A SYSTEM OF THE FUTURE,
BUILT ON GENERATIONAL WISDOM.
NO.17 Foundation is the systems and capital stewardship platform of TPC — the nexus where capital, collaboration, and consciousness converge into structural change.
OUR ROOTS
NO.17 Foundation draws on more than a century of Tsao family stewardship through TPC — four generations of building enterprises that take seriously the question of what business is for.
That 120-year lineage belongs to TPC; from it NO.17 draws deep experience across the full capital continuum, from grants and venture philanthropy to catalytic tools, commercial execution, and institutional and sovereign capital.
We take our name from SDG 17, the UN’s meta-goal on global partnership — the one that holds all the others together. SDG 17 names something real: that the crises of this era cannot be addressed by any single actor, sector, or nation. They require a quality of coming together the world has not yet systematised. NO.17 was established to build that system.
OUR VISION
A world where systems serve life — where capital, institutions, and collaboration regenerate people, communities, and nature, and where prosperity is measured by long-term well-being and the flourishing of all life.
OUR MISSION
To build living ecosystems that serve life — the cultural operating system and capital architectures the Well-being Era requires.
OUR PURPOSE
To steward the partnerships SDG 17 calls for — turning shared intent into systems that flourish, so that impact becomes an architecture, not an activity.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
THESE ARE NOT ASPIRATIONAL STATEMENTS.
THEY ARE WORKING PRINCIPLES BEHIND EVERY
DECISION WE MAKE.
HOW WE SHOW UP
COHERENCE
We align what we say with what we do — in governance, in partnerships, in systems design. What we ask of partners, we ask of ourselves first.
STEWARDSHIP
We hold responsibility for what we influence, not only what we own. We bring skin in the game and build with those who do too.
MUTUALITY
We work with difference rather than around it. We bring the best of each field into one system, ours integrated like any other.
TRUTHFULNESS
We are truthful to the matter and generous with the person.We challenge the issue, never the individual — that is how partnerships survive disagreement.
CLARITY
We come with humility, not conclusions. We hold the stillness to see things as they are, because we cannot change what we cannot see.
OUR FOUNDER
CHAVALIT FREDERICK TSAO
Chavalit Frederick Tsao is the fourth-generation steward of TPC (Tsao Pao Chee), a 120-year-old family enterprise founded in the late Qing Dynasty. Under his leadership, TPC has evolved from a traditional maritime and logistics business into a purpose-led, multinational ecosystem committed to serving the well-being of life and creating wealth at the same time.
Grounded in the AT ONE philosophy — which recognises the interconnectedness of all life — he has advanced a vision of business as stewardship, and capital as a force for regeneration. NO.17 Foundation institutionalises this vision, translating philosophy into capital design, coalition architecture, and systemic execution.
“Consciousness is the mother of capital.”
OUR ARCHITECTS
THE TEAM BEHIND NO.17
Prior to TPC, Luis was the Global Head of Strategic Public-Private-Philanthropic Partnerships at the World Economic Forum, where he co-founded the GAEA (Giving to Amplify Earth Action) initiative, a global network of leading catalytic capital allocators that has aggregated $200B of impact capital across public, private and philanthropic partnerships (4Ps). GAEA is co-chaired by Klaus Schwab, Ray Dalio, HM Queen Rania of Jordan, HRH Princess Beatrice of York, Mark Carney and Michelle Yeoh. He was part of setting up the Mission Possible Partnership, catalysing global movements of corporates to accelerate decarbonisation across hard-to-abate sectors. Luis is a Millennium Leadership Fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC, and his work has been recognised by the Obama Foundation, the European Parliament and the Schwarzkopf Foundation in Berlin, among others. He is a Trustee of the National Park City Foundation. He has previously held roles in the UK Government, the Spanish Parliament and the Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities initiative, and has held several elected roles in Brussels in the context of the EU and Council of Europe frameworks. He is a Master's graduate in Sustainability Leadership from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (University of Cambridge) and a postgraduate in EU Political & Public Administration from the College of Europe in Bruges. He is originally from the Canary Islands and has spent his life building bridges. He is the proud papa of Hansi.
