20 Years, Many Worlds: Crafting for Impact by Leanne Poon
About the Session:
Join Leanne as she charts her journey across domains and geographies and revels in being a generalist.
In a world that often demands specialisation, Leanne champions the power of the generalist. She will share her journey of navigating ambiguity, bridging the gap between strategy and compassion, and consciously choosing impact over comfort. Join us to discover how you can redirect your existing skills to serve differently and build a meaningful, multi-dimensional career.
Key Takeaway:
Understand the concept of embracing options and wearing multiple hats in your quest for meaningful work opportunities that keep you engaged and relevant.
🟡 Discover the power of being a generalist in a world obsessed with specialization.
🟡 Learn how to embrace optionality to construct a diverse and engaging career.
🟡 Insights on transitioning from corporate leadership to purpose-led impact.
🟡 Strategies to connect disparate ideas and people to amplify your personal impact.
About the Speaker:
Leanne is a Chief of Staff and global Program Manager with 20 years of experience in Japan, Singapore, and Canada covering strategy, operations, communications, resourcing, data analysis, and regional/global cross-functional special projects. But her story goes beyond corporate titles. She is a generalist who loves connecting people and ideas in order to amplify impact while structuring ambiguity into measurable actions and bringing people along on the journey.
Leanne is curious about the intersection between technology and compassion and am especially interested in the effective altruism framework.
She has been actively involved with an NGO school in Cambodia called Green Umbrella since 2016, and also frequently mentors students to help them with skills and career development. She resigned from Google in 2025 after almost a decade to dedicate her time to social impact work. Besides a love for cooking and hiking, she's also a crafter and owner of a crafts & design shop as well as an investor in 2 craft beer breweries and a whisky cask.