What does it mean to build a nation today? In the Singapore of 2025, which is wealthier, more connected, yet grappling with deeper questions of equity, identity, and sustainability, it no longer rests solely in institutions or infrastructure. Increasingly, it’s in the hands of individuals: Founders, reformers, creators, and quiet disruptors who are laying the groundwork for a future shaped by progress and purpose. In this month's special, we spotlight a new generation of leaders reimagining what success looks like – from the boardroom to the art world, from hospitality to home services. Some are preserving legacy through reinvention; others are rewriting rules with fresh conviction. But all share a deep belief in Singapore’s promise and a determination to make their mark not just for today, but for generations to come.
LEON FOO
Co-founder & CEO, MORNING
Leon Foo has spent the last 16 years challenging what coffee can mean to people. Not just as a beverage, but as a ritual, a craft, and a connection to global stories. With MORNING, the company he co-founded, Foo is turning everyday coffee-making into a seamless and meaningful experience, all from the comfort of home.
“I didn’t want to just open another café,” he says. “I wanted to make a global impact.” That ambition led to the creation of the MORNING ecosystem – a sleek machine, an intuitive app, and a curated marketplace that allows users to discover independent roasters and brew café-grade coffee with the push of a button. It’s technology with soul, designed to elevate one of life’s simplest pleasures.
Foo’s Singaporean upbringing plays a central role in how he thinks and leads. “We’re a small country with limited resources, so we’ve always had to be creative and outward-looking,” he says. “That’s the approach I took with MORNING, solving a global problem from a uniquely Singaporean perspective.” His team had to engineer hardware, develop software, and coordinate supply chains across countries, all while working from a city without large-scale manufacturing infrastructure.
One of his boldest leaps was launching a product that didn’t yet exist. “It was like jumping into the unknown. We had to build the hardware, firmware, cloud systems, app, and marketplace all at once,” he recalls. And while recognition such as the Red Dot Design Award affirms the journey, Foo finds the greatest meaning in feedback from users. “When someone tells me they use their MORNING machine every day and it’s changed their relationship with coffee, that’s everything.”
(Related: Shaping the Singapore of tomorrow with Luzerne's Elaine Lek)
More than a brand, MORNING serves as a bridge connecting roasters in places like Seoul or Chiang Mai with coffee lovers around the world. “We’re giving a voice to small roasters and offering people new ways to engage with their coffee.”
At its heart, Foo’s work is about making mornings better – one cup, one connection at a time. And in doing so, he is reshaping the global coffee experience with quiet focus and clear purpose.
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