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team

Yvonne Li
CEO and Co-founder

Yvonne Li is the founder and CEO of Avantage Ventures. She founded Avantage Ventures to bridge the information and funding gaps between social entrepreneurs and investors in Asia. 

She is a former Hong Kong finance executive who has worked in investment banking, hedge funds, and commercial banking. Her experience includes working at Lehman Brothers’ capital markets division in equity structured derivatives and Hong Kong Shanghai Bank Corporation in commercial banking. She began her career as a macro-economic analyst and options trader at Asia Financial Asset Management. 

Yvonne was a leading member of Lehman Brothers’ philanthropy committee, where she successfully engineered the re-development of a rural primary school in China. She has also managed and provided strategic consulting to a number of fundraising projects for China Literacy Foundation and Aids Concern. Yvonne holds a Masters in Finance from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Bachelors in Business & Marketing from Monash University, Melbourne. She has also studied China Business Law, Real Estate Development & Finance and Renewable Energy Finance. Yvonne's interests include travelling, contemporary art, hiking and golf. 

She believes that "there are many models of social finance in the developed world that are relevant and can make a big impact in Asia".

Steve Koon
Strategic Consultant

Steve Koon is the Social Enterprise China Strategist at Avantage Ventures. Steve’s main responsibility is to source social enterprises across Asia in order to identify high-potential investment opportunities. He will work also closely with portfolio enterprises on their business and impact strategy.

In addition to being a social entrepreneurship strategist, Steve also serves as the lead trainer for British Council's Social Innovation program in China. Since 2009, he has trained hundreds of social entrepreneurs and NGO executives across China.

In business, Steve specialises in executive development for multinationals. He has taught over 10,000 managers in business strategy and global management in China. Before coming to China, Steve has spent over a decade working with executives across a number of multinationals including BEA Systems (now owned by Oracle), PA Consulting Group, Honeywell and Merck.

Steve studied social entrepreneurship at the Harvard Kennedy School and is a Mason Fellow. He holds Masters degrees from both Harvard and Columbia University.

Steve says the following: “Traditional philanthropists pride themselves on how many people they have helped. Social entrepreneurs hold themselves accountable for how many people in need they have not helped. The worlds needs more social entrepreneurs.”

Cynthia Chua
Marketing Director

Cynthia Chua is Avantage Ventures' Marketing Director. Cynthia’s main responsibility is to identify, market and promote high-potential social enterprises in Asia to key investors and stakeholders. As such, she also oversees investor relations and covers engagements and partnerships with corporations, foundations and multilateral organisations.

Cynthia is a qualified lawyer who trained with Allen & Gledhill in Singapore.  She has a broad range of international business experience working in project management and advisory roles with HSBC in Hong Kong and London and has also lived and worked in Manila and Paris. 

She holds a Master degree in Public Affairs from Sciences Po in Paris and a Master degree in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. 

Cynthia believes that "impact investing brings the best of entrepreneurial innovation and values-driven investing together to solve critical social and environmental challenges in a region replete with opportunities."

James Li
Social Enterprise Consultant

James Li is the Social Enterprise Consultant at Avantage Ventures. James’ main objective is to provide consulting and incubation services to social enterprises across the Asia-Pacific region and to conduct research and analysis into their operations, markets, products, services, logistics, financials and governance. James assists social enterprises with the crafting of their business plans and their strategy.

James previously worked in the commercial department of Tricorona, a leading carbon trading company in Beijing. James was a project manager for CDM and voluntary carbon credits projects, he also oversaw deal origination and execution of the carbon credit projects throughout China.

James holds a Bachelors degree in environmental science and a Masters degree in environmental science and ecology from Hunan Agriculture University.

James believes that “social enterprise isn’t only good for companies themselves, it also contributes positively to a more harmonious society.”

Thomas Lim
Investment Associate

Thomas Lim is an Investment Associate at Avantage Ventures. Thomas' main responsibility is to source and invest in social and green enterprises. He will also provide consultation and incubation services to these enterprises.

Thomas has experience in private equity investing at Primus Financial and investment banking at Morgan Stanley. He grew up in Singapore and has served in the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

Thomas studied finance and economics at New York University. He enjoys running, motorbiking, scuba diving and loves the outdoors.

Thomas believes that "financial success empowers social enterprises because they can then be independent, sustainable and scalable".

Lin Zhu
Investment Consultant

Lin Zhu is the Investment Consultant at Avantage Ventures. Lin’s main responsibilities are to provide consultation and incubation services to social and green enterprises in Asia; to conduct research and analysis into the enterprise’s operations, markets, products and services, logistics, finance and governance upon which a formal business plan will be produced.

Lin has extensive experience in finance, environmental sciences, and sustainable development. She played a crucial role in designing and implementing a loss-sharing mechanism with IFC, which enabled China’s local commercial banks to provide funds to support SME's energy-efficient emission reduction projects. She also advised and facilitated fund-raising for several renewable energy companies in China.

Lin holds a Master degree in Statistics from Columbia University and a Master degree in Environmental Sciences from Michigan Tech University in the US.

Lin believes that “Social enterprises make 'sustainability' more SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time bound."

Vivian Hsu
Social Enterprise Consultant

Vivian Hsu is a Social Enterprise Consultant at Avantage Ventures.  Her main objective is to identify and provide consulting and incubation services to social enterprises in the health care industry across the Asia-Pacific region.

Prior to Advantage Ventures, Vivian was a member of McKinsey and Company’s Hong Kong Office where she was an Associate in their Pharmaceutical and Medical Products practice. Her work focused on developing China and Asia Pacific growth strategies for clients ranging from hospitals to multinational pharmaceuticals and medical device companies. Previous to McKinsey and Company, Vivian’s experience includes managing business development at an education technology firm and healthcare consulting in the United States.

Vivian holds a Bachelors of Arts from Yale University and is pursuing her MBA in Healthcare Management from the Wharton School. Her interests include writing, dance and travel.

Vivian believes that “impact investments allow for creative business models to flourish, providing solutions to the critical challenges we face in sustainably providing basic goods and services to the vast population at the bottom of the pyramid in the region today"