Amoda Rathnayake is the Founder and Creative Director of Amoda Rathnayake Associates (ARA), a leading interior design and construction practice in Sri Lanka. Over the past 13 years, she has transformed her one-woman consultancy into a multidisciplinary firm with nearly 30 designers and over 100 professionals in construction.

Her work spans luxury residences, commercial spaces, and hospitality projects, always guided by her belief in creating happy spaces that combine elegance, functionality, and emotional connection. In addition to her design practice, Amoda has expanded into related ventures including The Factory Atara, a design-focused furniture manufacturing company, and BLAC, a lifestyle restaurant brand.

Her journey reflects not only her creative vision but also her entrepreneurial spirit, resilience, and commitment to shaping spaces that inspire and uplift people’s lives.

Ming Leung focuses on the exploration of architecture, space, and art installation design. She also has a strong and ongoing interest in researching art, aesthetics, design education, new technology-driven design, super craftsmanship implementation, and parametric application. She advocates the philosophy of "No Formalism, No Functionalism, No Commercialism, No Radicalism"—refusing to be constrained by formal languages, emphasizing the dialogue between function and form, and avoiding blind pursuit of market trends.

Led by Ming Leung, the PONE Design team is a pioneering creative force. It undertakes influential work in the fields of architecture, interior space, and landscape design. Their designs break inherent rules and perceptions, pursue continuous innovation, and deeply explore the interactive potential between humans and spaces. Through a series of research and practices ranging from instinctive needs to sensory experiences, they fully present both function and experience while returning to their essence, redefining the boundaries of design.

Over the years, Ming Leung has been involved in a wide variety of projects, including urban landmarks, urban complexes, corporate headquarters, and commercial spaces. Her works have won wide international acclaim and more than 100 international honors, such as the Best of the Best of Red Dot Awards , IF Design Award, The winner of the Best of Year Awards, the Winner of WAF,the platinum of A'Design Awards, The Best Interior Design Award of AZ awards, ,Gold Nugget Awards Winner and DFA Design for Asia Awards etc.

Ming Leung is committed to promoting public welfare projects, hoping to help more people through the power of design. She has participated in the public welfare program Dream Home (aired on Dragon TV) for 8 consecutive years, using professional design to solve housing problems for clients, creating dream homes that are both practical and interesting. She integrates emotional and gentle elements into her designs, demonstrating the charming texture of design.

In addition, Ms. Leung has served as a judge for Future Star Young Designers Competition for many years, working with the organizing committee to discover outstanding design talents and support the growth of young designers.

As a member of the AYDA Awards jury, she encourages young designers to focus on exploring the interactive potential between humans and spaces, draw inspiration from nature, art, and humanity, condense their roots in cultural context, and create spaces in an innovative and pioneering way—spaces that are more culturally connotative and profound.

Her work spans luxury residences, commercial spaces, and hospitality projects, always guided by her belief in creating happy spaces that combine elegance, functionality, and emotional connection. In addition to her design practice, Amoda has expanded into related ventures including The Factory Atara, a design-focused furniture manufacturing company, and BLAC, a lifestyle restaurant brand.

Her journey reflects not only her creative vision but also her entrepreneurial spirit, resilience, and commitment to shaping spaces that inspire and uplift people’s lives.

Born in 1980, Roshanak has been pursuing a professional career in interior design for over twenty years. Throughout this period, she has successfully completed numerous residential, commercial, recreational, and office projects.

With her mastery of diverse design styles, the ability to combine them harmoniously, and her meticulous attention to detail, she has managed to attract a wide range of clients to her studio. She firmly believes that “every home tells the story of its inhabitants.”

In 2022, Roshanak was recognized as Iran’s Top Interior Designer. She has participated in many national and international competitions, both as a contestant and as a jury member.

Her work spans luxury residences, commercial spaces, and hospitality projects, always guided by her belief in creating happy spaces that combine elegance, functionality, and emotional connection. In addition to her design practice, Amoda has expanded into related ventures including The Factory Atara, a design-focused furniture manufacturing company, and BLAC, a lifestyle restaurant brand.

Her journey reflects not only her creative vision but also her entrepreneurial spirit, resilience, and commitment to shaping spaces that inspire and uplift people’s lives.

With over 40 years of experience in architecture and interior design, Mr. Trung is a co-founder of TTT Architects (est. 1992), where he has led numerous award-winning projects. He served as Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Architects in 2020 and has actively contributed to CPD seminars for continuous professional development. A strong advocate of green architecture, he currently chairs the Ho Chi Minh City Green Architecture Club, heads the Design Advisory Committee of the Vietnam Interior Design Association, and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC). Since 2016, he has also been a jury member for AYDA in the Interior Design category.

Her work spans luxury residences, commercial spaces, and hospitality projects, always guided by her belief in creating happy spaces that combine elegance, functionality, and emotional connection. In addition to her design practice, Amoda has expanded into related ventures including The Factory Atara, a design-focused furniture manufacturing company, and BLAC, a lifestyle restaurant brand.

Her journey reflects not only her creative vision but also her entrepreneurial spirit, resilience, and commitment to shaping spaces that inspire and uplift people’s lives.

Saivipa has been educated in Thailand, UK and US, giving her exposure to global cultures. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Architecture Degree. Saivipa has over 20 years of experience as an Interior Designer at P49 Deesign with a focus on hospitality design. She is passionate about creating experiential spaces and her endless curiosity of the human interaction within a space powers her creative design solution.

