Architecture-trained Justin Chen is fascinated with how design and business come together to create unique experiences and concepts for the way we live today. With his human-centric approach to design, the deputy CEO of Arcc Holdings has transformed his family’s traditional real-estate business into a fast-growing, hospitality-oriented company focusing on creative spaces and neighborhoods.

Having spent over a decade in real estate development and hospitality, he currently also leads Arcc Spaces – a collection of shared workspace brands that work with corporates to transform the way they work and drive innovation across a network of over 20 locations across Asia, including Kuala Lumpur.

For Chen, businesses have an equal responsibility to their employees and the communities they serve. This lesson was impressed upon him when he saw his father in action. Chen spent six years of his childhood in Mali, Africa, where his family has continued to operate a factory inherited from his grandfather.

Embodying a mantra of ‘Globally Connected, Locally Rooted’, his passion is in helping to showcase and invigorate local communities across the region. “There is so much opportunity to do something that is meaningful and that gives back to the local community.”

Every creative has a medium, for Javier, it’s creating enduring experiences.

This fixation started from a young age when he witnessed friends run a well-loved neighbourhood restaurant. He realised how intention and recognition could elevate a meal in ways that transcended just food and drink. He dreamt of one day being able to host, entertain and bring joy to large groups of people. This ambition took a young man, born and raised in Puerto Rico, through multiple stints in the service industry which culminated in the pursuit of a hospitality degree in Switzerland.

With his dream in tow, he set off into the unknown and spent the last decade in South East Asia nurturing a growing following for original concepts – Kilo, Raw Kitchen and Grain Traders. These brands have been a cornerstone for culture and community in the markets they reside in, delivering purposeful experiences that challenge the status quo.

Else, his latest undertaking is one rooted in wellness and exploration, with a strong sense of purpose, authenticity, intention and enhancement.

After completing her Bachelor degree in Hospitality Management, Jun ventured into the kitchens of haute cuisine as an experiment to find her passion. Pitched against other driven cooks who began their careers at a very young age ignited Jun’s eagerness to push herself to be on par with all her other more experienced peers. This drive to learn, improve and gain new experiences also led to her landing a job in the 3 Michelin starred Robuchon au Dôme in Macau. Since then, she has worked and staged in some of the best restaurants around the world, including Narisawa in Tokyo and Sixpenny in Sydney.

Constantly seeking to challenge herself, Jun took another pivotal step forward in 2015 and accepted her first lead role in the kitchen as an executive chef, in the opening team of The Tank Stream Hotel in the heart of Sydney. With the return to her homeland in fall, 2017, Jun helmed the team in progressive Japanese restaurant, Kikubari, and for 4 years there, worked on instilling her philosophy of “respect, restraint, and understanding” towards food and it’s related disciplines towards her team and diners alike.

After weathering the tough challenge that has turned the entire food service and hospitality industry upside-down for the past few years, Jun is hoping (and hopeful) to contribute more to the F&B community, highlight social responsibility and to instil sustainable practices in her kitchen together with the future generation of chef.

Studio Bikin creates aesthetically pleasing spaces by taking a holistic approach. The duo behind the firm, Farah Azizan and Adela Askandar, combine the different elements of architecture, interior design, art, furniture and landscaping, working closely with local craftsmen to achieve visual harmony and balance.

Omar’s expertise is in creating exquisite woven material. He is inspired by his multi-cultural heritage – a blend of Dutch, Chinese, Egyptian, Pakistani, and German.

With honed skills in furniture design, interior design, and illustration, and heightened attention to composition and craftsmanship, he creates a rich visual tapestry for Else.