The On Call with Insignia Podcast

Join this year's Business & Sustainability Programme Asia Seminar by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)In this first episode of a miniseries produced in partnership with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and Insignia Ventures Academy, host Paulo Aquino speaks with Professor Jason Pomeroy,k founding principal of Pomeroy Studio, founder of Pomeroy Academy, and CISL Fellow. The conversation traces Jason's evolution from architect to interdisciplinary sustainability leader, beginning with how his Cambridge master's degree opened a systems-thinking approach to the built environment that conventional practice could not provide. Jason explains how his signature four-sphere model, engaging civil society, state, academia, and industry simultaneously, shaped the Idea House in Malaysia, one of Asia's first zero-carbon homes, and how that same methodology has since scaled across Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Timestamps(1:17): Introduction to Jason(3:42): Cambridge Spark Moment(7:57): Building an Interdisciplinary Practice(10:24): Asia Innovation and Net Zero Homes(16:44): Designing for Sweden(18:45): Academy: Bridging Worlds(21:00): Digital Twins Explained(26:02): Smart Cities Need Smart Citizens(30:02): Automation and CISL WrapAbout our GuestProfessor Jason Pomeroy is an award-winning architect, academic, author, and TV presenter regarded as one of the world's leading experts in sustainable design. He is the founding principal of Pomeroy Studio, an interdisciplinary sustainable design and research firm based in Singapore, and the founder of Pomeroy Academy, a platform for sustainability education and research in the built environment. Jason holds professorships at the University of Nottingham and James Cook University, and leads a sustainable urbanism module on CISL's Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment (IDBE) master's programme at the University of Cambridge. He is a Fellow of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.Jason gained his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from the Canterbury School of Architecture, a master's degree from the University of Cambridge, and a PhD from the University of Westminster. He is the author of five books on sustainable design and urbanism, including Idea House: Future Tropical Living Today (2011), The Skycourt and Skygarden: Greening the Urban Habitat (2014), and Hardware, Software, Heartware: Digital Twinning for More Sustainable Built Environments (2023). He has hosted four architecture and urbanism television series — Smart Cities 2.0, City Time Traveller, City Redesign, and Futuropolis — which have aired across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.Directed by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoFollow us on LinkedIn for more updatesDisclaimer: The views in this podcast are those of the contributors, and don’t necessarily represent those of CISL, the University of Cambridge, or Insignia Ventures Academy, and should not be taken as advice or a recommendation. The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any Insignia Ventures fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

15% of the total trade volume of Japan with the world comes from Southeast Asia, the country's third largest trading bloc. More than 15,000 Japanese firms are active in the region. Cash-rich Japanese firms looking to scale up growth globally. Local governments are looking for innovative solutions to societal issues like depopulation.We discuss these drivers for cross-border innovation and more with Takeo Nakajima, Director General of Innovation at the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). This interview was recorded live in Singapore from the Japan SEA Market Forum 2025 hosted by the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Nikkei Asia, and JETRO.Timestamps(00:25) Japan’s Layered Trade and Innovation Relationship with Southeast Asia;(03:36) Innovation Opportunities for Southeast Asia and Japanese Innovation;(06:42) Message to Founders Looking to Build Cross-Border Innovation Between Japan and Southeast Asia;Directed by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoFollow us on LinkedIn for more updatesThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

POPMART Head of Southeast Asia & Middle East Jeremy Lee hops on a quick but jam packed conversation with On Call host Paulo on the role of Southeast Asia in POPMART's Global Business, the opportunities for creators and storytellers in the age of generative AI and new innovations in IP protection, and his learnings on leadership across several years leading regional business development for consumer brands.This On Call with Insignia episode is part of a series featuring speakers from the NOVA 2025: SG60 Edition event co-hosted by Smobler, the New York Stock Exchange, Gemini, Nifty Gateway Studio, and Skadden. Timestamps(00:28) Role of Southeast Asia in POPMART's Global Business;(01:33) Role of Role of Singapore and Southeast Asia for Consumer Brand Creation;(02:51) Learnings on IP Protection and IP Innovation for Brands;(04:40) Thoughts on AI and Future of Storytelling; (06:41) GTM Learnings from Southeast Asia; (07:58) Blind Box Leadership Questions; About Jeremy LeeJeremy Lee is Head of Southeast Asia & Middle East for POPMART. Prior to POPMART, he held regional sales and business development leadership roles across consumer brands, from the Lego Group to J&J. He has also been handpicked across these roles to be a leading Diversity & Inclusion advocate, co-creating a psychological safe space to enable team members to bring the best versions of themselves to the workplace. Directed by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoFollow us on LinkedIn for more updatesThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

NYSE Head of International Markets Cassandra Seier hops on a quick but jam packed conversation with On Call host Paulo on Singapore and Southeast Asia public market opportunities going global, the ways NYSE is diversifying capital access for issuers and investors, globalization of venture exits, and more. This On Call with Insignia episode is part of a series featuring speakers from the NOVA 2025: SG60 Edition event co-hosted by Smobler, the New York Stock Exchange, Gemini, Nifty Gateway Studio, and Skadden. Timestamps(00:38) Singapore and Southeast Asia Public Market Opportunities Going Global; (02:32) Diversifying Capital Access for Issuers and Investors;(03:48) Globalization of Venture Exits;(05:41) Enriching the Public Markets Playbook;(07:35) Public Markets as Innovation Bellwether;(08:25) Why you should engage with exchanges early;(13:00) Blind Leadership Questions;About Cassandra SeierCassandra Seier is the Head of International Capital Markets for NYSE Group, a part of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE).Cassandra is responsible for attracting new listings from companies around the world, including Asia, Canada, EMEA and Latin America. She advises private companies, private equity and venture capital firms, investment bankers and others on the IPO landscape, NYSE initiatives and listing venue selection.Prior to joining the NYSE, Cassandra spent more than 24 years at Goldman Sachs, where she most recently served as a Managing Director focusing on futures and OTC clearing. During her time at Goldman, Seier worked in the bank’s offices in Singapore, New York and London.Cassandra earned a BA in Finance with a minor in Economics from the University of Oregon. She has been a CFA charterholder since 2004. Seier is President and CEO of Women in Financial Markets (WIFM), a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect, elevate, and advance female leaders in the financial industry.Directed by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoFollow us on LinkedIn for more updatesThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

