Huijia Phua

Huijia is one of the Principal Trainers and Community Builders at Skillseed.

Huijia founded Skillseed in 2013 with the vision of unleashing human potential for social good through an asset-based approach. Huijia straddles both the community building (skilled volunteerism projects) and capability development (training) arms of Skillseed, and therefore has a nuanced understanding of ground needs, while being able to convey deep insights in a candid and humorous manner.

Over the years, Huijia has designed and facilitated sessions and learning journeys for a diverse range of participants, from youth with disabilities to local retirees, students from different countries and cultural backgrounds, fellow social sector partners, ground up movements, teachers, public service leaders and corporate leaders. From 2019 to 2023, through the Engagement Immersion for Leaders (EIL) programme, a milestone course for senior Public Servants (Directors to Deputy Secretaries) in building a citizen-centric Singapore Public Service, Huijia and her fellow Skillseed Trainers have equipped over 690 senior officers from across the Public Service. She has also conducted similar human- centred leadership skills training for CSC milestone programmes such as the Senior Management Programme’s (SMP’s) Community Attachment Programme.

By 2023, under her leadership, Skillseed formed partnerships with nearly 40 global community partners, and trained over 8,000 participants through the typical Skillseed approach of small-group, hands-on experiential learning courses.

In her previous life, Huijia founded several community initiatives, which included an environmentally and socially conscious student-run cafe (still going strong after a decade) at Yale University while pursuing her Masters degree in Environmental Management. She was the first recipient of the Kroon Cup from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (Yale F&ES), which recognizes individuals who embody stewardship and implement projects that engage and inspire the larger community.

Currently a mother of two, Huijia spreads her time across being tested by her young children, mentoring her team and informally advising younger social enterprise leaders.

Wilson Chan

Wilson is currently the Managing Director at Skillseed, where he leads learning experience design and talent development amongst other key responsibilities. He also serves as a Principal Trainer in equipping participants, from all sectors, citizen engagement, community co-creation and social innovation skills. 

Wilson paints, makes and tends.

He graduated from Queen Mary University of London with a 1st Class Honours degree in Marine and Freshwater Biology. He is grateful for the largesse of the Fulbright Scholarship, the Yale F&ES Scholarship, and the NParks’ Post-graduate Scholarship, all of which enabled him to read for a Master’s degree in Environmental Management at Yale University. There, he co-founded a social enterprise providing a free peer community to international students applying to US colleges, and was appointed a Yale Entrepreneurial Institute Fellow.

Wilson has had 10 years of public service experience, working on biodiversity conservation, research and policy. In his previous role as an Assistant Director in the National Parks Board (NParks), Wilson was privileged to drive the development of Singapore’s Integrated Coastal Management program, and co-led the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology in his concluding role. He has been shaped by the experience of befriending and caring for vulnerable elderly, as well as mentoring young students.

Wilson belongs to Christ.

OUR TEAM MEMBERS

Our community and capability developers have a wealth of experience facilitating learning journeys in and outside of the classroom.

As community-development practitioners, our team integrates unique insights gleaned from our experiences working with communities into our social innovation and social-emotional frameworks. Our pedagogy is experiential, interactive, and learner-centric, and we are committed to learning alongside you.

Our capability developers are self-starting individuals with formal credentials in a range of disciplines - from life sciences to literature and environmental studies. They are deeply invested in creating transformative educational experiences that inspire and empower our participants as changemakers of tomorrow.

Each capability developer brings to the table a diverse set of skills and perspectives, adding breadth to the depth and rigour that characterise our learning journeys. They integrate their unique insights, experiences, and passions into the design of learning journeys. At the core of every learning journey? Their relationships with community partners and experts, which form an integral part of an unforgettable participant experience.

In addition, our team is first-aid certified and registered with the Ministry of Education as overseas instructors.