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RISE 2021 : Future Female Leaders Forum

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Empowering Young Women to Lead, Inspire, and Change the World.

RISE is designed to ignite, inspire and invigorate the minds of young women leaders across the globe to rise to their fullest potential, step into leadership roles, and be the change they wish to see.

We believe in the voices of young women, their hopes, their aspirations and their power to change the world.

The RISE 2021 conference, driven by Girls For Girls International and MyProdigy Global, has featured 36 prominent speakers from Malaysia and across the globe such as the United States, France, Indonesia, Uganda, New Zealand and more discussing topics pertinent to today’s aspiring leaders.

Special Guests

YAB Tan Sri Dato Hj, Muhyiddin Bin Hj. Mohd Yassin

8th Prime Minister of Malaysia

YB Datuk Seri Rina Binti Mohd Harun

Ex-Minister of Women, Family and Community Development of Malaysia

YAB Dato' Ir. Haji Hasni bin Haji Mohammad

Chief Minister of Johor

Programme Agenda

Opening Speech

RISE 2021 Organisers

Keynote Speech

YAB Prime Minister Of Malaysia

YAB Tan Sri Dato’ Hj Muhyiddin Bin. Hj. Mohd. Yassin

“Women, The Key To A Brighter Future”

Tough Conversations

Your Rights When Dealing with Sexual Harassment
Sustainable Mental Health in Leadership
Empowering Empathic Leadership
Raising Confident Men in an Equitable World

Growth Tools

Action Oriented Leadership: Insights & Tools for Young Leaders
Mentor Hunting: Getting Ahead of the Game
Effective Communications and Negotiations in Leadership
Why Is This Important For You, #MaleAllies and #GirlDad

Special Message

Chief Minister of Johor
YAB Datuk Haji Hasni Bin Mohammad

“Gender Equality: From Advocacy to Reality”

Walking The Talk

Engaging the Next Generation
How to Build Political Awareness
Womenomics: Why It Makes the Most Sense for Countries
How to Walk the “Positive Masculinity” Talk

Closing Speech

Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Malaysia

YB Datuk Seri Rina Binti Mohd Harun

“Women and Girls at the Center of Rebuilding Country Economies In A Post – COVID19 Era”

Tough Conversations : 10.00am - 12.00pm (MYT)

Your Rights When Dealing with Sexual Harassment

Izza Izelan

Executive Director : WOMEN:girls

The Vice President at WOMEN:girls, an NGO that focuses on the development and progress among women to be role models, as well as building girls to become changemakers in their communities.

Aliya Danzeisen

Allyn “Aliya” Danzeisen is the National Coordinator of the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand and has played a key advocacy role in securing support for the Kiwi Muslim community. Aliya also founded and leads WOWMA, a youth programme for Muslim girls and women in the Waikato, which has been recognised as a model of best practice both nationally and internationally.

Sumitra Visvanathan

As Executive Director at the Women’s Aid Organisation, Sumitra Visvanathan draws on years of experience managing humanitarian operations around the world. Together with #teamWAO, she is striving to build safe communities across Malaysia and eliminate violence and discrimination against women and children.

Natalie Hussain

A journalist-turned-TV host currently attached to R.AGE, the internationally award-winning investigative team of the Star Media Group. She works alongside the multimedia journalists and production crew of E! News Malaysia and TV3.

Tough Conversations : 10.00am - 12.00pm (MYT)

Sustainable Mental Health in Leadership

Tehmina Kaoosji

An independent broadcast journalist, gender activist, and media personality. Her work focuses on economics, politics and social justice.

YAM Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Iman

YAM Tengku Puteri Iman plays an active role in raising awareness about mental health both nationally and globally. She was appointed International Patron of World Mental Health Day in 2020 by the WHO (World Health Organization), Royal Patron of the National Coalition for Mental Wellbeing, and Co-Founder and President of her own initiative, the Green Ribbon Group.

Datuk Nicol Ann David

A world-renowned squash athlete, the first to win eight World Open Squash Championships, the first recipient of the Order of Merit, Malaysia’s UN Development Goodwill Ambassador, and most recently crowned the World Games’ Greatest Athlete of All Time.

Dr. Amalina Bakri

Dr Amalina Bakri is a General Surgeon (Specialist Trainee) and Clinical Research Fellow at the Institute of Global Health Innovation, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London. She is currently pursuing a PhD in surgical innovation and breast cancer.

