Summit 2017 Program

While there is no easy answer on how to address or solve the issues that our Pilipino American communities face, UniPro is making a commitment to centering these conversations and stories of social change through UniPro Summit 2017. Our call for persistence is a push for our community to stand up to the challenges confronting us and organize so that we can move forward together.

Through UniPro Summit 2017, we aim to recognize and celebrate the diverse perspectives of our delegates, whether they are students, young professionals, or community leaders; from our local area or around the world. Our workshops and activities should cater to a wide range of demographics. 

UniPro Summit 2017 Keynote Speakers

We're excited to announce Geena Rocero as the closing keynote speaker for UniPro Summit 2017.

Geena Rocero, born and raised in Manila, Philippines, is a Model, Producer, Trans Rights Advocate and co-host of The Webby Awards honoree TV Show ASPIREist, broadcasted on USA Network. On March 31, 2014, in honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility, Rocero came out as transgender at the annual TED Conference, her viral talk has since been viewed more than 3 million times and translated in 32 languages.

Geena is the founder of Gender Proud, an advocacy and media production company that tells stories to elevate justice and equality for the transgender community. She, with Gender Proud Productions produced and presented "Beautiful As I Want to Be" on LogoTV highlighting trans youth, and received the 2016 GLAAD Media Award. Gender Proud also produced "Willing and Able", a 2017 GLAAD Media nominated web series about transgender employment with Fusion TV and most recently worked with Fusion/Univision to produce a TV documentary about transgender athletes, "No League of Their Own".

Our opening keynote speaker is Christina Lewis Halpern, Founder and Executive Director of All Star Code, a leading, nationally-recognized tech inclusion organization based in New York City that fosters entrepreneurial talent among high school boys of color and ensures they have the tools to succeed. 

She was recognized in 2016 as a “Woman of Power” by the National Action Network, in 2014 as a White House Champion of Change for STEM Access and in 2015 as an Echoing Green Black Male Achievement Finalist. She and her work have been featured in Barron’s, Fortune, Fast Company, The Root, Town & Country, The Daily News and PBS among other media outlets. 

A sought-after writer and speaker on the future of the workplace, entrepreneurship, equity, philanthropy, culture and personal transformation, Christina has spoken at NY Ideas, Harvard Law School, The Atlantic Forum in Education, The Black Enterprise Entrepreneurship Forum, SXSW, BET Leading Women Redefined, Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Wall Street Project Economic Summit, and many other venues. Christina is the author of “Lonely at the Top,” a 2012 best-selling Kindle Single memoir about her father, Reginald F. Lewis, the first African-American to build a billion-dollar business. 

Christina is a member of the board of the Reginald F. Lewis Foundation, and Chair of the Class of 2002 Associates Committee for Harvard College. She is also an angel investor and an advisor to other entrepreneurs.

Prior to founding All Star Code, Christina worked for five years as a staff writer for the Wall Street Journal. She began her career as a crime reporter in Stamford, Conn. 

Christina has a BA from Harvard College in History and Literature and is passionate about catalyzing change. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children. 

UniPro Summit 2017 Workshops

This year, we have made a conscious efforts to offer specific workshops that will cater to the demographics UniPro serves and works with. Our program will contain three tracks - student/youth leadership, development of young professionals, and community influencers, to offer content that will best serve the diverse delegation we will be hosting at UniPro Summit 2017.

The tracks and workshop presenters are as followed:

Summit 2017 Navigation

UniPro Summit 2017 Sponsors

For 75 years, Philippine Airlines has been taking you to your life’s journeys - your exciting travels, your new beginnings, and your happy homecomings. We welcome you onboard and take care of you the best way we know how.

With the warmth of our smile, our unique hospitality, with the Heart that is truly Filipino.

As you journey through life in the years to come, we bring the best of the Philippines and the best of the Filipino to you - the friendliness of our people, and their waterproof spirit, the beauty of our islands, the splendor of our sunset, the wonderful variety of our delicious food, the richness of our history and culture, the fun in our everyday life, the Heart of the Filipino, shining through. Learn more at www.philippineairlines.com.

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The flagship international channel of the leading network in the Philippines, GMA Pinoy TV provides the best in Filipino entertainment and news. GMA Pinoy TV’s top-rating soaps, comedy, talk, reality, game, variety shows and award-winning and credible newscasts offer a sense of home with television content that keeps viewers one in heart with the rest of Filipinos around the world.

The Philippines’ leading network’s second international channel, GMA Life TV, offers premium mix of Filipino programming. There’s more to life! with the channel’s diverse array of program genres – movies, sports, reality, news, comedy, cooking, drama, travel, talk and fashion. Delivered in English and Filipinos languages.

Powered by the leading network in the Philippines, GMA News TV International, the Philippines’ no. 1 and most trusted news source, provides Filipinos overseas the latest, most comprehensive and credible news from home. GMA News TV International is backed by the most trusted and multi-awarded Philippine news and public affairs team, making it the ultimate news source of Filipinos across the globe.

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The Filipino School of New York & New Jersey, founded in 2008, promotes the learning of Philippine languages and arts, and the understanding of Philippine culture, values and tradition. 

The school is open to all students regardless of race, religion or creed. We offer language and cultural classes for students of all ages. Activities are designed to provide a positive and enriching learning experience for students at home and in the community.

We take pride in our Filipino heritage and aim to provide quality programming through innovative, creative and engaging approaches to ensure an educational experience that is of value and high standards. Learn more at www.filschool-nynj.org.

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Write it down, make it happen. Passion Planner is more than your average calendar— it’s your to-do list, task manager, appointment scheduler, progress tracker, memory keeper... the possibilities are infinite. It’s your personal coach that walks you through identifying your long and short term goals, turn them into actionable steps, and integrate them into your day to day life, so you’re always focused on what really matters. 

But in this digital age how successful could a paper planner be? Since going viral in November 2014, Passion Planner has been backed by over 46,000 people and has successfully raised over $1,650,000 on Kickstarter alone. 

Passion Planner owes its success to giving. They do their part to create a better world by giving away one planner for each planner sold. They hope to help people realize their passions and create the life they’ve always wanted. They are always working towards their company’s mission: “may all beings be happy,” starting with their staff and radiating out into their community. 

Beginning with one woman in her parent’s garage, Passion Planner has grown to a team of fifty strong. They are a group of millennials that run a successful company because they don’t operate like a normal company. The company’s emphasis on team building and the personal development of each team member shows in their exceptional customer service and some of the most artistic and inspirational social media feed you’ll ever see. They’re a group of millennials out to inspire the world to take action and chase their dreams, one planner at a time. Learn more at www.passionplanner.com.

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Pineapple Ind is a made-to-measure, custom barong seller for women and men. All barongs offered are handmade in the Philippines, and they are available to all in the United States. This company was created as a solution to many problems with the Barong Tagalog. The Barong Tagalog is probably the most overlooked and underappreciated part of Filipino culture. It is also the national garment of the Philippines. Yet, it is thought to be exclusively worm by men, and it is not accessible to women and younger people, among others. The way barongs are currently worn is not flattering to the wearer and does not fit the style and fashion sense of many people today. There is a lack of barong sellers that actually speak to the style and sensibilities of many Filipinos today. The way barongs are currently sold, all emphasis is put on rock bottom low prices and not on how they are made, whether they are made in the Philippines or how they look. The best barong makers are in the Philippines, and yet most barongs bought and worn today are not made by these people. With your help, we can reclaim, save, preserve and improve barong culture and help support this industry and the people working in it in the Philippines. Learn more at pineappleind.com.