ILIAC DIAZ
Illac Diaz is a former corporate executive who has since gone on to establish several companies that provide sustainable solutions to societal problems. Included among them is Pier One Seafarer’s Dormitory, a self-sustaining dormitory for Filipino seamen in between overseas contracts and MyShelter Foundation, a non-profit organization which has been engaged in improving the lives of many Filipinos through the creation of sustainable solutions for the building of clinics and classrooms in rural areas. He is currently focusing on Climate Change adaptability through stronger architecture and planning in low income communities in the rural areas.

He has just graduated from Harvard Kennedy School as Masons Fellow and the program Special Program in Urban and Regional Studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was recognized as one of the Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum, Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World by the Jaycees International, and is an Ernst and Young Innovation Entrepreneur of the Year. He has returned to the Philippines to apply and disseminate his research in needy communities throughout the country.

GRAHAM GLASS
Graham Glass is the founder of EDU 2.0, a series of online education companies that provides a free website for schools and a subscription-based website for businesses (edu20.com). Since its release 3 years ago, EDU 2.0 has become one of the most popular web-hosted learning management system in the world, with over 100,000 members and growing rapidly. The Philippines was one of the early adopters of the platform and has held a special place in Graham’s heart ever since. EDU 2.0 is Graham’s fourth venture; his previous companies specialized in web services, cloud computing, and high-tech training. He sold his third company, The Mind Electric, to webMethods in 2003, where he served as its CTO until 2005.

ANTONIO A. OPOSA JR.
He is one of Asia’s leading voices in the global arena of Environmental Law. His work is internationally known for bringing to the highest Court of Law the basic truth that humanity has the responsibility to future generations. A scuba diver and avid nature lover, he founded the School of the SEAs (Sea and Earth Advocates) in the white-sand shores of Bantayan Island in the Central Philippines.

He is the author of two internationally-acclaimed books on the Environment — a story and picture book entitled “The Laws of Nature and Other Stories” and an authoritative compendium entitled “A Legal Arsenal for the Philippine Environment.” He received his law degree from the University of the Philippines and earned his Master of Laws from the Harvard Law School. He teaches Environmental Law at the University of the Philippines and is a visiting lecturer of universities around the world.

For his work, he has received the TOYM Award (The Outstanding Young Man of the Philippines), and the highest United Nations award in the field of the Environment — the UNEP Global Roll of Honor. He is the first Asian to receive the International Environmental Law Award from the Washington DC-based Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL).

He was cited “for his path-breaking and passionate crusade to engage Filipinos in acts of enlightened citizenship (with) the power of law to protect and nurture the environment — for themselves, their children, and generations yet unborn,” he was elected to receive Asia’s premier prize for public service — the 2009 Ramon Magsaysay Award.

MARK RUIZ
He is a serial Innovator and Social Business Entrepreneur. After spending 7 years in a multinational corporation, Mark eventually left as part of senior management in order to chase his dream of making a difference. That dream, succinctly put, is to create valuable Filipino jobs.

As such, for the past (3) years since resigning, Mark has pursued his passions of innovation, entrepreneurship, social development, and
education. He is currently energized by companies he has co-founded, currently serving as Managing Director of MicroVentures / Hapinoy – focused on microenterprise development; Founding Partner and Vice-Chairman of Rags2Riches which works with marginalized communities in upcycling scrap materials into high-fashion products; and Founding Partner of the WhyNot?Forum – an advocacy on inspiring Filipino ingenuity.

He is also the Chief Marketing Inoventor of InoventDesign and also a part-time faculty in the Ateneo de Manila handling a Business
Innovation Management class. For his endeavors, he was selected by Asia Society as one of the Philippines 21 Young Leaders for 2008.

MARIA MELIZZA D. TAN
Mel is the Head Executive Assistant of the Human Capital Development Group (HCDG) of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT). She also serves as the Project Manager of eSkwela, a flagship project that provides ICT-enhanced educational opportunities for Filipino out-of-school-youth and adults. This project was cited by UNESCO through a Certificate of Commendation from the ICT in Education Innovation Awards 2007-2008. She has recently been issued a Certification as an Expert in New Learning Technology by the tele-akademie of the Hochschule Furtwangen University of Applied Science, Germany after graduating from the eLearning Development and Implementation 2008 course, co-organized by InWEnt and UPOU.

She has a nine-year experience teaching ICT at the Ateneo de Manila High School where she served as the Computer Education Department Chairperson for SYs 2001-2003. Her publications include two textbooks for the “Computing for Life” series of FNB Publications that is being used extensively in high schools nationwide and she has also written a number of journal articles on ICT4E and the eSkwela Project.