How Building an Innovative Corporate Culture Can Lead to Better Sustainability Results

Ariel Shtarkman is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Undivided Ventures, VC platform investing in early-stage technology companies, identifying a pathway to a more sustainable future for the built environment – real estate, infrastructure and cities. She is also the Founder of Orca Capital, single family office focusing on real estate and technology.

Previously, Ariel was with Citibank Real Estate Structured Finance in Hong Kong, where she structured debt instruments for real estate developers, REITs and private equity funds. She also worked in real estate private equity funds sponsored by ING Clarion in New York and ING Real Estate Investment Management in Hong Kong.

Ariel holds an MBA from Columbia Business School with a concentration in Real Estate, and BSc from Tel Aviv University with double major in Computer Science and Business Administration. She serves as Urban Land Institute (ULI) Global Governing Trustee and as co-Head of Technology and Innovation Committe of ULI Hong Kong.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

I hope to see definite and scalable action from both the private sector embracing technology to solve sustainability challenges, and the government taking steps to ensure a clear path to Hong Kong’s sustainable future

With the purpose of moving people forward in life, Aldric currently leads Cathay’s efforts in data science and analytics, enterprise technology innovation and digital transformation across the organisation. Aldric started his career with Cathay’s inflight services team in 2008. As part of the Swire Management Programme, he has held a number of managerial positions in customer relationship and retail, e-commerce and Lean process improvement in Hong Kong, and overseas as the airline’s Country Manager in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Aldric graduated from MBA programme at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Susheela Rivers is a real estate lawyer with over 28 years’ experience of helping clients with complex, multi-faceted cross-border and domestic real estate transactions throughout Asia (including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam) and the UK.

She advises on all aspects of structuring real estate investment and development portfolios including acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures and developments for stand-alone assets and portfolios across all asset classes.

Susheela helps clients with a wide range of real estate matters, focusing particularly on M&A transactions, financings, developments, leases, and fractionalising real estate including real estate tokenisation. She has in-depth knowledge of the hospitality and leisure spheres and a particular focus on real estate with operational aspects.

Gene Soo is Head of Ecosystem at MTR Corporation’s Global Innovation Department, where he supports innovation initiatives across Hong Kong and MTR’s international operations. His work focuses on turning ideas into practical pilots, with a growing emphasis on applying AI and automation to support MTR’s people in their everyday work, improve urban mobility, and enhance the commuter experience.

Much of Gene’s recent work centres on driving AI adoption and everyday use at MTR. He builds AI agents and tools for real operational challenges, from smarter staff canteen menus to sharing knowledge across business units. He also champions ShiftChat, a platform that connects and coordinates frontline and shift-based workers. Gene favours working pilots over presentations, testing where AI genuinely adds value before scaling it, and helping colleagues get comfortable using the tools themselves.

Gene is personally committed to environmental sustainability and is an active recycler. He regularly uses MTR’s Carbon Wallet and Hong Kong’s Green@Community network to reduce waste and support circular practices in daily life.

Prior to joining MTR, Gene brought Citymapper to Hong Kong and co-founded StartupsHK, contributing to the city’s growing tech and startup community. He holds a BS and MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from Columbia University.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

Make sustainability the invisible default
I hope to see smart technology and AI woven so deeply into everyday life that the low-carbon, low-waste option quietly becomes the default in how we move, work, and consume, rather than something people have to actively choose.

Make the greener choice the easier choice
I want people gently nudged toward sustainable habits through good design, digital incentives, and rewards, so recycling, low-carbon travel, and circular consumption feel effortless and even a little rewarding, rather than a chore.

Make sustainability inclusive, not just corporate
I hope to see innovation break down silos and open opportunity across the public, private, and civic sectors, so progress on sustainability is community-driven and inclusive, leaving no one behind.

As the General Manager of Technology & Innovation, Ben manages and drives New World Development’s open innovation platform and proptech strategy that empowers technology startups to co-create within the group’s ecosystem of culture, creativity, and innovation. In addition, Ben oversees early-stage investments and venture build exercises.

Ben launched Impact Kommons, the first UN SDG accelerator in APAC focused on accelerating impact with purpose-driven startups, and the GBA Accelerator, a supply chain, logistics, and robotics startup accelerator designed to help companies scale across the Greater Bay Area.

Ben founded Startup Launchpad, now Asia’s largest I.o.T. startup trade event. He has helped startups raise more than $2 million on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. He is an angel investor and regularly mentors in startup support programs.