About the Talk:

As AI reshapes industries worldwide, Southeast Asia faces a moment of extraordinary opportunity. In this fireside chat, Dr. Ronnie Chatterji, Chief Economist at OpenAI, joins Roderick Purwana, Managing Partner at East Ventures, one of the most active sector-agnostic venture capital firms in Southeast Asia. Their dynamic conversation is about how AI sparks innovation and growth across Indonesia’s dynamic economy.

Drawing on Dr. Chatterji’s expertise in global economic policy and Mr. Purwana’s experience in Indonesia’s venture capital ecosystem, they explore how young Indonesians are driving rapid AI adoption in their country, and the importance of designing AI tools that reflect — and respect — local cultures. The conversation also highlights how workforce development, education, and digital infrastructure are essential to generating inclusive, sustainable growth across the region.

Following the fireside chat, attendees are invited to join a networking session for 1:1 conversations with fellow Forum members—an opportunity to deepen connections and continue the dialogue on AI’s role in shaping Southeast Asia’s future.

About the Speakers:

Roderick Purwana, Managing Partner @ East Ventures

Roderick Purwana is a Managing Partner at East Ventures, focusing on growth-stage technology investments in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Roderick is an active investor with a diverse background in operations and investments in the venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) industries. Prior to East Ventures, he founded and ran SMDV, a technology venture firm affiliated with the Sinarmas Group, one of the leading conglomerate business groups in Indonesia. He spearheaded the creation of EV Growth (which has been merged with East Ventures since 2021) for SMDV, working closely with East Ventures and Yahoo Japan Capital in 2018.

Before SMDV, Roderick was with Quvat/Principia, where he played an active role in corporate finance (including M&A and IPO) for one of the firm’s portfolio companies. He was also the co-founder of Bobobobo, a pioneer in the lifestyle commerce space in Indonesia. Previously, he worked in Silicon Valley, where he started his career following his education in the area.

Roderick received his Master’s from Stanford University and his Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. In 2022, he was listed in the Fortune Indonesia 40 Under 40.

Ronnie Chatterji, Chief Economist @ OpenAI

Aaron “Ronnie” Chatterji, Ph.D., is OpenAI’s first Chief Economist. He is also the Mark Burgess & Lisa Benson-Burgess Distinguished Professor at Duke University, working at the intersection of academia, policy, and business. He served in the Biden Administration as White House CHIPS coordinator and Acting Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, shaping industrial policy, manufacturing, and supply chains. Before that, he was Chief Economist at the Department of Commerce and a Senior Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers. He is on leave as a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and previously taught at Harvard Business School. Earlier in his career, he worked at Goldman Sachs and was a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Chatterji holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University.