For many years, Consulus has touched many lives and companies across several continents by working with them to provide innovative solutions for their businesses. As the company celebrates its 20th year of enacting creative change, the 2024 edition of the Shape the World Summit (STWS)—its flagship event—proved to be its biggest yet. And what better way to celebrate the founding anniversary of a company than by going back to where it all started?
On 21 June, the annual STWS was held in the world-renowned Changi Jewel in Singapore, attracting over 200 leaders in the business, non-profit, and public sectors from around the world. The event featured 22 speakers, 3 panels, and 2 fireside chats, representing experts and thought leaders from 9 countries including Singapore, USA, the Philippines, Slovakia, Nigeria, Vietnam, Japan, India, and Indonesia.
Centered around the theme Creative Change Movements, STWS 2024 was composed of 4 tracks: Cause, Creative Vision, Circle of Trust, and Competent Pivot. Here are the highlights of the whole-day event:
TRACK 1: CAUSE
Vocation and cause for movements
For the first morning session, speakers focused on how they, as Changemakers, discovered their vocation and cause for shaping impactful change. Kicking off the program was Jim Funk, Consulus Global Fellow for Leadership and former Global Chairperson, who gave a talk on Cause and Creative Leadership. He discussed insights on fostering a culture of creativity and purpose within organizations.
Jim also moderated the fireside chat with Senior Minister of State, Mr Desmond Tan. With the topic of Vocation and Cause for a Labour Movement, Minister Tan shared his beginnings in public service and shared his experiences working with Singapore’s largest labor movement.
While talking about Igniting a New Generation Beyond Intergenerational Offending, Mr Joshua Tay, Chairman of NeuGen, reflected on his calling to lead a charity that seeks to help families overcome the effects of intergenerational offending. In an interview for the Creative Change Movements, he said that his work focuses on ensuring that young kids are supported and taken care of to “ensure that they at least have an equal chance to pursue a dream of their own and not be handicapped at the very beginning of their life.”
Closing the first track was Mr. Darrell Ang, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Sichuan Symphony Orchestra of China, who talked about the topic To Conduct a Concerto for Change where he emphasized the capacity of music to impact the world for good.
TRACK 2: CREATIVE VISION
How a cause shapes creative vision
In his speech on A Vision for Economy of Communion in 7 Aspects, Mr Stanislav “Stano” Lencz, Regional Director of Consulus Europe, Middle East and Africa, discussed a new framework to measure the impact of an Economy of Communion (EoC) enterprise. He outlined practical steps and metrics for organizations to adopt in their journey toward fairness and inclusivity in economic practices.
For the second fireside chat of the day, Teresa Ganzon, President of Megan Foundation, shared her life story growing up and how she was inspired by the EoC. Moderated by Paul Matangcas, Content Strategist of Consulus, Teresa or “Tess” talked about the book Garden of Givers, published in English and designed by Consulus Press.
Speaking on behalf of SCL, Dr. Andrew Kwasari, talked about sustainability and regenerative agriculture as a means to solve numerous problems within and beyond Africa. He also talked about the development of AgriCORE in partnership with Consulus and what it means for shaping a better future for thousands of small stakeholder farmers in Africa.
Frost and Sullivan Country Head of Singapore, Mr. Shujie Tan, gave a talk on Transforming Society: The Role of Family Offices. Meanwhile, Mr. Eric Lim (Singapore), CEO of Parendigm, delivered a speech on Rethinking Parenting for a Better Tomorrow: Empowering Parents, Transforming Communities and Businesses where he talked about what it means to be a parent in the new age and his new book republished by Consulus Press.
Capping off the second track was a panel discussion on Shaping Creative Movements, featuring Dr. Andrew Kwasari, Mr. Shujie Tan, and Mr. Eric Lim, and moderated by Mr. Stanislav Lencz.
TRACK 3: CIRCLE OF TRUST
Realizing how a core team can hold the trust of the movements
Helena Pham, Partner at Consulus, started the third track in the afternoon by delivering an inspiring speech titled Nurturing Impact through Circles of Trust where she emphasized the importance of creating supportive environments where trust can flourish.
Dr. Farha Iman, Consulus Global Head of DialogueCORE, addressed the timely topic In the age of digital dissonance, how to dialogue for UNITY? Her speech explored strategies for fostering effective dialogue and the crucial role of open communication in resolving disputes.
The track also featured a panel discussion on Circles of Dialogue for Shared Security. Moderated by Dr. Iman, the panel included Mr. Noor Marican, Former President of the Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore; Dr. Brian J. Grim, Founder of the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation; and Rev. Dr. Yoshinori Shinohara, Secretary General of the Asian Conference of Religions for Peace. The discussion centered on the importance of interfaith dialogue in promoting global security and fostering peaceful coexistence.
