Melo Fellowship 2025

Co-Creation
Joint Discovery
How to Join

22

Co-creation projects created

80

Fellows

39

CEOs of leading organizations

30

Unique exchanges of new generation & CEOs

What is Melo Fellowship?

Melo Fellowship is our flagship program - an intense, rewarding 6-month fellowship where Melo Fellows will work closely with leading CEOs and social leaders for the betterment of our society.  

10 CEOs and social leaders, working with 20 Melo Fellows, on 5 themes, for Hong Kong.

Being selected as a Melo Fellow is one of the highest recognitions for a university student. It is widely seen as one of the most prestigious and rigorous programs of its kind available for university students based in Hong Kong.

We have had three classes of our Fellowship - Class of 2021, Class of 2022 and Class of 2023. Starting from 2025, we will have one fellowship class every two years. 

Co-Creation

20 Melo Fellows will be divided into 5 teams of 4. Each team will be paired with two leading CEOs / social leaders.
Each will work towards a proposal on delivering the most impact on their respective theme for Hong Kong society from Feb to June 2025.  
One of the leading region VC firms and its managing partner will seed one or more of their proposed programs for implementation.
View Past Projects

5

Major Themes for
Fellows and CEOs to Co-Create in 2025

Theme 1 - Journalism and storytelling

Supported by CEO of one of the largest news organizations and one of the leading influencers in the region

Theme 2 - Arts, culture and our society

Supported by CEO of one of the largest performing arts organizations and a senior board member of one of the largest museums in the world

Theme 3 - Large conglomerates and their impact on our community

Supported by CEO/chairperson of one of the largest banks in the world and Managing Director of one of the largest HK conglomerates

Theme 4 - Mental well-being and performance mindset

Supported by a former Olympian and CEO of one of the largest health and well being organizations in the region

Theme 5 - KOLs, influencers and their evolving roles on the society

Supported by two major influencers in the region (former leading government official and one of the most recognized YouTubers in the region)

Joint Discovery

From February to June, events for the entire fellowship will be organized where Melo Fellows will experience and learn from leaders of our society on a few key themes, in the most intimate and engaging way.
View Past JDs

Our Selection Process for Melo Fellows

Who can join?

Who can apply?

Any full-time university undergraduates from these six universities can apply - HKBU, CityU, CUHK, HKU, HKUST, PolyU. We will select 20 Melo Fellows from this pool of applicants.  Our selection criteria is simple - we are looking for high calibre students with a passion and track record of leadership and impact on the society. We look for authentic stories and real passion.

What is the expectation on the select Melo fellows?

The program will kick off at the end of January 2025 and end with a graduation in June 2025. The Fellowship has two main components - Co-Creation and Joint Discovery.


In Co-Creation, 20 Melo Fellows will be divided into 5 teams of 4.  Each team will be paired with two leading CEOs / social leaders. Each will work towards a proposal on delivering the most impact on their topic for Hong Kong society. One of the leading region VC firms and its managing partner will seed one or more of their proposed programs for implementation.


In Joint Discovery, these are events for the entire fellowship where Melo Fellows will experience and learn from leaders of our society on a few key themes, in the most intimate and engaging way.


In terms of time commitment, each Fellow will be asked to:

  • Join one Joint Discovery event per month from February to June (a total four to five joint discovery events) that usually happens on the first Saturday of the month
  • Work on the Co-Creation project for about 4-5 hours per week with their assigned CEO / social leader.  Timing is flexible based on the scheduling of their team
  • Join the final graduation event and competition that will happen in June

What will Melo Fellows get from the Melo Fellowship program?

Melo Fellows will go through a one-of-a-kind journey of learning and mindset growth. They will learn hard and soft skills and have direct exposure to leading CEOs, social leaders and thought leaders.  The Fellowship includes project based learning as well as group-based interactive learning.  

For the first time ever, two Fellows will be selected and be awarded the SHKP x Melo Scholarship, which will cover the full tuition fee of the remaining years of undergraduate studies of the awardee.

How can I apply?

1. Background details
Your name, mobile number, email contact and university degree details.

2. Choose a topic

Choose from one of the five themes we listed as your preferred topic of interest or you can write to us what one other topic you are interested in.