Tough Conversations : 10.00am - 12.00pm (MYT)

Empowering Empathic Leadership

Raja Sarina Iskandar

Freelance writer, blogger, and public speaker on issues surrounding spirituality, mental health, and personal development.

Mana Forbes

Mana is a prominent Māori chief and leader. He is deeply involved in the development of indigenous education in Australia, the US, and Canada. His professional experience spans education, technology, governance, and relationship-building.

Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah Mahmood

Tan Sri Dr Jemilah is a renowned humanitarian both locally and internationally. She is the founder of MERCY Malaysia and the current Special Adviser on Public Health to the Prime Minister. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to civil society and her work supporting marginalised communities around the world.

Aini Haziqah 

Ainie is a champion of many causes, particularly in women’s empowerment, social and community development, family law, and volunteerism. She founded the Wanita Muda Negara NGO, serves as the President of Girl2Leader Malaysia, and is the Co-Founder of Happy Bank Crew.

Tough Conversations : 10.00am - 12.00pm (MYT)

Raising Confident Men in an Equitable World

Hamman Azran

Amirun Hamman is an analyst at Bait Al Amanah. During his time at university, he served as the Programme Manager for ‘Re:Action, Youth Engaged,’ a public debate series involving youths, politicians, public figures, and academics. The series was organised by the IIUM World Debate and Oratory Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Astro AWANI.

Dato’ Latt Shariman Abdullah

Dato’ Latt Shariman has extensive experience in the corporate, public service, and administrative fields. He serves as Vice President (Southeast Asia) of the Global Leadership Institute, based in Washington, D.C., USA. He is also the Founding President of the Malaysian eSports Federation (MeSF/ESM) and was a National Committee member of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society. Dato’ Latt is an honorary member of the Council of Justices of the Peace (JP) of Kedah.

Izzana Salleh

Izzana works extensively in the women’s empowerment sphere. She co-founded Project Girls for Girls and serves as a Board Member of Lean In Malaysia and TalentCorp. Her professional experience spans management, public policy, and start-ups. She finds true fulfilment in empowering young girls to realise their full potential.

Asran Osmani Rani

Azran Osman-Rani builds disruptive businesses that challenge the status quo. His latest venture, Naluri, is a digital health therapeutics company that leverages AI to augment professional care for chronic diseases and mental health, making care more accessible and affordable for everyone. He is also an Industry Advisory Board member at the International Medical University and Sunway University Business School.

Prior to Naluri, Azran served as CEO at some of the region’s most prominent companies, including iflix Malaysia, a streaming service for emerging markets, and AirAsia X, a leading long-haul, low-cost airline.

Growth Tools: 12.15pm - 2.15pm (MYT)

Action Oriented Leadership: Insights and Tools for Young Leaders

Tengku Nur Qistina

Tengku Qistina focuses on women and gender issues. She writes about domestic violence, women’s policies, and women’s empowerment. She channels her passion for social work and women’s empowerment through the network she founded, the Network of Women in Foreign Affairs and Security (WISEA), which gathers and convenes women and girls working in security. She first joined ISIS Malaysia as a researcher in September 2016.

Brune Poirson

Brune Poirson is a French politician of La République En Marche! (LREM) who served as Secretary of State to the Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition in the government of Prime Minister Édouard Philippe from 2017 to 2020.

Dato’ Sri Nancy Shukri

YB Dato’ Sri Nancy Shukri is a Malaysian politician. She served as the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and is a Member of Parliament (MP) for Batang Sadong.

Nadiah Wan

Nadiah Wan is the Group Chief Executive Officer of TMC Life Sciences (TMCLS) and was appointed Executive Director of TMCLS in February 2019. She has also served as the Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara since June 2017.

Growth Tools : 12.15pm - 2.15pm (MYT)

Mentor Hunting: Getting Ahead of the Game

Alia Ainuddin

Alia is the co-lead for the Lean In Career Programme and aims to help women become the best version of themselves through every phase of their careers.

Surina Shukri

Surina Shukri has experience across a diverse range of companies, including global multinationals, middle-market companies, and start-ups in the financial services, natural resources, and technology sectors. She spent most of her professional career in the United States as an investment banker, strategist, and leader at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Today, as the CEO of MDEC, she is committed to advancing Malaysia’s digital economy.

Senthil Balan

Senthil is currently a member of the Board of Advisors for Lean In Malaysia. His corporate experience spans various industries, including telecommunications, ride-sharing, aviation, and pay-TV, in a range of strategy and revenue oversight roles. He has also held regional management positions at Uber and the AirAsia Group.

