Meet Our Founders
A long time before the idea of The Shed came to be, Brian and Tim had been friends for years. This friendship has been based on common values and principles and would often be a point of conversation and reflection between them. The Shed is an embodiment of those years of conversations and is intended to be a "space" to help, and a place that can create an impact in the lives of individuals, groups and the planet we all share.
About Brian
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Brian has always had a deep connection to this place he calls home. Brian's values are a result of a strong family upbringing based firmly on the understanding that "if you can help, you should help". This mantra is one that he embodies whole heartily and motivates his decisions for charity work, the principles he conducts his businesses, and the generosity he extends to his family and friends. The Shed is a "space" where he can extend his ability to help and reaching out to young people and sharing with them the same family mantra.
About Tim
A husband, father, and teacher, that calls Hong Kong home. After graduating with a Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education, he taught in Hong Kong for 5 years before setting his sights on the outdoor wonderland of Niseko, Japan. There he worked on building EdVenture Niseko, an outdoor summer and winter program for children and youth. After 8 years in Japan, he decided it was time to put his energy back into his home of Hong Kong and create a "space" where he can share the lessons he has learned from his life's adventure with young people here in Hong Kong.
Meet Our Mentors and Staff
Samantha - Head of Programming/Partner
Samantha, a passionate Canadian educator, holds a Bachelor of Education specializing in Special Needs, with over 12 years of experience as a classroom teacher, tutor, mentor, and vice principal. Samantha is excited to embark on a new chapter, sharing her life experiences beyond the traditional classroom. She believes in providing young people with invaluable opportunities to explore themselves, connect with their community, and make a positive impact on our ever-changing world. When not nurturing young minds, she enjoys cooking, spending time with loved ones, petting dogs, and stargazing.
Beth Trustrum - Head of Educational Programming
Although Beth grew up in the UK, she has spent most of her working life in Asia working in international schools, including the last 12 years in Hong Kong. She has experience in working as teacher of design, a boarding house tutor, a pastoral leader and a school principal. Beth’s real passion is for creating experiential educational opportunities for young people, engaging them in learning through practical activities in the natural environment and with the community groups that we all form a part of. She values the power of building relationships and believes we can learn something from somebody we ever meet-a mindset she seeks to instil in the children and young people she works with. Beth loves being outside and being active, spending much of her free time, hiking, boxing and trail running. She also has a keen interest in health and nutrition and loves cooking as well as spending time with her dog.
Martin - Lead Mentor
Martin is open-minded and a life-long learner. He graduated with a Bachelor in Urban Geography and Environment. He believes in the importance of protecting our natural environment. Martin also has experience in supporting students with diverse learning needs, particularly through greening activities to develop a more meaningful relationship with the outdoors. In his free time, he likes to skateboard and cook for his friends and family. By being part of The Shed, Martin hopes to continue promoting nature-positivity through awesome outdoor experiences.
Priya - Mentor
Priya is born and raised in London, UK. She graduated with a Masters's degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Imperial College and went on to work for almost 10 years in the building engineering industry. Whilst working, she became a STEM ambassador and guided 6th form students through their A-level projects. After moving to KL, Malaysia, Priya began to tutor STEM to primary aged children. She believes children should have fun completing projects, experience getting things wrong and problem solving, getting messy, playing games and discovering the magic of science and engineering.
Anthony - Mentor
Tony was born and raised in Australia, is a nature lover and became a proud father in 2018. He believes that compassion and empathy are values that we all should have and is amazed by the inquisitive nature of children. By being part of The Shed, he is able to combine his love of teaching and learning from our future generations all while spending time outside in nature. Tony is a management consultant, life coach, and boxing coach in his spare time.
Kiyoshi - Mentor
Kiyoshi has been a student of boxing for almost 15 years and has begun teaching and instructing adults and kids for the last 2. He has also made a career within the food and beverage sector as a successful sommelier and beverage educator. In that role, he has proudly mentored and helped guide many young talented aspiring sommeliers through its extremely difficult examination process.
Grace - General Manager
Grace has been working in HR for more than 10 years after graduating with a dual degree in English Language and Literature and Law. She believes it takes a lot to become a good and trustworthy HR professional, and that sustaining humanity is key as HR is not only about paperwork, policies, procedures, and compliance, it is more about the people. Born and raised in Mainland China, Grace relocated to Hong Kong 7 years ago and she still enjoys exploring the natural beauty amidst the hustle and bustle of the city in her spare time.
Tim Y. - Finance and Accounts
Timothy is a native of Hong Kong with 10 year experience in the field of commercial accounting. Tim has a love of the outdoors and can build a spreadsheet like you wouldn't believe!