The Stellar Team

Meet the Stellar Team!

Stella Thng — Director 

Stellar Communications Consultancy is the mouthpiece of Stella Thng, a veteran mass communication practitioner with over 20 years of experience. A former magazine editor with MediaCorp Pte Ltd, she now runs this editorial and public relations firm while shaping the next generation of communicators as a lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and former associate lecturer at Republic Polytechnic.

Read more about Stella at ‘About’. Like her on FaceBook (Search and like ‘Stellar Communications Consultancy’), connect with her at Linkedin  or follow her on Instagram at stellar_comms_consult.

Editorial and Social Media Management

Hanis Jazil — Writer

Deriving humour from the unexpected, Hanis Jazil believes that no delivery is complete without a punchline. After all, there’s nothing quite like a good ol’ punchline to leave a lasting imprint on the memory. While he’s busy daydreaming and romanticizing ideas, slap him so that he’ll wake up and he’ll save you the efforts of enduring a boring monologue with a punchline to help place things into greater perspective.

Hanis is one of Stella’s former journalism students whom she trained and was handpicked to be her right-hand man. Before joining Stellar Communications Consultancy, he was a writer and community executive at Terrapinn, where he managed the daily maintenance and content creation of Total Mining, Total Real Estate, Total Supply, Total Electricity and Total Health websites. Connect with him at Linkedin .

Deborah Wee — Writer

Deborah Wee was set on becoming a writer even before she realised it. Whether it was in the form of her father, an author, or the countless books she buried herself into, Deborah grew up surrounded by writers. The loquacious child naturally found a release in writing, and has been addicted to expressing herself through the written word ever since.
If ever there was a respite from reading and writing, it came in the form of movies and television, which she writes about on her own entertainment news and review website, Talkiewood.com. Currently a student at the National University of Singapore, Deborah is a freelance journalist who has interned at Singapore’s Child magazine and inSing, where she interviewed South Korean girl group 2NE1, and wrote for HungryGoWhere. After a brief stint as a secondary school relief teacher following her A Level exams, she returned to inSing for five months; read more of her works here, here, here and here . Deborah hopes to pursue a career in journalism and realise her dream of becoming an entertainment writer.

Lee Yang Yi — Writer/Web Designer 

 From a young age, Lee Yang Yi has always been attracted to the almost ethereal glow of the television screen. That attraction has driven him to learn more about the media by pursuing a Bachelor of the Arts Degree in Communications with the University at Buffalo after graduating with a Diploma with merit from Republic Polytechnic, where he was trained by Stella in her feature writing module.

As an aspiring writer and journalist, he spends his time away from his studies as an avid blogger (you can read his musings here – http://www.thisisyyl.com). The endeavour to share his written word on the web have led him to gain proficiency in using design software like Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop and After Effects. Yang Yi has since put his eye for design to good use, developing websites for clients such as Restore Heart Centre.  

Before joining Stellar Communications Consultancy, Yang Yi has had internship experience in writing for a variety of magazine titles like August Woman, Teenage Magazine and Singapore’s Child. View his portfolio here.

Manfred Tham — Writer 

Life isn’t quite fun without cynical optimism. Life also isn’t fun without seemingly oxymoronic world views. Manfred Tham believes in the goodness of everything, but that doesn’t mean nothing can’t receive snarky criticism or evaluation. To that end, Manfred enjoys expressing his views in writing because words are a little easier to keep track of than an extended conversation.

He is an ex-editor of Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s entertainment and lifestyle E-Zine, The UrbanWire, working under Stella’s guidance. He’s also the current Chief Tech Editor of DANamic.ORG, where he handles games, gear and technological news alongside anything else that piques his curiosity.

A graduate of Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Mass Communication diploma, Manfred has obliterated (or lauded) many films and interviewed his fair share of influential people (Neil Humphreys, Oon Shu An, The Maine and Scarlet Avenue. He’s also a passionate lover of food. Currently pursuing his interest in journalism, he’s a freelance journalist as he waits to serve his 2 years of compulsory patriotism.

Renald Loh — Writer

Renald Loh expresses his thoughts only when he finds it necessary to, and his friends know he finds many things necessary.
He studied Mass Communication for 3 years at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, during which he served as editor of the entertainment and lifestyle e-zine ‘The UrbanWire’ for half a year, covering everything from concerts and sporting events, to movie and tech reviews under Stella’s supervision. But his greatest achievement during his stint remains being told to ‘man up’ by a WWE champion.

Renald also writes for Channel News Asia’s Start-UP, a one-stop information portal for potential entrepreneurs and new start-uppers.