3. Tell us your story

Share why you want to join this program and why you are passionate about the topic you choose in one of three formats (A 500-word essay, a 90-second video, or a PowerPoint of fewer than 10 slides). We care a lot about authenticity. We would love to hear stories that come from your personal experience.

Past Projects and Events

Co-Creation

Throughout the past years, our Fellows and CEOs have created different initiatives to impact various stakeholders in the society. More to come!

Joint Discovery

Throughout the past years, we have created more than 40 dialogues exchange and experiences for our Fellows.

Our Fellows & CEOs

Francis Ngai
Founder & CEO of Social Ventures HK
Gregory Van
CEO and Co-Founder of Endowus
Cindy Chow
CEO & Exceutive Director of Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund
Dominic Barton
Chairman of Rio Tinto
Jason Yip
Former CEO of MWYO
Alan Lau
Vice Chairman of M+ Museum and Chief Business Officer of Animoca Brands
Desiree Cheng
CEO Asia Ex-Japan of Alphadyne Asset Management
Eric Gnock Fah
Co-Founder & COO of Klook
Ronald Lam
CEO of Cathay Pacific Airways
KC Chan
Chairman of WeLab Bank and Former Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of HKSAR
Brian Li
Co-CEO of The Bank of East Asia
Mark Leung
CEO of J.P. Morgan China
Dee Poon
President of Brands and Retailing, Tessellation Group
Kayan9896
Singer
Kevin Kam
CPO of McDonald’s Hong Kong
Tommie Lo
Founder & CEO of Preface
Kam Shing Kwang
Chairwoman of North Asia at J.P. Morgan and CEO of J.P. Morgan Hong Kong
Xing Liu
Partner of HongShan Capital Group (formerly Sequoia Capital China)
Patricia Hwang
Director People of Cathay Pacific Airways
Catherine So
CEO of South China Morning Post
Gary Liu
Co-founder & CEO of Terminal 3
Simon Loong
CEO of WeLab
Henson Tsai
Founder & CEO of Sleekflow
Julia Leung
CEO of Securities and Futures Commission
Will McGoldrick
Regional Managing Director (Asia Pacific) of The Nature Conservancy
Amy Lo
Chairman of UBS Global Wealth Management Asia
David Ku
Founder & Chairman of WeBank
Fred Ngan
Co-Founder of Bowtie
David Yeung
Co-Founder & CEO of Green Monday
Emi Wong
Entrepreneur and Content Creator
Vincent Lam
Class of 2023 Fellow
Tiffany Yang
Class of 2023 Fellow
Telia Mak
Class of 2023 Fellow
Hugo Leung
Class of 2023 Fellow
Stephanie
Class of 2023 Fellow
Ryan Ng
Class of 2023 Fellow
Manya Khanduri
Class of 2023 Fellow
Leon Cheng
Class of 2023 Fellow
Khalil Mahmood
Class of 2023 Fellow
Keila Juganda
Class of 2023 Fellow
Justin Cai
Class of 2023 Fellow
Julius Choy
Class of 2023 Fellow
Joy Hsiang
Class of 2023 Fellow
Jovy Yu
Class of 2023 Fellow
Jamie Parng
Fellowship OC Class of 2023 Fellow
Chan Choi
Class of 2023 Fellow
Beatrice Chan
Class of 2023 Fellow
Angus Loh
Class of 2023 Fellow
Aditya Mangla
Class of 2023 Fellow
Samson Ng
Class of 2023 Fellow

Alfa Cheung

Class of 2025 Fellow
Global Business, HKUST

Melody Cheung

Class of 2025 Fellow
BBA in Global Business, HKUST

Anna Yao

Class of 2025 Fellow
Major in Global Business and Information System, HKUST

Alissa Wong

Class of 2025 Fellow
Bachelor of Laws, CityU

Claire Kodama

Class of 2025 Fellow
Business, undeclared major, HKUST

Sian Lee

Class of 2025 Fellow
Global Business, HKUST

Awwab Hamam

Class of 2025 Fellow
BEng Hons in Electronic Engineering + Minor in Finance, PolyU

