Next Normal Innovators

Next Normal Innovators: Meet your Speakers

“Next normal” has been a term coined for the period after the COVID-19 pandemic during which we’ve seen various industries change and evolve. This, alongside  technological,  economic,  cultural  shifts  is  reshaping  our  way  of  life  and  our opportunities. Those who are caught in between traditional and new norms must find ways to future-proof themselves and their organizations.

While entrepreneurship has timeless qualities, its landscape is ever-evolving. “Next Normal Innovators” aims to discuss emerging trends, with a diverse panel of speakers sharing their own insights and how they navigate changes.

“Next Normal Innovators” will be hosted by Samantha Kapunan.

Samantha Kapunan is a startup entrepreneur who co-founded iWantSeats, the first real-time bus booking service in the Philippines, wherein their mission is to uplift mobility and transport through digital transformation. She also founded Satori Lifestyle where she teaches zen and yoga wellness programs for women and working professionals. She has also mentored and coached aspiring entrepreneurs in various fields, with an advocacy for youth education, innovation, and sustainability.

Day 1: Entrepreneur Panel Talks 

3 guests are invited to share their experience and insight on being a entrepreneur and what it takes to be a thriving problem-solver and innovator for the future. 

Oliver is Co-Founder and Chief Operations & Impact Officer at Impact Hub Taipei. One of the inaugural Obama Foundation Leaders: Asia-Pacific, he was co-host at Impact Hub APAC and part of the brand committee of Impact Hub Global. Furthermore, he did advisory work for Hult Prize Taiwan. Oliver is a community person who loves to create connections for people. Thus he brings various event and conference brands to Taiwan, such as CreativeMornings Taipei, FuckUp Nights Taipei, Glug Taiwan and GCUC Taiwan. Oliver holds a bachelor’s degree in education with a minor in English. He was an HR and corporate communications intern in Medtronic, a Fortune 100 company, for nearly 3 years before his entrepreneurial journey began.

Tae Young David Kim currently works on impact strategy and partnership development at Enuma Inc. He is responsible for building a sustainable impact business model with the award-winning digital education product, Kitkit School. Kitkit School uses best practices and research in game design and literacy and numeracy education to support children's engagement and learning. It is the co-winner of the $15M Global Learning XPRIZE funded by Elon Musk.

Before this, Tae Young David Kim was a specialist consultant for the Innovative Technology and Energy Center (iTEC) in Tanzania. There he worked on a $2m project on rural electrification, income improvement, entrepreneurship training and ICT Education.

Tae Young David Kim was also the Founder & CEO of E3Empower Africa which equips and empowers Tanzanian schools to provide self-paced, project-based ICT learning. Other programs included a STEM course series to foster creative confidence in Tanzanian youths and entrepreneurship training and incubation.

Executive Vice President, Digital Economy Promotion Agency, Thailand (DEPA)

Khun Chinawut Chinaprayoon is the Executive Vice President of the Digital Economy Promotion Agency, Thailand (DEPA). Digital Economy Promotion Agency was established to promote and support the development of digital industry and innovation and the digital technology adoption. He also worked as an Independent Director at Innospace (Thailand). Khun Chinawut Chinaprayoon previously worked as the director of New Venture and Entrepreneurship at the National Science Technology and Innovation Policy Office; and as the Chief Strategy Officer at Startup Thailand.

Day 2: From Ideas to the Pitch

Pitching is a basic entrepreneurial skill to get an idea to materialize. After learning insights from experienced entrepreneurs, selected participants get to learn the basics of pitching. This can be a practical skill whether you are pitching to an organization, to investors, to clients or even to governmental officials. You will have the opportunity to experience forming, refining, and communicating an idea and pitch it to the group and get feedback from the coach. 

Artie Lopez is a start-up coach, the Co-Founder and COO for NextPay, Ambassador of Seedstars - Manila, Investment Manager at First Asia Venture Capital and co-founder of Brainsparks, the first and only "founder-focused" Incubator+ in the Philippines. Brainsparks’ vision is to "Turn Dreamers into Founders". He has over 20 years of experience in the tech startup industry of Southeast Asia and is a passionate advocate of using technology and innovation to improve people’s lives. Through Brainsparks, #CoachArtie has supported countless startups develop their ideas, accelerate their growth, and raise funding from investors globally. In his spare time, he also likes to support and mentor small local businesses and social enterprises.

Sign Up Now

If you would like to sign up for this fantastic event please follow this link: Next Normal Innovators: Participant Form (google.com)