Kristie Ng — Writer

An aspiring writer, Kristie Ng has a passion for translating electrifying ideas onto paper and watching them come to life. Between dreaming of ramen 24/7, the only other productive thing she does- is writing. 

Graduating with a diploma in Mass Communications from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Kristie’s passion supersedes just mere writing, ultimately connecting and moving readers is what motivates her. There is so much to be inspired with and sharing these stories only ties the community closer.

Harbouring a not-so-secret adoration for the arts, you can find Kristie’s work on Wallflowers, a local online art journal here and here. For café and movie reviews, turn to UrbanWire, an entertainment and lifestyle magazine. If you’d like to read a little of her poetry and prose, hop on over here.

Sandra Yim — Writer

Sandra Yim developed her flair for writing at a young age, where she followed her father for interviews and even press conferences. Getting exposed to the media industry earlier than most, sparked a deep founded interest that was validated when she was approached by her teacher to be a part of the Reporters’ Club in primary school. She has never looked back since.

Whether she’s writing a profile story on a local celebrity or crafting an advertorial for a client, Sandra enjoys injecting her personality into her writing and playing with the English Language to string her words together. A foodie at heart, Sandra also wrote multiple food reviews and practiced food photography during her time as a journalist at TheSmartLocal. Apart from sprucing up her writing with occasional puns, Sandra also enjoys designing and often takes the time to replicate the art that goes into designing logos, layouts and websites. 
DESIGN & WEB DEVELOPMENT 

Olivia Teng — Design Strategist

Olivia Teng was born to create. Her fingers have never stayed still, from painting as a toddler, to designing Stellar Communications Consultancy’s logo, and sketching architectural blueprint at Singapore Poly, where she graduated at the top of her Diploma in Architecture course (see here) in 2014. She also earned a slew of academic and industry accolades like 2011 Director’s Honour Roll, Singapore Institude of Architects Gold Medal, Board of Architects prize, LOOK Architect Prize and Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore Prize.

Olivia was also handpicked to be part of archiLAB and DARCH’s design thinking project with the National Library Board (NLB), where she helped to co-create with NLB, a design prototype for the future library at Orchard Gateway, interned with the award-winning W Architects, and joined DP Architects before pursuing her undergraduate studies at the National University of Singapore. A born designer who hopes to marry her love for art with the rigour of architecture, Olivia is the team’s Design Strategist who will work closely with clients to develop their visual communication strategies.

Tammy Alysha Lui — Graphic Designer/Writer

A recent graduate from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Diploma in Mass Communication, Tammy Alysha Lui is an aspiring writer-cum-graphic designer.
Her passion for writing stemmed from her younger days when she joined the Young Authors Scheme at the age of 10. Since then, Tammy’s work has been published in Millionaire Asia magazine, and on TheUrbanWire.com (E.g. Star Wars: The Force Awakens review, ONE OK ROCK “35xxxv” Asia Tour review, The Good Dinosaur review) and DANamic.org (E.g. Cashew Chemists: Different Formula, Same Chemists).

Her graphic design portfolio is equally varied. She has worked with companies such as L-Intelligent Horizons Eduhub and Fuzzie The Gifting App, designing a range of things from logos to social media collaterals to coupons. 

Having also worked as Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s campus radio station, Radio Heatwave’s, Marketing Manager for six months, Tammy also has experience in crafting and executing marketing plans, and managing various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Some of her other interests include a capella singing and analysing television shows with complicated plots. One of her lifelong dreams is to one day attend San Diego Comic Con.

Sophia Hyder — Web Designer/Writer

Sophia Hyder’s love for design came to her by accident. After browsing university web pages, she was appalled at the length of time it took for her to get to the page she wanted. So, she became the change she wanted to see in the world and brushed up on her design, illustration and coding skills. Her goal is to ensure no poor soul has to ever go through what she had to.

She also does layout design for print and digital publications, which is, funnily enough, much harder than she thought it would be. In the digital age, everyone wants to receive as much information as possible in the shortest possible time. Visual storytelling is the way to go, and if you have a story you want to tell, Sophia can make it happen.

Also a writer and host, she has written for multiple digital publications, was the ex-editor of Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s lifestyle and entertainment print magazine, HYPE, and a DJ at her campus radio station, Radio Heatwave.

Loi Liang Yang — Web Developer

Schooled in Computer Science at the National University of Singapore, Loi Liang Yang developed his entrepreneurial streak by co-owning a computing solutions company since his school days. He has designed and developed websites for a wide range of clients from restaurants to other small and medium enterprises.

