Destination GOOD
AirAsia Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the AirAsia Group and we are here to help you effect social change through entrepreneurship.
Across ASEAN, we have met many people who are inspired by the AirAsia story and dream of making their own impact. Our social enterprise awards are designed to help make this a reality. If you are a start-up social entrepreneur looking to scale up your innovative venture, let us know about your work.
Successful grantees will be provided with seed funding and mentorship throughout the grant period. We will tap on AirAsia’s network strengths and help you make connections. Together, we aim to find sustainable solutions to social challenges through innovation, passion and determination.
Let us introduce the people behind AirAsia Foundation.
AirAsia Foundation’s Council of Trustees is made up of ASEAN citizens who have made important social and professional contributions in their respective countries. From entrepreneurs to lawyers, they bring their shared expertise and local know-how to advise our team and grantees.
Trustees
We are guided by the best in the region.
Sunit Shrestha
Sunit Shrestha has over 10 years of experience in supporting social innovation and investment. He is the Founder & Managing Director of ChangeFusion, a non-profit institute under Thai Rural Reconstruction Movement Foundation. He is the lead partner and designer in the setup of innovative social investment programs /funds /platforms such as ChangeVentures, B-KIND Fund and the Thai Governance Funds Initiative. His vast experience also expands into the space of social innovation research and public policy development.
Gigi Lee
Gigi’s stellar career in the creative industry has seen her win numerous awards for her work with some of the world’s biggest brands. Currently running her own creative agency, Klinik Gigi, she also makes time to help AirAsia Foundation grantees build better brands. Gigi also guest lectures at The One Academy, leading branding collaborations between students and social enterprises.
Attorney Katrina Legarda
In her 30-year career, Atty. Katrina chalked up many firsts in the Philippine’s legal history upholding the rights of women and children. Her experiences inspired her to found the Child Justice League to provide free legal aid to abused children. Katrina also shares her infectious spirit and legal know-how through professorships at five universities in Manila.
And finally, meet our team.
True to the roots of AirAsia, we began building AirAsia Foundation very much as our own start-up. Our small team has gradually grown our footprint to cover seven countries in ASEAN, with more to come soon.
We have nurtured social enterprises addressing a wide range of social goals from environment to poverty alleviation. We have helped budding entrepreneurs raise their profiles, rebrand their products and reach new markets. Through investing in community-based tourism initiatives and helping build ethical brands, we aim to leverage on social enterprise products and services to help make AirAsia’s core business sustainable, fair and inclusive.
Yap Mun Ching
Executive Director
Mun Ching embarked on her second career in AirAsia when she started AirAsia Foundation with a vision of changing the way businesses contribute to society. A student of politics and economics, she enjoys the challenge of making social enterprises accessible and mainstream.
Elaine Tan
Grants & Business Development
Elaine has over 7 years of experience in product management and strategy in the banking sector. Prior to AirAsia Foundation, she was supporting the sustainability efforts of the bank. As an adventurer, she loves hiking and camping during her free time.