Filipina Movers and Shakers, Part 2

To celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8) and Women’s History Month, Positively Filipino (PF) is republishing a three-part roster of outstanding Filipino women worldwide as recognized by the Filipina Women’s Network (FWN). The FWN Foundation names the Most Influential Filipina Women Awardees, a distinguished assembly of leaders who have left an indelible mark on the global stage.

The awardees hail from 34 countries and were chosen through a rigorous global search for their exceptional contributions and enduring impact in the public and private sectors. Their stories concern success, transformation, and influencing industry sectors and local communities. Their peers nominate them and are then meticulously selected by a seasoned panel comprising previous year's laureates, ensuring a legacy of excellence transcending borders and generations.

The FWN celebrates these trailblazers and creates a platform for their collective power to inspire and catalyze change and serve as a beacon for Filipina leadership and innovation worldwide. Positively Filipino conducted additional research on each achiever. The following is Part 2 of the series.

Donna Avellana Künzler, Robotics and Process Improvement Leader

Zurich, Switzerland

Donna Avellana Künzler (Source: Amazon.com)

Künzler was born and raised in Cavite, Philippines. She’s a CPA and earned a postgraduate degree in Strategy and Innovation from the University of Oxford. Her career as an information technology auditor/consultant started in 2001 when she relocated to Singapore to work. She continued her adventures in San Jose, California, and then in London, before finally ending up in Switzerland (Basel and Zurich). She self-published her book, The Overseas Fabulous Pinay: A Modern Filipina's Handbook on How to Thrive Abroad, as part of her advocacies for women's empowerment, education, and promotion of the welfare of foreign workers. It won the Best Independent Book Award 2021 for Nonfiction - Living Abroad; Gold Award in Literary Titan Book Awards 2021; Gold Award in the Nonfiction Book Awards 2020 and was honored as a finalist in the Best Book Design category in the International Book Awards 2020. Künzler works for a Swiss Fortune 500 company and is responsible for process excellence and digital transformation. She lives in Zurich with her husband and daughter.

Juslyn Manalo, Councilmember, Mayor (2023-2024)

Daly City, California, U.S.A.

Juslyn Manalo (Source: dalycity.org)

Breaking barriers and shattering glass ceilings, Manalo made history as the first Filipina woman and Millennial elected to the Daly City Council in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020 with an unprecedented 43.7 percent of the votes—a Daly City record during the tumultuous times of the pandemic, and campaigning while pregnant with her second child. Manalo is currently the Senior Community Engagement Specialist-Impact, Policy, and Communication with the City and County of San Francisco’s Office of Economic Workforce Development. Manalo's service journey began as a Community Service Worker advocating for Filipino World War II Veterans. She then spearheaded the Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP), helping low to moderate-income families to find stability and security in housing—a testament to her dedication to social justice. Transitioning to the private sector, Manalo continued her mission as a Community Engagement Manager for one of the nation’s real estate developers. Here, she forged vital partnerships and created opportunities for affordable housing, job creation, open spaces, and youth development. Manalo's impact extends to the crucial domain of water supply and conservation as a board member of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency. Beyond her official roles, Manalo's dedication to public service is evident in serving as Chair of the Fil-Am Caucus of the CA Democratic Party, Personnel Board Commissioner for Daly City, chairing the SamTrans Citizen Advisory Committee, and board member of the Senior & Disability Action. She tirelessly advocates for policy reform at local and state levels. She holds a Master's in Public Administration and a Bachelor's degree in Asian American Studies with a Minor in Women's Studies from San Francisco State University.

Sonia Delen, Banker and Community Leader

San Francisco, California, U.S.A.

Sonia Delen

Delen is Senior Vice President of Global Leasing with Bank of America.  In 2018, she was appointed by California Governor Jerry Brown to be a non-lawyer and public member of the Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California, the first Filipino American to be appointed to this position. She also served as a member of the Board of Trustees at the California Health Professions Education Foundation.  In 2010, she founded the Kulinarya Chefs Competition with the Department of Tourism to showcase and recognize the many talents of Filipino American amateur and professional chefs with competitions in California, Hawaii, and New York.  Kulinarya was folded into the Filipino Food Movement, where she is president, to promote and preserve Filipino cuisine in the U.S. and the world.  She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Apl.de.ap Foundation International.  A graduate of the University of the Philippines with a degree in Foreign Service, Delen has received numerous awards from the community. 