Zalina Jamaluddin

With 20 years of diverse experience, Zalina’s first love was the oil and gas industry, having worked with ExxonMobil and Talisman Energy, and she also contributed to national service at MPRC under PEMANDU. She is now in her “second act” in the business education industry, serving as the Chief Business Development Officer at the Asia School of Business. When inspiration strikes, she blogs at zalina-canvas.com.

Growth Tools: 12.15pm - 2.15pm (MYT)

Effective Communications & Negotiations in Leadership

Davina Devarajan

Davina has experience in digital campaigning and strategy and serves as the Lead for Strategy and Funding for Project G4G Malaysia. She is also the Founder of Women for Refugees, an NGO that works to build economic opportunities for refugee women.

Tan Sri Rebecca Sta Maria

Tan Sri Datuk Rebecca Sta Maria is the Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, based in Singapore, where she advises and supports APEC’s 21 diverse member economies. Dr Sta Maria spent years as a senior civil servant and trade negotiator in Malaysia. As Secretary-General of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, she oversaw the formulation of Malaysia’s positions in major agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Sarah Chen

Named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Sarah’s career spans venture capital (VC) and innovation in Asia and the US. She is the Co-Founder of The Billion Dollar Fund for Women, a global consortium of venture funds that have pledged to invest and are actively deploying over $1 billion into women-founded companies, aiming to address the venture investment gap, where women founders receive less than 3% of total VC funding.

Shanti Jusnita Johari

Shanti Jusnita Johari is the Chief Marketing Officer of Telekom Malaysia, responsible for the overall strategy, transformation, and management of the TM brand and marketing, customer experience (CX), and touchpoints. Shanti completed Directorship Technical Training with MINDA in 2018, held a regional board representation, a Tune Talk board membership, and several management board roles throughout her career.

Growth Tools : 12.15pm - 2.15pm (MYT)

Why Is This Important For You, #MaleAllies and #GirlDad

Sylvia Pawa

Sylvia Pawa is the current Ketua Wanita Muda Negara for the state of Sarawak, a locally based NGO that aims to train young women for leadership and decision-making positions, advocate for local policy issues, and engage in community welfare work.

Borisa Falatar

Borisa Falatar is an international official who ran as a candidate for the Croat seat of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2018 general elections. He was the lead candidate of Nasa Stranka, a socially liberal and multi-ethnic party, and continues to fight for a more equitable world for his two daughters and young son.

Senator Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian

An architect by profession, Senator Jaziri Alkaf graduated from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and pursued a career managing local and international projects. After 14 years, he returned to Malaysia and designed a programme, My Prodigy Global, to contribute to the nation’s development.

Ustaz Mizi Wahid

Mizi Wahid is the CEO of Safinah Institute, an Islamic education centre established in 2009 in Singapore. He previously served on the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore in the Mufti Department before embarking on an entrepreneurial journey to offer Islamic courses for all age groups. Mizi Wahid resides in Singapore with his spouse and is a proud father of four children.

Walking The Talk : 2.30pm - 4.30pm (MYT)

Engaging the Next Generation

Simraatraj Kaur Dhillon

Simraat is the current Secretary of the IIUM English Debate Club and is embarking on her journey to success through the power of learning. She is an aspiring law student with a passion for driving change towards an equitable criminal justice system.

Tiara Jacquelina

Tiara Jacquelina is the Chief Dream-Maker of the Enfiniti Creative Universe and the Founder and Creator of Tiarasa Escapes Janda Baik and Enfiniti PLAY! Drama-Based Corporate Training.

She is an award-winning entrepreneur, producer, director, and actor. Her body of work spans over 20 years, consistently creating and pushing boundaries in film, musical theatre, arts education, and most recently, tourism and hospitality.

Dato’ Prof. Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman

Professor Kamarulzaman is a Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases and was the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Malaya (2011–2020) as well as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Yale University, USA. She established the Centre of Excellence for Research on AIDS (CERiA), which conducts multidisciplinary research on HIV, ranging from clinical studies to public health and policy research.

Alena Murang

Alena Murang is a Borneo-Dayak European living in Kuala Lumpur. She is one of the first women to play the sape, a lute instrument from Borneo traditionally reserved for male heirs. Alena has shared her music in 18 countries and was featured in a documentary following her music tour in Europe and Taiwan.

