Data is the lifeblood of artificial intelligence (AI), enabling learning and decision-making. Yet, as AI advances, accessing data becomes increasingly challenging. The rise of AI has led to a future where our data is controlled by a few tech giants operating within their own controlled environments.

Two brilliant minds, Art Abal and Anna Kazlauskas, with their Filipino roots, are reshaping the future of data. Their vision is clear: create a system where no single entity holds control, ensuring data remains a tool for empowerment.

As graduates of Harvard and MIT, they co-founded VANA, a startup that will value each person’s digital footprint with the use of blockchain technology, and they are committed to overcoming every hurdle, establishing a new benchmark for future generations.

Mr. Abal was born in Iligan to native Cebuano parents, and his journey spans from the high-rise offices of a global law firm to the vibrant coffee farms of Colombia, merging technology with human connection and impact along the way. Now, as the COO of VANA, he is on a mission to reshape how technology and society influence each other in this age of AI.

Having started out as a corporate lawyer, Mr. Abal developed a keen insight into the complex ways in which law and data interact, along with the societal effects AI might have. Working at Appen, he managed impact sourcing-finding innovative ways to power AI, focusing on human-centric solutions. Moving to Harvard, his work at the Belfer Center has deepened his interest in the potential of AI to transform societal structures.

Key moments came when he started advising the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste on policy and legal matters, and when he helped Nespresso in Colombia rethink data’s role in measuring the impact of supply chain practices on local communities.

Through his career, Mr. Abal has confronted the real-world implications of governance, data rights, and technology’s impact on society. This is where Ms. Kazlauskas, whose mother is from Pampanga, steps in.

With her solid foundation in Computer Science and Economics from MIT, she has been raising the profile of Tarlac Province while always being at the forefront of pushing the boundaries in blockchain and AI.

Ms. Kazlauskas has always viewed the world through data since childhood, at one point, she even created a program that transformed US inflation data into a song.

She has a wide range of experiences. At Celo, Ms. Kazlauskas worked on blockchain solutions focused on financial inclusion, embodying a people-first tech philosophy. And when she interned at the World Bank, she was eager to model various data but noticed other interns spending their summer sorting documents. Seeing an opportunity, she automated the task, which led to the founding of her first company, Iambiq, eventually bringing her to the prestigious YCombinator.

Additionally, Ms. Kazlauskas’ experience in Ethereum crypto mining and her work with central banks and international organizations from 2014 to 2017 were dedicated to connecting technology with financial policy. This complements Mr. Abal’s insights into governance and data rights. Together, they leverage their diverse experiences to bring more people and data into a truly inclusive space, which led to the creation of VANA.

Founding VANA

The journey of both VANA founders began in a class at the MIT Media Lab focused on building technology for emerging markets. Driven by a shared mission to uplift communities often neglected by AI’s rapid growth, they launched TOCA, a project aimed at involving people in low-income areas by having them label data using their phones.

The success of TOCA’s launch in Cebu and Manila demonstrated the Philippines’ potential to bridge the AI divide. However, their studies at MIT took priority, putting TOCA on hold, but this pause allowed them to refine their vision.

After completing their studies, the founders launched VANA, a bold venture aimed at revolutionizing data ownership. This decentralized platform enables users to reclaim their data and carry it across applications.

Derived from ‘Nirvana,’ VANA seeks to be the premier digital playground for AI, creating relationships and economic activity free from Big Tech’s control. The business of decentralizing data certainly attracted the attention of some of the leading crypto VCs, with Paradigm and Polychain backing the pair right off the bat.

Rooted in the Filipino heritage of its founders, VANA is committed to empowering Filipinos with full control over their data, allowing them to benefit directly. As AI development faces constraints due to a lack of fresh, high-quality data, VANA presents a novel solution. The platform’s ethical data sourcing, with user consent, promotes fairness and embodies Filipino values of community and integrity.

Built on blockchain technology, VANA gives individuals control over their data, enhancing AI while preserving privacy. The platform has seen global success, with initiatives like the Reddit Data DAO drawing over 140,000 participants in a week, showing how people are fed up with platforms exploiting their data without permission.

In the Philippines, VANA’s technology allows AI to better understand local cultures and languages, creating more inclusive technologies that genuinely represent the community.

As the next chapter of AI unfolds, VANA is set to lead the charge, ensuring that individuals, rather than corporations, control their digital identities. For Mr. Abal and Ms. Kazlauskas, their drive is not just about building a tech company but about empowering Filipinos in a rapidly changing world.

“This is one direct way in which Filipinos can really participate in this emerging data economy,” Mr. Abal said.

Monde Nissin Corp. has partnered with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) to offer a scholarship and research grant program aimed at developing future leaders in sustainability and food security.

