ABOUT US
Building communities of deep trust
Where our team of purpose-driven learning experience designers, facilitators, as well as community and partnership practitioners come together
Our Story
Skillseed was founded in 2013 with the vision of unleashing human potential for social good through an asset-based approach
Skillseed’s core purpose is to help build a trust-driven and collaborative society, alongside our different partners. We constantly innovate by translating practical experience gained alongside our communities into operational knowledge and learning content for partnerships and citizen engagement. In parallel, we apply knowledge from academia to our community work.
Through these practices, we aim to carve out a safe space to generate opportunities, and to provide exposure and challenge individuals to dream big, and empower them with the tools to make the changes they want to see, regardless of where in the world they find themselves, and how daunting the environment may be.
Across the years, we have partnered 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.
Our Values
We believe that all co-creative endeavors will be made more inherently sustainable when guided by dignity, empathy, authenticity, relationality and a strengths-based approach. Ownership and ultimately deep trust, would be natural outgrowths of this paradigm.
Our Efforts towards UNSDG Goals
As of May 2024
Quality Education
We equip participants across all sectors and across a range of ages and abilities to be more relational, impactful and trusted in their various capacities and communities.
Reduced Inequalities
Through our not-for-profit initiatives such as Citizen Library and Resilience Trails, we promote inclusive, flexible and dignified paid engagements of individuals from under-resourced communities, while also providing them a platform to promote their voice, agency and stories.
Partnerships for the Goals
Collaboration is at the heart of Skillseed’s work and we have partners across the Public, Private, and People (3P) sectors.
8197
participants equipped and counting
> $3,460
channeled towards Citizens of our Citizen Library
> $195,869
invested in our Resilience Trails and Guides
7
active community guides supported by us
38
non-profit/social-enterprise partnerships to-date
> $327,961
channelled towards Community Partners
> 80,396 hours
of skilled volunteering and training
Meet the Directors
Huijia Phua
Founder, Principal Trainer, Community Builder
Huijia is one of the Principal Trainers at Skillseed currently engaged to train senior Public Servants (Director level and above) in citizen engagement and community co-creation skills in the Engagement Immersion for Leaders (EIL) Course offered at the Civil Service College (CSC). Through EIL, she and her fellow Skillseed Trainers have trained over 400 civil servants (and counting) from across the Public Service. She has also conducted similar human-centered leadership skills training for CSC milestone programmes such as the Senior Management Programme’s (SMP’s) Community Attachment Programme. Huijia is also part of CSC-MCCY’s Partnerships and Engagement Experts Panel, where panelists can be engaged to provide expertise in Engagement and Facilitation Strategy and Design within the public service.
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 capacity building (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 and corporate leaders.
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 toddler and newborn, mentoring her team and informally advising younger social enterprise leaders.
Wilson Chan
Managing Director
Wilson graduated from Queen Mary University of London with a 1st Class Honours degree in Marine and Freshwater Biology and was awarded the G.E Fogg Prize for outstanding performance. He earned a master’s degree in Environmental Management from Yale University, where 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. These enriching experiences were made possible only by the largesse of the Fulbright Scholarship, a scholarship by the Yale School of Environment, and the NParks’ post-graduate scholarship, all of which Wilson is deeply grateful for.
He has been shaped by the experience of mentoring young students and befriending and caring for vulnerable elderly. He served as a Judge for the 2017 Enactus Singapore National Competition for community outreach projects, and the Social Startup Challenge 2018, sponsored by SMU’s Lien Centre for Social Innovation, and Institution of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Most recently, he’s grateful to have served on the panel of Temasek Foundation’s inaugural TF Star Awards 2024.
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 coordinated the development of Singapore’s Integrated Coastal Management programme and its policies; he led the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology in his final portfolio before leaving public service. Through this journey, Wilson gained invaluable experience managing cross-sectoral and international collaborations. He now uses this background to help Skillseed navigate partnerships with citizens as well as government partners.
Wilson is currently the Managing Director at Skillseed, where he steers the organisation’s vision, culture, and strategic direction. In addition to his executive responsibilities, he oversees corporate governance, talent development, innovation, and impact measurement - ensuring that Skillseed continues to grow meaningfully in its mission and methods. When needed, he also leads crisis communications, cybersecurity, and legal matters. In his role as Principal Trainer, Wilson continues to hone his facilitation skills, share the insights he’s gleaned from SKillseed’s community work, and indulges in learning experience design, alongside his capable team.
He is especially grateful for being able to shape Skillseed’s Resilience Trails™—an initiative that uplifts and empowers families and individuals from vulnerable communities by honouring their lived experiences, cultivating community pride, and creating dignified income and upskilling opportunities through their role as Community Guides.
Wilson belongs to Christ.
The Skillseed Team
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Emily Wu
Community & Capability Builder
Emily is deeply involved in community development and capability building through her experience as a social worker in fostering services, a volunteer for various children and youth programmes, and a trainer and facilitator in programmes covering topics including design thinking, growth mindset, learning styles and more.
Emily values creativity in all her individual pursuits. In her spare time, Emily likes playing board games and enjoys finding new cycling routes.
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Sheryl Yue
Community & Capability Builder
Since secondary school, Sheryl has been actively involved in the community through volunteering, especially with youth development and mental health causes. At Skillseed, she has been involved with stakeholder engagement, coordinating corporate social responsibility activities, and overseeing volunteer management during her time at Skillseed.
Sheryl lives by the growth mindset that nothing is impossible. In her free time, she enjoys Lego building and engaging in sports.
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Irfan Zainol
Driven by his interest in social work and connecting with people, Irfan has found purpose in giving back to the community, particularly through his behind-the-scenes contributions to programmes like Resilience Trails, where he ensures seamless project execution, oversees timelines, and keeps activities on track.
Irfan’s goal is to become a better version of himself each day through the work he does, and believes in treating those around him with kindness and respect. In his free time, he enjoys being close to nature, as well as watching and playing football.
Keen to learn more about Skillseed?
Whether it’s finding out more about our mission, a programme we run, or if you’d like to join us in some way, reach out to us and we’ll get back to you!