Sook Yee has more than 35 years of experience in corporate and business leadership, including serving as director on Australian-listed entities. Prior to TPC, Sook Yee held various senior management positions in the heavy building materials industry. She is also well-versed in the areas of governance and investments. Currently, she serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director on listed entities.
Saurabh has an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) and Master of Arts from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Executive Education in Public Policy and Sustainable Finance from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the University of Cambridge respectively.
Prior to joining TPC (Tsao Pao Chee), Saurabh was Regional Head at Resilient Cities Network and Associate Director at Rockefeller Foundation, leading the organization's strategic engagement, programs, and partnerships in the Asia Pacific region.
As its Deputy Executive Director, Saurabh will lead No. 17 Foundation’s partnership and collaboration initiatives.
Prior to joining NO.17 Foundation, Emma served as APAC Issuer Relations Lead for Sustainability Research at MSCI, where she headed Greater China Issuer Relations, cultivated relationships with issuers across the Asia-Pacific region, and authored ESG, climate, and regulatory reports for institutional investors. She engaged extensively with a broad ecosystem of regional stakeholders — including stock exchanges, regulators, industry networks, and C-suite executives — to shape sustainability dialogue and drive practice forward.
Earlier in her career, Emma served on FTSE Russell's ESG Ratings team, conducting issuer assessments across Japan and Greater China and contributing to ESG methodology development across APAC.
Emma holds a Master's degree in Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management, awarded jointly by the University of Manchester and Lund University.
He is Program Manager at the NO.17 Foundation, part of TPC (Tsao Pao Chee), a fourth-generation family business that evolved from a traditional global trading company to a purpose-led business committed to empowering the well-being and happiness economy. The NO.17 Foundation, philanthropic heart of TPC, works at the nexus of capital, consciousness and collaboration, activating new forms of capital - financial, social, cultural, spiritual, institutional, ecological and human - as the force for collective flourishing. As part of his role, Filippo is seconded to Family Business Network International where he leads impact programs that foster cross-family collaboration and support the transition of family businesses toward a well-being economy.
Prior to this, Filippo contributed to the development of several global initiatives, including GAEA (Giving to Amplify Earth Action) at the World Economic Forum. In this role, he mobilized catalytic actors—such as philanthropy and family offices—alongside corporate and government partners to unlock capital and accelerate blended projects in climate, nature, and energy.
Originally from Italy, Filippo has spent much of his life in China, developing a strong understanding of Asian values, culture, and socio-economic systems, making him a living bridge between East and West.
IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH TPC
A content expert, branding specialist, and creative director, Cathie has worked across Greater China, Singapore, Australia, and Europe. She graduated from Hong Kong Baptist University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong in International Journalism and Visual Culture Studies, and brings over 13 years of experience in project management, brand operations, and digital marketing across hospitality, financial services, automotive, beauty, and food & beverage. Her focus is lifestyle, healing, and wellness, and she integrates Chinese culture and wisdom into her work — giving her a rare read on how meaning travels across diverse audiences in Greater China.
Cathie approaches branding as a form of cultivation rather than persuasion. She believes a brand earns trust the way a person does — through coherence between what is said, what is made, and how it is lived — and she brings that same discipline to every campaign, space, and story she shapes.
Actively involved in charity for over a decade, Cathie has led youth art, sports, and medical projects. She is an internationally certified Yoga and Meditation instructor, and finds joy in practice, teaching, and the quiet work of helping others live well.
In her role, Alice works across business, philanthropy, investment, education and convening platforms to build meaningful collaborations with governments, international organisations, family businesses, philanthropies, investors, corporates, academic institutions and ecosystem partners. Her work focuses on translating TPC’s purpose into partnerships that advance advocacy, philanthropy, investing and business as integrated pathways for systems transformation. Alice plays a key role in stewarding relationships and partnership platforms across TPC group.
Before joining TPC, Alice held senior communications and engagement roles across the private, public and social sectors. She was Global Branding and Communications Manager at Vantage Markets, where she led communication strategies, media relations, sponsorships and ESG-related initiatives. Prior to that, she served as Associate Senior Manager of Public Relations at ICBC in Dubai, overseeing MENA communications and supporting ESG development. She also worked as Manager of Relations and Engagement at the National Council of Social Service, where she led charity initiatives and stakeholder engagement.