Walking The Talk : 2.30pm - 4.30pm (MYT)

How to Build Our Political Awareness

Sarrah Salihan

Sarrah is the author and poet of two published books, both focused on empowerment, passion, and memory. She is also an undergraduate majoring in political science and is eager to join Malaysia’s political scene.

Shira Miller

Shira is the Chief Strategy Officer for Civic Nation, a social impact nonprofit leading initiatives to increase voter participation and civic engagement in the United States, including Michelle Obama’s ‘When We All Vote’. Previously, Shira served in various roles in the Obama White House and presidential campaign.

Jamshed Kazi

Mr Kazi is the Country Representative for Indonesia and Liaison to ASEAN at UN Women. He has over 23 years of diverse field and senior management experience across the globe in the fields of democratic governance, human rights, and women’s empowerment.

Qyira Yusri

Qyira is the Education Director and Co-Founder of UNDI 18. Her work focuses on amplifying the voices of marginalised youth in Malaysia. Qyira has notable experience in nation-building, advocacy, and public policy.”

Walking The Talk : 2.30pm - 4.30pm (MYT)

Womenomics: Opening Address

Prof. Muhammad Yunus

Professor Muhd Yunus is a world-renowned Bangladeshi social entrepreneur, banker, and civil society leader who won the Nobel Peace Prize for founding Grameen Bank and pioneering the concepts of microcredit and microfinance. Today, Grameen Bank has over 8.4 million members, 97% of whom are female since its inception. Simraat is the current Secretary of the IIUM English Debate Club and is embarking on her journey to success through the power of learning. She is an aspiring law student with a passion for driving change towards an equitable criminal justice system.

Walking The Talk : 2.30pm - 4.30pm (MYT)

Womenomics: Why It Makes the Most Sense for Countries

Freda Liu

Freda Liu is a talented, quick-witted, and highly sought-after professional speaker in Malaysia. Working with BFM 89.9, Freda has conducted over 5,000 interviews with prominent figures. She has authored five books and hosts a show that focuses on women in leadership and female representation in society.

His Excellency
Sandiaga Uno

His Excellency Sandiaga Uno is an Indonesian businessman, investor, and politician who currently serves as the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy and was previously the Deputy Governor of Jakarta. He coined the term ‘the power of emak-emak’ as part of a campaign to improve the welfare of mothers and children in Indonesia.

Allen Asiimwe

Allen is the Chief Technical Officer at TradeMark East Africa (TMEA). In this role, she is responsible for the technical delivery of TMEA’s entire project portfolio in infrastructure, trade environment, and business competitiveness, spanning 12 countries across East, the Horn of Africa, and Southern Africa. Allen also oversees the Climate Change and Gender portfolios and leads collaboration with key stakeholders and development partners. She is also a Co-Founder of Girls For Girls International.

Aida Zunaidi

Aida Zunaidi is the co-founder of Ibupreneur, a social enterprise to empower financially dependent and vulnerable mothers to grow into micro-entrepreneurs.

Aida is also a Partner Business Manager in Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, specializing in technology solutions.

Walking The Talk : 2.30pm - 4.30pm (MYT)

How to Walk the "Positive Masculinity" Talk

Benedict Weerasena

Benedict Weerasena is an economist at Bait Al-Amanah (House of Trust), where he researches and formulates economic development plans and policies. He has authored economic development reports and speeches for the former Chief Minister of Johor and contributed to various research projects, including FELDA, the Rural Rejuvenation Plan, the Blue Economy, SIJORI, and Higher Education.

Balarama Holness

Balarama Holness is the founder of the active lobby group ‘Montreal in Action’ and was profiled by the CTV Television Network as ‘an inspirational view of a man confronting systemic racism.’ Balarama is also a former Canadian football safety and a Grey Cup champion, having won with the Montreal Alouettes in 2010

Shahril Hamdan

Shahril Hamdan is the Co-Founder of The Centre, a policy research think tank.

His previous roles include serving as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company and working with Teach for Malaysia.

Zhariff Afandi

Zhariff Afandi founded his own social venture company, The Zhariff Initiative, and opened Malaysia’s first department store focused on local and regional brands, LOKA Malaysia. He was also the Group CMO of Elang Wah Group and is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Malaysian Food Bank, WADAH Malaysia, and an ambassador for TN50 and UNICEF’s #ThisAbility campaign. He was further appointed to the Council for National Productivity by the Malaysian Productivity Corporation (MPC) under the Ministry of International Trade.