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We know the beginning of the year is the time for resolutions, goals, and ambitions. We also know the noise: the power lists, the to-watch lists, the to-dos lists.
This article initially started as “25 people doing and building cool shit in 2025”. When reaching out to my circles, I was met with a lot of curiosity and questions around a founder’s identity and what it even meant to a founder. People shared about their vulnerability and self doubt that came along with having to sit with my questions.
I asked just two questions:
- What are you building and what’s your role in it?
- How are you showing up in 2025?
Since starting SAYA, I’ve asked myself what being a founder even meant. And I found my answer in these individuals. It’s just you, what drives you, and why you’re doing it. I’ve started my year bolder than ever. Fuck overthinking. Flip the traditional notions of a founder and a build, and forget about what you’re supposed to do. Here’s to the people doing and building cool shit in 2025. They all started doing just that — cool shit.
Jess Tang, Founder, DUMPLING
DUMPLING, a slow project that's been unfolding over the past few years, is more than a newsletter. It acts as a lens through which to explore the nuances of Asia, peeling back the layers to reveal the cultural currents that often go unnoticed. It's an invitation to look beyond the surface and find the future unfolding in the beauty of what's right here, right now. I personally curate each edition, selecting stories and voices that shape the pulse of Asia.
Reciprocity is my guiding word for 2025. It's about putting positive energy out into the world and being open to the flow of giving and receiving. In all my collaborations, I want to create spaces fueled by compassion and curiosity, where everyone feels empowered to show up as their best selves and shine.
Jessica Lee, Founder, @dimensionuh
I’m building a creative practice called Dimension.uh that inspires hope through adventure.
I wanted to use my voice to encourage self-expression and a greater sense of individuality, to tell stories through apparel and gear that would inspire a greater love for play and affinity with the outdoors. Because I believed to my core that the best kind of learning takes place when you venture outside to experiment, experience and explore.
Perhaps to also add some context — the name “Dimension.uh” is a play on how Singaporeans might (mis)pronounce the world “dimensional”. It’s a reminder to never take ourselves too seriously, and to embrace the uniqueness we all embody as individuals. Short form “D.UH!” — because I see outdoor life as an intuitive way of living.
With the closure of our site, we’re entering phase 2.0 of the practice, where now feels a lot more like play. A space where I create because I want to. As I grow through experimentation, experience and exploration, my work starts to take on different meanings and different forms. New mediums teach me that the possibilities are endless, but also helps me connect the dots better. It’s never been more fun applying learnings from past experiments
In 2025, instead of the individual, I hope to shift the focus to the collective. Even the tiniest ripple, or at least I would like to believe so, can make an impact on the lives of those who are struggling. Through Dimension.uh, I hope to give back what I’ve been given — be it through utilising D.uh as a vehicle to raise funds for the underprivileged, or continuing to tell stories of hope through my pieces — that while coursing through wavy terrain is absolutely necessary in life, we must always remember that there’s always a rainbow after the rain.
As I like to say: “a grand adventure, no matter the weather”.
Loh Pei Ying, Head & Co-Founder, Kontinentalist
Kontinentalist, a data and editorial studio I co-founded in 2017, has been promoting data storytelling as a means to bridge the public with research for years now. This year, things will change significantly as we adopt an intentional decolonial methodology. We want to start a movement, and encourage a greater awareness of the data that surrounds us and affects our lives. Beyond our traditional data journalism, Kontinentalist wants to nurture a community around data and human experiences. We seek to be anchored in data activism, counter-mapping, art installations and exhibitions to advocate for a more equitable world, fostering connections between Asia’s sources of knowledge.
2025 for me will be grounded in community. I hope to be a conduit for knowledge, connections, and collaborations. In an increasingly divided world fraught with difficulty, we need solidarity to support others, but also self-compassion to show up honestly in a community. Inspiration and innovation alone is insufficient, and some paths must be walked together.
Shilpa S Nath, Founder, What The Fail
What The Fail is on a mission to reframe our relationship with failure in Asian societies; there is prevailing stigma attached to “failure” but we believe that failure is part of our growth journey, be it at work or in our personal lives. Our guests on the show get unfiltered and candid about their personal and professional brushes with failure, the profound lessons they have learnt, and how they use those lessons to chart their lives now.