Timestamps(00:00) Introduction;(00:29) How a tech exec from China joined a Singapore AI startup;(02:38) The evolution of LLMs in China;(03:33) AI Development in China and the rest of the world;(04:37) The value of building a career in China tech;(06:34) Scaling a global AI company; (08:37) Scaling in Southeast Asia vs rest of the world;(09:39) Driving the AI conversation and building strategic relationships;(10:34) Future of Conversational AI; (13:02) MCPs impacting the cost structure of building AI;(14:26) New paradigm of pricing AI products and solutions;(15:00) WIZ.AI's AI Roadmap; (15:54) Considerations of Enterprise Buyers;(17:14) AI Enterprise Sales; (22:30) Advice on AI Transformation; (24:17) Make or Break Moment; Robin Li is the Senior AI Strategy and Partnerships Director at WIZ.AI, bringing over 20 years of enterprise technology experience and more than 10 years specializing in AI companies. Based in China before joining WIZ.AI in Singapore, Robin has witnessed firsthand the evolution of AI development across different markets, from the early days of conversational AI to the current LLM revolution. At WIZ.AI, he focuses on bridging the gap between AI builders and enterprise buyers, helping organizations navigate the complex journey of AI transformation while building strategic partnerships across global markets.WIZ.AI is a conversational AI talkbot platform for 300+ global enterprises present in 17+. countries. Their conversational artificial intelligence talkbot mimics conversations with real people by localizing for 17+ different languages and dialects from ASEAN to Latin America. The company’s tech solution replaces traditional human call-centers for different application scenarios (e.g. tele-sales and customer care) across a variety of sectors (financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, etc.). The company’s enterprise grade proprietary technology is built on the company’s R&D into natural language processing, automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech technology. WIZ.AI is a first-mover in untapped emerging markets, with 11 patents in conversational AI technology. The founding team cumulatively has over 40 years of experience in FinTech, big data, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.Follow us on LinkedIn for more updatesCheck out Insignia Business Review for more insightsSubscribe to our monthly newsletter for all the news and resourcesDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

Watch Part 1Thothathri Srinivasan (who goes by "Tho") is the Head of AI and Engineering at Flip, one of Indonesia's largest consumer fintech companies. With over a decade of experience in Silicon Valley, Tho has built products and systems at some of the world's most recognizable tech companies including Groupon, Netflix, and Pinterest.Originally from Bangalore, India, Tho began his career in electronics and software engineering before moving to the United States in 2010 to pursue his master's degree in computer science. His Silicon Valley journey started at Groupon in 2011, where he worked on merchant-facing products and learned the fundamentals of dynamic pricing and A/B testing. He then spent six years at Netflix Studio, building the infrastructure that powers content rights management, deals, and contracts - essentially everything from "pitch to play" in Netflix's content ecosystem.After a stint at Pinterest working on shopping monetization, Tho briefly explored the AI startup space before relocating to Southeast Asia with his family. His transition to the region led him to Flip, where he now leads AI and engineering for Indonesia's growing fintech market. Tho is also an alumnus of Insignia Ventures Academy's Certificate in Venture Capital program and became involved in angel investing through the XA Network, bringing his technical expertise to early-stage startup evaluation and mentorship.Follow Tho on LinkedInTranscriptTimestamps(00:00) Kickstarting AI Transformation in Flip;(03:28) Measuring ROI on Flip's AI Initiatives;(07:04) Learnings from Tho's Make or Break Moments in Tech(10:21) Leading Engineering teams in Southeast Asia vs Silicon Valley;Follow us ⁠on LinkedIn⁠ for more updatesCheck out ⁠Insignia Business Review⁠ for more insightsSubscribe to ⁠our monthly newsletter⁠ for all the news and resourcesDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

The money for compliance AI is in cross-border adaptability.That's our main takeaway from this call with Gani.ai founders Bintang Hidayanto and Timur Nugroho, who themselves went on a call back in December 2023 to first talk about working on an idea Bintang has had over the last decade as a lawyer and founding partner of one of Indonesia's leading law firms. It is an idea that he ultimately decided to pursue as generative AI technologies became more accessible and more widely adopted than ever before.This fateful call led to the founding of Gani.ai, with Bintang bringing his 15+ years as a lawyer and Timur his 15+ years as a product leader to change the way people access compliance knowledge, resources, and support with agentic AI. Timestamps(00:39) Introducing our guests Bintang and Timur, how and why they started Gani.ai(11:29) What makes Gani.ai different from your typical ChatGPT app or even legal tech giant Harvey.ai(29:07) The perks of building compliance AI from Southeast Asia and optimizing for cross-border functionality(33:52) Make or break moments in Bintang's and Timur's careers(38:23) Special offer for those who want to try Gani.aiFollow us on LinkedIn for more updatesCheck out Insignia Business Review for more insightsSubscribe to our monthly newsletter for all the news and resourcesDirected by Paulo JoquiñoProduced by Paulo JoquiñoThe content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.