From 20 to 24 April 2026, Li Foundation was honoured to host the second cohort of Ginkgo Fellows for a five-day immersive learning journey in Singapore. Twelve social entrepreneurs and changemakers from various parts of China — working across disability inclusion, environmental conservation, mental health, innovative education, and more — gathered in the Lion City for site visits, dialogue, and shared reflection focused on Singapore’s philanthropy landscape and models of social innovation.
The journey opened with a welcome dinner followed by a keynote address by Prof. Xiao, Dean and Professor at Nanyang Institute of Management, and a Visiting Fellow at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Prof. Xiao gave a panoramic overview of Singapore’s governance philosophy, social policies, and philanthropy ecosystem, providing the Ginkgo Fellows with a deeper understanding of the country and laying an intellectual foundation for the days ahead.
The first day of visits brought the group to the Li Foundation office for a deep dive into key conceptual frameworks and thinking tools, culminating in a case study of Inspiring Asia Micro Film Festival, a compelling model for impact storytelling and collaborative philanthropy. Lunch at Dignity Kitchen, a hawker centre run by persons with disabilities, offered a vivid lesson on entrepreneurial thinking conducted by the founder, Mr Koh. The afternoon was spent at Temasek Shophouse, featuring presentations from Temasek Foundation and Temasek Trust, illuminating how catalytic philanthropy and impact investing are being deployed to address the region’s key challenges.
Day two of the learning journey centred on inclusion, with a visit to Enabling Village — a community space integrating retail, lifestyle, and disability-inclusive training under one roof. A sharing session with Ludus Lab sparked rich discussion on accessible design and tourism, while Fellows learnt about Singapore’s disability landscape through a presentation. Afternoon visits to raiSE, Singapore’s national social enterprise development centre, and SHINE Children and Youth Services rounded out a full day of learning about Singapore’s models of social innovation across the non-profit and for-profit spectrum.
The final day of learning was anchored at The Foundry, The Majurity Trust’s one-year-old social impact hub housing over 30 organisations known as Residents. Resident organisations SOAR and Kita shared their work, followed by presentations from The Majurity Trust and Asia Philanthropy Circle. The day culminated with a presentation segment in which 4 Ginkgo Fellows themselves took the stage — offering lessons on their work in China and calling for collaboration with local organisations — before certificates and gifts were presented to all Fellows during the closing ceremony. A lively reflection session at night brought the programme to a warm and memorable close.
Li Foundation is grateful to every institution that opened its doors and to the twelve Ginkgo Fellows who brought their energy, enthusiasm, and curiosity to this learning journey. Across five days, what emerged was not only deeper knowledge of Singapore’s philanthropic landscape, but a genuine sense of shared purpose — and the beginning of friendships and collaborations that we trust will endure long after the journey home.
The book showcases how the participants challenged their limits and conquered the World Marathon Challenge and North Pole Marathon to inspire people to challenge their own limits and pursue their dreams boldly.
The book tells the stories behind the event which saw the largest number of people in history running 1045km round Taiwan in 19 days.