Mr. Marco Wai

Chief Representative of Hong Kong & Greater Bay Area of 8 Hours Ahead

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Marco Wai, Chief Representative, Hong Kong & Greater Bay Area, at 8 Hours Ahead, a UK-based venture growth firm specialising in MedTech and CleanTech startups scaling into China.

A 2024 Imperial College London MBA graduate with distinction, he served as Head of Markets, Student Ambassador, and Content Creator.

Before, he joined HSBC as a Global Management Trainee, working on the Macro FX and Rates asset class.

He holds a BBA from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Certificate in ESG Investing from the CFA Institute. 

Ms Pamela Chan

Managing Director at Taipa Village Destination Limited

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Pamela leads destination creation, marketing, and cultural projects in Macau. She organises art exhibitions and community programmes, promotes sustainable tourism, and serves on several tourism boards. As a social and community contributor, she judges, mentors, and speaks at educational institutions and Startup Weekend Macao.

Pamela is also the Vice President of the Taipa Village Cultural Association, the Vice President of the International Advertising Association Macao China, a Les Clefs d’Or Macau honorary member, serves on TODA’s board, and the Vice President of SKAL International Macau.

Ms Windy Xu

Director of MACAU FIRMIANA CREATIVE MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.

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Cindy was born in Shanghai and studied in Macau. A European Union scholarship at 25 sent her to Norway, Finland, and Portugal. By 30, she’d visited over 100 cities in 30 countries. 

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After a decade in academia, she transitioned to the creative industries, managing projects and founding “1819 Macao Coffee,” which expanded to over 40 locations in the city including airports, piers, and scenic spots. The brand was upgraded to “1819 Macao Gifts,” offering cultural and creative products.  The “1819 Macao Gifts” was recognised by Xinhua News Agency, the brand has been featured in publications like the “Hengqin Chao,” Zhuhai Daily Newspaper, and Yang Lan’s “Macao Youth Speak” radio interview. “1819 Macao Gifts” offers insights and recommendations to encapsulate and share Macau culture through gifts.

Mr. Karson Wong

Creative Director of Early Cloud Design

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Karson Wong is a Malaysian-Chinese industrial designer who holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Design from Taiwan. Previously, he held a position as a Senior Industrial Designer at a Fortune 500 company. His expertise lies in cross-disciplinary product design, encompassing the entire process from conceptualization, user research, to form, function, and brand design.

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Karson offers innovative product design solutions to a diverse clientele, and his works have garnered numerous international design awards. Furthermore, he serves as the President of the Macau Product Design Association and as a guest professor at Macau higher education institutions, committed to fostering the development of Macau’s design talent.