We envision a future where Southeast Asians thrive together, driving sustainable prosperity and resilience across the region.
Learn more about our philosophy here.
Our Founders
Dr Vilashini Somiah
Co-founder
Internationally accredited and award-winning feminist anthropologist at Universiti Malaya with over 15 years of research experience in Borneo, specializing in the agency and lived experiences of marginalized communities, including Bornean women, migrants, Indigenous peoples, and sexual and gender minorities in rural contexts.
Dr Somiah is committed to amplifying overlooked voices, fostering inclusive dialogue, and translating ethnographic insights into actionable strategies and policy initiatives that advance social equity.
Dr Benjamin YH Loh
Co-founder
Dynamic Media Studies scholar at Monash University Malaysia with over 10 years of experience leading impactful initiatives at the intersection of communication and online culture.
Dr Loh specialises in using mixed methodology research to study online communities and marginalised groups and craft meaningful narratives that drive systemic change.
Feel free to connect with Dr Loh on his LinkedIn and X (previously known as Twitter).
In Honour
Shafiq Shamsuddin was our friend, our brother, and a mind that shaped the way we think and work. The decades we shared with him were filled with laughter, sharp wit, and conversations that pushed us to look deeper.
The Datum Initiative was born from those exchanges, especially his gentle reminder:
“Ask me more, because I don’t know what I know.”
In that spirit, he taught us that knowledge lives in people, that research is relationship, and that curiosity must always be paired with care. This is our small way of holding him close; his voice lives on in how we question, listen, and build knowledge together.