Dr Mary Cole
Dr Mary Cole is a highly respected soil microbiologist, plant pathologist, and viticulturist with decades of experience in soil health, composting, and sustainable agricultural practices. With a PhD in plant pathology, she has worked extensively with farmers, winemakers, and researchers worldwide, providing practical, science-backed solutions for improving soil ecosystems.
Dr Cole is the founder of Agpath P/L, an independent research and consulting company specializing in soil health and biological farming in Australia. She has been a soughtafter speaker on regenerative agriculture and has taught at universities, agricultural institutions, and industry conferences globally.
Professor Ong Choon Nam
Professor Ong Choon Nam, a distinguished scholar and educator, has achieved international acclaim in his field, making substantial contributions to the academic and professional realms. His exemplary research, educational endeavors, and service excellence collectively mark a pinnacle of achievement. He was conferred in 2024 by NUS as an Emeritus Professor to his illustrious career, outstanding contributions to NUS, and global recognition in his field. His impactful research in environmental health extends beyond academia, influencing social, environmental, and economic outcomes. His expertise in environmental health and ability in coordinating multidisciplinary research let to his appointment as the Chairman of the International Expert Panel on the NEWater (1997-2003) by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. His team’s work on “An on-line senor to monitor system” earned them the TechConnect Innovation award (Washington, 2015), and part of this study was presented at the World Economic Forum in 2017. His current research focuses on “Nexus of Water, Energy and Space for Urban Farming, with support from the National Research Foundation (NRF). He also advices several urban farms in the Asean region and Community Gardens in Singapore.
Bjorn Low
Bjorn Low is an urban farmer and social changemaker dedicated to advancing sustainable food systems in densely populated, food-import-dependent cities. An Ashoka Fellow and Young Leader of the World Cities Summit, he co-founded Edible Garden City, an urban farming social enterprise in Singapore. His practice and research explore the impact of urban agriculture on community resilience, with a particular focus on social ecology and the role of urban care farms in revitalizing aging populations. Bjorn is currently pursuing a PhD in Urban Food Sovereignty at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) School of Architecture. He also lectures on Urban Food
Systems at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Department of Architecture, shaping the next generation of urban food innovators.
Catherine Loke
Catherine is a Partner in Lander Loke Architects and Founding President of The Circle for Human Sustainability. She is also a Member of the Board of Architects Singapore. Catherine teaches architectural practice at NUS and Sustainability & Systems Thinking at Temasek Polytechnic. She is also a Certified Permaculture Designer and regularly hosts students, local groups and foreign visitors at urban farms.
With her wide-ranging interests and experience, Catherine is known for her thoughtprovoking talks on subjects ranging from architecture, building contracts and BIM to sustainability, permaculture and economics.
In recognition of her contribution to the industry, she was awarded the Women of the Built Environment Award at the RICS Awards 2020 Southeast Asia.
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-loke-655082200/
Chen Chingwei
Chingwei is an Australian-trained permaculturist, soil advocate and experimental compost maker with an interest in soil microbiology. Since 2020, she has been raising awareness on and teaching food scrap composting and soil regeneration with a science-based focus in Singapore. She is a co-creator at Food Citizen and Project Black Gold, and is currently focused on a couple of community soil and greening experiments.
Luke Tay
Luke leads Cornucopia, a Singapore-based, globally oriented foresight and strategy practice advancing future-readiness, sustainability, and innovation across the public, private, and people domains in food and urban systems.
Luke is an acknowledged thought leader on emerging opportunities in food systems transformation, on corporate and national success strategies amid the “polycrisis”, and on leading with foresight. He has authored book chapters on the future of Asian food security and on global water futures; developed scenarios on geopolitics, carbon markets, and sustainable development; and advised on strategies for food system transformation and product and value chain innovation.
Luke is a board member of the Association of Professional Futurists, and also a member of the World Futures Studies Federation, the Smart Cities Network, and the Economic Development Board Society.