Prior to founding ThoughtFull, Joan was a banker at J.P. Morgan, Hong Kong for 6 years, managing a portfolio of USD1.3 billion in assets. During this tenure, she played an instrumental role in building the Private Bank’s Hedge Fund and Private Equity offering in Asia. In her own capacity, Joan was active in the impact investment space; mission-driven endeavors have always been a part of her journey, having founded her first mission-driven initiative with Junior Achievement Canada in 2007.

A global citizen who has spent time working and living in Canada, USA, London, Paris, Beijing, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, Joan recognises the varying approaches to mental health across different cultures as well as the vast innovation gaps in the space. Proactive engagement with ones’ holistic health, physical and mental, is common in some countries, but preventive mental healthcare is not yet universal practice in Asia – ThoughtFull is on a mission to change this. Having been a mental health caregiver for over 20 years, Joan felt compelled to leave finance and dedicate her time to addressing the vast innovation gaps in the mental health space in Southeast Asia.

Today, Joan leads a fast-growing team across Singapore and Malaysia, advocating for mental health, technology for good, and women in technology.