Our Story
Our Story
BYTE (Bringing You Technology Empowerment) is a community ground-up, non-profit initiative that is dedicated to empowering lives through science, technology and design. We aim to achieve this by increasing access to technology and raising awareness and appreciation of technology through skills development programs.
We believe that, by providing the adequate opportunities for individuals to learn and develop skills and capabilities in science, technology and design, we can empower them to create, innovate and improve their quality of lives.
Our Vision
To transform lives through science, technology and design
Our Mission
To inspire, influence, and empower individuals to learn, create and innovate with science, technology and design
Our Team
Shaikh Ismail
Founder
Spending more than 15 years in the technology industry, Shaikh firmly believes that technology can serve to solve many community issues and serve as an income multiplier to help enable individuals to be more upward socially mobile.
Together with Jin and Maria, Shaikh founded BYTE to bring enablement via science, technology and design closer to the community. He plays the role of developing the strategy and future direction of the organisation.
Jin Wang
Founder
Jin enjoys helping others appreciate and learn about how technology can enhance their everyday lives. She aspires to empower those in the community to explore the unlimited possibilities of technology and instill confidence through hands-on learning.
With BYTE, Jin hopes that many more people can benefit from our uniquely curated programs. She works closely with our community partners to discuss and coordinate programs, recruit and train volunteers.
Maria Wilson
Founder
Maria helps organisations to manage the people side of change when implementing new technology or business processes. She uses this same passion to help others in the community, young and old, to learn about technology and innovation.
She met Shaikh and Jin at a volunteer event. Over the years, they have brought numerous ground-up initiatives to life. Within BYTE, she plays the role of operationalising programs.
Abhishek Sharma
Committee Member
Abhishek is a data Scientist and with more than 8 years of experience in IT, he is helping global organizations in solving complex problems with Artificial Intelligence. He strongly believes in the famous quote - “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”. He is passionate about helping others and has been actively involved in various social work activities in Singapore and India. Giving back to society has always made him feel accomplished.
Together with his team at Byte, Abhishek is involved in skill-based volunteering initiatives which allows him to use his existing tech skills for the betterment of society.
Wilson Chua
Committee Member
Wilson is a passionate human resources business partner and associate trainer. He felt immensely rewarding supporting the company’s biggest asset, which is the people or employees. Being an emotional caregiver as organizations go through the trauma of social disruption, solving problems that can impact livelihoods inspire Wilson to work every single day with much enthusiasm. During his leisure time, he will facilitate life skill workshops for institutions across all levels.
Aligning with BYTE’s values and mission, Wilson will like to empower the community with technology literacy to create, innovate and improve the quality of life.
Bryan Se To
Committee Member
Entrepreneur during the day, social volunteer at night. Bryan has the vision to improve and impact lives through technology. He started his first committee work back in 2008 and discovered he wants to contribute to the kind of world he wants to live in. The opportunities that were presented to him became a part of something bigger than himself.
Bryan aligns his passion for technology to assist impactful programs here at BYTE and uses his own skills and knowledge to assist in volunteering programs.
Pramila Ghode
Committee Member
Pramila is a biomedical researcher.
Her passion and motivation to work with kids comes from her volunteering experience in remote parts of India. She believes that every kid has a great potential, which would be lost if not groomed at the right time with the right resources.
At BYTE, she helps with delivering technology related content to the beneficiaries. She works towards engaging the beneficiaries in a way that would help them build self-confidence and groom their interpersonal skills.
Emilyn Chandrababu
Committee Member
Emilyn is a consultant in the software industry, assisting people in planning, constructing, and launching software solutions. During the day, Emilyn enjoys his job, and in his spare time he is passionate about hiking, cooking, and photography. Moreover, he is committed to giving back and regularly volunteers in his local community.
At BYTE, he designs and delivers technology-related content such as coding and AR/VR for youth beneficiaries. He is also in charge of the design and maintenance of digital assets.
Valerie Lee
Committee Member
Valerie is a keen believer that technology empowerment will always remain a key impact area to focus on as the minimum technology literacy standards continue to evolve over the years. She enjoys working with communities of different backgrounds and welcomes the challenge of building good programs that are well-tailored to each community.
She contributes to the curation of the BYTE curriculum and works on creating the Byte brand to build a strong network of volunteers and partners.
Alan Soh
Committee Member
Alan is an online customer engagement specialist with a passion for communications, youth development and community services. Graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Mass Communications on the merit of SkillsFuture Study Award 2017 (for People with Disabilities category), he believes in equality and inclusivity for all members of the society regardless of differences and backgrounds, providing opportunities for everyone to move up the mobility ladder. He may be hard of hearing but out of gratitude for what he had accomplished so far, Alan feels the need to give back to society as well. He enjoys interacting with new people.
Aligning himself with BYTE’s mission and values, Alan hopes to generate more public awareness and share inspiring stories of recipients benefitting from the programmes it provides.
Evelyn Ng
Committee Member
Being a positive and detailed-oriented individual, Evelyn is a dynamic customer service professional with secretarial experience. She found her passion in mentoring young children during her school days, and is a strong believer that everybody should be given equal opportunities to learn and grow, keeping up with the times through science and technology skills. Volunteering gives her a sense of purpose, while she aims to help the less fortunate broaden their horizon to the best of her ability.
Jointly with the BYTE team, Evelyn is committed to fostering a conducive learning experience for our beneficiaries.