Alice has volunteered with the elderly for over 20 years and served as a grassroots leader for more than five years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences in Economics and Chinese Studies from the National University of Singapore.
Previously, Gavin built brands from both sides of the table. Agency-side, he worked at Wieden+Kennedy — the award-winning creative agency and storytelling powerhouse — where he learned that the strongest brand work comes from craft, courage, and cultural instinct. Client-side, he held senior leadership roles at global and regional brands including adidas, lululemon, and ANTA across China and Southeast Asia, working at the intersection of culture, commerce, and purpose. He also served as a lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic, where he guided the next generation of marketers and trailblazers. Gavin's philosophy blends strategic brand building with spiritual stewardship.
He believes branding is not just about visibility but resonance — creating inner and outer coherence through story, design, and presence. He is the creator of the GAVO framework (Gratitude, Amor Fati, Voice, One Step at a Time) and often applies this lens to both leadership and life.
He lives in Singapore and finds joy in running, teaching, writing, and helping others live and lead with meaning.
OUR VALUES & PRINCIPLES
NO.17 is not designed as a funder, programme provider, or platform seeking scale for its own sake. We are an integrator, designer, and co-creator of a new well-being living system.
The following principles act as operating constraints — they guide how we build, how we partner, and how we evolve.
INTEGRATION OVER
REINVENTION
We do not recreate what already exists. We scan across disciplines, geographies, and traditions to identify what works, and integrate the strongest elements into coherent systems.
UNAWARENESS
AND HUMILITY
We cultivate mindfulness, presence, and humility in assessing ideas, partners, and opportunities. Inner posture is a prerequisite for sound judgement.
PARTNERSHIP
FOR CO-CREATION
We partner with those willing to evolve. True collaboration means adapting habits and assumptions in service of a larger system. We choose depth over convenience.
SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH
SHARED COMMITMENT
We work with partners who put skin in the game. Partnership implies shared risk, effort, and accountability.
OUR VALUES & PRINCIPLES
NO.17 is not designed as a funder, programme provider, or platform seeking scale for its own sake. We are an integrator, designer, and co-creator of a new well-being living system.
The following principles act as operating constraints — they guide how we build, how we partner, and how we evolve.
INTEGRATION OVER
REINVENTION
We do not recreate what already exists. We scan across disciplines, geographies, and traditions to identify what works, and integrate the strongest elements into coherent systems.
UNAWARENESS
AND HUMILITY
We cultivate mindfulness, presence, and humility in assessing ideas, partners, and opportunities. Inner posture is a prerequisite for sound judgement.
PARTNERSHIP
FOR CO-CREATION
We partner only with those willing to evolve. True collaboration means adapting habits and assumptions in service of a larger system. We choose depth over convenience.
SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH
SHARED COMMITMENT
We work with partners who put skin in the game. Partnership implies shared risk, effort, and accountability.
OUR VALUES & PRINCIPLES
NO.17 is not designed as a funder, programme provider, or platform seeking scale for its own sake. We are an integrator, designer, and co-creator of a new well-being living system.
The following principles act as operating constraints — they guide how we build, how we partner, and how we evolve.
INTEGRATION OVER
REINVENTION
We do not recreate what already exists. We scan across disciplines, geographies, and traditions to identify what works, and integrate the strongest elements into coherent systems.
UNAWARENESS
AND HUMILITY
We cultivate mindfulness, presence, and humility in assessing ideas, partners, and opportunities. Inner posture is a prerequisite for sound judgement.
PARTNERSHIP
FOR CO-CREATION
We partner with those willing to evolve. True collaboration means adapting habits and assumptions in service of a larger system. We choose depth over convenience.
SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH
SHARED COMMITMENT
We work with partners who put skin in the game. Partnership implies shared risk, effort, and accountability.
OUR VALUE PROPOSITION
We provide a coherent pathway from intention to systemic execution across all four spirals: learning and consciousness formation; systems design and advisory; multi-capital architecture (grant, catalytic, commercial, systemic); and the coalition platform that holds it together— with the governance, trust infrastructure, and cultural operating systems the Well-being Era requires.
We move from impact to coherence, from pilots to portfolios, from inspiration to infrastructure, from partnership to stewardship.
