ABOUT US

GKONOMICS was established in 2009 by like-minded Gawad Kalinga volunteers who were challenged to sustain the transformative community development work started by Gawad Kalinga ten years before.

The founding directors of GKonomics are highly successful professionals who have chosen to devote their time, talent, treasure, and networks to volunteer full-time for this shared dream of a sustained poverty alleviation platform where many can engage and achieve success and scale their work to benefit many.

Rose Isada Cabrera

Rose, GKonomics' resident lawyer, graduated from the University of California Los Angeles School of Law, after obtaining a bachelors degree in Computer Information Systems, minors in Public Administration and Speech Communication from California Polytechnic State University.   She practiced commercial law in Los Angeles, California for ten years before devoting full time to  serve as the Executive Director for Gawad Kalinga-ANCOP Foundation USA from 2002-2008, spearheading and growing the Gawad Kalinga network in the United States. Today, she is the Executive Director of GKonomics,, promoting social entrepreneurship as a way to a more prosperous Philippines.

Cecilia David Dayrit

Cecille is a BSC Economics and AB Psychology graduate of the College of the Holy Spirit, and took her MBA at the Ateneo de Manila.  She worked for the banking industry in various capacities for 15 years in the Philippines before moving to New York City.  In Manhattan, she co-founded and managed three popular wine shops and subsequently invested in the real estate business.  After managing successful and profitable businesses in the US, she moved back to the Philippines in 2007 and now shares her rich business experience to help poor communities attain sustainable livelihood, providing the seed funding for GKONOMICS in the early years.

Divine Banaria Duran

Divine graduated with a Management degree from Pace University in New York. She worked for Coca Cola and the World Presidents Organization. She generously shared her gifts in marketing and communication to advocate the GKonomics mission and vision to encourage more people to take up the cause of the poor. Providing inputs on various marketing communication collaterals of GKONOMICS, Divine showcases the hidden talents of the poor while spreading their inspiring stories. 

Marivic Poblador Pineda

Marivic graduated from De La Salle University with a BS in Management, and was a former Board Member and Deputy Administrator for Trade and Tourism of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.  She also worked for Software Ventures International and IBM Asia Pacific, Hong Kong. She generously volunteered her time and creative genius as Product Development Director for GKonomics in the early years, assuring that the products made by GK residents are marketable and world-class.  She currently provides strategic direction and critical inputs in the work of GKONOMICS. 

Pinky Velez Poe

Pinky graduated from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, with a double degree in Business Administration and Accountancy, and is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Masters Degree in Entrepreneurship for Social Enterprise Development from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business..  

She now brings her more than 20 years of corporate and business experience – from her first job as a Brand Assistant at Unilever, to being global head of Internal Audit of Schlumberger Oilfield Services, and as co-founder and Managing Director of BCC Credit Corporation – to the work of GKonomics, assuring good financial stewardship for the organization. Since 2006, she has devoted her time to building social enterprises, and to teaching personal and business financial management.  She is also co-founder of KLIK Mobile Education and serves on the board of the Ateneo Center for Social Entrepreneurship.