Featured Speakers

Leopoldo "Leo" Valdes has worked in various roles for international organizations, governments, and non-profit organizations in three world regions. He has an MBA from Simon Fraser University in Canada and a Master's in Human Resource Management from the City University of Seattle, USA. Acquiring a British Columbia professional Instructor Diploma, Leo taught for several higher education institutions in Canada. He returned to the Philippines in 2016 to join Holy Angel University as its project leader in eLearning and internationalization. During the pandemic, Leo was in charge of safe campus reopening. He now leads Holy Angel University as its OIC President.

Ryan is the Vice President of Global Academic Strategy at Instructure, where he works to enhance the academic experience for educators and learners, worldwide. With over two decades in the edtech world, Ryan has experience with every major technology platform that institutions use to deliver education, from the LMS to the SIS, and all the systems in between. A well-known thought leader in the edtech industry, Ryan is a podcast co-host, frequent media spokesperson, and speaker at industry conferences and webinars. Ryan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations/Communications from the University of Utah and certificates in Data-Driven Marketing and Brand Management from eCornell.

Professor Martin Bean CBE, CEO of The Bean Centre, is a visionary leader shaping the future of education and work. 

Co-author of the book "Toolkit for Turbulence," Martin equips leaders with tools and strategies to navigate change, seize opportunities, and foster resilient teams.

Currently a Professor at the University of New South Wales, Martin's expertise lies in exploring the evolving landscape of work and lifelong learning. He shares his knowledge as a mentor at Mentor List, connecting Australia's brightest minds.

Previously, Martin served as Vice-Chancellor and President of RMIT University, an institution with over 80,000 students in Melbourne, Australia. He also held the position of Vice-Chancellor at The Open University, the United Kingdom's largest academic institution, and served as General Manager of Microsoft's global Education Products Group in Seattle, Washington.

Acknowledged for his contributions to education, Martin has received prestigious awards, including an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of London and appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to higher education. 

Jet Magsaysay, M.B.A., Ph.D., is the Dean of the Ateneo Graduate School of Business, where he has presided over the re-envisioning of the identity, purpose, aspiration, and core values of the School amidst the strategic pivot of the School first, into online learning, and now into the different learning modes in the new normal.

In his career as educator, he has directed learning and development programs, as well as corporate universities, for dozens of organizations in the last 25 years.

Aside from his role as educator, Dean Jet is a published author, with more than a hundred articles on management and leadership in business media, for which he has won pan-Asian awards, and in academic journals, in which he has shared his scientifically validated models on leadership in the Philippine business setting. He is an internationally recognized speaker on management and leadership trends and insights, having delivered keynote speeches in the Philippines, Japan, China, Australia, and throughout Southeast Asia.

Dean Jet has led his own consulting business practice for more than twenty years, where he has guided leading companies in the Philippines and around the region in their setting and implementing their business directions and in developing their organizations and people.

Janine R. Gauiran has been an Assistant Professor I at Mapúa University since October 2024. As part of the School for Foundational Studies and Education – Department of Liberal Arts, she handles general education courses at both the Intramuros and Makati Campuses, including courses for BS Technical Communication—a unique Mapúan program.

She is also assigned as a subject-matter expert for curriculum development in Purposive Communication. She is a licensed professional teacher and holds a Master of Arts in Education, Major in English from Cagayan State University, Andrews Campus. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctor of Communication degree at the University of the Philippines - Open University.

Earlier in her career, she gained diverse teaching experience from the basic education and tertiary levels. Before returning to academia, she transitioned to a corporate instructional design role and worked as a curriculum production specialist in a media-tech company.

Glenda Rabena-Obre is an accomplished educator and a certified teacher with a strong background in technology and a deep commitment to educational innovation. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and completed the Certificate in Teaching Program at Philippine Normal College.

Her teaching career began at De La Salle Lipa, where she has taught a diverse range of subjects, including computer programming, hardware, networking, troubleshooting, and robotics. Glenda's passion for integrating technology into education led her to pursue two postgraduate degrees on scholarship at De La Salle University: a Master of Education in School Leadership and a Master’s in Learning and Teaching.

To further advance her expertise, she has earned several prestigious certifications, including Innovative Teaching with ChatGPT and Generative AI Primer from Vanderbilt University. She also completed the Next-Generation Learning with Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools course, earning a Continuing Education Unit from UNC Charlotte. Currently, Glenda serves as the Managing Head of De La Salle Lipa’s Integrated Digital and Innovative Instruction Office, where she oversees the school’s educational technology tools supporting digital instruction initiatives. She also leads a team of three EdTech Champions, who are responsible for managing the school’s LMS and providing professional development to teachers on integrating educational technology into their classrooms.

Edward leads the EMEA, Asia-Pacific and global channel marketing teams for Instructure, a global software company in the education industry.

Prior to joining Instructure, Edward was Chief Marketing Officer at HealthEngine, an Australian technology start up in the healthcare sector.

Edward spent 6 years at LinkedIn, including 5 years in Singapore leading marketing teams for LinkedIn Sales Solutions and Marketing Solutions across the Asia-Pacific region including China and Japan. During this time he was elected as Chairman of the Social Media Committee for the Internet Advertising Bureau in South East Asia for 2 consecutive years.

He spent eight years in marketing at Fairfax Media - a leading Australian publisher, where he worked in a number of roles across newspapers, magazines and digital media. 

Edward has also held roles in media buying and sales over his 20-year career in marketing and advertising.

Mennen Aracid is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Operations and IT at Ateneo Graduate School of Business, an active member of its Quality Assurance Group, and a certified assessor for the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA).

He has a strong track record in both higher education and professional/corporate settings, advocating for digital innovation across diverse learning environments.

Specializing in the integration of AI and EdTech, Prof. Aracid develops strategies that enhance engagement and impact. With over a decade of leadership in academic committees and quality assurance, and three decades in corporate consulting and higher education, he partners with institutions to deliver lasting and impactful results. He regularly presents at local and international conferences. He looks forward to inspiring and connecting at CanvasCon 2025.