- Caraga State University, Ampayon, Butuan City, 8600, Philippines
Ryan Soh
Web3 Strategist | Founder @ BEfied & FilPass | Tamperproof Credentialing Advocate | DICT & DOST Speaker | Driving Digital Trust in GovTech, EdTech, and Identity Systems
Ryan Soh is a seasoned entrepreneur and strategist with over 20 years of experience in education and technology. He is the founder of Edufied (now BEfied), a tamper-proof document issuance platform operating across five countries. Edufied was named one of Southeast Asia’s Top 50 EdTech Startups by HolonIQ in both 2023 and 2024.
He later conceptualized FilPass, a Web3-powered digital identity solution that enables secure, verifiable interactions between individuals and institutions. FilPass was recognized as a Top 10 Startup in the 2023 PLDT and SMART Innovation Challenge and featured in the Philippine Blockchain Report 2025 for its leadership in digital identity and compliance innovation.
Ryan is also a recognized resource speaker for both the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), promoting broader understanding of blockchain technology beyond cryptocurrency.
Passionate about ecosystem-building, he actively mentors startups and youth, sharing his entrepreneurial journey and insights. His work continues to drive the adoption of tamperproof technologies that promote transparency, trust, and efficiency in both public and private sectors.
Dr. Lafifa Jamal is a Professor in the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Dhaka, where she also served as Chairperson. She began her academic career in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the same university. She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering and is a Senior Member of IEEE and a Fellow of the Bangladesh Computer Society.
Dr. Jamal’s research spans Robotics and Intelligent Systems, VLSI Design and Reversible Logic Synthesis, and Gender and Diversity in STEM. She has authored numerous publications in reputed journals and international conferences, and her work has received global recognition, including a Best Paper Award. She has delivered invited talks in Spain, the USA, South Korea, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Malaysia.
As the Founding Director of Bangladesh Flying Labs, she leverages robotics and emerging technologies for social impact and development. She also serves as Vice President of the Bangladesh Open Source Network Foundation (BdOSN), where she actively promotes youth empowerment and female participation in STEM and ICT. As a participant in the U.S. Department of State’s IVLP program, “#HiddenNoMore: Empowering International Women Leaders in STEM,” she collaborated with 50 global STEM leaders to advance inclusive innovation. She also represents Bangladesh as the International Partner Country Representative in the European Network for Gender Balance in Informatics.
Dr. Jamal is the Founding Advisor of both the IEEE Women in Engineering Affinity Group and the IEEE Robotics & Automation Society Student Branch Chapter at the University of Dhaka. Her academic leadership includes roles such as Inclusion Chair (RO-MAN 2023), Workshop Organizer (ICSE 2022–2025), and Associate Editor (RO-MAN 2024, 2025). She also served as General Co-Chair of ICIET 2018, Technical Program Committee Chair of ICIET 2019, and Women in Engineering Chair at iSES 2021 and 2023.
A passionate STEM advocate, Dr. Jamal is the Founder President of the Bangladesh Robot Olympiad and a Central Committee Member of the International Robot Olympiad. Under her leadership, Bangladesh earned its first Gold Medal at the 20th International Robot Olympiad in 2018.
Her contributions have been recognized with several awards, including the “Ananya Shirsha Dosh Shommanona 2020” for contributions to technology and the “Women ICT Personality of the Year 2022” for her impact on the ICT sector in Bangladesh.
Dr. Johannes Bleher is a researcher and lecturer at the University of Hohenheim, Germany, specializing in financial econometrics, data science, and artificial intelligence. His research spans high-frequency financial markets, inflation forecasting using unconventional data sources, and methodological advances in econometrics. Beyond his disciplinary work, Dr. Bleher has been engaged in questions of AI ethics and governance in higher education. He co-authored the 2025 White Paper “The Role of Universities in Governance of AI” as part of an interdisciplinary working group of scholars from Europe and Asia convened by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF). In his teaching, he has designed award-winning courses in data science education, integrating computational tools, statistical modeling, and governance perspectives into economics and finance curricula. At Hohenheim, he also contributes to the interdisciplinary AI & Data Science Certificate program. His current projects emphasize how universities can act as laboratories for trustworthy AI by embedding ethical, regulatory, and societal considerations into technical education.
You can also find my CV here and further information on johannes-bleher.de. If you need a more streamlined shorter version, please do not hesitate to ask me.
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