Wealth, People and Planet

On 4 October, we completed the first session of our RESONATE Series titled Wealth, People and Planet. The event was co-organised by NUS Business School Alumni Association (NUSBSA), NUS Alumni Ventures (NAV) Ventures and Koru VC with support from NUS BIZAlum. It offered a thoughtful balance between theory and practice, beginning with The Psychology of Money by Daniel Almagor from Small Giants Academy, followed by an intimate fireside chat with Thomas Knudsen and Kathlyn Tan from the Rumah Group & Foundation. We explored what money truly means, how it is shaped by our experiences and the purpose it can serve. The discussion reminded me that money, at its core, is an energy and resource we steward first to find personal peace and stability, then to nurture the social, economic and environmental systems we are part of.

Thomas and Kathlyn’s sharing illustrated how values can be translated into action through philanthropy and impact investing. Their commitment to ocean conservation and sustainable marine practices offered a powerful example of purpose in motion. Their partnership also showed the importance of finding complementary people when building a team, emphasizing the importance of chemistry with investees and teams, proven impact, a sound business case and scalability when assessing opportunities. What resonated most was Thomas’s reminder that there is no right time to begin. When something moves you, that feeling is enough to start learning and acting. Please stay tuned for our future RESONATE sessions!