The themes I chose for this year are “transformation and completion.” I want to show up as someone who can act as a catalyst for others to transform their lives and empower them to take action. I am also working on completing all the projects I start even through moments of self-doubt -working with my ADHD instead of against it- and moving towards a mind space where I can be gentle with myself when it takes time to achieve my goals and dreams in 2025.
Tulika Ahuja, Founder, Mama Magnet
I’m creating art experiences across different disciplines through curatorial and research projects. My roles circle between narrative developer, process facilitator, exhibition maker, email writer and operations — pains and gains of working in small teams! I’m currently testing a digital platform idea with collaborators, to find a better system for match-making art workers to projects, based on shared interests and an alignment of vision, rather than on clout. The platform, ‘Goreng’, refines your brief and sorts through a curated list of artists from 20+ countries available to take on any multimedia art projects that might require 1 skill or perhaps a combination of audio-visual skills intersecting. I believe very much in artistic agency - artists being true collaborators affecting the process, and not just tools for marketing. Goreng is a way of exploring what a system built on care instead of control or profits would look like.
I want to embrace more care and playfulness with how I approach collaborations with others and how I share what we create together. I’m being more critical of the precarious notions in arts ecosystems, and how I navigate that which is often viewed as normal.
Meltem Acik, Founder, BILDA
BILDA’s namesake comes from a mission to help more people build a life and business they love. As someone who grew up underprivileged, I know what it can feel like not to have the resources or tools to get to where we want to go, and for me, BILDA is a little slice of support that so many of us need. We publish stories from people who've built their dreams and create toolkits and guides to help *you* get there, too.
The Discover Kit and Discover Workshops are a creative, collaborative, and playful way to build gratitude for what we have right now whilst making tiny moves towards the future we want.
I pick one word to describe my focus for the next 12 months every year. As the months progress, it helps me return to this word as a reminder of my intention.
For 2025, it's 'aligned'. We can only live our lives feeling misaligned for so long, and we either need to change our (a) internal or (b) external state to return to a place that feels right for us. For example, I've noticed that I feel *way* more like myself when spending less time on social media and more time outdoors. This year is about picking up on those cues and doing what I can to feel more like me.
Shauna Tan, Founder, Bareness Skin
As someone who works in an industry that thrives on image related insecurities and poor confidence, I'm really determined to change that narrative and focus instead on lifting people up and growing self-esteem. In creating Bareness Skin, I wanted to use my knowledge and expertise to provide women with minimal, efficacious products that they can use as tools to have healthy skin in the hopes of using makeup as a fun and creative form of expression rather than a mask to hide behind. I would also want to continue growing the brand to build a trusted platform and community where women can feel safe to share their struggles, knowing they will be seen and supported.
In 2025, I want to unapologetically advocate for body and skin acceptance, emphasizing that every form is deserving of love, care, and respect, regardless of its condition. I want to have the courage to trust my gut and stand up against unrealistic societal standards. To remind others that imperfection is normal and instead of striving towards perfection as the ideal, to encourage the world around me to love the skin they are in. I choose to stand firm in my belief that we can achieve financial sustainability without capitalizing on others' flaws and continually uplift the world around us in any way, no matter how small.
Mai Vo, Founder & CCO, Podium
In the age of AI, human connection is key. Women especially need strong support systems due to our competing roles and priorities. Relying on just technology will lead us to feeling empty and alone, so we're all about helping modern women become strong and interdependent instead.
My role as Founder & CCO (Chief Community Officer!) is to build the vision, brand and strategy for our community, ensuring that what we stand for and what we provide has real impact on our members.
I want to show up with more patience. It's been something I've tried to cultivate for years but being in Big Tech then startups led me to glorify my "Type A" personality and normalize the crazy fast pace that I was living in. I am slowing down and being more patient, to create more harmony between the different parts of my life while being more creative and grounded too.
