Alfie Othman   

Singapore 

Under Mr. Alife Othman’s leadership since being established in 2015, raiSE has led the development of the social enterprise sector in Singapore through a cross-sector collaboration between the Ministry of Social and Family Development, National Council of Social Service, Social Enterprise Association and Tote Board to develop the social enterprise sector in Singapore. Alfie shares the Sweef team’s vision of the role of entrepreneurs in driving sustainable development in Southeast Asia and beyond and integrating the needs of underserved communities in this process.

Alfie has had a successful banking career of over 12 years. Alongside his private sector work, he devoted significant time to the public sector and civil society. Alfie is a recognised leader in the Social Enterprise sector within Singapore and the wider region. In 2004, Alfie set up an industrial catering kitchen which provides jobs to workers from marginalised sectors, such as ex-offenders, single mothers, and persons with disabilities. In 2011, he initiated the formation and was the head of the first urban microcredit scheme in Singapore. In 2012, he joined Numoni as regional business development director. Numoni provides financial services to the underbanked in Southeast Asia.

Alfie is also a Fellow at the Singapore University of Social Science in the area of Financial Inclusion. He is an advisor to BMT Ventura, an investment venture company that manages a micro-finance co-operative with a membership base of 3.2 million household in Indonesia.