NextDayBetter Toronto: Technology for social change

The following text is from NextDayBetter, a content partner of Rappler. Next Day Better highlights inspiring changemakers, creatives and entrepreneurs from the diaspora focused on creating a betterfuture. Follow @NextDayBetter on Twitter

TORONTO, Canada – NextDayBetter, a culture platform that builds and activates communities in the Filipino diaspora and beyond, officially launches its Toronto chapter this spring with a speaker series to be held on June 19, 2014 from 7:00 – 10:00 pm at the Centre for Social Innovation: Annex (Toronto).

NextDayBetter provides a global platform for inspiring innovators in technology, design, business and community building to share their stories on how they overcome challenges and failures, and how to make real, visible change for communities in the Philippines and beyond. This year, NextDayBetter’s worldwide speaker series features talks in New York, Los Angeles and London.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to engage our community,” says Leon Aureus, City Curator for NextDayBetter Toronto. “It’s a great platform to share and celebrate amazing achievements in art, culture, technology and to empower belief — in possibility, in cultivating ideas and connections, in making the next day better.”

“I’m excited and inspired by the transformative, collaborative potential an event such as this could have on the Filipino diaspora,” Aureus adds. “Technology and social media have empowered us with the means to communicate and collaborate across the world – how do we best put this to use?”

With Filipinos being the third largest community in the Greater Toronto Area, NextDayBetter Toronto is positioned to reach an audience of globally engaged citizens, changemakers and forward thinkers.

As technology plays a major part in designing projects to address social change, NextDayBetter Toronto aims to draw on the collaborative nature of the city’s vibrant culture, tech and social innovation communities to create with innovative solutions that push boundaries.

“We believe that genius is everywhere, and that world-changing ideas can be inspired and produced by anyone,” says Ryan Letada, NextDayBetter CEO and co-founder. “This global speaker and action series is designed to celebrate and amplify the impact of these ideas.”

The NextDayBetter Toronto launch on June 19 will feature speakers such as Caroline Mangosing of VINTA, Les Sabilano of Lamesa Filipino Kitchen, Francis Manapul, illustrator for DC Comics, and Heather Leson, Community Engagement Director at Open Knowledge. The evening will also feature Filipino food presentations, artwork by artists Jodinand Villaflores Aguillon and Tim Manalo as well as performances by a growing list of local talent that will include Han Fernandez (formerly from the music collective, Santa Guerilla).

Tickets are available through Eventbrite – Press Release/Rappler.com

About: NextDayBetter is a platform that spreads ideas and actions that make the next day better. Ideas and actions are Philippines-flavored and rooted in design, entrepreneurship and innovation. We invite innovators, entrepreneurs, designers, do gooders – both Filipino and non-Filipino – to share their stories about creating a better future.