President Obama Plays Opportunity Matchmaker For Filipina Engineer, Aisa Mijeno

President Obama Plays Opportunity Matchmaker For Filipina Engineer, Aisa Mijeno

Filipina Electrochemist Aisa Mijeno, inventor of SALt (Sustainable Alternative Lighting) an LED lamp that runs on seawater, recently met with President Obama for an opportunity of a lifetime at APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). Mijeno shared a stage with Obama and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Jack Ma where she introduced her unique lamp concept which avoids the hazards of a combustible fuel and can last up to six months. The platform shone a spotlight on various Filipino start-ups and will undoubtedly bring in funding and collaborative opportunities for Mijeno.

News story from Bloomberg Business.

Young Filipina Arizza Nocum Speaks at One Young World Summit on Peace and Security and Bangsamoro Law

Young Filipina Arizza Nocum Speaks at One Young World Summit on Peace and Security and Bangsamoro Law

Arizza Nocum, daughter of a Muslim mother and a Christian father, knows a thing or two about bridging the gap between faiths for mutual respect and peace-building. She and her family have built six libraries around the Philippines since 2008, many of which are in child soldier recruitment camps. Nocum shared her unique perspective during her One Young World Summit speech last week in Bangkok. She called on the international community to understand how conflict is often driven by poverty, injustice and history. She believes empathy through cultural exchanges and inter-faith dialogue, like her Kris Library venture, is but one way to curb radicalization on the individual-level. News story from The Philippine Inquirer.

Filipina Photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani Named BBC's 100 Women of 2015

Filipina Photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani Named BBC's 100 Women of 2015

28 year old documentary photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani was recently named BBC's Top 100 Women of 2015. Bacani has also been shortlisted numerous times for National Geographic magazine's photo competition in Hong Kong where she works as a domestic worker. Bacani's photos of everyday urban life in Hong Kong have been published in the New York Times and Vogue Italia. In an earlier feature in The Philippine Inquirer, Bacani took a personal stance to describe how photography has a political function in upending the stereotypes that OFWs face: “It’s not that I’m ashamed of being a domestic worker. In fact, I’m proud of my job. But you also can’t deny that there’s discrimination, judgment and stereotyping when you’re an OFW. So, photography for me is a protection against racism and discrimination.” Story from The Philippine Inquirer.

Filipino American Psychology: Past, Present, and Future Conference at Wright Institute in Berkeley, January 30th

Filipino American Psychology: Past, Present, and Future Conference at Wright Institute in Berkeley, January 30th

The Asian American Psychological Association's Division on Filipino Americans is gearing up for Filipino American Psychology Conference in Berkeley, California this January. Amazing opportunity to learn about psychological issues important for the Filipino American community, and toconnect with other professionals in a supportive, familial environment. Prominent Filipino American psychologists will conduct presentations, including Dr. E. J. R. David and Dr. Kevin Nadal. Topics include Working with Filipino American Clients, Activism, Community Organizing & Mental Health and Intersectional Identities. 

Do You Know a Game-Changing Woman in Tech? Nominate her for ABI's 2016 Women of Vision

Do You Know a Game-Changing Woman in Tech? Nominate her for ABI's 2016 Women of Vision

Each spring, the Anita Borg Institute hosts an awards banquet to celebrate the accomplishments of women in computing for leadership, entrepreneurship and inspiring others. Do you know a woman at your organization or in your life  who deserves to be honored for her career achievements in a tech-related field? Nominate her for an award – nominations for the 2016 Women of Vision are open October 12-December 14, 2015.

Congratulations Global FWN100™ '15 Influencers! Honorees Represent Canada, Israel, Japan, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland, United Kingdom and U.S.A.

Congratulations Global FWN100™ '15 Influencers! Honorees Represent Canada, Israel, Japan, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland, United Kingdom and U.S.A.

This year we honored Global FWN100™ awardees representing over 13 economic sectors at our most international Global FWN100™ Awards Ceremony yet! Global FWN100™ 2015 awardees convened at the Marines' Memorial Club Hotel in San Francisco, California, U.S.A. from such diverse regions as Canada, Israel, Japan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.  The awardees joined in on three jam-packed Summit days (October 29-31st, 2015)  full of Learning Journeys, sessions, workshops, Gala celebrations and FWN festivities. View a full list of the 2015 Global FWN100 Awardees and view photos of the Filipina Summit 2015 after the jump.

12th Filipina Leadership Global Summit #FWNSUMMIT2015 Highlight

12th Filipina Leadership Global Summit #FWNSUMMIT2015 Highlight

FWN's 12th Filipina Leadership Global Summit goes out with a bang! 47 Global FWN100™ awardees, and over 100 Global Summit attendees convened in San Francisco last week for three days of memorable Learning Journeys, sessions, workshops, Gala celebrations and FWN festivities. Highlights of the Summit include an exclusive tour of supercomputers at the Lawrence Berkeley Lab led by Elizabeth Bautista (Global FWN100™ '15), an impressive vision of mixed-income housing at The Shipyard in Hunter's Point and a day full of sessions at Charles Schwab. 

The last day of Sessions on October 31st culminated in a number of valuable messages from Summit participants and Global FWN100™ '15 Awardees. Senior VP of Philanthropy at Bank of America Stephanie Lomibao (Global FWN100™ '15) shared the value of honesty in becoming the better version of yourself during the Make Me a Filipina Millionaire: Reinvention, Disruption, Legacy. Brand panel. Lomibao remarked, "In order to grow, you need to have people who give you honest feedback." Insights from the Run Filipina Run: Filipinas For Political Equity panel urged Filipinas not to be complacent and highlighted the collective need for Filipina women to do their individual parts in getting involved in politics.  Information Risk Management & Chief Information Risk Officer, Tess Martillano-Manjares (Global FWN100™ '15)  of BNY Mellon imparted wisdom of the 3 Cs: Cooperate, Communicate, Collaborate during the Make me Filipina CEO: Women at the Top: Are we Achieving Gender Equality and Pay Equity? panel.

More memorable quotes and takeaways from 12th Filipina Leadership Global Summit Attendees after the jump.

California Governor Jerry Brown Appoints Sonia Delen (U.S. FWN100™ '07 and FWN Board Member) to California Health Professions Education Foundation Board of Trustees

California Governor Jerry Brown Appoints Sonia Delen (U.S. FWN100™ '07 and FWN Board Member) to California Health Professions Education Foundation Board of Trustees

Join us in congratulating Sonia T. Delen (U.S. FWN100™ '07 and FWN Board Member)  of San Francisco. Sonia was recently appointed to the California Health Professions Education Foundation Board of Trustees by California State Governor Edmund G. Brown. HPEF provides scholarships and loan repayments to health professionals who serve in underserved areas for a specified period. Sonia has been a senior vice president at Bank of America Merrill Lynch since 1994.  Congratulations, Sonia! We are so proud of you.