From Corporate Counsel to Catalyst: Jaya Prakash’s Journey "Beyond 18"
The Bridge is an interviews series on Legacy, Leverage and Intergenerational Leadership. This post is brought to you by Bridge to Significance Pte Ltd
For two and a half decades, Jaya Prakash Balakrishnan worked at the intersection of law, regulation and high-stakes corporate finance.
As General Counsel at Citibank Singapore for more than two decades, his world was one of risk assessment, regulatory frameworks, and the constant, high-pressure cadence of a global institution.
Following his retirement from Citibank in May 2026, Prakash entered a new phase—not simply leaving a longstanding role, but reconsidering the mindset that had accompanied it.
Now a participant in the National University of Singapore’s Distinguished Senior Fellowship Programme (DSFP), Prakash’s current trajectory offers a compelling study in professional reinvention
His journey—which he characterises as a transition into “Prakash 3.0”—is defined less by external metrics and more by exploring purposeful, sustainable impact. His “Beyond 18” project is examining the transition from school to adult life for young people with special needs, including neurodivergent young adults, to establish whether material gaps exist, where they occur and whether a pilot intervention is warranted.
The Art of Unlearning
The transition from a 25-year corporate career to the fellowship was not a crisis of identity, but rather a profound exercise in unlearning.
For years, Prakash’s professional life necessitated a “24/7 high-planning mindset.” It served him well in the demanding environment of banking, but he realised that he did not want it to govern the life he was now building.
“The challenge,” Prakash reflects, “was unlearning that mindset.”
In his former role, resilience was often tested by systemic professional threats—the periods of organisational volatility, market instability, and the weight of massive institutional responsibility.
Yet, he notes that his most impactful challenges were often personal: the human element of leadership, such as letting people go or navigating the complex expectations of those around him.
Going forward, Prakash is consciously avoiding the urge to recreate an achievement-oriented identity. Instead, he describes his approach as “peaceful” and “going with the flow.”
He is prioritising interests that provide personal energy, a stark contrast to the pressure-cooker environment of the banking sector.
The DSFP: A New Ecosystem of Growth
Prakash describes his experience in the fourth week of the DSFP as “incredible”.
The fellowship has provided him with a new vantage point, allowing him to observe how concepts from one domain can be applied to others, fostering a cross-pollination of ideas that corporate silos rarely permit.
For Prakash, the most valuable element of the fellowship has been the “origin story” sessions.
In these sessions, participants share their personal inflection points and vulnerabilities
This vulnerability has been the glue for the cohort, creating connections that transcend professional networking and delve into the human stories behind the resumes.
This environment has also shifted his perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Previously, he viewed CSR through a more traditional lens. However, after listening to peers and visiting Smiling Gecko, a farm stay in Cambodia, his view evolved. He came to see that funding alone—the “check book” approach to social good—is insufficient.
He has become a proponent of finding sustainable, grounded methods for social impact, a shift that is now directly informing his current project.
Examining the “Post-18 Cliff”
The core of Prakash’s current work is the “Beyond 18” project. It begins with a question: whether some young adults with special needs, including those who are neurodivergent, experience a “post-18 cliff” as they leave the structured school environment, and whether existing pathways adequately support their continued learning, work and belonging.
“One question is whether existing pathways adequately support individuals whose strengths may be less visible,” Prakash observes.
While success stories are rightly celebrated, the project will examine the experiences of young adults who struggle to find meaningful employment or continue their development after graduation.
Prakash’s approach is characterised by caution and deep listening. His earlier concept, “SPOTLIGHT,” explored how AI might help educators capture observations and make a student’s less visible strengths, interests and support needs easier to understand; it was not intended as a diagnostic tool.
Through the project selection and evolution process within the DSFP, he shifted his focus to the broader transition challenge. “Beyond 18” is not presently a proposal for a new centre; it is a discovery and pilot-design project intended to establish the ground realities before deciding whether any intervention is needed and, if so, what form it should take.
A Fact-Finding Future
What does life look like for Prakash going forward? It is a life of inquiry.
He has no fixed expectations for his DSFP outcome, preferring to explore with an open mind.
He is currently on a “fact-finding mission,” seeking input from young adults, caregivers, educators, service providers, employers and relevant institutions to determine whether there are material gaps in existing support and, if so, their nature and extent.
His request to society is simple but profound: he needs information and connection. He aims to ensure his project addresses an actual need rather than imposing a top-down solution.
From his earlier work, he learned the importance of stakeholder engagement, legal and regulatory discipline, and testing assumptions before acting. He is applying the same discipline here: slowing down to ensure that the project rests on a sound evidential foundation.
In many ways, Prakash is applying the same strategic discipline that made him an effective General Counsel to the world of social enterprise. He is still a strategist, but the stakes have changed.
His focus is no longer the legal and regulatory affairs of a bank; it is now on exploring how young people with special needs might be better supported as they move into adult life.
And as he moves into this next phase, the defining characteristic of his life will not be the revenue generated or the risks mitigated, but the energy he finds in the work itself—a quiet, sustainable, and entirely human endeavor. ---------- If you're keen to find out more about the DSFP or support Prakash's work: ian.gan@smaths.com
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