Marilyn Poon will focus on the digital activities of a prominent activist to explore the crucial role of digital materialities for women, and those othered, in claiming their voices in protest. Denise Ho, a.k.a. HoCC, is a prominent artist in Hong Kong and an activist during the 2019 Hong Kong Protest. She has spoken publicly about the movement’s reliance on digital technologies and the important role of art and creativity in protest. Examining the impact of gender on activism, the aim is to understand how being a woman influenced her ability to mobilize crowds, voice demands, and navigate challenges. The focus will extend to the unique ways HoCC navigated such obstacles in entrepreneurial ways. The talk also extends to the digital realm, seeking insights into how marginalized voices, particularly those of women, gain authority through digital platforms. By examining the intersections of materiality and gender, Marilyn aims to illuminate the nuanced dynamics at play in activist movements.

Marilyn Poon is an organization studies scholar whose research focuses on the digital condition and its influence on organizing phenomena, including leadership and entrepreneurship. She applied a communication as constitutive or organizing (CCO) approach in her dissertation, which focused on the 2019 Hong Kong Protests to explore the role of platform technologies. Currently, she is applying practice-based theorizing to unpack the generative dynamics of data-driven and value-based practices.