Theme: Gray Matter

TEDxMiriamCollege: Gray Matter
Dare to go beyond

This year’s theme is entitled “Gray Matter” that seeks to cover gray areas and challenge the audience to look and see how things are not simply black and white; how more things now have in-betweens that enables us to widen our horizons.

The color gray is not just one shade of gray; it is composed of many different shades. This TEDx theme will venture into these different gray areas to introduce and open to the audience about the different possibilities and the extents that can occur in our society and in our world. After having a solid idea of who we are, it’s time to talks about choices; choices that aren’t always black or white, sometimes it can be gray.

Miriam College
Katipunan Avenue
Quezon City, National Capital Region, 1108
Philippines

Ces Rondario

Entrepreneur

A serial entrepreneur, social development expert, and mentor, Ms. Ces Rondario co-founded Impact Hub Manila with the aim to catalyse purpose-driven entrepreneurs to use their enterprises as vehicles for social change. Impact Hub Manila is part of the largest network of entrepreneurs in the world. Impact Hub is currently present in 80 cities with over 15,000 Hubbers globally. Its core is entrepreneurship, community, and innovation. Besides her passion for social development and entrepreneurship, Ms. Rondario is also an AIESEC International Alumna, a Young Global Shaper of the World Economic Forum, and, a coffee lover.

Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim

Environmentalist

Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim has been the Director of the Biodiversity Management Bureau under the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources for 13 years. She led the development of policy frameworks on biodiversity friendly businesses and enterprises and ecotourism. To this day, Dr. Lim continues to handle protected areas, wildlife, caves, wetlands, and other critical ecosystems, and actively contributes to the betterment of Philippine biodiversity conservation.

Javi Cang

Mountaineer and Finance Professional

Javi Cang is an adventurer, mountaineer, photographer and finance professional. He began climbing mountains as a teenager and his explorations have led him to the top of some of the highest peaks in the Philippines and around the world. He has trekked in the Himalayas, and has climbed the highest mountains in Borneo, Japan, Taiwan and Mongolia to name a few. In 2011, he did a pioneering traverse of Mount Apo and Mount Talomo via the Tamayong Route. He co-founded Summiting Sarcoma, a passion project that raised funds for an Osteosarcoma patient in Philippine General Hospital and was a cetacean researcher for Balyena.org, a humpback whale research and conservation project. Javi graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Management and Decision Science.

Kin Notarte

Biologist

Mr. Kin Notarte is a professor from the Senior High School program of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST), a Research Associate for Ecogenomics, and Systematics Group of the Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences of UST. He is also a Research Fellow in Waseda University in Tokyo, a research scholar from various schools and universities since 2005, and a recipient of numerous awards in the Microbiology field. Mr. Notarte also wrote and published research works such as pharmacological uses of chemicals derived from marine fungi and lichens. He has published works in peer-reviewed national and international journals of his researches on the pharmacological uses of marine fungi and lichens.

Ko Rej

Youth Advocate

Mr. Rej Torrecampo is currently a graduate student of Master of Arts in Foreign Service at the Philippine Women's University. He is a Defense Analyst by profession and is a youth advocate. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Studies, International Politics track. With his natural inclination to gender issues, he is seeking to explore research on gender, peace and security, women in the military service and role of women in warfighting.

Kylie Verzosa

Mental Health Advocate

A teacher, model, and beauty queen, Ms. Verzosa inspired us with her winning speech at Miss International 2016 when she talked about dedicating herself to cultural and international understanding. Not only is she a beauty queen, she is also an advocate for depression and suicide awareness.

Manong Ari Verzosa

Motivational Speaker

In 1986, Mr. Ari Verzosa joined Philippine Airlines (PAL) and graduated as class president and valedictorian. He was an international steward for 12 years and was part of the elite flight crew who flew with the world’s presidents, prime ministers, and other VIPs. After his career in the airline industry, he returned to his favorite city, Baguio, and took ownership and management of the Burnham Hotel and Cooks Inn in 2000. Among his business ventures are the Forest House Bistro and Café, Subic Park Hotel, Inc., The Cabin Subic Hotel, Fitness Edge Health and Fitness Club, Nova Lodge Inc, and Forest House Boutique Hotel. Besides his success as a businessman, he was also a host of the TV program “A Slice of Life with Manong Ari” on Sky Cable Baguio. Mr. Verzosa is also a well sought after motivational speaker on self-development and positive attitude.

Mario Cornejo

Filmmaker

Introducing himself to the local film scene via the stylish comedy Big Time (2005), Mr. Mario Cornejo quickly became a cult hit after showing at the first Cinemalaya Film Festival. Soon after, he started a career as a commercial director which he continues to this day. Mr. Cornejo produced Kano: An American and His Harem (2010) directed by Ms. Monster Jimenez which won Best Picture awards locally and internationally. His most recent work is the film, Apocalypse Child (2015), which bagged 3 Best Picture awards. Currently, Mr. Cornejo is working on his next film which is about cheating.

Monster Jimenez

Filmmaker

An award-winning writer and filmmaker who has worked in newspapers, magazines, television, and film, Ms. Monster Jimenez joined Arkeofilms in 2003 where she holds the position of Managing Director. In 2005, she wrote and produced Big Time (2005) which won awards at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. Her documentary Kano (2010) was supported by different organizations and won an international award. Ms. Jimenez is now working on Alabang Boy, a documentary supported by Bertha Fund in Amsterdam.