Nicholas Mac Gregor Garcia

AI Governance & FinTech | Researcher & Educator | Cross-Sector Connector

Singapore, Singapore

About

Specialist in AI governance, fintech, and blockchain at the intersection of research, regulation, and industry. At NUS, I co-direct the FinTech Lab, sustaining over $1M in sponsorships, supervising 30+ students (placements at MAS, Visa, Coinbase), and publishing in venues such as ICIS and AAMAS. I design courses on fintech, blockchain, and AI governance, and convene stakeholders through 500+ participant events and cross-university AI policy hackathons. My focus is advancing responsible fintech, scaling AI safety research, and positioning Singapore as a global hub for technology governance.

Experience

  • Lecturer at National University of Singapore
    Nov 2022 - Present · 3 yrs 8 mos

    Built & Delivered advanced courses on FinTech, blockchain, and AI governance Supervised 30+ students with placements at MAS, Visa, and Coinbase; co-authored publications. Published research in ICIS and AAMAS, influencing ASEAN fintech governance dialogues. Convened cross-sector projects linking regulators, industry, and students. Championed ethical AI and blockchain practices, preparing graduates for complex regulatory environments.

  • Co-Director - Industry at NUS FinTech Lab
    Nov 2022 - Present · 3 yrs 8 mos

    Co-led strategic direction and external engagement for NUS FinTech Lab. Helped sustain >$1M in sponsorships through successful partnerships Organized flagship FinTech Lab Crawl (500+ participants) and industry-academic roundtables. Strengthened NUS profile as a regional fintech governance hub.

  • Teaching & Facilitation at (Various Programs)
    2020 - Present · 6 yrs 6 mos

    Facilitator – Introduction to AI Safety (AIS Collab / ENAIS, 2025): Led global governance-focused cohort discussions based on syllabi from Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, and OpenAI researchers. Instructor – Inspirit AI (Stanford-affiliated, 2021): Delivered AI workshops for pre-university students, teaching ML fundamentals, AI ethics, and Python applications. Co-Instructor – NYU Stern (2020): Taught “Data Analytics for Business,” emphasizing technical implementation and ethical decision-making.

  • Advisory & Professional Service at Academic & Industry Ecosystem Roles
    2018 - Present · 8 yrs 6 mos

    Academic Organizer – APRU Asia-Pacific Tech Policy Hackathon (2024-2025), guiding multi-university teams on AI governance, digital inclusion, and financial innovation. Judge & Mentor – APRU Tech Policy Hackathon (2024-2025). Organizer – NUS FinTech Lab Crawl (2023-2024), convening 500+ participants from industry, government, and academia. Institutional Liaison – APRU-NUS FinTech Collaboration. Reviewer – International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS).

  • Doctoral Student at NYU Stern School of Business
    Jun 2015 - Jan 2022 · 6 yrs 8 mos

    Conducted PhD research on blockchain governance and AI systems, combining ethnography, case studies, and computational methods. Dissertation: Rule of Code or Rule of Man? Human Assumptions in Algorithmic Systems. Published in DiO, ICIS, AAMAS; presented at Academy of Management.