TRACK 4: COMPETENT PIVOT
Pivoting as a result of clear cause, creative vision, and culture of trust
For the final track, Mr. Rusdi Budiman, Strategy and Research Associate at Consulus gave an insightful speech on Updated Futures for FEDS (Food, Environment, Data, Space). His presentation explored the latest statistics and prospects in the four future trends defined by Consulus since 2022
Ar. Kuan Chee Yung, Consulus Global Head of Place Innovation, delivered a thought-provoking speech on Change Movements for Professional Practices and the Cities of the Future. He examined the evolving nature of professional practices and the need for innovative approaches in designing future cities.
A panel discussion titled A Pivot in Medical and Living in the City of the Future moderated by Ar. Chee Yung, featured Dr. Eugene Fidelis Soh, Deputy Group CEO of Integrated Care at National Healthcare Group and NHG Chief Executive Officer, TTSH & Central Health, and Mr. Larry Ng, Senior Advisor Consultant at Royal Golden Eagle. They discussed the future of healthcare and urban living, and how these can create healthier environments, while living longer.
Damian Tang, Founder and CEO of Circular Cities Worldwide and Founder of URDX Studio, delivered an engaging speech titled Pivoting Global Collaborations in Uncertain Times. He talked about the importance of global partnerships in navigating uncertainty that can adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. His speech also marked the beginning of a partnership between Shape the World Summit (STWS) and Circular Cities, where Consulus shall serve as the Global Systems Solution Partner.
Eric Cheong, Chief Investment Officer at DesignFutures Venture, presented on Sarawak’s Rise and Pivot as the Next Economic Growth Engine. He focused on Sarawak, Malaysia’s potential to become a significant economic force.
Mr. Dzung Do Nguyen, Co-founder and CEO of enCity, presented on Pivot Towards Agriculture, enFarm, where he discussed innovative approaches to agricultural development and showcased enFarm’s role in revolutionizing farming practices and promoting sustainable agriculture.
Closing the final track was Mr. Lawrence Chan, Group CEO of NETS, who explored the topic of Building Internal Changemakers for Pivot. He highlighted strategies for cultivating change agents within organizations to drive pivotal transformations.
After a fruitful back-to-back discussion over the course of four tracks, the STWS concluded with a closing keynote address from Mr. Lim Boon Heng, Chairman of Temasek Holdings. In his talk on Shaping Changemaking Movements from Public and Private Sectors, he explored the critical roles that both public and private sectors play in driving social change and why society needs the power of collaboration and shared vision in creating impactful changemaking movements.
STWS outcomes and next steps:
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- DialogueCORE, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) team up to advocate for faith fluency and dialogue in businesses
- Consulus acquires 15% stake in Parendigm, launches new book
- Consulus expands to Africa, develops AgriCORE solutions
- Consulus strengthens ties in Vietnam with FAIRVIET partnership
- Consulus Press unveils three new books, promises more to come
- FamilyCORE impacts more lives with Frost & Sullivan collaboration
- Consulus works with Circular Cities Worldwide to build resilient communities amid climate change
But wait! There’s more!
We are excited to announce that, for the first time ever, we will be holding the annual Shape the World Summit in Europe! Get ready to say ciao to the historic capital of Italy and the home of STWS 2025—Rome!
Check out what people have to say online:
“Honoured to have been part of the Shape the World Summit 2024! This incredible event organised annually by Consulus has been a beacon of innovation and unity since 2005, bringing leaders together to inspire positive change in the world. Thanks Lawrence Chong for the invite, and Jim Funk for hosting the fireside chat.”
— Mr. Desmond Tan, Senior Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office
“Had an insightful session at the keynote by Mr. Lim Boon Heng on Shaping Changemaking Movements from Public and Private Sectors. Grateful to Lawrence Chong for the invite to commemorate 20 years of creative change to Shape the World! Our collaboration began over a decade ago in envisioning a Health City for the future. Appreciate the dedication to HealthCity Novena!”
“Excellent event organized by Consulus and pleasure to partner with Consulus in Creative Change Strategies for Family Offices and their impact.’’
— Mr. Shujie Tan, Country Head, Frost & Sullivan
About Shape the World Summit
The Shape the World Conference (STWC), now known as the Shape the World Summit (STWS), was started by Consulus in 2005 with a simple mission: to get Changemakers to rethink their purpose and make a difference in shaping a better world. Since then, more than 6,000 leaders have attended the STWS, which has been held in countries such as Bangladesh, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Over the years, the event has featured various themes, including “Designing Sustainable and Smart Cities,” “Designing a More Equitable Economic System,” and “Future Resilience by Sustainability: Building Sustainable Movements While Navigating a New World of AI and Data.”
About Consulus
Consulus is a global creative change firm serving persons, companies, and cities in their transfiguration for an Economy of Communion (EoC). Consulus believes that purpose and unity are essential for innovation and inclusive growth. Since 2004, Consulus has implemented systemic innovation solutions with multidisciplinary business and design capabilities throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. With a presence in 23 nations globally, Consulus believes in shaping an inclusive socio-economic system and is a member of the EoC network.