Crystal Lee, Founder, Project Coal
As the founder and artist behind Project Coal, I create textile artworks through natural dyeing and other textile explorations such as various dye techniques & embroidery. My role involves crafting pieces that resonate deeply with me while blending personal and meditative expressions.
I intend to:
1. Show up as a more focused and fearless artist
2. Fully trust the creative process
3. Surrender to opportunities the universe presents
4. Foster a deeper connection between my art and spiritual practice
Ryan Foo, Co-Founder, DrinkAid
We exist to make drinking a more enjoyable experience for everyone, by formulating supplements that reduce the side effects of alcohol consumption. We launched in August 2020 in the middle of the pandemic and I feel incredibly blessed to have made it this far as an independent, bootstrapped brand. As of today, we are one of Singapore’s best-selling hangover remedy brands.
My role revolves around key partnerships and brand-building activities. The latter is a rather ambiguous term but I like to view it simply as how and where our brand shows up in the most meaningful and relevant way.
Some major themes I'm keen on exploring: The first one is that of reinvention - I just turned 30 two months ago and like many, it's a symbolic number for me. The life that I envisaged as a thirty-year-old when I was younger was dramatically different to the life I am living now, and I know that I need to take big leaps and swings to get to where I want to be.
The next one is the reframing of fear and committing to things that scare you (note: only if you're better off doing it in the end). This is probably the hardest as we're genetically predisposed to avoid experiences that trigger our fight or flight, but the counter-intuitive thing life often presents to us is that everything we want is often on the other side of fear. The most rewarding moments of my life was often preceded by a good amount of visceral fear - when I end up in such situations, I tell myself that it'll ultimately be worth it if the worst-case scenario isn't one that results in complete ruin (i.e death or permanent incapacitation). The obstacle is the way!
Anya Evans, Founder, Venture Muse Club
I’m building Venture Muse Club, a space for investors who want to look beyond the numbers at what truly makes a consumer brand iconic. It’s part resource hub, part community. Through deep-dive conversations, we explore how to spot the next generation of consumer brands shaping culture.
I’m the founder, which means I do a little bit of everything—creating frameworks, hosting conversations, and connecting investors with brands. I also host Venture Voices, a podcast (coming in March!) where we break down what makes a brand cult-worthy.
I want to show up as someone who makes consumer investing feel exciting, strategic, and full of possibility—not just about spreadsheets and multiples. I want to be the person investors and founders turn to when they’re thinking about what’s next in the consumer space. But beyond work, I want to be present and fulfilled—building something meaningful while making space and time for the things (and people) that matter most.
Leland Tan, DJ and Creative Director, @lelnd
I co-founded a creative agency last year that focuses on music and culture. I’m a radio producer for an independent music studio, and I’m also a music manager/programmer for a Hi-fi bar and I DJ regularly, having recently landed a residency with an exciting new arts space. The places I’m in champion community, safe expression, artistic craft…and just cool folks doing cool shit! I’m helping build meaningful congregation, freedom for expression, platforms for creativity, and fun — all via music-centric roles.
I’d like to kick my self-doubt in the bumhole. I read somewhere that ’supreme confidence is a courageous act’. It’s clichéd and nothing new, but for me my doubt can be a fixation and spiral when left unchecked. Questioning positive interactions I’ve had, good ideas I’ve second-guessed, overly criticising sets I’ve played despite praises. Good is good!
Sai Pogaru, Co-Founder, Rahasya Fragrances
Together with my friends, I'm building a niche fragrance brand called Rahasya, inspired by contemporary India. We are on a mission to break stereotypes associated with India, and put Indian-inspired perfumery on the map. We are a 3 person team doing everything ourselves. Every day has been a rollercoaster, and I couldn't have asked for a better ride to be a part of.
This year, I want to allow myself to dream bigger than I usually do. As the saying goes, dreams are free so you might as well dream. On the professional front, I want to take Rahasya global and share our passion for artistic perfumes with the world. On the personal front, I want to bring to life the many creative ideas that I have brewing in my head! Social media, podcasts, films, the canvas is endless - and I want to put my mark on it!
This is the year to dream, explore, and create!