He enjoys merging his IT know-hows with a keen eye for aesthetics by developing elegant, user-friendly websites that both clients and their customers will enjoy. His first project at Stellar Communications Consultancy is to develop a website and other online presence for an organic farm in Singapore. Stay tuned for more of Yang’s works.

PHOTOGRAPHY   

Rhys Cheng — Photographer

Rhys Cheng is a talent that Stella discovered in one of her poly classrooms. It all started when he got his first camera back in 2011. After a year of “random photo-taking”, Rhys started attracting paid gigs. His portfolio was built on the back of event photography, including concerts for local bands such as JJ and The Paperplanes.

In the past 2 years, Rhys has also ventured into many different genres of photography, like sports (Singapore Youth Olympic Festival – Sailing), architecture and stage performances (Zhonghua Chinese Orchestra). He treats his lens like a third eye and has a knack for picking up on interesting details, be it in the wrinkles of a monk or the triumph of a stage performer, that make a photo pop. Follow Rhys’ work at his Rhys Cheng Photography Facebook page.

Rachel Yeo – Photographer/Writer  

 
With an inclination to both writing and taking photos, Rachel Yeo aspires to pursue a career in the news industry. It is also her hope, to inspire and create awareness about pressing social issues through her work. So far, she has created stories with her writing and photography skills that highlights on disabled people, Paralympians, and successful entrepreneurs.
But in the meantime, Rachel also enjoys writing about entertainment, lifestyle and soft news in general. Under sites like TheUrbanwire and DANamic.ORG, she has written a number of reviews ranging from memorable movies to the next café one should look out for. Music still remains one of Rachel’s favourite things to write about, and she has interviewed local musicians, as well as international bands.

For more of her writing and photography works, visit her portfolio site here.

 Besides the core Stellar team, we also collaborate closely with trusted partners, all veterans in their own field, to deliver one-stop solutions for our clients’ communications needs.

Social Media Consultant 

Thought leader, book nerd, information junkie and Google+ geek, Walter Lim has a keen interest in digital influence, content marketing, experience curation, and entrepreneurship. He is a regular speaker at conferences and workshops in topics ranging from social movements to branding and PR.

A former head of Communications at Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) and National Heritage Board (NHB), Walter led his previous team at NHB to launch Yesterday.sg in 2006 (previously ranked 3rd most popular museum blog in the world), initiated grassroots marketing experiments, and was a public sector pioneer in social media. He blogs at Cooler Insights to share his insights and experience gleaned from two decades of industry experience and public service. Connect with Walter on Facebook, Twitter (@coolinsights), Instagram: http://instagram.com/coolinsights Google+, LinkedIn or YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/coolinsights.

Marketing & Communications Practitioner
   

  
Dawn is a professional communicator, educator and writer with 17 years of experience in the media industry and civil service.

A story teller at heart, Dawn’s expertise and passion have always revolved around using metaphor and strategies to proliferate corporate and personal impressions.

She started her career as a Public Prosecutor with the Ministry of Manpower and moved into corporate branding and communications for close to a decade at MediaCorp and the National Library Board. Having nurtured a passion for training, she then made a natural transition into lecturing and coaching both tertiary and adult learners. Along the way, she gained insight and experience in developing training materials and worked with individuals in building their communication skills and developing their personal brand.

In her last appointment as Chief Marketing Officer at Caregiver Asia, she drove efforts to publicize the brand and their award-winning platform for healthcare on the move.

Connect with Dawn on LinkedIn https://sg.linkedin.com/in/dawnfoo and check out her writing at http://blog.caregiverasia.com/keep-calm-and-be-mindful

http://www.mindfulmoments.sg/blog/-my-moments-with-mindfulness

http://blog.caregiverasia.com/my-not-so-supermarket-shopping-story

http://blog.caregiverasia.com/a-sneak-peek-into-pregnancy-a-journey-like-no-other

Design Specialist  

Karin Koh founded InkEngineers, a boutique design agency, on her firm belief that good design enables better communication. The versatile design director has built a diverse portfolio ranging from retail malls to government organisations, educational institutions, healthcare companies, technology outfits and F&B outlets.

Over the past five years, InkEngineers has collaborated with Stellar Communications Consultancy to offer solutions for web and print media, including advertisements and campaigns, corporate identity, corporate and consumer publications and print collaterals. Clients include Frasers Centrepoint Malls, Jurong Point, Ngee Ann Poly and small and medium enterprises. See more of InkEngineers’ works here.

Photography