Katherine Wong

Class of 2025 Fellow
BBA in Management, HKUST

Rafia Ali

Class of 2025 Fellow
Accounting, HKUST

Atta Yu

Class of 2025 Fellow
Occupational Therapy, PolyU

Bill Wong

Class of 2025 Fellow
MBBS, HKU

Kurt Hui

Class of 2025 Fellow
BBA in Global Business, HKUST

Ayaan Zaheer

Class of 2025 Fellow
BBA in Marketing, HKUST

Jasmine Louie

Class of 2025 Fellow
Medicine, CUHK

Kimmy Suen

Class of 2025 Fellow
Social Work, HKU

Michael Tumiwa

Class of 2025 Fellow
Computer Science, HKUST

Letitia Wong

Class of 2025 Fellow
Global Business Studies, CUHK
View all Melo People

Thoughts of Fellows & CEOs

To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other, and to feel.

The most exciting part is that we get the opportunities to see new things, meet new people, try new experiences. I am glad that my Group's CEOs, Stephanie and Adriel, connect us with different other CEOs and sustainability leaders, such as John from Hang Lung, Juliana from Innotier, David from Green Monday, so we can have a deep conversation with them and learn! Each new person I met has taught me something!

After every meeting and joint discovery event, I have learnt something new, and become a more knowledgable and better me. The most important takeaway is still having a humble heart, and never stop learning!

Natalie Ma

Class of 2021 Fellow

Do it with passion or not at all.

I never expected to bond with my teammates and mentors as much as I did, because as much as we were driven to decide on a project and develop it, we also became very concerned for each other and accommodating towards each others' ideologies. It was such a beautiful thing to be able to have these long discussions about the big and tiny details without fear of judgement,and the group dynamic we formed truly was a special thing to experience.

Interacting closely with my mentors and the various people they invited to our discussions gave me a comprehensive understand- ing and awareness of how business works, beyond what you learn in textbooks. I learnt what matters most in these high level discussions, and will always hope to get better at presenting my ideas in a way that connects with the people who are listening.

Laila Albuquerque

Class of 2021 Fellow

When comparing my current self, still on my ongoing journey with Project Melo, to the Leon who has just embarked on this journey, I recognize the immense personal growth and expanded horizons I have achieved in the past year. The Opportunity Bank co-creation project provided me with an incredible opportunity to collaborate with three exceptional fellows, as well as Tommie from Preface and Sarah from Big Bang Academy; the project exposed me to many undiscovered social issues in Hong Kong, specifically concerning underprivileged and marginalized youth.Collaborating with the CEOs and the D. H. Chen foundation granted me invaluable insights, allowing us to develop multifaceted solutions to address these pressing problems. Moreover, it instilled in me a profound sense of gratitude for my university education and membership in the resourceful and dynamic Melo community. I have come to appreciate the power of leveraging these resources to create opportunities not just for ourselves, but also for others.One vital lesson I have learned, through both learning and firsthand experience, is that there is always more to be done. Although the co-creation project has formally concluded, I am acutely aware of the boundless potential for Project Melo to explore new avenues and further empower the youth of Hong Kong, and I look forward to continuing this journey with these amazing Melo people!

Leon Cheng

Class of 2023 Fellow

"Really well organised conference. Superb contents, articulate speakers, fantastic venue, noble aim. Well done. Congratulations."

John Tsang

Former Financial Secretary of HKSAR and Founder of Esperanza

“It is a meaningful program that offers young people here in Hong Kong the chance to take part in an experimental growth journey through a number of leading businesses and people across the city.”

Michael Moriarty

Managing Director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

Thank you Project Melo for bringing me valuable opportunities to meet and connect with our futuremakers through reverse mentoring. As the perfect wrap-up for everyone’s effort, I’m eagerly anticipating the launch of our Fellows’ “21-Day Challenge Climate Change” Happy Meal book this June! Looking ahead, I cannot wait to connect with more young friends and be inspired by their new ideas and creativity. Together, we can drive positive change for Hong Kong and envision a brighter future for all!

Randy Lai

CEO of McDonald's Hong Kong
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