Heesu Jang is Director, Northeast Asia, at the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS). Having previously worked with CAPS, he has rejoined the organization to support stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships across Northeast Asia. In this role, he works closely with philanthropies, corporates, policymakers, and social delivery organizations in Japan and Korea to advance and deliver CAPS’ core offerings in convening, advisory services, and research relevant to the region.
With over a decade of experience, Heesu’s expertise lies at the intersection of social innovation policy, social entrepreneurship, and philanthropic strategy. His work focuses on ecosystem-building and cross-sector collaboration, supporting organizations as they navigate the institutional, policy, and partnership dimensions of private social investment in Asia. Having lived and worked across Asia, Europe, and North America, he brings a cross-regional perspective informed by experience engaging governments, foundations, and multilateral organizations. He regularly contributes to research, media coverage, and public discussions on social impact in Japan and Korea.
Before returning to CAPS, Heesu served as a Policy Analyst in the Social Economy and Innovation Unit at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, where he contributed to international policy work on social innovation, social economy development, and local-level enabling frameworks. Most notably, he worked closely with the European Commission to evaluate and provide strategic recommendations for the €120 billion European Social Fund (ESF) on advancing local-level social innovation ecosystems across 27 countries, while also leading the team’s activities across the Asia-Pacific region. Earlier in his career, he worked across the public, private, and social sectors, including roles with Bloomberg, Kraken Technologies (Octopus Energy Group), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He has also consulted for the Obama Foundation, T&C Foundation, the Beautiful Foundation, and Torque Pharmaceuticals.
Heesu holds an MSc in social innovation and entrepreneurship from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a BA in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is an inaugural Philanthropy for Better Cities Fellow, selected by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.
Heesu Jang is Director, Northeast Asia, at the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS). Having previously worked with CAPS, he has rejoined the organization to support stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships across Northeast Asia. In this role, he works closely with philanthropies, corporates, policymakers, and social delivery organizations in Japan and Korea to advance and deliver CAPS’ core offerings in convening, advisory services, and research relevant to the region.
With over a decade of experience, Heesu’s expertise lies at the intersection of social innovation policy, social entrepreneurship, and philanthropic strategy. His work focuses on ecosystem-building and cross-sector collaboration, supporting organizations as they navigate the institutional, policy, and partnership dimensions of private social investment in Asia. Having lived and worked across Asia, Europe, and North America, he brings a cross-regional perspective informed by experience engaging governments, foundations, and multilateral organizations. He regularly contributes to research, media coverage, and public discussions on social impact in Japan and Korea.
Before returning to CAPS, Heesu served as a Policy Analyst in the Social Economy and Innovation Unit at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, where he contributed to international policy work on social innovation, social economy development, and local-level enabling frameworks. Most notably, he worked closely with the European Commission to evaluate and provide strategic recommendations for the €120 billion European Social Fund (ESF) on advancing local-level social innovation ecosystems across 27 countries, while also leading the team’s activities across the Asia-Pacific region. Earlier in his career, he worked across the public, private, and social sectors, including roles with Bloomberg, Kraken Technologies (Octopus Energy Group), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He has also consulted for the Obama Foundation, T&C Foundation, the Beautiful Foundation, and Torque Pharmaceuticals.
Heesu holds an MSc in social innovation and entrepreneurship from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a BA in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is an inaugural Philanthropy for Better Cities Fellow, selected by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.