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Meet Our Speakers
Our inspirations for the future.
Dr Annalisa Bruno
Dr Annalisa Bruno is an Associate Professor at the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS) and Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at NTU. Previously, she held positions as principal scientist at the ERI@N, tenured senior scientist at ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), and post-doctoral researcher at Imperial College London.
Her research is focused on innovative hybrid semiconductor materials, specifically metal halide perovskites, with the goal of advancing sustainable electronics for the future. She focuses on developing effective strategies for designing and synthesizing advanced hybrid materials that exhibit superior optical and electrical properties. Additionally, she works on the integration of these materials into various optoelectronic devices such as solar cells, light-emitting devices (LEDs), transistors, and photodetectors. Importantly, her work emphasizes processes that are compatible with industrial settings, aiming to bridge the gap between research advancements and practical applications in the electronic industry.
Mandy Hon
Mandy is the CEO and Co-Founder of ImpacFat, a biotech company spun off from Singapore’s A*STAR Research Institute. ImpacFat is the first in the world to develop and submit a novel food dossier for stem-cell based cultivated fish fat : a sustainable, OMEGA-3-rich ingredient with transformative potential across food, skincare, and nutrition. Mandy leads the company with a bold vision: to redefine fat not as a problem, but as a purposeful solution - addressing human health and sustainability. Mandy is a frequent speaker at major global conferences and summits, sharing ImpacFat’s vision and scientific breakthroughs in San Francisco, New York, Paris, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. She is also an influential voice in Singapore and has been featured in numerous international media outlets. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to science, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, Mandy was named one of the “Most Successful People in Malaysia & Singapore 2024” by Britishpedia.
Karen Co
Karen Co is an enterprise technology leader with over 20 years of experience across ASEAN, including over a decade at Oracle, where she built a strong track record of performance and impact.
She has worked with engineers, founders, and business leaders to translate complex ideas into real-world impact and growth. She currently collaborates with startups and deep tech founders through A*Start Central and Pods-Asia, where she has co-developed and delivered programs on sales, go-to-market strategy, and growth.
She is also the founder of TrueSTART, where she integrates business experience with cognitive behavioral and hypnotherapy-based approaches to help individuals move from overthinking to action.
Sarmista Mondol
Sarmista has played key global roles in her 20 years of experience in the Talent Transformation space; transforming and enriching talent development at scale with technology.
She joined IBM as a Leader in the Global Cloud Enablement practice, she then went on to head Global consulting and leadership development education. She now leads Talent Transformation engagements in APAC – implementing technologies to drive sustainable performance, improve employee experience and manage organizational change. Sarmista also drives IBM Garage adoption in engagements to accelerate growth and innovation in organizations.
Sarmista leads the Singapore chapter of The WIT Network. She was selected as one of the Top 50 Women Tech Leaders in Asia in 2025; she also features in the list of 100 Singapore Women in Tech 2025.