November 10, 2025

By Published On: November 10, 2025Categories: PressViews: 220

Wealth Resilience Festival 2025: Celebrating 10 Years of Empowering Youth through Financial and Emotional Resilience

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Singapore, 8 November 2025 — The Wealth Resilience Festival 2025 (WRF) concluded at OUE Bayfront on Saturday with a full day of inspiring conversations, creative reflections, and meaningful connections that brought together hundreds of youths, educators, mentors, and industry leaders.

Jointly organised by PlayMoolah and the National Youth Council (NYC) as part of the SG60 celebrations, this year’s festival marked a decade of partnership between both organisations in advancing financial wellbeing, emotional resilience, and civic capability among Singapore’s youth.

Celebrating a Decade of Partnership

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Opening the festival, Mr. David Chua, CEO of the National Youth Council, underscored how financial confidence is an integral part of holistic youth development. He emphasised that resilience must extend beyond technical or economic skills — it is about nurturing adaptability, clarity, and the emotional strength to thrive in a fast-evolving society.

This year’s festival symbolises ten years of collaboration between NYC and PlayMoolah, reflecting a sustained commitment to preparing young Singaporeans for life and work in the future economy. The partnership has pioneered programmes integrating financial literacy with emotional education, equipping young people with the ability to not only manage money, but to manage the emotions and mindsets behind it.

Expanding the Meaning of Wealth

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The morning sessions featured two panels curated by PlayMoolah and the Wealth Resilience Institute, exploring the Eight Forms of Capital framework. This model redefines wealth to include social, cultural, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual capital alongside financial assets.

The diverse panel of speakers included:

  • Jerome Penafort, Founder, Mr. Bucket Chocolaterie

  • Colin Chu, Director, Huon Property Group

  • John Choi, Managing Director, First Rate Connect

  • Bernard Lim, Principal Consultant, Wealth College

  • Faiq Zulkifli, CEO & Co-founder, The Six Boxing Gym

  • Marcus Tan, Co-founder, Carousell and Deputy Chairman, ACE

  • Rachel Handoko, Yale-NUS College alumna and Graduate Analyst

  • Lee Junxian, Co-founder & CPO, GoodWhale

Through open conversations, the panelists explored how wealth should be seen as more than accumulation — but as contribution, creativity, and connection. Their stories illustrated how meaning, relationships, and purpose shape one’s financial journey.

From Reflection to Connection: Money Narratives and Mentoring

One of the highlights of the day was the Money Narratives and Art Excavation session, led by Geraldine Wee, where participants reflected on their earliest memories about money and turned them into artwork.

The activity encouraged participants to examine how family experiences, culture, and beliefs shape their financial habits. For many, it was the first time they discussed money without fear or shame — an important breakthrough in a region where talking about money is still often considered taboo.

During the afternoon, participants joined Money Mentoring Circles guided by facilitators from Temasek Polytechnic, National University of Singapore (NUS), and other community partners. In these small, intergenerational groups, participants shared personal reflections and explored what financial wellbeing looks like in real life.

The Future of Wealth: Technology, AI, and Human Connection

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In a dynamic Ask-Me-Anything session, Audrey Tan (Co-founder of PlayMoolah), Gerald (Wealth Resilience Institute), and Lee Junxian (GoodWhale) explored how technology and artificial intelligence can serve as enablers of financial emotional resilience.

Audrey introduced the concept of the Future of Wealth, describing how AI can play a supportive role in helping people build financial clarity, track habits, and make mindful, values-aligned decisions.

“AI should not replace human wisdom,” said Tan. “It should help us see ourselves more clearly — so we can act with more confidence, empathy and purpose.”

This theme resonated deeply with the festival’s core message: that the future of financial literacy lies in integrating technology with emotional and ethical intelligence.

Under the leadership of David Chua, NYC continues to play a key role in helping Singaporean youths prepare for this future — one where digital fluency, financial literacy, and emotional intelligence are equally vital.

Recognising Education Partners in Youth Development

The festival concluded with the Wealth Resilience Awards, which recognised National University of Singapore (NUS) and Temasek Polytechnic for their continued support of holistic student education and development, including initiatives promoting financial literacy and wellbeing.

Both institutions have been active collaborators in fostering a new generation of students who are not only academically capable, but also financially aware and emotionally grounded. Their work highlights the growing importance of embedding personal finance and emotional resilience into the broader landscape of higher education.

Looking Ahead

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The Wealth Resilience Festival 2025 was not only a celebration of collaboration, but also a call to action. It reminded everyone that the next phase of financial education in Singapore will require the thoughtful integration of technology, empathy and policy — ensuring that no one is left behind as society advances.

As Singapore moves towards its next decade of nation-building, the partnership between NYC, PlayMoolah, and community organisations continues to affirm one shared belief: that real wealth lies not only in innovation, but in the strength and wellbeing of its people.

For more information:
Visit https://wrf.playmoolah.com/wrf-2025 for event highlights and resources, or learn more about PlayMoolah’s Financial Emotional Resilience framework at https://www.playmoolah.com/blog.

About the Organisers:

  • National Youth Council Singapore (NYC) is the national agency advancing youth interests, participation and leadership for a better Singapore.

  • PlayMoolah is a Singapore-based social enterprise pioneering the integration of financial literacy, emotional resilience, and technology for personal wellbeing.

  • GoodWhale is a global financial education community empowering individuals to live with clarity, spend with intention and grow with purpose.