Meet the Jury — Young Stars MAD Competition 2026
30 hours. one brief. no second chances.
that's the Young Stars MAD Competition 2026 — the competition where student creatives from around the world fly to busan, south korea, receive a brief they've never seen before, and have exactly 30 hours to build something that could change everything.
no portfolio polish. no do-overs. just raw thinking, under pressure, in real time.
and the people watching? they're not just judges.
the young stars jury was selected to challenge you, push your thinking, and give you the kind of direct creative feedback most people spend years trying to get access to. this is that access.
⭐ Executive Jury
Chow Kok Keong — creative partner, k2x
the strategist who made ai and creativity speak the same language
310+ international awards — d&ad yellow pencil, three one show gold pencils, and metals from cannes lions, clio, lia, spikes asia, and more. a hybrid creative who champions strategy-led ideas and ai-enhanced creativity, with jury experience at d&ad, the one show, clio, spikes asia, adfest, and mad stars.
ready to show him what you've got?
🔹 Jury
Chandu Rajapreyar | group executive creative director, hakuhodo international vietnam
the creative explorer with the analytical precision of a strategist — and 25 years of proof
recognized at d&ad, cannes lions, one show, clio, spikes asia, and adfest. secured multiple agency of the year titles across southeast and south asia. co-founder of sd tech, an ai and blockchain solutions company.
Enkhbayasgalan Tungalag | chief executive officer, kmg group
mongolia's first cannes lions jury member — proof that great creative has no borders
leads kmg group across brand strategy, imc, media, and technology. 10+ years directing 200+ public-interest programs with governments and international organizations. became mongolia's first cannes lions jury member in 2025.
Karan Novas | partner and chief creative officer, tulom
cannes grand prix winner, creative educator — and someone who believes pr can be genuinely creative
50+ international awards including a cannes lions grand prix and sxsw innovation award. co-founder of tulom, a creative pr agency. teaches branded content at miami ad school. regular speaker and jury member at cannes lions, sxsw, lia, and mad stars.
Mark Verhagen | executive creative director, vml indonesia
the all-round creative who finds the human story inside every brief — from tv to cx to viral billboards
10+ years across agencies in amsterdam, kuala lumpur, and jakarta. award-winning work spanning tv commercials, digital campaigns, human-centred design, product design, and fully integrated campaigns.
Shinichi Kobayashi | executive creative director and creative innovation officer, adk marketing solutions inc.
30 years at the intersection of creativity, technology, and data — and still building what's next
leads a 120-member creative organization at adk. cannes lions gold and spikes asia grand prix. career spans rakuten and dentsu. 16 years as adjunct lecturer in advertising copywriting at kanazawa college of art.
Sunghyuk Hong | executive creative director, innocean
the storyteller who finds where brands and real human lives actually meet
known for emotionally resonant work in the automotive sector. currently leading heritage projects for iconic global corporations — redefining the role of advertising agencies as long-term creative partners.
Youji Noh | executive creative director, tbwa\media arts lab seoul
one of korea's rare female creative directors — quietly building some of the most influential work in the country
career across new york and singapore before being handpicked in 2011 as a founding creative of tbwa\media arts lab seoul — dedicated entirely to apple's business in korea.
🎙️ Moderator
Ben Heo | vice chairperson & professor, mad stars / hanshin university
key executive at cheil worldwide, instrumental in elevating samsung to global brand powerhouse. cmo of korea airports corporation and korea racing authority. secretary-general of adasia 2023 seoul. author of 160+ columns for the economist korea.
the jury's ready. the brief is coming. are you?
📅 25 – 28 august 2026 | signiel busan, south korea
