Theme: Double Blue Tick: See the Unnoticed

The name of the theme is inspired by the double blue tick feature in the popular messaging app called Whatsapp. This feature indicates that the message that one sent out has been seen by others. However, it is not a rare occurrence that it appears that we have “seen” a message but then forgot to respond to it, hence showing a ‘double blue tick’ even though the message was not truly read.
In the hustle-and-bustle today, our attention has become the most limited resource. There are so many distractions out there that are competing for our concentration, causing us to neglect some of the most vulnerable individuals in the society, or simply overlook the beautiful gems hidden among us. This theme aims to address topics that draw the community’s attention to problems which are yet to be solved, and at the same time, inspire the community to discover the hidden beauty around them, be it in the form of arts, modern innovation or human relationships. We believe that only by allocating our attention thoughtfully, the community can thrive at its full potential.The message is “seen”, now it’s time for it to register in our heads, and for us to “reply”.

International Medical University
Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, 57000
Malaysia

Ali Imad Daoudi

University Student and YouTuber

Ali Imad Daoudi, aka Ali D, is a comedian, singer/songwriter, Youtuber, public speaker and also the founder of an activist group called Weekenders. Ali D has always pondered the significance of universal tools we can all turn to in our path to self-discovery. He firmly believes that the importance of three major aspects of culture we overlook, namely music, comedy and philosophy were crucial to him in his own path to ascertain a purpose in life as he learned to connect with others along the way. In his view, the facets of humanity that not only spark our curiosity but also bring us together have the power to inspire us just as profoundly and help us express ourselves as well as to deeply impact the lives of others.

Alvin Tan Kuan Sean

A clinical psychologist and founder of The Help Talk

Alvin Tan Kuan Sean is a registered clinical psychologist and counsellor managing his own private practice in Klang Valley. As a student completing his undergraduate studies, Alvin Tan was struggling to keep up with his classes and was depressed. Despite desperately needing a healthy way to cope with his depression, the long waiting list for a mental health consultation was discouraging, and it was not something he could afford as a student. Fast-forward a few months later, they officially built and launched their website The Help Talk on October 2017. The mission? To facilitate qualified mental health professionals to provide their services to clients at a lower cost. At the same time, Alvin believes that this staggered messaging allows the mental health professional to have more convenience and increase their efficiency at reaching out to a wider spectrum of clients, at a significant reduction in cost on their side.

Brian Joseph Pan

Singer and Barber

Brian Joseph Pan aka McBe, is a local singer from Sabah. McBe specializes in genres such as pop, funk and acoustic. He draws inspiration from legendary artistes like Lenny Kravitz, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, U2 and Prince. McBe is also the owner of a barber shop named 52 Barbers, located at APW Bangsar.

Dipti Kumar

Lawyer and CEO of MCII

Dipti is a lawyer by training who advocates the empowerment of underprivileged communities and is particularly involved in issues pertaining to education equity. Currently, she serves as the CEO of MCII, an NGO that promotes collective synergies as a sustainable method of impactful change within the education landscape. As an advisor to Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family, she serves on a panel to develop the Queen's Young Leaders programme. She is also a UN Youth representative and led the UN Changemakers in Geneva - a movement which promotes youth involvement in policy making. Passionate about education and accessibility, Dipti was the founder and project manager of a social enterprise project in Nepal which aims to rehabilitate drug users and educate and feed homeless children.

Mayur Karodia

Virtual Reality Evangelist

Journeying from an architect to Virtual Reality expert, Mayur is integrating VR in the higher Education system to transform the learning process into more experiential and interactive. A graduate of the prestigious institute, IIT Roorkee, he has worked previously with numerous startups as Interaction Designer & helped launching their MVP’s in the web & social domain.

McBE "Brian Joseph"

Brian Joseph Pan aka McBe, is a local singer from Sabah. McBe specializes in genres such as pop, funk and acoustic. He draws inspiration from legendary artistes like Lenny Kravitz, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, U2 and Prince. McBe is also the owner of a barber shop named 52 Barbers, located at APW Bangsar.

Mohammad Rahman bin Iman Hussein

University Student

A Penangite raised in Kuala Lumpur, born to Rohingya parents and also known as ‘Prince’ among his friends, Mohammad Rahman bin Iman Hussein had a difficult childhood growing up. His life changed after joining Dignity for Children Foundation and he is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Commerce at Monash University Malaysia, and plans to major in Marketing.

Mohd Adli Yahya

Founder and CEO of The Autism Cafe Project

The founder and CEO of The Autism Cafe Project decided to leave his job and open a café to teach youths to be independent and earn an income because he always had one thing at the back of his mind: his son, Luqman. Adli’s vision for the Autism Café Project is that it will act as a safe space for individuals with autism to work in and to welcome the public who wants to understand the condition

Nisha Ayub

Transgender Activist

Nisha Ayub is a transgender activist who is best known for her initiatives in fighting for the rights of transgender persons persecuted under sharia law in Malaysia. The backlash she confronted as a transgender made Nisha aware of her rights as stated in the law, prompting her to become an advocate of transgender rights. She founded the Seed Foundation and Justice for Sisters campaign to protect the rights of transgender people and people living with HIV as well as to challenge discriminatory transgender laws. Nisha has been involved in providing counseling, career training, health and welfare support and legal support to those in need. She is widely regarded as an acclaimed activist of equal rights for transgenders for her excellent service to the community.

Nurul Zahirah

A quantity surveyor in training and researcher of the Green Cities Initiatives

Nurul Zahirah is currently an Assistant Professor at the Heriot-Watt University Malaysia. Upon completing her PhD now in Cost Management (Soft Cost Elements and Their Impacts in Green Development Projects) she is currently a researcher of the Green Cities Initiatives. A quantity surveyor by training, Nurul Zahirah is a member of the Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia (BQSM) and Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM). Before joining Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, she served as an academic at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology and then moved on to work at the International University of Malaya-Wales (IUMW) to set up and lead the Masters in Project Management program. Prior to that, she obtained MSc in Project Management and BSc in Housing, Building and Planning (Quantity Survey). She has published numerous papers in peer-reviewed indexed journals and presented in international conferences throughout her career.

The VSC Project

Duality Theatre

The VSC project is headed by two individuals; Shane Capri and Vinna Law. This VSC project advocates for acceptance, individuality and constantly seeks new ways to break the rules to shake up the status quo. Their latest production; Duality addresses gender and how it is so much more than sexual orientation.

William Yap

Chief Data Scientist of Artificial Intelligence Malaysia (AIM)

William is currently the Chief Data Scientist of Artificial Intelligence Malaysia. He has over a decade of experience in data science practise and consultancy at various industry leaders. As the first data scientist hired by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), he was instrumental in driving Malaysia’s Big Data Analytics (BDA) talent and industry developments. He has led high-impact Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects with other leading international data scientists. He also founded ONz, a sports social network startup, which was adopted by the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports for a nationwide campaign. Being an entrepreneur himself, William is well positioned to mentor other startups and established corporations on digitalisation and data innovations. William graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Actuarial Studies.