As Executive Director, she drives her team and build her client relationships with a collaborative spirit. Her works include projects both in Thailand and abroad and ranging from city hotels to destination resorts. Her recent work includes the Taj Amer Hotel in Jaipur India, Artyzen Habitat Taopu in Shanghai China and Khaolak Marriott Beach Resort & Spa in Thailand.

Saivipa also gives back to the design community with over 10 years of working with Thailand Interior Design Association. She is a frequent judge on design awards and TIDA Thesis Awards as well as cherishing her participation as student thesis jury.

Yeşim Kozanlı, who graduated from Bilkent University’s Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design in 1994, began her career working on interior design, project, and application, primarily focusing on residential and office spaces, including store and restaurant designs. She also offered consultancy services and held managerial roles in domestic and international firms.

She later founded Yeşim Kozanlı Architecture & Interior Design with a dynamic team that brings the past into the present. Her firm quickly gained recognition through distinctive designs, especially in hospitality, and is now accredited by many global hotel chains. In her work, Yeşim emphasises simplicity and function while creating extraordinary concepts through diverse materials and colour combinations. Her designs aim to tell meaningful stories, grounded in a thoughtful exploration of what, why, and how we build better living spaces.

With over 28 years of experience, Yeşim continues to provide architectural and interior solutions to global brands and is a founding member of the Idealist Interior Architecture Association.

Mesa Nopakun is the Managing Director of Dot Line Plane Company Limited, an interior design firm based in Thailand known for its work across hospitality, commercial, retail, and residential spaces throughout Asia. With over 20 years of experience, Mesa combines conceptual creativity with hands-on project management to deliver designs that are not only visually compelling, but also deeply soulful and purposeful.

He holds a degree in Architecture with a major in Interior Architecture from Chulalongkorn University, and has furthered his studies at renowned institutions including Parsons School of Design, Columbia University, and Cornell University. Mesa also serves as Vice President of the Thailand Interior Design Association (TIDA) as a Professional Affairs Committee, where he contributes as President of the Thesis Award Committee. He is also part of the international judging panel for the APSDA Award for two consecutive years, 2024 and 2025, hosted by the Asia-Pacific Space Designers Association (APSDA).

A passionate advocate for growth and exploration, Mesa is excited to share his journey and insights with young designers at AYDA, encouraging them to challenge their limits and pursue meaningful, human-centred design.

Dr. Lilia ‘Lil’ de Jesus is an esteemed educator and leader in interior design, with decades of experience shaping the academic and professional landscape. She currently heads the Interior Design programme at Enderun Colleges and is part of the Graduate School Education Cluster at the University of Santo Tomas, where she continues to mentor future educators and designers.

Dr. Lil holds advanced degrees in Art Education and Educational Psychology. She previously served as Chair of the Commission on Higher Education’s Technical Committee for Interior Design from 2013 until 2024. She is also a four-term President of the Council of Interior Design Educators and a former President of the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID). Internationally, she has served on the boards of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) and APSDA, and continues to champion design education reform through initiatives such as AYDA.

Currently, she is actively involved in the Philippine Green Building Initiatives (PGBI), a non-profit organisation established in 2010 to promote sustainable design and construction practices. PGBI aims to develop a green building rating system and encourage the adoption of green building principles across the industry. Dr. Lil cultivates this passion for sustainability by continuously educating herself on its principles and real-world impact — blending lifelong learning with advocacy to drive meaningful change.

She also serves as part of the international judging panel for AYDA, where she contributes her deep expertise to nurturing the next generation of design leaders.

Ms. Bindra Kachhipati Pradhan is a seasoned interior designer with nearly three decades of experience spanning residential, corporate, government, hospitality, and retail sectors. A graduate of the International Polytechnic for Women in New Delhi, she is well-regarded for her work in design, project management, and consultancy across Nepal.

From 2019 to 2023, Ms. Pradhan served as President of the Interior Designers Association of Nepal (IDEA Nepal), where she played a pivotal role in elevating the association’s presence both nationally and internationally. She previously served as a Board Member of the Asia Pacific Space Designers Association (APSDA) from 2019-2021 and 2021-2023 and currently serves as a Board Member of the APSDA College of Fellows (ACOF).

A strong advocate for education and community building, she regularly contributes as a guest lecturer and speaker at design institutions. As a founding member of the Gambhirman Visho Niketan Foundation, Ms. Pradhan continues to support the advancement of education—values she brings to the AYDA Awards judging panel.

Additionally, she serves as Brand Ambassador for the “Asia Designers Directory” magazine.

Bill Yen is the Founding Partner and Director of MRT Design in Shanghai, where he leads a multidisciplinary team delivering impactful work across architecture, interior, and spatial design. With a Master of Architecture from Harvard University and a dual degree in Economics and Studio Art from Duke University, Bill brings a rare synthesis of design sensitivity and strategic thinking to his practice.

In addition to his professional work, Bill is a committed educator, having served as Professor and Thesis Advisor at Fudan University’s School of Visual Arts, and as Assistant Professor at Hong Kong University (Shanghai Campus). His academic background spans landscape architecture, urban planning, and spatial design.

Bill’s work has received numerous accolades, including recognition from the Design for Asia Awards and multiple Top 50 Interior Design Works citations in Shanghai. As a judge for AYDA’s Interior Design category, he brings a global perspective shaped by both practice and pedagogy, inspiring emerging talents to craft spaces with purpose and innovation.