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

Ariel Shtarkman is 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, boutique investment firm and 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 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 a Vice Chair of ULI Hong Kong.

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

I hope to see a real 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 the Head of Ecosystem of Global Innovation Department at MTR. Having led the creation of Hong Kong’s startup ecosystem by cofounding StartupsHK, Gene is now tasked with building new businesses and enhancing the core MTR business with technology, partnerships, and new business models. Prior to his role at MTR, Gene led the launch of Citymapper, a transport app, into Hong Kong in 2015 as General Manager. Prior to Citymapper, Gene has been involved in building fashion, lifestyle and mobile gaming startups.

Gene has been pushing for more focus on user experience, sustainability and open data practice in Hong Kong and believes strongly in improving daily lives through better design and technology.

Gene received his BS and MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University as well as MBA from Columbia University.

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

For 2022, I would hope to see the city to push for better use of design, technology and innovation such that green and sustainable habits would become second nature to people in Hong Kong.

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.