The partnership was sealed through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signing at UPLB’s BM Gonzalez Hall, with key officials from both parties present. Monde Nissin was represented by Corporate and Government Affairs Head Atty. Olive Misa, Public Affairs Head Marc Joseph Alejo, and Regulatory Affairs Head Charina May Tandas. UPLB’s delegation included Chancellor Dr. Jose V. Camacho, Jr.; Dr. Jennifer Amparo, dean of the College of Human Ecology; and Dr. Elpidio Agbisit, Jr., dean of the College of Agriculture and Food Science.

The Monde Nissin Sustainability and Food Security Scholarship will support six undergraduate students, three master’s students, and three PhD students per year from August 2024 to August 2027. The scholars will come from the College of Human Ecology and the College of Agriculture and Food Science, fields that are at the forefront of research on sustainability, food systems, and nutrition.

The program is part of Monde Nissin’s broader commitment to addressing critical food security challenges.

“As a leading food company in the Philippines, Monde Nissin hopes to leverage innovation and technology to tackle food security head-on. We believe that food security and nutrition are essential foundations for a sustainable future. This scholarship program is an investment in the future of our nation,” Atty. Misa said.

Dr. Camacho welcomed the partnership, emphasizing its importance to the university. “Napakalaking bagay na nagtutulungan po tayo upang makapagbigay ng suporta sa aming mga estudyante, hindi lamang po sa pagpopondo ng pag-aaral (It’s important that we work together to support our students, not only through funding their studies), but in addition to that, when you employ them as productive members of society,” he said.

The scholarship will provide students with a comprehensive package, including monthly living allowances and book stipends for undergraduates; and research grants, thesis support, and publication incentives for graduate students. Research funding will also be made available for projects related to food safety, sustainable food systems, and community nutrition, areas identified as key priorities.

GeeksPH, in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, announces the return of tech startup international conference Geeks On A Beach (GOAB), which is set to take place in Cebu this November at the JPark Island Resort and Waterpark in Mactan Island. A masterclass is slated on Nov. 13, followed by a two-day conference on Nov. 14-15.

“The return of Geeks On A Beach, the country’s premier tech startup international conference, to Cebu this year after a decade, is a testament to GOAB’s success as a catalyst for Cebu’s tech startup ecosystem,” said GOAB lead organizer Tina Amper.

Ms. Amper explained that Cebu’s strategic location in Central Visayas, which shaped its history as a trade entrepot, has allowed it to serve as a meeting point for startup enablers from different regions.

Central Visayas, whose core is Cebu, emerged as the “fastest-growing” economy among the 17 regions in the country, according to 2023 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The region also maintained its position as the fourth-largest contributor to the Philippine economy’s growth and the top contributor outside Luzon, with a 6.6% share.

In addition, based on the global innovation research platform StartupBlink’s Global Startup Ecosystem Index, Cebu City maintained its position as the second leading startup ecosystem in the country and advanced one rank to tenth place in Southeast Asia this year.

“The growth of Cebu’s startup scene is rooted in a tradition of entrepreneurship that dates back to the ‘Ceboom’ era of the 1980s and 1990s and the subsequent take-off of its ICT sector beginning in the 2000s,” said Jojo Flores, founding advisor of GOAB and co-founder of Plug and Play Tech Center Philippines.

Cebu’s ICT industry began to take off at the onset of the 2000s decade as the national government strategy emphasized ICT-enabled services and business process outsourcing (BPO) as key economic drivers.

The rising BPO and ICT sectors leveraged a large pool of English-educated talent facilitated by numerous colleges and universities, private sector training, and government education programs.

Responding to these economic trends, the provincial government created the Cebu Provincial ICT Council in 2006 to attract ICT investments.

Establishing IT hubs like the Cebu IT Park, the first of its kind outside Manila, also marked this turn. By 2010, the Cebu IT Park became a hub for tech companies and startups, fostering collaboration and innovation.

“Bringing Geeks On A Beach (GOAB) in Cebu in 2015 for the first time helped nurture the province’s dynamic startup ecosystem, building on Cebu’s history as an ICT industry investment hub since the 2000s,” said Mr. Flores.

For Ms. Amper and Mr. Flores, the return of Geeks On A Beach to Cebu after a decade solidifies the province’s status as a rising tech hub and investment destination in Asia.

“We enjoin all interested geeks and budding entrepreneurs to join GOAB, where startups are celebrated, founders get funded, co-founders are found, geeks are hired, companies find talent, friends are discovered, partners are established, deals are secured, creativity is unlocked, connections are forged, community is strengthened, support is offered, and the inspiration is endless,” said Ms. Amper.

In addition, enspace Cebu, the Japan-based coworking and shared office space provider in the region, has officially partnered with GOAB as a community partner.

To join Geeks On A Beach, purchase tickets at https://geeksonabeach.com or email hello@geeksonabeach.com. Discounted tickets are available for a limited period.