The Gen XY Lifestyle
Women, Storytelling and Purpose: TRIT, Aqua Tula and Rise & Thrive Convene at The Nanson
An intimate gathering of women leaders, creatives and changemakers came together at The Nanson on 15 January 2026, creating an intentional space centered around community, wellness, jewellery and shared purpose.
Hosted by Malissa Sander, founder of Aqua Tula, the event featured the unveiling of a personal jewellery collection by Jenny Syquia alongside a charitable partnership with Rise & Thrive.
The gathering was designed as a fluid, conversation-led experience, bringing together women across design, business, wellness and philanthropy in a relaxed setting.
Jewellery as Memory and Meaning: TRIT – The Road I’ve Traveled
Created by Jenny Syquia, TRIT – The Road I’ve Traveled transforms life’s defining moments into intimate, wearable heirlooms. Drawing from her editorial background with American Vogue and Tatler, Syquia’s work focuses on jewellery as an emotional artefact.
The collection features the signature TouchDate Technique (patent pending), where meaningful dates are encoded into diamonds or raised dots. This allows the wearer to physically trace a memory through touch, holding personal significance known only to themselves.
Wellness and Resilience: The Spirit of Aqua Tula
Founded by Malissa Sander, Aqua Tula is a community-led wellness brand built around strength, movement and mental resilience through water-based training. Beyond fitness, the brand acts as a connector for women, focusing on shared purpose and hormonal health.
The method supports women through various life stages, including:
- Pre-natal and postnatal recovery.
- Perimenopause and menopause.
- Periods of hormonal change.
“As women, we often carry many identities at once—creator, carer, leader, builder,” says Sander. “This gathering is about honouring those journeys and creating space for meaningful connection”.
Empowering Independence: Rise & Thrive
The event supported Rise & Thrive, a Singapore-based charity dedicated to strengthening financial self-sufficiency and wellbeing for women navigating financial instability while managing family responsibilities.
The Active Age ran a Q&A with the Rise & Thrive Team
the Active Age (AA) : Since 2019, you have helped dozens of ‘Risers’ build sustainable businesses. What is your next major milestone for 2026?
Rise & Thrive (R&T): Since our founding, we have journeyed with more than 90 women through 1:1 mentorship, financial literacy training and coaching. Our next milestone is to onboard 30 new Risers in 2026 while continuing to support our existing community of roughly 65 active home-based businesses. We are also piloting a coaching and lifeskills vertical to serve 40 members from financially challenged backgrounds. Our model remains intentionally relational; we meet women at their own pace because we know caregiving and financial stress require high-touch intervention to create lasting change.
AA: How do you balance practical business training with emotional and mental support?
R&T: For our Risers, business and wellbeing are intertwined. If you are navigating financial stress or health challenges, the “business problem” is rarely just about marketing—it is about bandwidth. We run structured business modules alongside learnings like “managing your nervous system” or confidence-building through Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Each Riser also receives a “Rise & Reflect” Journal for inner reflection. Our volunteer “Guides” provide a steady, trauma-informed holding space, as we believe personal stability must go hand-in-hand with financial stability.
AA: How has the digital economy changed the types of businesses your Risers are creating?
R&T: The digital economy has been a real enabler in Singapore. A Riser can now build an income stream from her kitchen table—catering, bakes, crafts or beauty services—and find customers via WhatsApp and Instagram. However, the digital gap is real. We often start with basics like setting up email or using Canva. “Sustainable” now means being able to show up online consistently while managing caregiving duties. Even with AI tools making leaps forward, our work ensures we never lose the human piece; platforms bring visibility, but community brings courage.
AA: How do lifestyle-based partnerships like this one help amplify your message?
R&T: Partnerships with brands like TRIT and Aqua Tula create proximity and visibility. A thoughtfully curated wellness space is a gentle entry point for a new circle of potential mentors and donors. These brands align with our mission because they celebrate beauty, craft and the hard work it takes to run a business. When you invest in one woman, you invest in the stability of her home and the possibility of breaking intergenerational cycles. This message lands powerfully when experienced in person.
Donations and a portion of proceeds from the event support these women as they work towards greater financial stability and confidence.
Pictures courtesy of Aqua Tula.
