4 Filipina Entrepreneurs on the Rise
Women are making money moves and I couldn’t be more proud! Women are breaking records and I am excited to see more female CEOs leading Fortune 500 companies. As of March 2022, Statista reported that there were 74 female CEOs employed at America's 500 highest-grossing companies, up from 41 in June of 2021 and only 7 in 2002. Hands up to these amazing female bosses! Despite the progress, the burning question is: where are the Filipinas, aside from Sheila Marcelo, the former CEO of Care.com? …...Oh they are out there, planning and building their new empires. I want to introduce you to 4 Filipina boss ladies that I was able to sit down with to get the inside scoop on how they got to where they are and what they’re currently up to.
#1: Telli Swift of D'Telli
Photo Courtesy of Telli Swift
Meet Filipina creator, Telli Swift, CEO of D’Telli and founder of the Boxing Wives and Girlfriends (WAGS) Association (501c3). D`Telli is a unisex fragrance that is intoxicating, rich, and luxurious. D`Telli is a complex blend that will mix with your skin's own unique chemistry creating a slightly different version of the scent for everyone who wears it.
I asked Telli what was the idea behind D'Telli and her response was everything to me! When couples are apart and want to still feel connected or reminisce about their significant other, they can forever be remembered through scent.” She was inspired to create a fragrance that captured the love her and heavy weight boxing champion, Deontay Wilder, have for each other.
With Swift being a business woman and Wilder training, being apart is no easy assignment. They wanted to find a solution for their distance and for others in the same predicament. Despite the distance and time, Telli shares that they wanted to be able to “connect through scent when we’re apart and still be able to be one.” Hence their motto, “where two souls connect as one.”
Swift’s ultimate goal for D'Telli is for it to be the go-to fragrance for couples to connect and for it to be in all high end luxury cosmetics retailers and sell worldwide as the #1 fragrance. D’Telli is a reflection of what’s important to Swift and Wilder: passion, unity and love. The best part about D’Telli is that It’s genderless and has 17 amazing notes that’s addicting and will have you coming back for more! It can be purchased at dtellifragrances.com or find them on Instagram @dtellifragrances.
# 2: Rechelle Balanzat, Juliette Technologies
Photo Courtesy of Rachelle Balanzat
Meet Filipina New Yorker and game changer, Rechelle Balanzat, CEO of Juliette Technologies.
Where it aims to bring the laundry & dry-cleaning industry into the 21st century. “Through the Juliette app, our technology, and commitment to quality control, we could be everywhere without being anywhere.”
The problem is (which we may all understand) laundry and drycleaning is inconvenient and a time consuming chore. Juliette picks up, cleans, and delivers your clothes within 24 hours at the tap of a button. If that’s not a great idea, I don’t know what is!
Balanzat says, “Laundry & dry cleaning is a $20B industry. Yet the top 50 businesses combined make up less than 10% market share.” Juliette Technologies aims to become category leader in the highly fragmented and antiquated space.
Balanzat wants us to know that since Covid, 1 in 6 cleaners have closed. Industry experts estimate we will lose 30% of the cleaning industry. Without the technical tools and infrastructure to compete in today's digital landscape, more livelihoods will be lost, and with them the generational knowledge of garment care.
Now is the time to bring the laundry & dry cleaning industry into the 21st century. Juliette Technologies can revitalize and empower an entire industry. I don’t know about you but I’m ready to knock out laundry off my chore list! Find Juliette Technologies at juliettecleaners.com or Instagram @juliettelaundry.
Photo Courtesy of Shaina Manlangit
#3: Shaina Manlangit, Industry’s Finest
Meet Filipina go-getter, Shaina Manlangit, co-founder of the new PR agency, Industry’s Finest. Created to help talent and creators get recognized in the press and help them produce immersive experiences to elevate their personal brands. I asked Shaina, so what's the problem and what makes you different from the rest? Her response couldn’t be more clearer.
“We work primarily with the BIPOC community where we help give a voice to talent who are often underrepresented in the media and help them connect with their target audience”. In my opinion, working with Filipino musician’s, this is 100 percent needed in our world today!
So I asked, what pushed this idea? Manlangit has been fortunate to work in-studio and with several agencies over the past couple years. She has learned so much after working alongside experts in the field to where she was able to learn the foundation on what is needed to launch her own agency. “I also have an amazing group of friends who are entrepreneurs who have guided me throughout this entrepreneurial journey.” Hands up to her support squad!
Manlangit’s ultimate goal is to build an empire that includes providing job security to an extraordinary team, producing our own events, bringing people together from different industries, and offering more services to help talent build their personal brand. You can check her @industrysfinest on Instagram and can also be reached at industrysfinest.com.
Photo courtesy of Cece Scott
#4: Cecilia Scott, Overtime Unlimited
Meet Filipina powerhouse, Cece Scott, founder of Overtime Unlimited, a line of leather crossbody cell phone, ipad and laptop cases, marked fashionably with our favorite NBA basketball team logos. Made for everybody who loves and wants to represent their basketball team. These crossbody bags are an easy yet sporty way to carry a cell phone for all genders without always holding it in your hand or putting it in your pocket. Scott says, “By getting the official license to place NBA team logos on our products, consumers can easily carry their device while showcasing their favorite NBA team especially when going through the security line in any major sports arena and venue.” The creation of these fashionable clear bags provides easy and smooth security checks, no more having to run back to your car to put things away or having security dig through all your belongings!”
Scott plans to provide products in every sports related store (ie. NBA stores, Footlocker,) and every electronic related store such as Target, Best Buy, and Apple Stores in the United States. Currently, they are licensed internationally through Asia, Australia and the Philippines, including all NBA stores overseas. In the U.S. they are currently licensed in NBA arena "team stores" but look forward to expanding in the U.S. soon.
Scott started this journey in 2021 and got officially licensed just a few months ago. Congratulations to her for that win! Consumers will be able to see and purchase products soon and will see neverending changes in styles and designs. Scott also mentions they have already started giving back to the community and looks forward to sharing the amazing never-before-seen NBA licensed products. Be one of the first to follow Overtime Unlimited on IG @overtimeunlimited
There we have it, 4 Filipinas making strides and contributing to the entrepreneurial journey to the top. They are hard at work and we know they are going to represent us well! Feel free to check out all their sites and instagram to learn more. Be sure to cheer them on and let them know, I sent you!
Written By Rose Buado
Business and Life Purpose Professional Certified Coach
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