Our Experts
Mr. Akkanut Wantanasombut
Head of ISSIE Research Group, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University
Akkanut Wantanasombut is head of the ISSIE Research Group (Innovation for Social Solidarity and Inclusive Economy in Asia) at the Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University. His work focuses on the platform economy, digital labour, and the social solidarity economy in Southeast Asia. He is principal investigator of Fairwork Thailand, part of a global research network coordinated by the Oxford Internet Institute (University of Oxford) and the WZB Berlin Social Science Centre that assesses working conditions on digital labour platforms. He is also the founder of Tamsang-Tamsong, a community-based delivery platform built on a multi-stakeholder cooperative model, and ThaiEconoMap, a community-owned digital commons that maps local economies to strengthen the grassroots economy and community well-being. Alongside his research, Akkanut works closely with workers, communities, and civil society to build fairer alternatives to the current platform model.
Ms. Mira Dzhakshylykova
Climate & Water Cooperation Specialist
Mira Dzhakshylykova is a climate and water cooperation specialist from Kyrgyzstan with a background in environmental management, sustainable development, and water diplomacy. She works on regional initiatives across Central Asia that advance climate resilience, sustainable land use, ecosystem restoration, and cross-border cooperation by connecting science, policy, and local action. Her expertise includes climate governance, environmental peacebuilding, youth engagement, and fostering collaborative approaches to sustainable development.
Mira has designed and contributed to international and regional initiatives that empower young people to become leaders and innovators in addressing environmental and societal challenges. As a Global Fellow, Rotary Scholar, and Peace Ambassador, she is passionate about supporting inclusive, community-driven solutions that create lasting social and environmental impact. She believes that cooperation, innovation, and youth leadership are powerful drivers of resilient communities and sustainable economies, and is committed to strengthening partnerships that enable the next generation of changemakers to turn bold ideas into meaningful action across the region and beyond.
Ms. Atty. Dulce S. Bustamante
Chairperson, ICA-Asia Pacific Committee on Youth Cooperation
Atty. Dulce S. Bustamante-Delmo is the Executive Director of the Union of Legitimate Service Contracting Cooperatives in the Philippines, a cooperative union whose main advocacy is for the development, training, and support to labor service cooperatives.
She also serves as the Chairperson of the ICA-AP Committee on Youth Cooperation and the ex-officio Vice-President for Asia Pacific of the ICA Youth Committee. She is also a founding member of Young Entrepreneurs Service Cooperative, the first youth cooperative in their local region. She is also the Managing Partner of a law firm based in the Philippines.
As a cooperator, she has taken on various roles as trainer and program implementor especially in the development of laboratory and youth cooperatives. Now in the labor and service sector, her advocacy is to promote cooperative laws and framework locally and internationally. Her expertise includes youth development, labor service, governance, and cooperatives.
Mr. Patrick John R. Rico
President, Prime Aces College ACDI
Patrick John R. Rico is the President of Prime Aces College, the educational subsidiary of ACDI Multipurpose Cooperative in the Philippines. He is an educator, development practitioner, and cooperative leader specializing in entrepreneurship, cooperative development, leadership, and organizational innovation. He earned his Doctor in Business Administration from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and completed the Management Development Program at the Ateneo de Manila University. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Development Administration, with research interests in governance, institutional sustainability, and inclusive development.
Patrick also serves as a Visiting Lecturer at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, where he teaches cooperative management and development.
Beyond the classroom, he works with cooperatives and development organizations in designing leadership and capacity-building programs. As an Online Mentor for the Coop Pitch 2026 Competition, he is committed to mentoring young innovators in developing cooperative enterprises that generate sustainable economic and social impact.
Ms. Justine Lynn C. Limocon
Cooperative Development Professional, Agripreneur, Youth Leader, LAMAC
Justine Lynn C. Limocon is a cooperative development professional, agripreneur, and youth leader with 28 years of experience in the cooperative movement. She currently serves as Business Development Center Operations Manager at Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LAMAC) in the Philippines, leading business incubation, enterprise development, value chain innovation, market expansion, and strategic partnerships that benefit cooperatives, MSMEs, and smallholder farmers.
She also chairs the Regional Young Farmer Committee of the Asian Farmers' Association (AFA), representing young farmers across the Asia-Pacific region and advocating for youth leadership, climate resilience, digital transformation, and sustainable agriculture.
An internationally recognized cooperative leader, Justine won the 1st ICA-AP Youth Summit Cooperative Pitch Competition in 2016 and received the Joe Biden Award for Development Educator of the Year for Asia and the Edward Filene Credit Union Award for Best Film Production in 2017. She has represented the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region in numerous international conferences and policy dialogues, championing cooperative innovation, youth empowerment, agribusiness development, and sustainable rural enterprises.
Mr. Alireza Banaeifar
Deputy of International Affairs, ICC
Mr. Alireza Banaeifar is the Deputy of International Affairs at the Iran Chamber of Cooperatives and has served as an ICA-AP Board Member since November 2023. Formerly, he was the Youth Representative on the ICA-AP Board and Chair of the ICA-AP Committee on Youth Cooperation for two years. With over a decade of experience in coordinating international cooperative programs and fostering partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region, he has led numerous diplomatic and educational initiatives linking Iran with other nations. He holds an MBA degree and has been instrumental in advancing strategic cooperation within the cooperative sector at both regional and global levels.
Mr. Jaseel Charuvil Kunnummal
Co-Founder, Khojindia
Jaseel CK is a co-founder of Khojindia and serves as the Director of the Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a vertical of The Ignite Foundation, where he is also a co-founder. With a Master’s degree in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, along with Assistant Professor qualifications in Social Work, Management, and Adult Education, his work lies at the intersection of social entrepreneurship education and ecosystem building for social and cooperative enterprises.
He formerly served as a Youth Ambassador in the Global Cooperative Entrepreneurs (GCE) Program of the ICA-AP. He is a member of ChangemakerXchange, a global collective of social entrepreneurs. He is also an alumnus of the Singapore International Foundation’s Young Social Entrepreneurs Program, represented India at the World Youth Development Forum in 2024 and 2026, and at the Asia-Europe Young Leaders Summit in 2024.
Passionate about learning and ideas, he prefers coffee over tea and enjoys both reading and writing, with equal enthusiasm for literature and academic research.
Ms. Sun Hongmin
Lecturer, Zhejiang Institute of Economics & Trade
Sun Hongmin is a faculty member at the School of Public Education, Zhejiang Institute of Economics and Trade in Hangzhou, China. Her research interests include innovation and entrepreneurship education and rural revitalization. She serves as a Hangzhou University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mentor and a visiting engineer for the Belt and Road project in Thailand. She teaches innovation and entrepreneurship courses, delivers startup fundamentals, and mentors student venture teams. Her mentoring focuses on helping student founders sharpen their value proposition, structure clear pitch decks, and think from the customer's perspective. She has consistently integrated rural revitalization into entrepreneurship education, guiding students to win over 10 gold, silver, and bronze awards in provincial competitions such as the "Challenge Cup" and the Rural Revitalization Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.
