Community

The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a community of innovators from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Search current members and alumni by year awarded, sector or region.

Kishin R K

Chief Executive Officer, RB Capital Limited, Singapore

Founded in 2006 by Kishin RK, RB Capital is a privately held real estate group with over USD $5billion in assets. RB Capital is focused on the acquisition and development of hospitality, commercial, and healthcare properties across Asia Pacific. Its portfolio in Singapore includes the RB Capital Building Raffles Place, 25 North Bridge Building and Cuppage Terrace. In Kuala Lumpur, RB Capital owns the HSBC Building in Bukit Bintang.

Kishin launched RB Capital Hotels in 2010, which holds a bold presence in the hospitality sector following the opening of Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay, Holiday Inn Little India and Intercontinental Singapore Robertson Quay. Today, RB Capital Hotels is one of Singapore’s largest hotel owners with over 1200 keys.

In 2013 , RB Capital expanded with the launch of RB Capital Healthcare, providing innovative and strategic real estate solutions to the healthcare industry, most recently launching Farrer Square Medical Centre.

In the same year, RB Capital acquired Robertson Quay- an extensive and heartfelt 5-year regeneration project along the Singapore River.The project has since transformed Robertson Quay into one of the most trendy neighbourhoods in Singapore. It is anchored by Intercontinental Singapore Robertson Quay which adjoins The Quayside, a lifestyle retail and dining destination along the historic Singapore River.

In 2019, Kishin founded Tiffinlabs with the focus on converting underutilised real estate into delivery enabled kitchens combined with a brand development platform to create digital first restaurants built for global scale. Tiffinlabs has expanded to the USA, EU from its home base of Singapore to bring delivery first restaurant brands to consumers around the world through its committed global network of over 1,000 cloud kitchens.

Kishin is a member of Young President’s Organization (YPO) and sits on the Board of Singapore River One and Raffles Place Alliance which are private - public partnerships, charged with rejuvenating strategic locations across Singapore. He also sits on the board of Weybourne Holdings as a non-executive director, the holding company of Dyson.

Kate Roberts

Founder & CEO, The Body Agency, USA

Kate Roberts is the founder of The Body Agency, TBACollective.org, The Ikigai Co, and Maverick Collective. The Maverick Collective was formed with Melinda Gates, Dr. Precious Motsepe, and the Crown Princess of Norway as Co-Chairs and, is redefining what it means to be an influential philanthropist and innovator through its work tackling women’s health issues in the developing world. Kate was formerly Senior Vice President for Population Services International (PSI), a Washington, DC-based $500M global NGO that operates in 50 countries. She has raised hundreds of millions of dollars, created public and private partnerships, and impacted women's lives across the world. Kate describes herself as a pioneer in developing a new type of philanthropy – going beyond the checkbook, using time, talent, and treasure to become a more powerful and efficient advocate for mission-driven philanthropy to end extreme poverty. In 2020, Roberts launched Ikigai Co, a private consulting practice dedicated to advising families, individuals, and organizations on strategies to design and execute customized and
purpose-driven fundraising. 2021, Kate founded The Body Agency, an eCommerce, femtech start-up and global movement making it easy for individuals to have access to much needed fem health products, services, and education.
20007 YGL, CNN Hero. Fast Company Top 100 Most Creative, Public Policy Top 100 Thinkers, Vogue Top 100, Founding Curator WEF Global Shapers.

Gregory Rockson

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, mPharma, Ghana

Gregory Rockson is the co-founder and CEO of mPharma, a technology-driven, vendor-managed inventory and retail
pharmacy operator with operations across eight countries in Africa. An alumni of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Community and tech pioneer, he was a PPIA Fellow in Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School and a Rotary Scholar at University of Copenhagen.

David Rodin

Founder and Chair, Principia Advisory, Switzerland

David Rodin is one of the world’s foremost authorities on ethics and organizational culture. His work has helped to transform the fields of organizational and military ethics, and he advises some of the world’s largest private and public organizations.
He is the founder and CEO of Principia Advisory the leading consultancy for conduct, ethics and culture change. Operating globally, Principia provides strategic advice at Board and CEO-level to some of the world’s largest organizations and has particular experience in the technology, banking, professional services, and third sectors.
A distinguished moral philosopher, David worked for almost two decades at the University of Oxford where he was Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict and Co-Founder of the Oxford Changing Character of War program.
A Rhodes Scholar from New Zealand, David began his career at the Boston Consulting Group.

