Stories That Shine: Speaking at the Geospatial World Forum’s Rising Stars Summit

More than 16 hours of travel for a 10-minute talk, and it was completely worth it.✨

A few days ago, I had the privilege of speaking at the first-ever Rising Stars Summit during the Geospatial World Forum held in Madrid, Spain.🇪🇸 It was the first time they brought together previous Rising Stars awardees from around the world, including myself as part of the 2024 cohort, and gave us the platform to share our work and our stories.

Standing on the stage, sharing the work and the communities that inspire me everyday.

I spoke about big data and open mapping in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting how we, at UPRI YouthMappers, harness community-driven data and technology to build resilience, especially during disasters and public health crises like COVID-19. It was only a 10-minute talk, but it felt powerful to share not just the technical work, but the heart behind it: the people, the communities, and the difference open data can make.

Proud to represent our open mapping and community resilience work under SDG 3: ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being, especially during COVID-19.

Opportunities like this are special because they remind me that our work isn’t just about maps or data, but it’s about using our knowledge and skills to empower, protect, and uplift others.

One part of the keynote by John Kedar truly resonated with me:

We are #RisingStars because we lead, we inspire others, and we have responsibilities to our communities.

In a field filled with brilliant and passionate people, it’s easy to have moments where I question if I’m doing enough, if I’m good enough. But standing there, hearing that message, I realized that the work we do — no matter how small it sometimes feels — has value. That leadership is not about titles or awards, but about the impact we create and the people we lift along the way.

It’s easy to forget that in the day-to-day grind. This experience was a humbling reminder: the work matters, the stories matter, and the heart behind them matters even more.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent our community, to meet so many inspiring people, and to walk away even more motivated to keep going. And here’s to continuing the work, and lifting others as we rise.🌱🌏