Last Monday, I met with Maria Ressa, the CEO and executive editor of Rappler.com which is inarguably one of the top social news sites in the Philippines today. Maria shared her views on the potential of business and the opportunities that we can get in the social media and web platforms in general.

During the meeting in Manila Polo, she told us about how Rappler was conceived in 2011 with the help of key people like Beth Frondoso, Chay Hofileña, Gemma Mendoza and Marites Vitug. There were Manny Ayala, Raymund Miranda and Nix Nolledo as well who helped in putting up the company, which couldn’t have been in any better timing, with the rising popularity of social media especially among Filipinos.

She mentioned that Rappler is now on its 3rd year and is still growing. They use mainly the social media as a platform to “out” news at a very quick pace to initiate discussions and inspire informed and smart conversations on issues that are very relevant and timely.

Maria and her team know how to use and take advantage of the power of technology and the pervasiveness of this medium. Today, Alexa, a web information company that ranks websites according to traffic, puts Rappler.com in third place among local online news providers following the sites of mainstream media giants ABS-CBN and Inquirer.net. Indeed, Rappler.com is creating ‘ripples’ and challenging even the traditional media powerhouses.

The power of technology helps in quick dissemination of information, reaching a multitude of online users, gathering immediate responses and comments from the people, creating an interlinked community and eventually getting their views on the issues is real time. This is what Rappler does best.

Rappler.com has made its name in the broadcast industry even at a fresh age. It’s been influencing many people especially the youth who are nowadays so keen and abreast when it comes to news and the latest happenings. They use their gadgets and devices to spread and access the news in a matter of a few clicks.

It is very timely that we had the chance to invite Maria Ressa, who is considered a thought leader in her field of industry, to become one of our distinct speakers and forum moderator on the upcoming 3rd GoNegosyo Filipino Technopreneur Summit in the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City on Feb. 19. Aside from moderating the keynote dialogue that will feature two of the country’s technology giants, Engr. Dado Banatao of Tallwood Ventures and Mr. Manny V. Pangilinan, Maria will also take the centerstage to share her expertise on social media and big data. Aside from being a social news site, what Rappler hopes to accomplish is to continue being a platform for citizen journalism where the citizens are contributors to ‘big data’ that can be a very good reference in understanding and even addressing social problems, trends and behaviour.

This summit is centered on reinforcing the entrepreneurial spirit of the Filipino people by engaging them in the powerful realm of technology. The summit, above all else, aspires to inspire future Filipino technopreneurs who will harness and maximize the powerful duo of technology and entrepreneurship for economic empowerment and as an important contribution to the nation. The event also aims to enjoin the participants to develop a positive change in their mindset, and empower them with relevant entrepreneurship tools and concepts as their key to success.

The 3rd Go Negosyo Philippine Technopreneurship Summit is a one-day event that will feature different topics on technopreneurship in the form of inspiring keynote addresses and plenary forums.

Following the tech giants’ forum will be two plenary fora on business models and technology enablers.

The second forum hopes to feature some of the most successful and interesting technology business models that include but are not limited to software development, mobile and web applications, web and graphic design, e-commerce platform, and even blogs. Panelists like Ibba Bernardo, CEO of Sari Software Solutions, Gian Scottie Javelona, CEO of OrangeApps.ph, Marx Melencio of Grayscale Business Consultancy and Marketing Services, Aurora Soriano, CEO of PinoyTravel.com.ph, and other technopreneurs with product or service offering will be present in the event.

The last forum is all about helping make it happen, featuring enablers in the field of technopreneurship including technology incubators, investors, and relevant government agencies like the Department of Science and Technology – Information and Communications Technology Office (deputy executive director Monchito Ibrahim), Philippine Software Industry Association (Joey Gurango), and DOST-UP Enterprise Center for Technopreneurship (Dr. Luis Sison). Beryl Li, a tech enabler from SeedAsia will also share the interesting findings of the recently published study Philippine Startup Report 2013.

Aside from the three forums, Earl Martin Valencia, president of Ideaspace Foundation, another techno-enterprise enabler, will share their Ideaspace vision of inspiring more Filipino technopreneur startups.

The event aims to gather students, teachers and young and working professionals and entrepreneurs to give them a glimpse of Filipino technopreneurship which is a fairly untapped sector which can still be maximized for our collective gain as a nation.

We are expecting another full house event for this summit. Interested participants may visit: www.gonegosyo.net/fts3 or call 6379229or 6379347 for more information.