Meet Our Team

MEET OUR TEAM

JENNIFER VILORIA

Founder and CEO

Jennifer is an experienced investment banker/consultant, impact investor and social entrepreneur having invested her own capital in start up social enterprises in the UK, Europe and Asia since 2013. She is a passionate advocate of inclusive and sustainable livelihood projects as means to eradicate poverty. Her personal story underpins her mission: she was born and raised in a poor farming village in the Philippines where she experienced abject poverty as a child. She founded IISLA Ventures to channel capital for rural development because she believes that if people in remote places live their dreams and aspirations without leaving their homes and families, many of the social and environmental challenges we face today could be eradicated.

MEL R. YAN

Head of Operations

Mel has over 10 years of experience as a development practitioner. After working as Senior Program Officer at the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc, he co-founded KA.T.ON to address public school dropout in the Philippines and became a development consultant to various organisations. He obtained his masters in Global Development and Education from the University of Leeds under the British Chevening Scholarship, and is an alumnus of the Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum.

JESSICA KENIO

Head of Information & Systems

Jess is an experienced coordinator and has vast experience in organising people-centric events such as community and outreach programs and volunteer campaigns. Her experience in community organising and involvement in community-based activities enhanced her capacity to work with the underprivileged. These experiences combined with her IT skills help her build programs that would open opportunities for the underprivileged. She uses her experience and development knowledge to open a path for others.

JAYCES GARELLO

Head of Research

Jayces is an advocate for women economic empowerment and has served as programme coordinator for an NGO that promotes innovative livelihoods for marginalised women in rural communities. She continues to serve as an advisor on grassroot livelihood initiatives in the Philippines; assisting in monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment. Her passion in finance and social impact also inspired her to assist in microfinance projects in Tanzania and the Philippines and has previously worked for an education social enterprise in the UK.

DIANE AVELLANOSA

Analyst

Diane completed her degree in Physics with a minor in Finance and joined IISLA as an intern. She is rapidly honing her financial and market analysis skills as a junior analyst and is enjoying the learning process as part of the team. Her interest in impact investment started when she did a cost-benefit analysis of household energy consumption in the Philippines for her undergraduate thesis.

MELUCHI A. RIVERA

Consultant

Meluchi’s interest in inclusive development was honed early, from her years at high school and university when she tutored public school children in English and Cathechism. Throughout her career, initially as a business journalist, then through 20+ years as equities analyst at foreign investment banks, she would involve herself in outreach programs benefiting marginalised communities, orphanages, public schools and hospitals.

TOM BISHOP

Consultant

Tom is a climate finance professional working at the Green Climate Fund (GCF) based in Songdo, South Korea. The GCF was established within the UNFCCC to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to combat climate change. Tom specialises in de-risking climate investments to mobilize capital from the private sector.