FilAms Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 65

Filipinos have been in the United States since the 16th century, yet many of their stories remain untold. For the past year, Positively Filipino has been running a series on notable Filipino Americans who have made their marks in this country. There are hundreds, or maybe even thousands more, that need to be added to this story, and we need your help. If you know of a Filipino American who deserves to be included in this line-up, please send us their names and any supporting documents you may have to pfpublisher@yahoo.com. For now, we are including only those who are currently active and visible in the media and the community, regardless of their religious, sexual or political orientation. Thank you.

Martin Gonzalez, People-Problem Solver and Author

Martin Gonzalez (Source: Amazon)

Gonzalez is the Global Organization Development Lead for Google’s Compute Business (think Chrome, Android, Pixel, Nest, Fitbit, AI/Machine Learning/Quantum Computing research groups). He works with Google’s senior leaders to shape their team’s culture, grow their people, and build cool things that matter. He’s part of the faculty of the Google School for Leaders and has been a frequent guest lecturer at MBA programs at INSEAD, Stanford, Wharton, and London Business School. He is also the creator of Google for Startup’s PeopleLab, an effort to take what Google has learned about developing people and culture to startups around the world. He has run leadership courses and mentored thousands of tech startup founders, from seed stage to unicorn, across more than 40 countries in the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Gonzalez holds two master’s degrees in leadership studies and behavioral science from Columbia University and the London School of Economics. With Joshua Yellin, Gonzalez co-authored the book, The Bonfire Moment: Bring Your Team Together to Solve the Hardest Problems Startups Face.

Christeen Rico Green, Founder, Dream Bigger

Christeen Rico Green (Source: Faith Driver Investor)

Rico was born in Angeles City, Philippines, immigrated to the San Francisco Bay Area at age three, completed her BS-MS at New York University, and has spent her entire career in the Silicon Valley tech industry launching digital and physical experiences in new markets from strategy through execution. Her expertise is putting people at the center of everything she does to launch omni-channel (digital + physical) experiences in new markets from strategy through execution. She has launched new retail operations in multiple countries such as Mexico, South Korea, and Austria and recently served as Global Store Operations Lead for Covid-19 Response supporting over 60,000 store employees across 500+ retail locations in 20+ countries. Today she’s stewarding her Filipino American heritage plus tech industry and international expansion expertise to accelerate Filipino-led startups as founder of Dream Bigger (www.dreambigger.xyz). Dream Bigger unlocks values-aligned partnerships amongst founders, investors, mentors and supporters.  

Jamille Nagtalon-Ramos, Educator

Jamille Nagtalon Ramos (Source: Threads)

Nagtalon-Ramos is a distinguished educator, researcher, clinician, and award-winning multi-published author. She is an Assistant Professor at Rutgers University and a women’s health nurse practitioner at Penn Medicine. She earned her undergraduate nursing degree from Rutgers University and completed her master’s degree in nursing and doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research centers on two vital areas: (1) advancing the sexual and reproductive health of Filipino women in the global diaspora and (2) fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and equitable access to healthcare. Nagtalon-Ramos actively serves on the boards and committees of national organizations, including the Filipino Community Health Association, Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health.

Nardo Manaloto, Health and Technology Consultant

Nardo Manoloto (Source: Founder Institute)

With over 25 years of executive leadership in healthcare and deep technology, Manaloto brings unparalleled expertise in transforming complex healthcare and industry challenges through innovative solutions and emerging technologies. As Managing Partner at Qubits Ventures, he leads strategic investments in quantum computing, artificial intelligence, data innovations, and next-generation computing technologies. He collaborates with a specialized product incubator focused on quantum computing, AI, and data innovation solutions for government and industry partners. His unique combination of technical expertise, business acumen, and innovation leadership has established him as a trusted advisor in the convergence of healthcare, quantum technologies, and artificial intelligence. He is particularly passionate about fostering collaborative environments between venture capital, startups, and established corporations to accelerate technological advancement and drive meaningful societal impact through next-generation computing architectures.

Agnes Lopez. Storyteller

Agnes Lopez (Source: Facebook)

As a Filipino American editorial and commercial photographer, storyteller, and community advocate, Lopez is deeply committed to preserving and amplifying Filipino narratives. Her background and experience demonstrate her consistency in honoring her heritage and foster connections within her community and beyond. Lopez’s work has been featured in prestigious outlets such as The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, and campaigns for national brands. Beyond her official work, she has dedicated her creative energy to projects that celebrate Filipino history, culture, and identity. She also founded and owns Posewell Model and Talent Agency representing BIPOC talent for today's advertising and mainstream branding campaigns.