Eileen de Villa, Physician

Toronto, Canada

Dr. Eileen De Villa (Source: Rotary Club of Toronto)

In the heart of Toronto, amidst the chaos and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, one woman stood as a symbol of resilience, dedication, and unwavering courage—Dr. Eileen de Villa, the Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto, with nearly three million residents. Her leadership during this unprecedented crisis transcended mere duty; it became a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Her role in Toronto’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was the most challenging in her career; she received death threats that her family needed to be provided with security. De Villa has authored, published, and presented research on public health considerations for city planning and emergency preparedness, infectious disease control, and public health policy development. She received a Bachelor of Science in psychology and women’s studies. After graduation, she interned at the United Nations, where she was assigned to Vienna. This started her interest in international health. She furthered her studies with a Master of Health Science and Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Toronto and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University. De Villa sits on the McGill Women, Leadership & Philanthropy Board, working to increase women's representation in leadership, governance, and philanthropy.

Ninez Ponce, Ph.D., MPP, Professor and Director, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Ninez Ponce (Source: UCLA Fielding)

Ponce is an expert on immigrant and global health, survey-based research, social determinants of health, and health disparities. She is a UCLA Fielding School of Public Health professor and Director of its Center for Health Policy Research. She leads the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the nation’s largest state health survey, where she devised the rationale and implementation of Asian ethnic oversamples and the cultural and linguistic adaptation of the survey. She teaches applied research methods, health policy, and health economics.  She has served on the Board of Scientific Counselors, the National Center for Health Statistics, and on committees for the National Academy of Sciences and the National Quality Forum, where her expertise has focused on setting guidance for health systems in the measurement and use of race/ethnicity and social determination of health as tools to monitor health equity. Ponce has received support from the National Cancer Institute, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the California Endowment, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and other organizations. In 2008, she received the National Institute of Health merit award for her work in multicultural survey research. In 2009, the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Association gave her the Royal Morales Community Service Award. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Services from the University of California, Berkeley, her Master’s in Public Policy on International Development from Harvard University, and her Doctor of Philosophy in Health Services from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Teresita Batayola, Health Advocate

Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

Teresita Batayola (Source NACHC)

Last December 20, 2021, President Biden named Teresita Batayola one of 25 leaders of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. “The commission will advise the President on ways that public, private, and nonprofit organizations can work together to improve outcomes for these populations that have often been kept out of the halls of power.” Batayola is president emerita of International Community Health Services, Washington state’s largest Asian and Pacific Islander non-profit organization providing primary health care services. An active public speaker and advocate for affordable health care, she earned the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in 2019; in 2014, she was recognized as a White House champion of change; and in 2010, she was named an outstanding leader in health care by Seattle Business Magazine.  She holds a BA in Public Affairs from Seattle University and an MS in Urban Administration from Bucknell University. Before entering the healthcare field, she worked and practiced in economic development, community and international development, and strategic planning.

Juliana “Nana” Luz, Co-Chairman & Co-Founder, Softype

San Francisco, California, U.S.A.

Juliana “Nana” Luz (Source: LinkedIn)

A graduate of Stanford University, Luz’s expertise revolves around envisioning change and delivering value to growth-oriented businesses. Her tool of choice is an ERP system. Luz uses technology and her skill set to streamline processes, eliminate redundancy, and navigate digital transformation. Since founding Softype, she has helped 450 companies across 26 countries in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Nana serves on the board of La Proteccion de la Infancia (Gota de Leche), an NGO that works to reduce stunting and malnutrition in children of the extremely poor in the Philippines, and the current board chair of United Success Global, an international women's organization focused on broadening networks of woman entrepreneurs and impact investors across broad geographies.

Marla de Castro Rausch, Founder & CEO, Animation Vertigo

Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.

