Founders
Melina Chan
Melina Chan is a global citizen, social entrepreneur and community organiser with a passion for facilitating groups and individuals to do great things.
Returning from Cambodia to Melbourne, Australia in 2013, Melina has served as the General Manager of coworking space Inspire9, home to some of Australia’s best and brightest tech startups and is currently transitioning to the role of Community Liaison for the next phase of its growth and development.
Over the past 15 years her work in Melbourne has included cross sector collaboration addressing housing affordability, co-founding an ideas sharing unconference Trampoline Day, co-founding the Social Entrepreneurship Unit of World Vision Australia and the growth of Melbourne’s original coworking community Inspire9.
Across a 5 year period based in Battambang, Cambodia, Melina co-founded the social enterprise Kinyei Organisation to generate and support innovative social projects including a vocational training espresso cafe (Kinyei Cafe) and cultural heritage bicycle tour, Soksabike. Kinyei Cafe and Soksabike continue to grow and recently have been recognised by the WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council) and WildAsia for their excellence in sustainable tourism and people development.
Katie Hallaran
Katie Hallaran is solutions-based entrepreneur with extensive experience in economic development, education and civil society initiatives in Southeast Asia. She brings over seven years of experience in business development, fundraising, marketing and strategy.
Katie received a Masters of Law + Diplomacy from the Fletcher School where she focused on international business and human security. At Tufts, Katie served as a co-chair for the Tufts Innovation Symposium, and researched international policy standards on the implementation and best practices in Corporate Social Responsibility.
As co-founder of Kinyei International, and sibling social enterprises Soskabike Tours and Kinyei Cafe, Katie is passionate about promoting responsible tourism practices and community stewardship as well as youth workplace readiness. Katie spent over four years in Cambodia facilitating the growth of these social enterprises as well as consulting with a variety of non-profit organizations on climate change mitigation and disaster risk reduction, and civic engagement.
Katie has consulted for Development Innovations on the sustainability of a USAID technology and innovation hub in Phnom Penh and has worked along Nike Foundation, and other private sector partners and foundations on the incorporation of information communication technologies (ICTs) for several international development and civil society projects. Katie is interested in using technology enabled tools to expand access, promote inclusive economies, and overcome development challenges. Katie has demonstrated experience building relationships and collaborating on cross sector initiatives to achieve widespread impact and is a strong believer in co-designing services with end users.
Justin Lorenzon
Justin Lorenzon is a co-founder of Kinyei International, and its sibling social enterprises Soskabike Tours and Kinyei Cafe.
Cameron Neil
Cameron has spent two decades working for a more equitable and sustainable world. His career includes paid and volunteer roles across government, community and business sectors, specialising in building and leading teams, networks and businesses that deliver social, environmental and economic value.
Cameron has been working with Kinyei for 6 years as a business and strategy advisor, working closely with the founders. He supported Kinyei’s founders to prepare a pitch and negotiate sale of an equity stake in their social enterprise cafe, Kinyei Cafe, in Battambang, Cambodia. This deal has injected capital and cafe operations expertise in to a successful social enterprise.
Cameron is now working with the founders on strategy for scaling up Soksabike and the long-term objectives of Kinyei International.