Kaya Founders expands Venture Partner Program to enhance support for Philippine Startups

Kaya Founders today announced the expansion of its Venture Partner Program. This initiative aims to strengthen the support provided to its portfolio companies, broaden the firm’s reach within the market, and deepen its collective expertise.

Venture Partners contribute to the Philippine tech ecosystem through founder sourcing, portfolio guidance, business development, and community engagement. The latest group of Venture Partners includes individuals with diverse backgrounds as former founders, experienced technology operators, and active angel investors.

This network of Venture Partners brings cross-border and cross-functional leadership, along with significant connections and a shared commitment to the growth of the Philippine tech and startup landscape. Current active members in the program include:

• Kendrick Kho – A triple Stanford alumnus with experience at Amazon and Rocket Internet, Kendrick has invested in companies like SpaceX, Stripe, and Boom Supersonic. As the founding General Partner of Hyperparameter, a U.S.-based AI venture capital firm, he is now focused on bridging the Philippine ecosystem with global AI innovation through education, investment access, and startup partnerships.
• Martin Gonzalez – An organizational development leader and startup advisor currently at Google DeepMind, where he leads initiatives focused on helping founders and leadership teams scale their organizations effectively. He is also the co-author of *The Bonfire Moment* and teaches at Stanford, Wharton, and INSEAD.
• Mandy Arbilo – A technology professional with extensive experience in ecommerce, program management, and customer experience. Currently Senior Director Global Web Projects at Minor Hotels, he previously served as SVP Program Management at Cenergy Innovation (Central Digital Office), leading the implementation of innovative ecommerce initiatives across Thailand.
• Calanthia Mei – An AI entrepreneur and co-founder of Masa Network, a decentralized data network for AI. A former founding member of PayPal’s venture arm, she contributed to six successful exits and helped scale a fintech startup to a $130M raise before its acquisition. Her work has been featured in Forbes, CNBC, NYSE, and NASDAQ TV.
• Rhea See – Co-founder & CEO of She Loves Tech, the world’s largest startup platform for women entrepreneurs, she has supported over 15,000 women-led startups across 80 countries that have collectively raised over $600 million. A Venture Partner at Kaya Founders and a Yale World Fellow, Rhea advises global organizations on gender-lens investing and innovation.
• Gelo Torres – An expert in ecommerce and logistics with over a decade of experience building startups and leading regional teams across Southeast Asia. He is currently the COO at Fronted, a company specializing in connecting remote companies with international talent. He also co-founded Armada Brands and Jelli Tech International and has held leadership roles at venture-backed ecommerce companies in Singapore.
• Alex de Leon – Currently the Group Vice President at PropertyGuru, Alex brings significant expertise in full-funnel marketing, digital growth, and consultative sales, built on a strong foundation in both technical and commercial roles. With over 16 years of experience across the US and Asia, he has held leadership roles at global technology companies like Google and Meta, as well as scale-ups and digital-first organizations such as HBO Max.

This renewed Venture Partner Program underscores Kaya Founders’ ongoing commitment to identifying, investing in, and supporting the growth of the next generation of startups focused on the Philippines.