Ed Sylvanus Iskandar is a globally renowned community designer, acclaimed for designing experiential transformations through best-in-class immersive storytelling. In over 25 years directing 200+ productions across four continents, he has impacted 100,000+ lives, turning passive audiences into active change agents.
A proud alumnus of Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, and Singapore Management University, Ed developed the groundbreaking Community Intelligence framework—a methodology empowering individuals and organizations to amplify collective value through building a collaborative culture of proactive reciprocity.
As the former Artistic Director of Thought Leadership at the Lincoln Center Global Exchange, Ed collaborated with global leaders like Michael Bloomberg and artists such as Andrea Bocelli and Gustavo Dudamel to address complex societal challenges through interdisciplinary thinking. Recent work with top-tier collaborators like Nir Eyal (author of "Hooked"), Atlas Bar (World's 50 Best Bar) and Restaurant Nouri (Michelin star) showcases his expertise in experiential transformations design that enhances engagement and drives growth.
Ed is most excited about his work as Strategic Innovations Director for the Stanford Club of Singapore (an official partner of the Singapore FinTech Festival), where he fosters communities to adopt collaborative value creation as a mindset as well as a strategy.
As the emcee of this event, Ed looks forward to deploying a unique blend of creative vision and strategic insight to facilitate consequential dialogues and inspire non-traditional thinking. He hopes to help elevate the community building impact of the forum.
“If Ed Sylvanus Iskandar had found himself in the Garden of Eden, he would surely have eaten the forbidden fruit—then made pies from the rest of the apples and served them to all comers.” — The New York Times
