The Salt and Light Ventures Story
Salt and Light Ventures was born out of personal adversity, faith and triumph. Ardy Roberto and his wife, Tingting, were at a crossroads in their lives. In June 2000, Tingting, had just been miraculously healed after a yearlong, painful battle over a life-threatening illness called systemic lupus. Ardy took that year off from managing their direct sales distribution business to take care of Tingting. Together, Ardy and Tingting prayed for a new business and a new direction in life.

Spending an afternoon in a bookshop, Ardy had a 'eureka moment' and decided to return to what he loved to do. Publishing. Tingting and Ardy had met at a publishing house (where their relationship bloomed over early morning donuts and meeting deadlines) and they both loved books and all forms of the written word. They also dreamt of producing seminars and events that were based on books that they loved. Without much capital, but with lots of faith in God's promises, they launched out.

In May 2001, they incorporated Salt & Light Ventures and started by publishing and selling books. (They chose the business name after attending a Sunday service, where the pastor encouraged people to be "salt of the earth" and "light of the world" in the marketplace.) Like most start-ups, their first office was a two-desk set-up in a renovated lanai by the garage of their Paranaque home. Ardy started writing for magazines again. He also started writing and working on two books which he co-authored. Tingting managed the company as CFO and GM. They were also able to edit, publish or co-publish and launch three new marketing books of Dr. Ned Roberto (Ardy's father).(1) In May 2002 they left for New York to participate and attend the Book Expo America looking for new publishers to represent and new authors and speakers to bring to the Philippines. Since then, a whirlwind of activity and achievements marked the next four years of the company.

Highlights

	Conceptualized, organized, and marketed the past four annual Philippine Direct Marketing Forum founded last October 2001. Since then, more than 1,500 direct marketers have attended the DMForum
	Organized and marketed the most-awarded seminar ever, The Tom Peters Seminar - Doing Better Business During Tougher Times last February 11, 2003. (More than 650 delegates.)
	Produced the Achievers and Leaders Seminar series featuring Francis Kong. Since its first run in November 2003, the ALS is now on its 7th edition. Over 1,500 corporate leaders and influencers attended these breakthrough seminars that integrate time-honored values with business practices.
	Produced the back-to-back John C. Maxwell Leadership Summit that filled to capacity the Philippines' biggest venues - the PICC and Araneta Coliseum. Combined, more than 18,000 leaders of all levels attended. A new record for a learning event.

Other Highlights

• Conceptualized, organized and marketed series of marketing workshops, including the first ever Mobile-SMS Marketing seminar series together with partners, TinCan Mobile Solutions.
• Helped Biomedis and Basic Advertising with their Patch Adams, M.D. event last Feb. 2003.
• Published Dr. Ned Roberto's latest book, Strategic Market Segmentation - How to Market to the Rich, the Middle Class and the Masa. ( LifeCycle Press) and User-Friendly Marketing Research.
• Co-Author and provide editorial consultancy services to help publish The Fund Raiser's Guide to Fund Raising published by Venture for Fund Raising, Inc.
• Helped the Direct Selling Association of the Philippines (DSAP) write and publish its first ever book: S4 - Success Secrets of the Sales Superstar
• Produced the first distance learning event in a cinema - Malcolm Gladwell's BLINK - Rapid Cognition for Leaders/The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.
• Produced and organized the Al Ries' Brand Conference in 2006 with over 1,000 delegates in attendance.
• Produced and organized the Jay Levinson Guerrilla Marketing Conference in 2007 with over 4,000 delegates in two locations.
• Organizer and sole license holder of the Tony Buzan Mind Mapping creative workshop series starting 2007.
• Co-authored and helped published The Best of MarketingRx book with Dr. Ned Roberto, and published this May 2008 by the Philippine Daily Inquirer

Just a few years after its launch, Salt and Light Ventures, Inc. was able to establish itself as the leading, most entrepreneurial, and most awarded learning events company on the Philippines.

Its productions of the Tom Peters Live in Manila seminar in 2002 and the John Maxwell Live! in Manila Summit in 2004 garnered international and local awards (inclusing an Araw Award and an Anvil Award)

Today, Salt and Light Ventures continues to venture into projects that will further its mission. "Our name is our mission," says Ardy and Tingting, "to inspire and bring out the best in people. To help them become salt of the earth and light of the business world."

Salt and Light Ventures Inc is the only Filipino learning events producer and organizer to have won both international and local awards, including:

Entrepreneur of the Year (Entrepreneur Magazine) - 2006
Golden Quill Award for Achievers & Leaders Seminar (2005)
Anvil Award for The John Maxwell Leadership Summit (2004)
Gold Award DM Asia Awards-Singapore (2003)
Finalist - Cannes Advertising Awards - France (2003)
A Gold Araw Award at the Ad Congress  (2003)