Being a Keynote Speaker at Hack Club Overglade 2026 Game Conference & Hackathon 🎮

Feb 01, 2026

Hi everyone, melvincwng here!

Last month in February, I had the privilege of serving as a keynote speaker at Hack Club Overglade, an international game conference and hackathon that brought together 60+ game developers from 12+ countries.

My keynote, “Play to Build: How Serious Games, AI/ML, and GenAI Are Shaping the Next Generation of Developers in Singapore’s Tech Ecosystem” highlighted the vibrancy of Singapore’s tech ecosystem and culture.

I shared how our ecosystem supports research-driven innovation, using HealthPredictor.AI as an example of how AI can move beyond hype to deliver meaningful preventive healthcare and educational impact. From clinical grounding to real-world deployment tradeoffs, my core message was simple: technology must serve people, not ego.

I also reflected on Singapore’s journey, shaped by leaders such as Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Keng Swee, whose long-term thinking and resilience helped define the Singapore spirit.

Peace and stability are gifts we cannot take for granted. During the keynote, I took a moment to thank the Singapore Police Force, Singapore Armed Forces, and Ministry of Defence for their daily dedication to safeguarding our nation. The ability to build, innovate, and host international communities rests on the foundation they uphold.

Beyond ecosystem reflections, I covered:

• How serious games enhance learning, grounded in neuroscience research on engagement, feedback loops, and cognitive reinforcement

• Practical AI and ML system thinking, from model fundamentals to deployment realities

• Prompt engineering techniques for builders working with GenAI

• Career insights for young developers navigating an AI-augmented future

Beyond the conference itself, participants travelled islandwide across Singapore, visiting coastal parks and iconic landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands. It was meaningful to see international developers experience both our tech ecosystem and the broader culture and identity of Singapore.

Grateful to Tongyu Jiang, Lead Organizer and Raffles Institution alumnus, and Zach Latta, Founder of Hack Club, for the opportunity and their dedication to building global developer communities.

Appreciation also to Mr. Ian Pang, Investment Banking Data Specialist at UBS and prospective student at the National University of Singapore Department of Statistics and Data Science, for contributing as a guest data analytics speaker.

Special thanks to GitHub, GitHub Education, and the generous donor community supporting Hack Club, including Tom Preston-Werner (Co-founder of GitHub), Michael Dell (CEO of Dell Technologies), and Elon Musk (CEO of Tesla), whose support empowers young developers worldwide.

Here are some selected photos from the conference:

Hack Club Overglade Conference 2026 Keynote Opening Slides by Melvin Ng RPh, GitHub Developer Advocate

Hack Club Overglade Conference 2026 Keynote Title - by Melvin Ng RPh

Melvin Ng, RPh (melvincwng), Keynote Speaker and GitHub Developer Advocate, sharing about his background and journey in Technology, Education, Community, Healthcare (TECH)

Keynote speaker Melvin Ng, RPh sharing insights on Singapore’s tech ecosystem and AI/ML

Keynote Speaker Melvin Ng RPh, GitHub Developer Advocate, sharing about his impressive educational background and credentials

Introduction of Guest Speaker, Mr. Ian Pang, Investment Banking Data Specialist at UBS and prospective student at the National University of Singapore Department of Statistics and Data Science

Group photo of Ian Pang (UBS Investment Banking Data Specialist), Zach Latta (Founder of Hack Club), and Melvin Ng RPh (Keynote Speaker, GitHub Developer Advocate) - it was great hearing his motivation behind founding Hack Club, the world’s largest community of young developers

Introduction and demo of HealthPredictor.AI, a preventive healthcare AI system developed by Melvin Ng RPh, GitHub Developer Advocate and his team at Hack Club Overglade Conference 2026

The humble beginnings of the team behind HealthPredictor.AI, with Melvin Ng RPh (GitHub Developer Advocate) and his team during the early stages of development

Melvin Ng, RPh (Keynote Speaker, GitHub Developer Advocate) with Tongyu Jiang (Hack Club Overglade 2026 Conference & Hackathon Lead Organizer) and Mr. Ian Pang (UBS Investment Banking Data Specialist)

Melvin Ng RPh, GitHub Developer Advocate with Hack Club Overglade 2026 Conference Guest Speaker - Mr. Ian Pang (UBS Investment Banking Data Specialist) at Coastal Park outing which was organized by Hack Club USA, Vermont

It was a joy engaging with 60+ international game developers from 12+ countries. Excited to see what they build next.

FYI - For those interested in the keynote slides, it can be found on my LinkedIn profile 🚀

Signing out,

Melvin Ng, RPh (GitHub Developer Advocate, Singapore)

@melvincwng’s GitHub Profile

@melvincwng’s LinkedIn Profile