At Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI), our mission has always been to facilitate broad cross-sector collaboration between the private and social impact sectors, to promote the free sharing of knowledge, resources, and information to build a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable Hong Kong. With our mission-aligned partners across sectors, we continue to nurture the next generation of purpose-led youth to become the effective leaders of tomorrow.
On 21 September, we once again collaborated with our long-time corporate partner, Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks, to support youth in their career planning in a collaborative workshop that brought 14 Goldman Sachs volunteers and nine Impact Lab Course students together. What made this career conversation workshop unique was the creative guidance provided by one of our Impact Lab Course partners, Gowld Art Centre (GAC), which transformed the workshop into a space for self-discovery, connection, and redefining what it means to lead with purpose.
Connecting Experience to Ambition
The youth career workshops designed by FSI and our partners are never just about sharing career tips, but also about helping young people anchor their professional goals to their core values.
By framing Goldman Sachs volunteers as “mentors and peers” and not just professionals skilled in their respective expertise, we allowed all participants to engage in dialogues that went beyond crafting resumes to uncertainty, values clashes, and the courage to align work with what matters most.
Paired with GAC’s creative activities, this dialogue became a non-judgemental space for growth. As one Goldman Sachs volunteer put it, “It wasn’t about telling students what to do — it was about helping them find what they want to do.” That’s exactly the kind of empowerment FSI strives to achieve: equipping youth to lead with self-awareness and ambition.
A Day of Discovery: From Colors to Vision Boards
The workshop unfolded as a journey of self-reflection, with each creative activity led by GAC building on the last to help participants connect their inner values to outer goals.
During the warm-up exercises, participants painted their vision of themselves. Kaisha Woo, Founder and Director of GAC, then used the “Wheel of Life” to help participants visualize how those values align with different areas of life — from career to personal growth — and subsequently identify the gaps and priorities.
Kaisha also used the “Onion Peeling” exercise to help participants dig past surface-level desires to uncover or rediscover core values. Participants were then asked to create a Vision Board to represent their thoughts when they were thinking by themselves with their eyes closed.
The session concluded with heartwarming stories of self-reflection, including a volunteer realizing that they had neglected “creativity” in their career, and a student mapping out a path that blended social impact and tech.
Gowld Art Centre: Art as a Language for Self-Discovery
FSI’s work thrives on partnering with organizations that share our commitment to driving lasting systems change, and Gowld Art Centre (GAC) is a perfect example of such partners. As a social enterprise dedicated to building compassion through art, GAC helped the participants turn abstract ideas about their values, purpose, and emotions into tangible and visual outputs.
From guiding students to make color association with their different levels of career anxiety, to helping volunteers unpack core values through the “Onion Peeling” exercise, GAC successfully made deep reflection a fun activity to do.
Said Kaisha Woo, Founder and Director of GAC: “We often look to change our lives externally, but this session invited people to take ownership of their self-discovery by understanding themselves better. We hope that this session contributed to the volunteers and students living a more aligned and balanced life.”
A Holistic Self-Discovery Workshop for All Involved
The workshop was a great success, offering participating youth and Goldman Sachs volunteers a rare opportunity to reflect, recalibrate, and make meaningful connections.
Of the 23 participants, 87% agreed that they were “more equipped to align daily life with values” as a result of the workshop. 91% agreed that artistic processes “assisted with self-reflection”. 78% reported growing more self-compassion — a key part of building resilient leaders. 91% said that they would recommend the workshop to friends.
Said Charlotte Yeung, a Goldman Sachs volunteer: “From this workshop, I learned to live life with colors and fulfillment without regrets.”
The sentiment is echoed by Ying Long, another Goldman Sachs volunteer: “It was a truly peaceful and calming session full of meaningful connections and spiritual exchanges. It helped me dig deeper into my inner self and get inspiration from others. Thank you!”
Equally thankful about the workshop are the participating Impact Lab students. Said Thiha Tun: “I was able to explore different values derived from all walks of life.”
“Meeting so many extraordinary people here today was a wonderful experience,” said Kevin Shao, another Impact Lab student. “I love the way we conduct our conversations around art and self-discovery.”
Work with Us to Nurture Today’s Youth into Tomorrow’s Effective Leaders
Interested in joining our long-time partners like Goldman Sachs to nurture today’s youth into tomorrow’s effective leaders, while engaging and developing your best talent? Get in touch with us at info@shared-impact.com to explore how we can design bespoke, mutually beneficial workshops for you and your colleagues.
*This blog post was written by Kevin Shao, Communications and Marketing intern at the Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI) during the Fall 2025 semester of the Impact Lab Course.
