Elevate Edge: Mastermind Circles (A fireside Chat on Diplomacy)
🌏 Elevate Edge: Mastermind Circles — Diplomacy, Leadership & ASEAN
What does it really take to navigate across cultures, countries, institutions and competing interests?
Diplomacy isn’t only about embassies, foreign policy or formal negotiations. It shows up in how we build relationships across differences, navigate complexity, represent communities, and create opportunities across borders.
At this edition of Elevate Edge: Mastermind Circles, we’re getting behind the scenes of diplomacy and international affairs, exploring the people, skills and experiences that shape how we engage with the world.
Join us for an intimate and interactive evening featuring a fireside chat with Jessica P. Ngo, a foreign policy and international affairs professional whose career has spanned diplomacy, government, trade and international engagement across the U.S. and Asia.
From serving as Chief of Protocol for the City of Houston and a Foreign Policy Congressional Fellow at The Wilson Center, to working across global affairs, Jessica brings a unique perspective on what it means to navigate the intersection of policy, people and possibility.
She also recently completed her Master’s in International/Global Studies at Rice University and is a Fellow with the Temasek Foundation–LKYSPP Southeast Asia Next-Gen Leaders Programme at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
💬 What We’ll Explore
Come curious and bring your questions. We’ll explore:
🌏 Diplomacy beyond the textbook:What does diplomacy actually look like behind the scenes?
🤝 Intercultural competence: How do we build trust and communicate effectively across cultures, identities and institutions?
🧭 Leadership in complexity: How do you navigate competing interests, ambiguity and different perspectives?
🇸🇬 ASEAN & regional relations: What can young people understand about Southeast Asia’s evolving role in the world?
🎓 Navigating further studies: What does it take to pursue opportunities in international affairs, policy and global studies?
🚪 Building a global career: How do you move across sectors, countries and opportunities while staying intentional about your path?
And most importantly: What can diplomacy teach us about being better leaders, collaborators and changemakers?
👀 Who Is This For?
This evening is for you if you are:
🌏 Curious about diplomacy, international affairs and ASEAN
🤝 Interested in intercultural communication and global leadership
🎓 Exploring further studies in public policy, international relations, global studies or related fields
🚀 A student, young professional, founder, community builder or emerging leader navigating your next chapter
🧠 Curious about how people build careers across government, academia, international organisations and other sectors
🇸🇬 Interested in Singapore’s place in Southeast Asia and the wider world
💡 Looking to meet people who are curious about the region and the possibilities beyond borders
You don't need to be studying international relations or working in diplomacy. If you're curious about the world and how we navigate it together, there's a place for you at the table.
🫱🏽🫲🏾 Mastermind Circles
We'll create space to meet, reflect, ask questions and exchange perspectives because some of the most valuable insights come not just from the speaker, but from the people sitting around you.
Expect an evening that is conversational, curious and practical, with opportunities to connect with others who are thinking about leadership, ASEAN, and their own global journeys.
🗓️ Programme Flow
6:00–6:30 PM: Registration & Dinner
BYOD — Bring Your Own Dinner
6:30–6:45 PM: Icebreaker
6:45–7:45 PM: Fireside Chat & Q&A
7:45–7:55 PM: Shoutouts & Reflections
7:55–8:00 PM: Closing
📍 Venue Partner: River Valley Irregulars
River Valley Irregulars is an experiential learning and talent discovery platform that empowers youth by connecting them with institutions and organisations.
Their approach equips young people with practical and adaptable skills for an ever-changing world, fostering critical thinking, creativity and collaboration through hands-on experiences, mentorship and tailored programmes.
We're excited to gather at a space that shares our belief in helping young people navigate challenges, discover opportunities and make meaningful impact.
✨ About Elevate Edge by Togather for Good
Elevate Edge is a community-led platform creating spaces for young people in Singapore and across Southeast Asia to exchange ideas, build relationships and learn from one another.
Through Mastermind Circles, fireside chats, mentorship and shared experiences, we bring together curious people who are building, learning and figuring things out — together.
Togather for Good is a Singapore-based social venture building a more conscious, capable, connected and compassionate society.
Come curious. Leave with new perspectives, new connections, and perhaps a new way of seeing your own path 🌏
📩 For enquiries: togatherforgood@gmail.com