Meet TFF’s Newest Team Members!

A couple of weeks ago, we announced some exciting developments in TFF’s programs, including the launch of the 2019 TFF Challenge and the TFF Digital Labs on World Food Day (October 16th). As we gear up to deliver on these big plans, we’re excited to announce the newest members to our global team. Read the full blog post to learn more.

The TFF Digital Labs is the world’s first digitally-available startup accelerator that is optimised to meet the specific and unique needs of food and ag entrepreneurs in all parts of the world by leveraging next-gen learning and collaboration approaches. To help drive this towards a successful launch, we’ve brought on board Shen Ming Lee, a highly-connected, well-versed food and agritech GenZ changemaker.

Shen, who hails from Malaysia and is based in New York City, will build out the TFF Digital Labs partner ecosystem, especially in the US and ASEAN regions which hold enormous market and growth potential for our programs. Through her work, she empowers and supports agri-food innovators, tackles pressing food issues, and advocates for tech innovations in a better food future. At TFF, she makes her foodie dreams come true: helping to build and support a more sustainable, inclusive, and nutritious food system.

Shen has already released her first book Hungry For Disruption: How Tech Innovations Will Nourish 10 Billion By 2050. She has spoken at global food and agriculture conferences and corporate events and is a member of the US Chapter of the Keynote Women Speakers Directory.

A lover of all things gastronomy, Shen went to the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration to pursue her undergraduate studies. She previously lived in Singapore, where she started Fresco Supper Club, a social mission-driven restaurant, and spoke about her experiences with entrepreneurship in her TEDx Talk. In her free time, Shen loves to cook, go to farmer’s markets, spin, and box. Her recipe for success: “Learn, Unlearn and Reinvent Yourself.”

Next up is Annora Mack, who will join the team as our Digital and Community Lead. Annora grew up in the US and Switzerland and has been connected to the food and agriculture corporate industry throughout her whole life. With an educational background in Health Science and Fine Arts, she brings the multispectral mindset, creative thinking and field knowledge which we consider core attributes to our team. 

Annora will lead TFF’s social media channels (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook) and work hand-in-hand with the TFF Regional Coordinators and TFF Ambassadors to ensure successful planning and execution of our global community strategy. We’re already hyped by Annora’s unstoppable energy: “I’ve previously volunteered at the TFF Summits in Lisbon and in Amsterdam, and loved the unique vibe I felt there. Since these events, I have set my sights on working for TFF, and am thrilled to not only lead the social media and the global community strategies, but also to apply my background in art and science to create the immersive art installations at the next Summit.”

We’re also extending our team of TFF Regional Coordinators with the addition of Ratih Nawangwulan who will lead the East and Southeast Asia region and Morris Opiyo who will lead North and East Africa. Due to their high youth populations and rise of tech-driven innovation, these regions represent fertile ground to extend our TFF presence and tackle pressing regional challenges within the food system.

Ratih was born and raised in Indonesia, but now lives in the Netherlands where she majored in Food Sciences at Wageningen University and where TFF first crossed her path in 2014. Ratih likes to spend the afternoon reading Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot or listening to Alan Watts’ podcasts while sipping on a cup of herbal drink locally produced in Indonesia. For her, herbal drink is the new coffee. She believes that local products have so much more potential to build up a balanced food system and increase the welfare of local people. We asked Ratih what motivates her most in her new role as a TFF Regional Coordinator: “Indonesia is the 4th most populous country in the world yet very vulnerable when it comes to food security. People who live in remote areas have lack of access to food and education. The worst can happen here if no one takes an action. By taking on this regional leadership position at TFF, I will help tackle challenges such as the ones my home country is facing. I will help build a think tank of local entrepreneurs and promote SE Asia’s local products to the world for the wealth of the economy and our local people.”

Morris is an entrepreneur from Uganda, who was introduced to TFF back in 2015 by his brother. With their project FruitiCycle, they participated in the TFF Challenge and joined the TFF Summit in Zurich, which he said, changed the course of his life.

Apart from his entrepreneurial projects, Morris is also a founding member of the Social Innovation Academy Loketa, a youth training centre for young refugees where they are trained to turn their challenges into opportunities. Morris is a strong believer in the ability and the potential of the young generation, and loves to challenge them to discover and build their gifts through innovative initiatives and leadership, and eventually make the world around us a better place. “Being a TFF Regional Coordinator gives meaning to my life, I am part of a team of young personated people who are on fire to create change. TFF is not just an NGO or another global community, TFF is truly a family and a home.“

We’re thrilled to welcome these four ambitious and heart-driven next-gen changemakers to our team! Welcome to all!

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