MEET OUR SPEAKERS

Dr. Khairul Hafiz Sharkawi is the Head of Research and Development where his team focuses on building Sarawak digital research and development capabilities and innovation ecosystem through government-university-industry collaboration. He received his PhD in Geoinformatics (3D GIS) from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). He has extensive experience as a researcher and well versed in planning, executing, consultation and managing research and development projects related to GIS. He has published a number of scientific publications and member of the Programme Committee for several international conferences.

Hazwan is the General Manager for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation, where his team focuses on building a robust ecosystem that supports local start-ups and entrepreneurs, and providing digital empowerment opportunities in all corners of the state. He also leads several Sarawak STEM initiatives, as well as a founding committee member of the Malaysian Business Angel Network, Sarawak Chapter. He started his career in upstream oil & gas operations with PETRONAS, before expanding his skillsets working at a unicorn tech startup, and starting an education-focused social enterprise. As a member of the International Development Design Network (IDIN), he has carried out short-term development design projects globally. He was educated at Melbourne and Oxford in engineering, and loves all things tech.

Pradeeban Letsumanasingam is currently a Director to a Tech and Innovation Consulting company The Tech Connectors.

He helped plan, design, and launch the Malaysian National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS) with a budget of $27 million, while being at the Malaysian innovation agency MaGIC. He has held many senior roles in Malaysia such as Head of Operations at MX Global, Country Head for ipaymy and Account Relationship Manager at Hong Leong Bank.

He started his career at JP Morgan in London, across many businesses and roles from being an technologist, risk manager to a data scientist. Then as an investment associate for a Pension Fund in London, managing a $600 million portfolio.



Pradeeban graduated from King’s College London with First-Class Honors in Engineering. He an alum of the London School of Economics and Political Sciences and Stanford Graduate School of Business. Pradeeban is also a member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (UK) and The Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (International).

Pradeeban is an investor and advisor for a few startups Tourplus, Engame and BlockDox. He is also a mentor for the Center of Industry Accelerator and Patent Strategy, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan.

Hello, I'm Jacob, and my journey from aerospace engineering in Germany to the heart of Sarawak reflects my passion for startups and their potential to solve the nation’s problems. I'm a lifelong entrepreneur with a commitment to building impactful startups that contribute to a better world.

Currently, I have the privilege of working alongside the dedicated team at TEGAS, where we're fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. My enthusiasm extends beyond startups; I'm also deeply passionate about game development as a medium for creativity and problem-solving.

In addition to my professional pursuits, I host a podcast where I engage with fellow entrepreneurs and thought leaders, sharing their stories and insights. Through these conversations, I aim to humbly contribute to the global dialogue on innovation and inspire others to take action