The GUI Family

Lai Hock gave up a well-paying job to fulfil his vision of a 21st Century Kampung Culture. He believed in practicing mindfulness and meditation, and you can read more about the founding story in the other parts of our website.

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” – Blaise Pascal

Mei is our Kampung Wonder Woman – from changkul-ing to washing to weeding, she does it all with amazing grace! She takes charge of caring for the space and does it with incredible efficiency. Mei and her selfless contribution over the last 10 years has been a crucial part of GUI. We are grateful to have her as the Executive Lead, helping GUI move into the next phase of growth

Starting off as a volunteer in 2011, Bingyu now takes charge of all things related to the built environment at GUI. Being an architect by training, he played a big part in building Kampung Kampus and the Heartquarters, an Award Winning net-zero energy building. He is also a highly driven and creative problem solver, who supports GUI in many other strategic planning and operational matters beyond estate management.

Khin Boon started as a volunteer in 2010. After quitting his job as a civil servant to work full time in GUI, the Kampung has become his second home. Aside from helping out with basic repair work and installation projects, Khin Boon supports GUI in securing additional funds and seeking out sponsored project ideas to better serve the community. He also oversees the internal sales processes.

Lynn has been a Human Resources professional for 20 years. She started volunteering with GUI in 2014, helping out with farming tasks, Balik Kampung as well as workshop facilitation. Realizing the need to take better care of our people and the organization, GUI has gotten Lynn onboard, on a part-time basis, to look after key Human Resources matters, including training and development needs for core team members. 

Janny is a freelance marketing consultant with over 8 years of marketing experience. She started as a volunteer with GUI in early 2019 helping out with Social Media and adhoc housekeeping tasks. Since joining GUI part-time, Janny has been working closely with our Digital & Web Volunteers to manage GUI’s social media, website, as well as helping to refine the branding and communication strategy moving forward.

Shawn is a Civil Engineer. He has been volunteering with GUI Craft arm (Touchwood) since 2015, helping with projects, workshop facilitation as well as proposing new woodworking initiatives. Driven by his passion for woodworking, upcycling and a strong belief in the need for a space like GUI Touchwood, Shawn has stepped up to represent Touchwood in the Management Team. 

Tommy was a division marketing director for the Asia Pacific region at an MNC. Now a retiree, he enjoys learning new things and giving back to the community through volunteering and teaching. Leveraging his corporate experience managing people and growing businesses, Tommy hopes to share his knowledge and advice to help GUI come up with new ideas and approach towards financial sustainability.

Pat first knew about GUI through a friend. She started volunteering with GUI's Craft arm (Touchwood), helping with odd jobs and facilitating craft activities. As GUI is looking to adopt more structure and increase efficiency in the way we do things, Pat has volunteered to support GUI as a Management Processes Consultant. A trained social worker and counsellor, Pat brings with her rich and diverse experiences in private, public and not-for-profit sectors.