Marla de Castro Rausch (Photo courtesy of Marla de Castro Rausch)

Rausch immigrated to the U.S. in 1999 from the Philippines. She freelanced for her husband’s animation company and was a financial advisor with American Express. In 2004, she founded Animation Vertigo, a motion-capture and animation company headquartered in Utah and a production center in Manila with a team of almost 100 trackers, animators, and designers. Her clients include TV and film companies, with 85 percent video game developers. Rausch is a member of the Motion Capture Society, Women in Animation, and the International Game Developers Association and is involved in organizations that support the entrepreneurial spirit and mentoring of females. She

Grace Gorospe-Jamon, Ph.D., President, Lapulapu-Cebu International College

Cebu, Philippines

Grace Gorospe-Jamon (Source: LCIC)

Gorospe-Jamon holds a Doctorate in Political Science, a Master of Arts, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. She built a career in education spanning 40 years in various roles, from being a member of the faculty right up to director of the premier state university’s extension program. As a university professor, she consistently topped the university’s annual Student Evaluation of Teachers (SET), mentoring and advising a generation of doctoral, master’s, and undergraduate students. As director of the state university’s extension program, she implemented many internationally funded extension program partnerships with the UN and various international private social enterprise groups.

She has been a public policy advocate as a fellow and mentor at the Asia Foundation and the Geneva Institute for Leadership and Public Policy. Gorospe-Jamon’s remarkable career includes being Dean of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), Director of the University of the Philippines Extension Program in Clark and Olongapo, executive director of the Philippine Social Science Council, and president of the Association of Schools of Public Administration in the Philippines.

Maria Consolacion P. Geroche, Founder & CEO, Rembrandt Banquet Hall and Catering Services

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Maria Consolacion P. Geroche (Source: FWN)

Born in Masbate, Philippines, her family immigrated to Canada in 1973. Geroche and her husband, Jimmy, an architect, started the Rembrandt Banquet Hall 16 years ago in the heart of Scarborough to provide party space for various events, from intimate gatherings to grand celebrations like weddings, birthdays, proms, baptisms, debuts, and corporate events. With annual sales of $1.2 million and 17 full-time staff, they moved to a larger location, a former fitness center. Determined, they closed for two years to continue renovations. In 2021, Rembrandt finally opened its doors a minute away from the old location.

Leonore RS Lim, Artist

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Lenore Lim (Photo by Jose Zulueta)

National Museum of the Philippines will showcase Lim's new collection, "Leaves, Laces, and Legacy," marking a significant milestone in her illustrious career. The exhibition will debut with an opening reception on March 22, 2024, and will captivate audiences until February 2025, representing the culmination of years of artistic dedication and mastery. Born and raised in the Philippines, Lim came to the U.S. in 1975, spending eight months in Alabama, then moved to Vancouver, British Columbia.  Lim is an artist specializing in printmaking. She is a recipient of the Philippine Presidential Award for Arts and the Jackson Pollock-Lee Krasner Foundation Grant. Lim has exhibited in Austria, Canada, France, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, the Philippines, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. In 2005, she published a book, Profound Afterglow: The Prints of Lenore RS Lim. In 2009, she founded the Lenore RS Lim Foundation to aid young artists in furthering their education and exhibiting their work worldwide. Lim graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts in 1967. She continued her studies at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where she learned computer art and printmaking techniques. Lim mastered modern lithography methods, such as monotype, collotype, carborundum, and Chinese collé. 

Mary Ann Gamboa, Hotel Executive

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Mary Ann Gamboa (Source: Four Seasons Press Room)

Gamboa is the Director of Marketing at Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto. Leading by example, Gamboa's unwavering dedication to nurturing talent within her team sets the gold standard for leadership in her tenured career. Before immigrating to Canada in 1998, she began her career in the hospitality industry in Manila, Philippines. Since she arrived in Toronto, she has been determined to conquer the world of hospitality and inspire other newcomers to the country she now calls home. Through delivering impactful strategies expertly executed in a highly competitive space, Gamboa’s determination to exceed benchmarks has carried her across several hospitality brand portfolios and integral roles within the industry. As such, she has garnered several accolades along the way. In 2017, Gamboa was named one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World by the Filipina Women’s Network. In 2018, she was awarded Best of the Best Sales/Catering Employee of the Year by InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, and in 2019, she was the first woman to receive the General Manager Award at the InterContinental Toronto Centre for her outstanding achievement and contribution to the property’s success. Her commitment to diversity resonates deeply with her team and fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration. Outside of her professional life, one of her significant motivators is her son, Miguel, and she credits her parents and mentors, who helped instill core values that have guided her throughout her illustrious career. Today, Gamboa is considered a mentor to many, including students and young professionals looking to break the glass ceiling, just as she did.

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