Dr Nadya Patel, an Assistant Professor in the Business, Communication and Design cluster at the Singapore Institute of Technology, has over twenty years of experience as an educator, researcher and trainer. With a passion for critical design futures thinking for interdisciplinary learning, she co-develops design innovation and multimedia design modules that aim to develop learners' creative confidence and critical competence for the future of work. She leads a faculty community of practice for thinking skills in the disciplines.

At the invitation of local and international institutions, she regularly facilitates professional development workshops on pedagogical approaches to improve teaching and learning practices. Committed to bridging the research-practice gap, she engages industry partners in applied research projects that leverage her expertise and interests. Recent design projects include applying Speculative Design and GenAI for hospitality business transformation with Andaz Singapore and Critical Design Thinking and Experience Design for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with Punggol Regional Library. Over the years, she has also worked with industry partners like Singtel and Social Service Institute to offer industry-relevant workshops on empathetic leadership communication, personal branding, and corporate coaching and mentoring. 

Dr Nadya Patel graduated with a Doctor in Education from University College London, and her current pursuit of a Master degree in Digital Management is a testament to her unwavering commitment to lifelong learning. Dr Nadya has received teaching commendation awards from NUS, a graduate research award from NIE-NTU, an innovation commendation Public Service21 ExCEL (Excellence through Continuous Enterprise and Learning) award and more recently the Singapore Teaching and Applied Research Talent (START) award from MOE. She is a well-regarded educator, highly-rated workshop facilitator and regular presenter at international educational conferences. Dr Nadya, a teacher-researcher at heart, endeavours to remain at the forefront of transformational pedagogical approaches that leverage emerging technologies and transdisciplinary learning.

Randy has held senior positions in several US and European MNCs, as well as in several Singapore government agencies. In his career, he has built up and managed various business operations, both local and in the region. As Plant Manager, he managed P&L with a turnover of $30 million. As Regional Director, he managed close to 200 staff in 8 APAC countries from Taiwan to Australia. Randy has also been involved in Lean Six Sigma for more than 20 years and he has led operations excellence initiatives in several companies. In addition, he has headed several key corporate functions like Human Resource and Strategic Planning. Randy’s previous assignment in SIT was Division Director and HOD, managing partnerships between the University and the Industry. With his extensive experience, Randy is well-positioned to work with companies to achieve business excellence. Randy holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) from the National University of Singapore and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Adelaide. He is also ACLP certified.

Yanan Zhang is a certified ACLP trainer with a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification from ASQ. She specialises in change management, coaching and mentoring, project management, and Lean thinking. She is experienced in program planning, implementation and training. While working in the semiconductor industry, she was instrumental in developing and implementing the Lean maturity programs and other key initiatives. She had successfully led multiple projects and reduced operating costs by a staggering USD 2 million. Besides her successful completion of various projects, Yanan also conducted training sessions globally, using Lean simulation/role-play games that she had developed herself. She currently works with SMEs and other organisations, conducting training and workshops for learners from various industries and backgrounds. Yanan holds a Bachelor of Technology and a Master of Science from the National University of Singapore.

Joe is a career coach at SITLEARN, the lifelong learning division of SIT, dedicated to empowering adult learners to enhance their employment prospects and employability skills through lifelong learning.

Specialising in guiding Professionals, Managers, Executives, and Technicians (PMETs) through successful mid-career transitions, Joe offers a comprehensive suite of career services with a focus on achieving tangible employment outcomes.

With over a decade of diverse experience in agency and corporate recruitment, career development coaching, employability skills training, job matching initiatives, employer engagement, and soft skills and leadership learning development, Joe has synthesised these insights that result in an end-to-end intervention approach designed to address a wide spectrum of employment barriers.

Individuals who benefited from his interventions and went on to secure gainful employment, included long-term unemployed individuals, mature PMETs, and aspiring career switchers.