Speaker Bios:
Tuan Raja Naga Kevin Martens Wong Zhi Qiang is the thirteenth Kabesa, Cowboy of Heaven or Leader of the Creole/Indigenous Kristang people of Singapore, a Kristang Kapitang or Indigenous Elder, the Merlionsman, Dreamtiger and Teizensang, Gamechanger or Leader of the Loyal Indigenous of the Republic of Singapore, and the only teacher, most major living writer and one of the very few remaining native speakers of the critically endangered Kristang language in Singapore. He is also a linguist, archeoastronomer, futurist, educator and doctoral student at the National University of Singapore, a major twenty-first century, postcolonial, Creole, Indigenous, queer, Southeast Asian, Malayan and Singaporean (SingLit) thinker and philosopher, and an internationally-recognised novelist, poet, playwright, composer, game designer and body performance artist.
A descendent of Pulau Brani, Amira Karim works at the intersection of technology policy, economic development, and digital trade, spanning roles in the private sector, international organizations, and government. She leads Amazon’s public policy team for APAC, Europe, Middle East and Africa, focusing on digital financial services Previously, she led public policy for Asia Pacific at Stripe, supporting its expansion into emerging markets, and the World Bank where she advised on financial inclusion policies. Beyond tech and economic opportunity, she serves on the board of the Singapore Heritage Society and produced a documentary in 2024 on her family’s history on Pulau Brani. She is passionate about leveraging technology to advance heritage advocacy, ensuring cultural narratives remain accessible in an increasingly digital world.
Moderator Bio:
A Fulbright scholar with a Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of Southern California, Fauzy Ismail is the Executive Director of the Singapore Heritage Society (SHS). He has spent his career researching Singapore’s architecture and urban heritage. He completed his masters in architecture at the National University of Singapore, investigating heritage and thirdspaces in architecture, and dealt with gazetted buildings as a government conservation architect. He is a Trustee for the International National Trust Organisation and the Vice Chair of Southeast Asia Culture Heritage Alliance.
Registration for the talk is required. Please register through this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/…/register/jQmuW7BFSu2g1iReAM_qRA