Our Team
Darius Yuen
Founder & President
Darius was a managing director for BNP Paribas and a senior managing director for Bear Stearns - Asia. After spending over 18 years in finance and accounting in Hong Kong, Darius founded SOW Asia Foundation in 2008 in response to a shift in his own values. As a qualified accountant with a BS in Accounting from the University of Southern California, Darius continues to apply his financial skills in raising capital to create positive social change.
Scott Lawson
Chief Executive Officer
Scott is responsible for inspiring a shared vision for social enterprise in Asia. He works with diverse stakeholders to bring that vision to life. He has experience doing cross-cultural bridge building with many not-for-profit cultural, education and religious organizations. Scott has an MA in International Affairs/Economics from George Washington University and an MDiv from Columbia Theological Seminary, with Honors and Distinction. Originally from the United States, he first visited China as an exchange student in 1981, an experience that changed the direction of his life. Scott is now a permanent resident of Hong Kong.
Charmian Lam
Portfolio Manager
Charmian previously worked in London and Beijing as a consultant and senior research specialist for Accenture’s Institute for High Performance, establishing their presence in China and developing local thought leadership capabilities. Her projects included Accenture’s flagship research project on high performance businesses in China as well as involvement with the World Economic Forum. She has a keen interest in people development through knowledge and opportunities.
Charmian is an active participant in voluntary projects ranging from teaching and consulting, to cleaning monasteries, singing with a church choir and keeping the elderly company. She holds a BA in Chinese and Management from Durham University in England.
Shangshang Chen
Manager, Operations and Strategy
Shangshang is a nonprofit management professional with experience in financial management and administrative support of several nonprofit organizations. She also gained skills in strategic analysis and performance management while working with Fund for the City of New York, UNICEF (New York), Foundation Center, and McKinsey & Company (Shanghai) as either an intern or research partner. She volunteers for several China-focused NPO’s in her spare time, and was the Lead Campus Ambassador of Teach For China at New York University.
Shangshang holds a BA in Economics from Fudan University in Shanghai and an MPA in Nonprofit Management with a specialization in Finance from New York University.
Marion Moore
Governance and Impact Measurement Associate
Marion is a Chartered Accountant who began her career with PwC in the UK and subsequently specialized in the charity sector both as an advisor and Board member. She has also worked with tertiary education institutions. Marion’s interests center on increasing the effectiveness of charities, good governance and the measurement of social impact. She is a part-time volunteer with SOW Asia and is excited by the chance to get involved with innovative approaches to helping the less privileged. Marion has an MA from Cambridge University.
Philo Alto
Senior Advisor
Philo founded Asia Value Advisors, a Hong Kong-based philanthropic and social innovation advisory firm which provides bespoke strategic advice to philanthropic and social purpose organizations in Asia.
Philo is a financial services professional who has worked at Goldman Sachs, A.T. Kearney, and Citigroup across roles ranging from investment banking, debt capital markets, macroeconomic research, and strategy development. While at Goldman, he served on the firm’s Environmental Policy committee and was a regular volunteer with Community TeamWorks (CTW). In addition to Bachelor degrees in Physics and Computer Engineering at Ateneo de Manila University and an MA in Industrial Economics at the University of Asia and the Pacific (Philippines), he also completed dual degrees at Harvard Business School (MBA) and the Kennedy School (MPA). Philo serves on the Harvard Business School Scholarship Committee supporting education for leaders of non-profit organizations in Hong Kong.
As Senior Advisor to the SOW Asia team, Philo provides advisory support in strategy as well as partnerships/collaboration opportunities.
Moon Kim
Senior Advisor
Moon founded Peony Investments, a Hong Kong-based investment and advisory firm providing strategic and financial advice to green businesses in Asia Pacific.
Moon has more than 14 years of experience in the energy and environmental sectors serving in roles ranging from venture capital/growth equity investment, entrepreneurship, investment banking, strategic consulting, and engineering. Prior to founding Peony Investments, Moon worked at Nomura’s principal investing group based in Hong Kong and DFJ Element Ventures based in Silicon Valley. She has also served on the Board of Directors at a solar energy company based in Delhi. Moon earned her BS in Environmental Engineering from Harvard University and an MBA, with a major in Finance, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
As Senior Advisor to the SOW Asia team, Moon provides advisory support in fund raising, investment opportunity sourcing and execution, and portfolio management.
