate of venture philanthropy and collective impact, and firmly believes in the potential of private capital collaborating with public and social purpose sectors to enable sustainable and just societies.
While starting her professional journey in the private sector working across UK, India and Singapore, she has spent the past 10 years in the practice of venture philanthropy, working with diverse philanthropists, foundations, impact investors and social purpose organisations.
At Octava Foundation, Raman stewards philanthropic investments in Singapore and across the Asia region supporting social innovation in Education, Student Finance and Technology in Education.
Advisor
Dr. Alice Wong is an education leader who harnesses the transformative power of learning to inspire and shape human potential. With a strong focus on early childhood development, she brings deep expertise in designing and delivering training programs for teachers and caregivers—particularly those working in vulnerable communities and complex environments. Dr. Wong has held senior leadership roles, including Chief Programs Officer at OneSky Foundation and Executive Director at Playright, where she spearheaded innovative blended learning approaches to adult training in early childhood education. Prior to her nonprofit leadership, she spent over a decade as a faculty member at leading tertiary institutions in Canada and Hong Kong, specializing in curriculum design, teaching, and education. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto (OISE) and a Master’s in Education from York University. Dr. Wong continues to serve in advisory and consultancy roles, advancing educational innovation and equity worldwide.
Advisor
Dr Joanne Yoong is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Research For Impact, a Singapore-based think-tank dedicated to making the behavioural and social sciences accessible, inclusive, and transformative for all. She is an applied micro-economist and interdisciplinary researcher working on consumer and household decision-making in vulnerable populations. Dr Yoong holds multiple faculty appointments and is the author of over eighty peer-reviewed articles in leading economics, medical and public health journals. She has worked on projects around the world including Singapore, the United States, India, China, Ghana, Kenya, Cambodia, Indonesia and Iraqi Kurdistan. Dr Yoong received her PhD in Economics at Stanford University as an FSI Starr Foundation Fellow after an early career in financial services, and her AB summa cum laude in Economics and Applied and Computational Mathematics from Princeton University.
Advisor
Better Purpose works to shape and accelerate the work of organisations that seek to make a difference through education. Better Purpose brings rich and varied experience in the education sector, gained from helping clients to address critical challenges, and from operational experience of building and running organisations. The team draws on experience from ‘big four’ consulting (including PwC), start-up consulting business (GEMS Education Solutions), international research and policy organisations (OECD, UNICEF, UNDP and RAND Corporation), philanthropic organisations (Comic Relief, Dubai Cares) and education not-for-profits working internationally (Education Development Trust, the Varkey Foundation, and Ark Education Partnerships Group). The team helps partners navigate complexity by collaboratively defining the challenge to be addressed, curating the right team members and experts to explore the challenge, and finding the right set of solutions to meet the needs of the specific context. We bring capabilities in programme management, stakeholder engagement, strategic consulting, policy analysis, research, and monitoring and evaluation.
Advisor
Dr. Anne-Claire Stona is a public health physician with extensive experience in mental health policy and planning across Europe and Asia. She leads the Global Mental Health workstream at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute and hosts the Asia hub for the Mental Health Innovation Network. Previously, she served as a mental health policy advisor for children and adolescents at the Ministry of Health in France. Dr. Stona is committed to establishing networks and platforms that facilitate knowledge sharing and information synthesis. She actively collaborates with a diverse range of professionals, including mental health practitioners, researchers, policymakers, individuals with lived experience, and innovators in Singapore and the region. Her passion lies in improving mental health for children and adolescents and driving innovative solutions in the global mental health field.
We’re hiring for a Program & Partnerships Manager to facilitate the Mental Wellbeing Portfolio
Location: Singapore | Job Type: Full-time
Application Deadline: 2 Feb 2026
Are you passionate about mental health and wellbeing, social equity, and problem-solving at systems-level? We’re seeking a personable individual who demonstrates integrity, aligns with Octava Foundation’s values and mission, and brings a strong mix of skills, initiative, and curiosity to their work.
