Secrets to Happiness by Loretta Chen

Dr. Loretta Chen is an award-winning director, professor and best-selling author. Her 3rd book, Madonnas and Mavericks: Power Women in Singapore saw her interviewing Singapore’s most illustrious women, including the incumbent President. Her latest, Inspiring Women of Hawaii was launched last Fall. All proceeds of the book go towards the Women of Waianae Scholarship fund and is available at Costco, Target and all good bookstores.

Hailing from Singapore, Loretta was the Creative Director of The Activation Group, a creative agency with offices around Asia. During her 20-year career, she helmed campaigns for Samsung, BNP Paribas’ inaugural all-star Women’s Tennis tournament featuring Serena Williams; Louis Vuitton, Adidas and World Wide Fund amongst others. She also directed theatrical productions including Victor Victoria that was staged during President Obama’s APEC visit to Singapore and The F Word (2011), which garnered her an Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award.
Other career highlights include nomination as a Member of Parliament, being Artist-in-Residence at University of Toronto, having her eponymous radio show on Lush 99.5FM, instituting a Young Designer’s Scholarship at Raffles Design Institute, hosting the World Cities Summit and being voted one of Asia’s Most Inspiring Women. She was also the International Consultant to Druk Holdings and Investments (DHI), the government investment arm of Bhutan where she facilitated round-tables between the countries. She is an Ordained Minister for traditional and non-denominational unions as well as a trained mediator. She currently volunteers with the Mediation Center of the Pacific and sits on the board of Manoa Valley Theater.

Loretta was a UCLA scholar, holds a PhD from National University of Singapore and a Certificate in Leadership from Harvard. She is completing an Advanced Certificate in Service Leadership & Innovation with Singapore Management University. She is a frequent keynote and TED speaker as well as Visiting Professor at East West Center, Stanford, University of Southern Maine, APU Ritsumeikan, Trinity University of Asia and Colegio de San Juan de Letran in The Philippines.

Now living her dream in Hawaii, she teaches at Leeward Community College and is cat mom to seven fur babies. Her upcoming short film Secrets to Happiness will be screened at international film festivals and she is humbled for this opportunity to share it with the Rotary Club of Honolulu Sunset.