One of Agnes’ most meaningful projects, The Faces to Remember, honors Filipino World War II veterans, showcasing their sacrifices and resilience. Additionally, her documentary, JAX Filipino Chefs #MoreThanLumpia, is a testament to this dedication. By capturing the stories of Filipino American chefs in Jacksonville, she aims to educate, inspire, and highlight our contributions to the global food movement which led the formal formation of JAX Filipinos, a non-profit organization that connects the Filipino community in Jacksonville, Florida through cultural outreach, arts, and education.

Michelle Boquiren Urben, Financial Expert

Michelle Boquiren Urben (Source Synergos Holdings)

Urben is a founder and the Managing and General Partner of The Synergos Fund in Washington. D.C. A graduate of the Asia Institute of Management (AIM) with an MBA in Finance, she is an expert in investments, global asset raising and team building across diverse financial sectors, including banking, asset management, wealth management and venture capital. She is deeply committed to giving back to the community and actively participates in mentoring programs. She serves as chairman of the board at District Bridges, focused on community ecosystem development, and a board member at DC Tech and Venture Coalition.

Gabriel Kramer, Journalist

Gabriel Kramer (Source: Ideastream)

Kramer is an accomplished journalist who specializes in reporting on race and equity issues, a focus that has earned him numerous accolades, including an Emmy Award and a national reporting prize from the Asian American Journalists Association. In addition to his professional achievements, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership as the President of the Filipino American National Historical Society’s Ohio chapter and as an Executive Committee Member for the Cleveland Asian Festival. As a news reporter and documentary producer for Cleveland’s NPR and PBS stations, he has developed a wide range of skills. While his expertise as a writer, storyteller, and communicator is evident, his true strength lies in connecting with people. Kramer’s work requires him to deeply understand the challenges individuals face and identify solutions to address them. He also has a natural talent for building relationships and fostering collaboration.

Trisha Bantigue Tsao, Tech Entrepreneur

Trisha Bantigue Taso (Source: LinkedIn)

Bantigue is a Filipino American CEO and co-founder of Queenly, the largest online marketplace for the formalwear industry. She was recently featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 2022 list as the main cover for the Art & Style category. Coming from a low-income, immigrant background, she found the opportunity to gain scholarship awards through competing in pageants. Then, she found her initial inspiration for starting Queenly from this unique experience and seeing so many women struggle to find and afford their dream dress for their special event. She now strives for Queenly to reflect the progressive, inclusive goals that she stands for and to be able to provide access and affordability to women everywhere. She is also passionate about having diversity and representation in fashion, by including immense size inclusion with their inventory, as well as being radically inclusive in their photoshoot campaigns by having minority, plus-size, and trans women represent their brand.

Nikki Chan, Community Activist

Nikki Chan (Source: FYLPRO)

Chan is the co-founder and currently serves as the Executive Director of Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities (EMAC) in Stockton whose mission is to help build safe and thriving Southeast Asian communities within the larger Asian American and Pacific Islander diaspora. EMAC seeks to fulfill this mission through community advocacy and civic engagement, providing culturally relevant resources, and cultivating the development of social empowerment through the expression of our values: transformative justice, culturally rooted healing, communal resilience, and collective liberation. She also uses her skills in design and journalism to raise voices of marginalized communities. She has designed for various social justice campaigns like Stop Asian Hate, get out the vote, and police-free schools. She has also written and published headlines at Fusion Media and Mahalaya. She is a proud alumna of lNew Leaders Council, Filipino Young Leadership Program, and Leadership Education for Asian Pacific Executive Nonprofit Leaders Program.

Born in Stockton, California, she comes from a family of field workers of the “Manong” generation who immigrated to the Central Valley to work in the agricultural fields. Outside of work, Nikki runs her small food business Sarap Sa Chan, that specializes in Filipino and Asian inspired eats that are “yummy for your tummy” and shares taste that are reminiscent of your childhood. She was also finally diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and has been actively navigating and engaging in care practices that support those who are neurodivergent.

Donny Rojo, Technology Expert

Donny Rojo (Source: Washington State University)

Rojo has over 15 years of professional experience in technology and engineering program management bringing a wealth of technical expertise, operational acumen, and financial oversight skills to the Treasurer role. His career leading the integration of cutting-edge computer vision systems and proximity sensing technologies into market-ready consumer products spans through companies like Meta, Honeywell, and Sonicare. There, Rojo managed engineering teams and delivered complex projects on time and within budget. These roles reflect his ability to oversee financial planning, manage large-scale budgets, and align resources with strategic goals.  Rojo previously served as FYLPRO Treasurer during his time on the board from 2016 to 2020 and also a co-founder of FYLPRO’s TAYO Helpdesk program.

(Source: Google and Wikipedia)

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