Kimverlyn Lim, Creative Technologist - New Media Art and Design, @metal_upa
As a creative technologist within new media art & design, the excitement for 2025 comes from extending my role from Experience Design (UX design, 3D and audiovisuals) into building creative technology installations in line with internet, visual and sound cultures. The move into spatial and kinetic builds is a fairly new one, something that I've been trying to connect since COVID. These creative streams, which I used to find quite disparate, have come into a natural alignment. I hope the merging of these streams will be symbiotic. With the completion of my masters in 2024 helping me refine my focus, I'm so excited to explore more opportunities and collaborations in the coming year.
I want to be a trust-your-gut, focused and balanced individual.
Ash, Founder, ahimsa sanctuary
ahimsa sanctuary is all about mindful eating and unconditional love. Our goal is to make delicious plant-based, nutritious, high vibrational food available to everyone! We also make sure to be conscious of our waste every step of the way. Ayurvedic practices are adopted in creating our delicious and healthy food & drinks. Our hope is that our diverse menu helps the body and mind feel good, accessible and enjoyable to all.
We also hold space for mindful movement! We have 5 yoga classes a day that focuses on mindfulness and breath! We are also a community space with cool and fun events with everyone sharing their offerings here! My role is to create a safe space for all of these to happen and to push the agenda that mindfulness and health can be fun!
I would like to show up as someone who can take breaks and take care of herself while being a busy girl boss.
Alka Gupta, CEO, Co-Founder, Podium
I am Building Podium - The modern woman's connection platform. Modern life isolates women with the pressure to “do it all” alone, or compete. While many of us excel at emotional support, asking for help or pushing each other toward goals often feels harder. We’re about growing stronger together not by doing it all, but by doing it with each other. As Founder & CEO of Podium, I'm equal parts community architect and growth strategist – imagine someone who builds bridges between ambitious women while also making sure those bridges are sustainable and scalable.
2025 is my year for Nurturing all parts of my life. I want to show up as:
- A Loving Partner: Building a strong foundation for our marriage and creating a joyful home.
- An Open Friend: Deepening connections and embracing new friendships with care.
- A Kind Caretaker for myself: Prioritizing self-compassion, rest, and mindful presence.
- An Empowering Leader: Supporting my team and opening doors for community to grow
Jess Tang, Founder, Mavic
I'm building mavic, an AI brand marketer designed to assist marketers with strategy, creative ideation, content creation, content publishing, and performance tracking, as well as monitoring market trends for self-optimization. (Think of Jarvis, but for marketing.)
As the founder of mavic, I work closely with my team to reimagine the future of Gen AI-powered brand marketing.
I want to show up as an advocate for AI and human collaboration, proving that real marketing magic happens when smart technology meets human creativity.
Chris Shearmon, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Wild Pearl
We want to show up as the most fun and healthy community in 2025. We’re going to be selling our elixirs at more locations next year in partnership with Boujee Botanicals, helping everyone get together more often. These are zero sugar, caffeine, alcohol or preservatives, with adaptogens and nootropics.
Rachel Ling, Founder, Conscious Collective and No Nasties
I'm driven by a passion to create more than just a business – I'm building a community that's dedicated to conscious living and holistic wellness. For me, it's about sparking a movement that brings together like-minded individuals and brands who share similar values.
I'm committed to finding and curating the best products that support overall well-being and are made with integrity. It's about creating a platform that showcases natural, effective, and sustainable solutions. But it's not just about products – it's about the people behind them. I love collaborating with dietitians, nutritionists, therapists, and fitness and wellness enthusiasts who are making a real difference.
Through my work, I've had the privilege of connecting with like-minded businesses across various industries, from wellness and food to hospitality and tech. These partnerships are built on shared values and a commitment to creating a positive, collective impact.
As I look to 2025, I envision myself as a catalyst who's shaping the future of wellness and conscious living. I'm excited to continue building meaningful connections, expanding Conscious Collective and No Nasties www.nonasties.xyz into a trusted hub for health, sustainability, and transformation. My goal is to inspire others to make conscious choices that positively impact their lives. Above all, I'm committed to staying true to myself and my values, leading with authenticity and integrity.