Alexander Rodnyansky

Economic Advisor to the President, Office of the President of Ukraine, Ukraine

Alexander Rodnyansky is a presidential advisor, a supervisory board member and chairman of the strategy and transformation committee of Ukraine's largest commercial bank (Oschadbank). He was the youngest ever chief economic adviser to the Prime Minister of Ukraine, and an associate professor of economics at the University of Cambridge (on public service leave since 2020). Rodnyansky is a research affiliate at the Centre for Economic Policy Research, a member of the Centre for Macroeconomics and a frequent referee for top economics journals, the recipient of multiple honours and awards, including the Cambridge Endowment for Research in Finance Fellowship, Princeton’s Fellowship of Woodrow Wilson Scholars, Princeton’s highest teaching citation (the Graduate School Teaching Award), Princeton's Towbes Prize for Outstanding Teaching, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Macro Financial Modeling Research Grant. Rodnyansky earned a Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton University, and an M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Alvaro Rodriguez Arregui

Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School, USA

Alvaro Rodriguez is a Senior Lecturer in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School. As member of the HBS faculty he teaches the first year MBA required course The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM).

As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of IGNIA Alvaro has been working with entrepreneurs for 16 years as the first venture capital fund in Mexico. IGNIA is a cross-border early-stage venture capital firm based in the US and Mexico investing in tech entrepreneurs from around the world who are solving pain points faced by the emerging middle class in Latin America.

His work at IGNIA has been recognized locally and globally when in 2011 he received the PODER-ABC Business Award, given by The Americas Business Council. In 2012 Forbes magazine named Alvaro as one of the Top 30 Social Entrepreneurs of the world and YPO awarded him with the SEN Sustainability Award on Economic Justice/Community Impact. Also, in 2014 the President of Mexico presented him with the National Entrepreneurship Award.

Álvaro has been a global leader in financial inclusion having been Chairman of the Board of ACCION International, a 60-year-old Boston based non-for-profit that promotes access to financial services to the poor in 35 countries and where he led ACCION’s efforts to be the first foreign entity ever to receive a microfinance license to operate in China. He was also Chairman of the Board of Compartamos, the largest microfinance institution in the Americas serving 3.3 million women.

For ten years Alvaro served in the C-Suite of NYSE publicly listed companies as CEO or CFO in Elektra, Farmacias Benavides and Vitro.

He participates in the following: Board Member of Harvard University’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (Advisory Board); the Social Progress Imperative (founding board member); ITAM Epic Entrepreneurship Center (Advisory Board); Oxford University Saïd Business School Global Council.

His philanthropic work today is focused on the Social Progress Index (SPI), a Washington and London based NGO which he cofounded in 2009.

In 2019 Alvaro received the Alumni Achievement Award from Harvard Business School; the highest honor the School bestows.

He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Economics from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM).

He is an active rower and during his younger years he was medalist at the US-Elite Nationals and a Pan-American Games. He was also 8th place at the World University Games in 1990.

James Rogers

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Apeel, USA

James Rogers, is preoccupied with tipping civilization into an era that will allow us to regard the ‘plastic age’ the same way we regard the ‘stone age’. After receiving his PhD from UCSB in Materials, James founded Apeel with two graduate school friends. Apeel uses materials found in nature to create an invisible ‘peel’ on the outside of fruits and vegetables that allows them to live 2-3x longer. James’ time building Apeel led him to think of technology as a catalyst for system change. He is obsessed with expanding our concept of community beyond the people that we can keep track of on our own mental ledger.

Shezad Rokerya

Chairman, The Interlink Group, USA

Shezad Rokerya has been a global investor and financier for 30 years. Through his family office and Interlink he has been an active co investor alongside governments, private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds globally.

He is Executive Chairman of The Interlink Group, a 30 year-old merchant bank with over $70 billion in transactional experience. Direct investment experience across multiple asset classes including financial services, industrials, real estate, telecom, media, technology and energy where equity requirements range from $100 million to $1 billion per transaction.

Originated and executed high-profile transactions managing senior investment teams across Europe, US, Asia and GCC encompassing strategic reviews, equity and debt raising, M&As, LBO's, distressed asset sales, re-organizations, restructurings, balance sheet advisory, hybrid capital, project finance with a combined deal value in excess of US$100bn

Board Member of Interlink Investment Group (IIG) a global co investment platform and IIG Silverpeak a US focused Real Estate co investment platform. IIG and Silverpeak (which manages $14 billion in RE assets) are the two shareholders of IIG Silverpeak.

Senior Advisor of Carver Cross Securities, Inc. NY based $4 billion cross border boutique investment bank and M&A firm. Board Member of Interlink Private Office, US based single family office primarily investing directly and through a legacy portfolio of fund investments.

Counseled political leadership and Fortune 100 CEO's on strategic issues including Geopolitics; Foreign Policy; Former Special Envoy having negotiated a 4000MW power sale between Pakistan and India.

