TechPinas is being run by Mark Milan Macanas.
In 2004, Mark Milan Macanas graduated as a scholar from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Economics -- but hardly pursued anything related to graphs and calculators after that.
The truth is, while he can solve complicated math problems, he loathes Math. "I'd rather blog," he said. 8 months after he graduated from college, Milan started to work for an office in Ateneo de Manila as an on-field researcher (travelling the country - from Baguio to South Cotabato, Cebu to Bohol ~ not that they are far from each other ~, etc.) but was eventually assigned to head an inter-school concert event after his boss learned that he had a very short stint with the world-renowned Ateneo Glee Club.
It was while getting corporate sponsors and appearing on TV to promote the event when Milan found his passion for Marketing and PR. "This is fun," he thought. When Milan finally decided to leave Ateneo and try his hands on the 'real world', he applied for a job in an Advertising Agency located near ABS-CBN and was consequently taken in. While neither a copywriter nor an artist in that agency, Mark realized - while at work - that to have a good life, one has to immerse himself in Art, any form of it, and have courage to try 'it' on his own. And so when he felt that he already got quite enough basic knowledge of how the advertising industry works, he immediately resigned from his post (yup, without ado - before he becomes any more of a corporate slave) and decided to just grab-and-shake Life and Art by the neck and try 'it' on his own.
At 23, Milan started his own Events Management company - working with companies like Levi Strauss, Bayer, Pepsi, Coca Cola and ABS-CBN among others and acts like The Philippine Allstars - World HipHop Champions. After a year, he decided to also pursue Publishing and with a great-great team, created The First Cafe Lifestyle Magazine in SouthEast Asia, SIP Mag released bi-monthly in all The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf branches in Mega Manila - This time working with hip advertisers like Havaianas Philippines, Wrigley, BAYO, SEAIR among many others. "I feel so blessed that my work is indistinguishable from my passion and that what-I-do is a testament that I'm living my life as I believe. I just know that the best is yet to come," he commented on the things that he has started.
Milan's let's-make-love-at-Sea-World-on-the-back-of-a-killer-whale Love Affair with Technology and Gadgets happened rather recently. In August 2008, while the Beijing Olympics was holding its undeniably grand closing ceremonies, he bought a Z61m Thinkpad (yup, the one with the 'rocket titanium' lid) and fell madly in love with it. He named it "Phelps" -- after that swimming star who got the most Beijing olympic golds. With Phelps, Milan became a rabid Thinkpad fan -- defending, promoting and flaunting the line everywhere he went. "Thinkpads are the best laptops created by Man and that is something the knowledgeable won't deny," he proclaimed. While at it, he also checked out other gadgets and, somehow, also fell in love with them. "This gadget thing is getting a little out of hand. Not that I am a Writer but I think I should write about them. And Technology too -- all to empower other Pinoys."
Thus, TechPinas was born.
