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About Me

Hi. My name is Ramon Gil.

My favorite foods are Mexican, Vietnamese and Thai.

My favorite movies are Groundhog's Day, Independence Day, The Natural, Shaolin Soccer, Shall We Dance (Japanese version) and Star Trek (2009)

I have a two adorable little kids and a usually adorable wife.

I was trained as an illustrator (http://www.ramongil.com) and came to NY to be a comic book artist but ended up not liking it.

I now run a small graphic design company specializing in multicultural design called Fresh Concentrate. http://www.freshc.com

In college I worked as a narc for the university library and memorized classic American poetry (mostly ones that rhymed)

I've taught graphic design at Parsons and FIT.

I write a blog on being an entrepreneur (http://ramongil.typepad.com) and have been featured and written for several magazines here and abroad.

For 9 years, I was on the committee that puts together the Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival in NYC's Union Square and was president my last two years.

I wanted to play volleyball for fun and found local leagues too intense so I rent my own court and get people from meetup.com to participate and pay admission.

In 2006, I noticed there was no Asian American Chamber of Commerce in NYC when there is one everywhere else so I started http://www.aen-nyc.com. In June 2012, we are hosting a conference at CUNY.

I give lectures and put together panels on marketing and entrepreneurship for various non-profits and have given workshops at Columbia and NYU.

Every summer I shoot a short film as part of a 72hour film shootout. Got into top 10 in 2009.

I didn't have money or time to attend a film workshop so I hired a Pratt film instructor to give a 2 day intensive and charged other people to attend.

I'm in the habit of trying out new business ideas at least once a year.

I've illustrated a storybook for children with Autism and have a written a book about starting a career in graphic design.

I have some pretty strange ideas about other things as well.

I thought a traditional bio or resume would have been too mundane.

Location:
United States, New York, NY
Current organization:
Fresh Concentrate LLC
Current role:
Creative Director
Gender:
Male
Associations:
The Asian-American Entrepreneurs Network, The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Workshop in Business Opportunities, National Minority Business Council
My website links:
Fresh Concentrate, Asian-American Entrepreneurs Network , Concentrations
Member Picture Member Picture Member Picture

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Diversity, Education, Critical Thinking, Intellectual Curiosity, Entrepreneurship, Great Conversation and Good Food.

An idea worth spreading

The Public Service Corps - When most kids graduate HS, they have no inkling as to what they really want to be as adults. I would suggest that there be a mandatory 2 years of service in a public service organization that works with worthy causes and non-profits and is modeled after a military structure if only to help develop discipline and leadership, but unlike the military, also have an emphasis on critical and creative thinking. During their tours, corps members may try different career paths and industries. The hope is that it will help them see what they really want out of life, earn tuition to a (public?) university, similar to the GI Bill and as anyone who's attended classes as an adult knows, be more mature and focused in their studies.

Talk to me about

The importance of creativity, imagination, individualism and innovative thinking. Plus I think we coddle our children too much. Sheltering them instead of challenging them. (Yes I have kids)

People don't know that I'm good at

Being resourceful and decisive under pressure.

My TED Story

When Milton Glaser interviewed me to be a tenant in his beautiful townhouse (he only rents to creatives), I decided to read (and listen to) everything I could find about him. I came across his talk on TED and the rest is history. And yes, I did become his tenant.

Comments

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  • +2

    A comment on Conversation: Can we teach charisma?

    May 28 2012: First, we need to redefine "Charisma" based not on how observers react to it but on what the actual traits of charisma are. I'm making this list on the fly so you may not agree with these traits or I may have missed some that you feel should be on here.

    1. Confidence - Ever notice that people with average looks can sometimes be more attractive than physically beautiful people? I believe this to be the effect of Self-confidence. And where does self-confidence come from? Not from thin air but from really knowing you can do something. Whether it be martial arts, sports, romance, politics or life in general, these are fields that can me mastered and therefore have confidence in.

    2. Wit - If there's one thing charismatic people aren't, it's boring. The ability be funny on your feet is a great skill to have when you're trying to charm, persuade or make people feel at ease.

    3. Great Public Speaking Skills - Not sure of this should be on the list as charismatic people are so whether they are on stage in front of a crowd or just standing with a bunch of people. But at the very least, it helps to be able to speak well or have awesome communication skills.

    4. The Ability to Lead - Again, not sure if this is a non-negotiable. Maybe this is more of a "True-leader" trait but I think charismatic people are able to persuade people to follow him/her. Whether or not they lead people to positive results is another debate. Though some are born leaders, others grow into it or are trained for it.

    6. Authenticity - I think we can usually spot insincerity versus authenticity even if subconsciously. And I think true authenticity and vulnerability can move our emotions and inspire action and devotion.

    The caveat is that while all these traits can be learned, they can also be faked. Confidence can be feigned, humor can be rehearsed, speaking can be practiced, the authority to lead can be bestowed and one can act authentic. So whether real or fabricated, yes charisma can be learned.

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