Cohort

Maya and her team at Angat Bayi believe in empowered women empowering other women for nation-building. Angat Bayi’s fellowship takes elected women leaders on mentorship with seasoned political leaders and academics who believe in feminist transformative leadership; rights-based, inclusive, democratic and good governance; and the value of active citizenship.

Sheila is an advocate of slow, ethical and circular fashion; saving the planet  one outfit at a time. Through an online marketplace, consumers can shop for eco-friendly and ethically-manufactured goods including clothes, bags, and shoes, as well as pre-loved items.

Christine is reviving the art of pre-colonial handcrafted gold filigree jewelry in the Philippines. After seeing Filipino artisans take on blue-collar jobs overseas due to lack of interest in their craft, Christine and friend Danielle Tan set-up Amami to bolster Filipino cultural pride and empower local artisans. Amami employed 15 partner artisans within one year after its official launch.

Angie creates safe spaces for hospitalized children with cancer and other chronic illnesses. The Kythe Child Life Program Angie manages addresses children’s fears by promoting a culture of care that allows them to learn play and grow. Since 1992, Kythe has provided psychosocial support to over 17,000 children and their families.

Dhang is keeping plastic waste off the oceans by transforming it into an economic tool with Plastic Bank Philippines. Plastic Bank is compensating plastic collectors, building ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities, and reintroducing collected plastic into the global manufacturing supply chain. A self-proclaimed mermaid, Dhang is also the co-founder of a social enterprise that produces naturally-processed and wild-caught sustainable seafood products.

Mich incorporates Filipino textile and craftsmanship in each hat she creates. Her Weave Good label stands on core values of socio-economic empowerment for underserved communities, cultural preservation, and ethical and sustainable use of ethnic raw materials. Mich’s hats, worn by an international clientele, are an extension of herself as an artist and a Filipino.

Kamille is making full use of her Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering background to transform agricultural waste into paper packaging. Fresh out of university, Kamille founded Ethnicoco, an enterprise looking to turn devalued coconut wastes into marketable products produced by indigenous communities.

Salika uplifts the lives of fellow Internally Displaced People (IDPs) through weaving. The Maranao Collectible Service Cooperative she co-founded creates heirloom Iangkit pieces to both preserve cultural tradition and provide livelihood. Born in an evacuation center in 2017, the Cooperative now employs  60 fellow evacuees as artisans.

Veronica is on a mission to spread love for Filipino weaves and batik fabric. Her Balik Batik enterprise fuses traditional and modern, producing handwoven everyday items like wallets and cardigans using local fabric and weaving techniques.

Krishia has 7 years of experience in building and creating user-centered products, services, processes and organizations. She embarked on tackling the issue of the plastic waste, specifically the reduction of people's consumption and dependency.

Carmen is a staunch advocate of persons with disabilities. Her track record in the field of disability started way back in 1987.  As the founding president of Women With disabilities Leap to Social and Economic Progress (WOW Leap Inc.) she managed the development of the organization through income generating projects, developing training modules for advocacy, leadership and program development.

Joji is the CEO of Coffee For Peace, Inc. (CFP) and the Ina at PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI). The partnership between CFP and PBCI in advocating Peace and Reconciliation (PAR) principles and practices has garnered her an award from the President of the Philippines as one of the Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs in 2017.

Kimberly is a professional with more than seven (7) years of volunteer experience in community organizing, capacity-building and project implementation, and six (6) years of extensive experience in project management, proposal development and report writing in an international research organization. She is also passionate in creating eco-friendly products for many people while uplifting the lives of the local artisans in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro.

Faw has been focused on promoting Muslim culture, advocating love for the Philippines and its traditions, and empowering women to be independent. She started her entrepreneurial journey in her mid-30s. Last year, her enterprise was named one of the top 10 awardees of the BPI Sinag Accelerate Program.

Sarah is a regenerative solutions designer weaving advocacy, non-profit management, and consultancy experiences in environmental education, cultural heritage, peacebuilding, and humanitarian assistance for the last 20  years. After responding to conflict and natural disasters in the Philippines, she was inspired to form Green Releaf Initiative to support community leaders in regenerative solutions after emergencies.

Anya is the Princess Ant/ Co Founder and Managing Director of ANTHILL Fabric Gallery. Anya’s strong passion in addressing cultural degradation and creating sustainable livelihood for weaving communities has led her to building a recognized, multi-awarded brand of sustainable textile products.

Eva is the Chief Operating Officer of AccessiWheels, a social enterprise working on providing transportation to get people with mobility problems to where they want to be. Within just a year, Accessiwheels has operated in 18 cities and has worked with the Pasig City government to  adapt their operations for residents and frontliners during the series of lockdowns.

Rosa  is a licensed nurse who has been awarded for her work in mental institutions. She has been working online for 8+ years and has been building communities for over 5  years. She is also the co-founder of Virtualahan, a pioneering tech social enterprise, providing equal employment opportunities to the most excluded populations in society.

Larissa is the Development Coordinator of CANVAS, an organization that advocates for art as a vehicle for children to love reading among children. To date, CANVAS has shared 300,000 books to poor communities across the Philippines, from Batanes to Zamboanga.