The Good Design Research (GDR) programme’s evaluation panel is chaired by Dawn Lim, Executive Director, DesignSingapore Council and made up of panel members with business, technology, and design expertise recognised by the design industry. They will select projects that could be supported with funding until the “proof of concept” stage, for a maximum period of 12 months.
Dawn Lim
Executive Director, DesignSingapore Council
GDR Panel Chairperson
An experienced leader in business development and strategy, Dawn leads the national agency for design, DesignSingapore Council (Dsg), as its Executive Director. She firmly believes that design can make the world a better place, and intends for Dsg to play a critical role in infusing design into every aspect of our society and economy, and position Singapore as a global design hub.
Low Cheaw Hwei
Head of Design, Philips ASEAN Pacific and Design Consulting, Asia
Head of Government and Public Affairs, Philips Singapore
Panel Member since March 2020
Low Cheaw Hwei heads Philips Design in the region, leading the company through a design transformation, as Philips – a leader in healthcare technology – moves towards experience and solutions-based innovation. Cheaw Hwei has served as board member for various design platforms including Committee for Future Economy, and is currently the Chairman of the Design Education Advisory Committee. He is a frequent speaker at international design and innovation forums.
Tai Lee Siang
Head of Pillar, Architecture and Sustainable Design, Singapore University of Technology and Design
Panel Member since March 2020
Tai Lee Siang was Executive Director of BuildSG prior to joining Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). On the design front, he led the inauguration of Archifest, and oversaw the launch of the Singapore Good Design Mark in 2014 whilst President of Design Business Chamber Singapore. On the sustainability front, Lee Siang was the first Asian to chair the Board of Directors of the World Green Building Council in 2016.
Duleesha Kulasooriya
Executive Director, Deloitte Center for the Edge, Asia Pacific
Panel Member since March 2020
Duleesha Kulasooriya leads Deloitte Center for the Edge – a global management research institute exploring the edges of business and technology. He has researched, written and spoken extensively about dynamic ecosystems, emerging business landscapes, rethinking the role of firm and individuals in the form of institutional innovation, the future of work, and about relevance of “edges” such as the Maker Movement, the Sharing Economy, TransTech and Burning Man.
Cristina Ventura
General Partner and Chief Catalyst Officer, White Star Capital
Panel Member since October 2020
Cristina Ventura has been working in luxury, lifestyle, retail and technology for over 20 years for companies such as LVMH, Gucci, Prada, Apple and The Lane Crawford Joyce Group. Cristina is currently General Partner and Chief Catalyst Officer at White Star Capital, a multi-stage technology investment platform. She is also an active investor and advises family offices, venture capital and private equity firms through Ventura X Ventures.
Rotating Panel Members
Semun Ho
CEO, Singapore Fashion Council
Rotating Panel Member since March 2020
Semun Ho is the CEO of the Singapore Fashion Council (SFC), the official association that drives the fashion and textile industry in Singapore. Prior to helming SFC, Semun led SGTech for 11 years as its Executive Director. She sits on the Made With Passion Strategic Council to promote better awareness for local designers and is a member on the Technical Committee on Retail Services.
Pann Lim
Co-Founder and Creative Director, Kinetic Singapore
Rotating Panel Member since April 2022
Pann Lim is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Kinetic Singapore, Holycrap.sg and Rubbish Famzine. He has won over 500 industry awards including the President’s Design Award in 2013, 2015 and 2020, Gold Pencils at the New York One Show, Cannes Lions and a Yellow Pencil at the 2016 D&AD. Recently, Kinetic won two Graphite Pencils and was ranked the fifth design agency in the world at the 2022 D&AD.
Maaike Doyer
Founder, Epic Angels
Adjunct Professor, Singapore Management University
Rotating Panel Member since April 2022
Maaike is an entrepreneur, educator, and investor. In the past decade, she led Business Models Inc (BMI), a global design firm as the CFO. In 2020, she started Epic Angels, a network of female executives and operators who invest in start-ups in APAC. Maaike has created many masterclasses and is a professor at universities for MBAs in entrepreneurship and design thinking. Maaike is a DesignSingapore Council advisory board member.
Past Panel Members
Mark Wee
Advisor, DesignSingapore Council
GDR Panel Chairperson, April 2020-2022
Yang Yeo
Creative Officer, Hakuhodo Inc.
Panel Member, April 2020
Chris Lee
Founder and Creative Director, Asylum
Rotating Panel Member, April 2021 – 2022
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