Learning with Asia’s Young Impact Leaders: Navigating Health and Wellbeing

Brain Juice Collective x Singapore International Foundation

In January 2026, my team at Brain Juice Collective co-designed and facilitated the Asia’s Rising Circle (ARC) programme by the Singapore International Foundation.

This year’s programme centred on health and wellbeing: exploring how young leaders across Asia can navigate disruption while supporting more resilient, human-centred systems.

The journey began with three online workshops, followed by a six-day in-person programme in Singapore.

Why This Programme Matters

Young people today are navigating overlapping challenges, from technological disruption to climate pressures and rising mental health concerns.

Rather than approaching these as isolated issues, ARC invited participants to explore how systems: education, employment, and healthcare shape wellbeing outcomes across the region.

Approach

The programme combined:

• Online learning to introduce key frameworks

• In-person experiences to ground ideas in real-world contexts

Across both phases, we focused on:

• Systems thinking

• Adaptive leadership

• Resilience as a practice tied to wellbeing

The intention was not just to build knowledge, but to create space for reflection, dialogue, and shared learning.

Onlione Learning Snapshots

In-Person Highlights

Each day explored a different dimension of health and wellbeing:

• Day 1: Rethinking success and how cultural expectations shape wellbeing

• Day 2: Understanding disruption and its human impact

• Day 3: Learning journeys with organisations working in mental health and community development

• Day 4: Applying resilience and systems frameworks

• Day 5: Developing collaborative action plans for youth wellbeing

• Day 6: Closing with reflection and intention-setting
  Participants revisited their learning journeys and what they would carry forward.
  
  As part of this, an illustrated postcard by Brain Juice Collective’s creative Patchi, with handwritten messages by our Marketing Manager, Syerifah were shared, serving as both keepsakes and reflective tools. 

What Stood Out

Three things became clear:

• Learning is relational
  Participants learned as much from each other as from the programme itself

• Reflection deepens impact
  Moments of pause created space for more meaningful insight

• Wellbeing must be designed into systems
  Not treated as an afterthought, but as a core driver and outcome of leadership and decision-making

Outcome

ARC reaffirmed that leadership development is most powerful when it integrates reflection, collaboration, and wellbeing.

What emerged was not just a set of ideas, but a network of young leaders committed to shaping healthier, more resilient communities across Asia.

We are already seeing this continue through ongoing conversations, mentorship requests, and collaborations sparked during the programme.