1. Bio
Inventor, writer, popular speaker and CEO of Makotronics Enterprises Inc. A Canadian of Philippine-Polish descent, her eclectic nature shines through in her variety of skills in both the arts and sciences. She first came to fame for inventing the Hollow torch, which is powered by the heat of the hand) and eDrink, the coffee cup that produces electricity using the heat of the drink inside. A frequent TEDx speaker, and testimonial for many brands, listed in the Time Magazine and Forbes 30 Under 30, she has now just completed her first book on the combination of art and science. She is developing and writing the scripts for a show on Futurism and she is also about to present a series on financial literacy.
2. The power of a dream
Dreaming and dreaming big. I don’t know any other way to live. I probably wouldn’t be alive if I couldn’t dream and follow up on all my thousands of ideas. Every day is like unwrapping a present, because I don’t know what is going to happen, what I am going to learn, what ideas will be spawned, who I will meet. I strongly believe that every individual is capable of doing many things, in many different areas, it is a question of mindset: allowing ourselves to dream big broadens our potential. If you have a fixation, it creeps deep inside you and, whether or not you notice it, it starts to influence your actions, your way of perceiving things. Dreaming is one of the most extraordinary powers human beings have: if you direct it well, when the opportunity comes you are ready and have everything you need to make your dreams come true.
3. My journey into real beauty
I was really young when the world got to know me for my first inventions. It was unexpected, and certainly gratifying, but at the same time people started to pin categories and expectations on me. They expected me to be a scientist, when I was actually dreaming of becoming a director or an actress. I was still trying to figure out who I was. My journey into beauty began when I realised that I did not have to choose: I am both a scientist and an artist. I stopped worrying about other people’s opinions and quietly worked on the most genuine expression of myself, implementing it in any area that intrigues me. Without asking myself in advance if I am enough, and in the knowledge that I am capable of learning whatever I may lack. Because, without a doubt, true beauty always lies outside the stereotype.
4. What I learned and won’t let go
The most important thing I have learnt is to be proud of myself. People who are truly happy are those who live life in their own way, genuinely embracing every aspect of themselves. What I dream of for every woman is the courage to fully step into who she really is, deep down inside, free of any labels the outside world might try to stick on her. I dream of a society that allows us to fully immerse ourselves in our own way of being, free from obsolete comparisons to patriarchal models. And most of all, I dream – and in this sense I am making my own contribution – about all women coming together so that our own version of leadership emerges, one that unashamedly includes our values of caring, welcoming, and a maternal sense, one that shows that we can reach high and far, even with kindness and humanity.