He attended McGill University and Western State Law School and is a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the Said Business School at Oxford University.

As Chairman of The Interlink Foundation, he is committed to the people’s empowerment in South Asia by developing human capital. Larta Institute (www.larta.org) Board Member, supports World Affairs Council, Asia Society and Young Arab Leaders. Board of Governors, Saba Trust; pioneering female education with orphans and upliftment in South Asia. Board of Trustees , KG IT Institute, India.

Michele Romanow

Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Clearco, Canada

Michele Romanow is a serial entrepreneur who started six companies before her 35th birthday. A “Dragon” on CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den (Canada’s Shark Tank), Michele is the Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Clearco (formerly Clearbanc). Clearco has invested more than $5B+ into 10000+ companies making them the biggest ecommerce investor in the world. She previously co-founded SnapSaves, acquired by American tech giant Groupon, and Buytopia.ca, which acquired ten competitors, including Shop.ca and WagJag.

A prolific investor, Michele was recently named Fortune’s 40 under 40, a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women, Canada’s Angel Investor of the Year and winner of RBC’s Women of Influence, Innovation Award.

Michele co-founded the Canadian Entrepreneurship Initiative with Richard Branson to encourage more women entrepreneurs. Michele has worked driving new digital solutions to many of the world’s leading brands, including P&G, Netflix, Starbucks, and Cirque du Soleil. In addition, she’s advised Fortune 100s and governments on innovation, AI, blockchain and the new economy.

During her Civil Engineering undergrad at Queen’s University, Michele founded The Tea Room, the first zero-consumer-waste coffee shop. At Queen’s, she was given the Queen’s Tricolour — the highest honor awarded by the university — and, after completing her Queen’s MBA, she founded Evandale Caviar, a vertically integrated commercial fishery.

Michele is a director for Vail Resorts (NYSE: MTN), BBTV and Queen’s School of Business. Previously she was a director for Freshii, Whistler Blackcomb, SHAD International and League of Innovators.

Alfredo Romero

President, Foro Penal Venezolano, Venezuela

Lawyer, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, Caracas, MA, Georgetown University; LLM, London School of Economics. Partner, Himiob Romero Law Firm.President of the NGO Foro Penal, pro bono NGO that represent victims of human rights abuses in Venezuela. Foro Penal has received many awards, including the 2014 Human Rights Defender award of the US State Department and the 2023 Defender Award of the Swedish NGO Civil Rights Defender. Registered cases of political persecution and filed actions for violations of human rights and crimes against humanity before UN human rights entities and the International Criminal Court. Professor of Law at the Universidad Central de Venezuela and the University of Navarra, Spain. He has been a fellow at the Kennedy School at Harvard University and at The Wilson Center in Washington, DC. Author of articles and coordinator of books about public and constitutional law, human rights and crimes against humanity. Recipient of many national and international awards including the Chevening Award of the British Embassy and the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award in 2017. Interests: musician and runner.

Guillermo Romo

President and Chief Executive Officer, Grupo Mega, Mexico

Guillermo Romo entered the business world at the age of 17 and has since achieved several business successes, including the sale of Tequila Herradura, his family's original business, to Brown-Forman Corporation - a transaction valued US$ 876 million. In 2003, Romo created Grupo Mega, a holding company that integrates financial services, with assets over US$ 750 million.
Grupo Mega is ranked as the 2nd largest independent leasing & equipment finance company in Mexico and has an investment rating by Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings. Other investments include Agricultural & food-Bloomfarms-(agave, blueberries & avocados) bio compostable disposables & packaging, security and real estate, RFO Family Office and private equity.
Romo is Executive Chairman of the Board at Grupo Mega and has seats on different boards. He is active in social and environmental responsibility projects such as Teleton and Endeavor, reforestation US-Mexico Foundation. He’s also a VP of COMCE, the foreign trade chamber of commerce in Mexico. As well as honorary consul of the kingdom of Thailand in Mexico.

Daan Roosegaarde

Artist and Innovator, Studio Roosegaarde, Netherlands

Dutch artist and innovator; creative thinker and maker of social designs that explore the relation between people, technology and space. From an early age, has been driven by nature’s gifts such as luminous fireflies or jellyfish. Fascination for nature and technology is reflected in iconic works such as SMOG FREE PROJECT (the largest outdoor air purifier, which turns smog into jewellery), VAN GOGH PATH (a bicycle path that glows at night), and SPACE WASTE LAB to visualize and capture space waste. Studied fine arts; graduate, the Berlage Institute, Rotterdam, with a Master’s in Architecture. Founded Studio Roosegaarde in 2007; works with team of designers and engineers for a better future at studios in Rotterdam and Shanghai.