Melissa Tan, Founder, Innerkind
Innerkind: where inner intention meets kind action.
My role is to bring together a community of like-minded explorers who seek to unlock universal states of consciousness and reconnect with our individual, collective, and planetary well-being. We believe kindness is the foundation of equitable care, serving as our guiding light.
I design nourishing, exploratory spaces and share wisdom through the creation of transformative experiences that span disciplines such as ecology, health, art, music, and spirituality. Through these guided experiences, which merge contemplative practices with ancient technology, we cultivate a mindful culture where care and equity are not just ideals but embodied practices in our daily lives. We invite people to explore, alongside us, what it means to live with care and intention.
I want to live fully in the present moment, liberated from fear, doubt, and anxiety. To let every move, thought, ritual, and creative expression be grounded in authenticity and deeply rooted in love and care. My aspiration is to manifest more kindness—toward myself, others, and the Earth.
Bryan Kang, Founder, Pudica
I’m building a botanical and landscape design consultancy and I’m also a creative director.
I want to show up fully realized in my current role as CD but also as a person in general, to be able to balance all aspects of my personal life.
Elias Soh, Co-Founder, Very Crafty Films and Pasture Media
My partners and I are building a small media group with two distinct components: 1) Very Crafty Films, a video production house specializing in advertisements and 2) Pasture Media, a social content production and performance marketing agency.
This journey began with my focus on building our creative reputation but these days, my primary role involves overseeing finance and business strategy. One achievement I’m especially proud of is that both companies have been built entirely on positive cash flow, with no external investment—a foundation that has sustained and grown our operations.
On the professional front, 2025 will be about scaling existing operations and building on all foundations. This includes both our business offerings and creative capabilities. On the personal front, I’ve been reconnecting with my passion for creative work, particularly in visual and auditory mediums. Creativity has always been at the core of my ventures, but it’s been some time since I’ve been in the right headspace to devote more time to it.
Trishal Ghelani Sharma, Co-Founder & CEO, Beti.Beta
Beti.Beta is a radical tuition center where play and possibilities collide. Through the lens of game design, we create resonant learning experiences built to spark the audacity to aspire and sustain it. My role lies in fighting against the anti-hero of passiveness by facilitating timeless skills of owning who you are, how you think and what you do about it (essentially what we should've been taught in schools but weren't).
My power player name for 2025 is MasalaMagic as I want to show up as my most integrated self serving empowerment with my head, heart and hands until equity is a lived experience.
Najwa Jumali, Founder, @objects.re
I’m building a community that appreciates good quality, well-designed secondhand / vintage furniture and I sell furniture, home decor and trinkets sourced both locally and internationally.
For the first time since starting it ~4 years ago, I’m planning to be fully committed to building objects full time. It’s exciting but also super nerve-wracking to be making this big move, but it’s really important to me personally to give myself this chance to build and see what I can really do when I give my all to this.
I also want to be able to take more risks and trust my instincts more often. I think I’ve always felt a lot of impostor syndrome in the design and art communities in Singapore, because there are so many cool, creative people out here; but slowly, thanks to the love and support from the community I’ve built, I’ve started to feel like I’ve found my own kind of space.
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A’alely, Co-Founder, Strange Weather
In 2025, I’m continuing to build Strange Weather Dunia—an offshoot of Strange Weather, dedicated to fostering new dialogues between sound, history, and creative communities across Southeast Asia. My focus is on facilitating collaboration and supporting artists pushing boundaries in music and art. This year marks a major milestone—our first release, Hawa Hina Dina by Wahono of Divisi62, is now available on Bandcamp. It’s a project we’re incredibly proud of—an intricate sonic exploration of decay and renewal, blending field recordings, industrial textures, and poetic echoes into something entirely its own. We’re also expanding our live showcases, collaborating with a music label from Yogyakarta to present Y-Dra, reinforcing our commitment to platforming artists who challenge norms and reimagine sonic and cultural narratives.
Beyond Strange Weather Dunia, I want to continue contributing to Southeast Asia—connecting people, ideas, and movements that push creative expression forward while deepening my understanding of the complexities and paradoxes of the region.