How great would it be if there were female trailblazers we could learn from and be inspired with? Today we’re rolling up a list of the 8 Most Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs in the Philippines, with purposeful and devoted visions in their selected industries. Manila is a vibrant city filled with diverse cultures, traditions, and ways of life, yet women are still underrepresented in the entrepreneurship sector. Rather than just celebrating Women’s Month this March, we’re here to share why each day should be celebrated equally as this month’s. Take a stroll through our Top 8!
Angela Chen-Delantar
Co-Founder and CEO of Eskwelabs
Featured in Forbes 30 under 30, Angela Chen-Delantar heads the innovation Eskwelabs as their Co-Founder and CEO. Eskwelabs is a venture-backed education technology startup where people can acquire data skills education, helping them obtain skill-based opportunities in the country and internationally.
This innovation by Angela contributes an immense amount of technological advancements for individuals who want to pursue a professional career in business, finance, and tech. With the cohort-learning and coaching platform Eskwelabs, Angela continues to inspire countless women and youth across the globe. Both Angela and Eskwelabs are on a mission to fully democratize the window of opportunity for work availability and quality in the Philippines.
Angeline Tham
CEO and Founder of Angkas
CEO and Founder of the motorcycle taxi service, Angkas, Angeline Tham, has broken barriers in creating a revolutionary business through wheels. While she isn’t an alien to understanding the fiascos of Manila traffic, Angeline created a solution built on affordability, speed, and safety for all city travelers. The Angkas application alone has garnered over three million downloads since its launch, and it continues to grow in number as the company and its users expand.
We know how difficult it is to travel around the metro, especially in a car-centric city, which is why Angkas provides an avenue for travelers to reach their destination safely at speed. Breaking barriers and stereotypes, Angeline Tham continues to lead the company’s growth and inspire countless women across the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
Carmina Bayombong
Co-Founder and CEO of InvestEd
Carmina Bayombong is one of the most prominent names in the industry of technological development and innovation in the country and across the globe. She has received countless awards, namely, the Cartier Women’s Initiative award, which recognizes the impact of women’s hard work in achieving great heights and making an impact in people’s lives. Carmina Bayombong is the Co-Founder and CEO of InvestEd, a platform that generously opens and provides opportunities for underprivileged youth to acquire quality education.
Carmina’s company has helped thousands of students from 585 universities across 64 provinces in the Philippines. InvestEd is also celebrated around the world, capturing the attention of news publications and networks. In the plight of poverty, Carmina has envisioned the future of education for Filipino youth, extending a helping hand to each one through InvestEd.
Rissa Mananquil Trillo
Co-Founder of Happy Skin
Celebrating Filipina beauty and inspiring young and old women across the country, Rissa Mananquil Trillo co-founded the popular cosmetics and skincare brand, Happy Skin. As someone who had tested countless cosmetics and skin care products through her profession as a model and beauty columnist before she headed Happy Skin, Rissa found the need to create a product that is specifically designed for Filipino skin. And as she ventured into the different stages of entrepreneurship, her dream came true, and we now proudly call it Happy Skin.
Certainly, it wasn’t a walk in the park building Happy Skin. It also took her time, collaborations, and countless trials to establish the brand. Rissa is one of the Filipino women who has made a distinguishable effort to craft world-class products and inspire millions of Filipinos to chase their dreams.
Sam Blanquera,
Co-Founder and COO of Shoppable Business
Today, we’re also featuring Shoppable Business’ Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer – Sam Blanquera. Along with the brand’s owner and founder, Carlo Silva, Sam spearheads the company in helping fellow startups, homegrown businesses, established companies, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Shoppable Business is one brand that offers a helping hand to enable eCommerce through specialized logistics, marketplaces, B2B tools, and financial products.
Sam, along with her team of talents, shapes the eCommerce industry into a more skilfully diverse and authentic ecosystem. If you want to know more about Shoppable Business and the wide variety of solutions they offer, you can check out their page at Shoppable Business. Become a seller or buyer, and gain the best eCommerce experience through your homegrown startup, Shoppable Business!
Teresita Sy-Coson
Co-Chair of SM Investments Corporation
From banking, property investments, and retail, Teresita Sy-Coson leads across all facets of their company, SM Investments Corporation. She has been continuing the remarkable growth and legacy of her late father, Henry Sy. Teresita also sits as the chair of BDO Unibank, one of the country’s most trusted banks.
Beginning with her family, entrepreneurship has brought her to become an influential icon across various industries in the country. Her footsteps are those that new businesses follow. And as she continues her father’s legacy, Teresita moves young aspiring women entrepreneurs to become icons of success themselves.
Alice Eduardo
CEO and President of Sta. Elena Construction and Development Corporation
Known as the “Woman of Steel,” Alice Eduardo, President, and CEO of Sta. Elena Construction and Development is one of the most outstanding industry breakers in Philippine business history. In the construction industry, it’s familiar to identify countless male counterparts. Alice has taken the lead in standing out and embarking on innovation projects, never batting an eye on “gender roles.”
The Philippines’ construction magnate, Alice, is no stranger to business. At a young age, she learned the language of making sacrifices, compromises, and exerting effort to achieve her goals. While she is known to be an icon in the construction industry, she is also known for building hope for employment and infrastructure. One of her passion projects includes the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) pediatric ward. A remarkable stalwart in the industry, mentorship, and entrepreneurial development.
Robina Gokongwei-Pe
President of Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc.
Daughter of late John Gokongwei, Robina Gokongwei-Pe now stands as the President of Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. We know their company as many things, a department store, supermarket, toy store, appliance store, and countless others. We’ve come to know Robinsons as a brand we grew up familiar with. To every corner we look, it seems Robinsons has a place across all regions in the country.
As the legacy of John Gokongwei lives through, Robina Gokongwei-Pe speeds through the industry with no sign of stopping. Robina is a true example of dauntless leadership, determination, and challenging the status quo. With Robinsons growing in number, her dedication grows stronger daily as she shapes the future inspired by her father.
As we celebrate International Women’s Month, there is a growing number of women entrepreneurs here in the Philippines. Each shows that there’s no need to fret about competing against society’s standards. Rather, the room for women to shine and innovate flows innately through each venture and learning opportunity. This unwavering vision for success and growth is our motivation to keep moving forward.
Being an entrepreneur, at any stand, has its own set of challenges that are inherently different from success stories. Today we’ve learned about the six women entrepreneurs in the country who paved the way for their dreams. Each of them continues to work hard regardless of the common definition of achievement. Now, whether you are a man, woman, or part of the LGBTQIA+, there’s no stopping you from achieving your dreams. You can even start here at Shoppable Business.
