James Yin
Co-founder & Director - V-Plus Agritech Pte Ltd
MAIN SKILLS
Entrepreneurship
Circular Agriculture
Sustainability Training
Singapore
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James's introduction

I am a seasoned leader and strategist with over 20 years of experience in the Singapore Army, where I tackled complex challenges, led high-performing teams, and delivered tangible outcomes in various crises, disasters, and conflicts.

I am also a certified sustainability professional with qualifications in integrating ESG, sustainable finance, and ESG reporting standards. I am a Futures Fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Executive Education, Affiliate Faculty of the Singapore Management University and an SID Accredited Director.

At V-Plus Agritech, a circular agriculture company that aims to reduce food waste, carbon emissions, and water consumption, I am on a mission to drive climate action and create environmental and social impact. I combine my deep expertise in strategy and communications with a passion for and knowledge in sustainability, to scale circular agriculture and educate executives on ESG. I am always on the lookout for new opportunities and partnerships to further my vision of a green economy.

Top 3 pieces of advice to The Matcha Initiative (TMI) users ?
  • Be hungry to learn. New policies, standards, and regulations are being rolled out regularly. It takes effort to understand new innovations and business concepts that can address climate change as well. You need to keep learning in order to be ready and competent to contribute to climate action.
  • Network extensively. Climate action is about transforming a broken global system. It's like a giant jigsaw puzzle that takes networking to understand how things work. Eventually, somebody out there will have the answer you are looking for.
  • Persistence and resilience matter. Climate action is not for the faint-hearted. It's a marathon, not a sprint with quick results.
How could you help TMI users ?

    I am happy to help TMI users through sharing on the following topics:

    1. My experiences as a sustainability startup founder.
    2. My expertise in sustainable agritech (urban farming, aquaponics, hydroponics etc.)
    3. My journey in making a career switch from the military into sustainability.
    4. My network to help point people in the right direction to get resources and collaborate, etc.
    Expertise in the following
    What brought you to sustainability?

    From soldier 🪖 to sustainability champion ☘️: 3 years ago, I made a bold career move. After serving my country in a career as a military officer, I traded my green uniform for a greener mission: building a more sustainable future. Farming or entrepreneurship were never my aspirations. However, inspired by Bob Buford's "Half-Time", I simply wanted the second half of my career to be impactful, just like the first. Re-visiting my Ikigai, I figured that my focus would be sustainability! This is because the biggest need for the next few decades is saving the 🌎 from ourselves.

    Which sustainable actions are you in charge of or have you implemented in your organisation?

    As a company on a sustainability mission, I personally take charge of all aspects of sustainability. This includes renewable energy & efficiency initiatives, like using agrovoltaics and DC (direct current) pumps in system design, to participating in the CDL Queen Bee Decarbonisation Programme, to making climate disclosure.

    Which challenges did you meet and how did you overcome them?

    I faced a lack of conviction from internal stakeholders that sustainability is not just a cost centre, but a competitive advantage. A lot of convincing was required. But in the end, I just put my money where my mouth is.

    What are you most proud of?

    Our company, V-Plus Agritech, is a trailblazer amongst SMEs by being the first cohort to graduate from the CDL Queen Bee Decarbonisation Programme. We're also probably the first agritech SME to make climate disclosure.

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