Two women hugging in front of a decorative backdrop that reads "Dallas Filipinas" and "On the Rise." One woman is wearing a red outfit, the other is in pink.

We are a global community passionate about advancing Filipinas in Excellence.

We produce multi-media content, meetups, podcasts and educational resources to celebrate Filipina culture and empower Filipino women around the world.

Our Mission: To Advance Filipina Excellence and to see a world where all Filipino Women are powerfully represented.

Meet the Founder

Krystl Fabella is the Founder of Filipina on the Rise—a podcast and global movement celebrating Filipina excellence. A speaker, producer, and community organizer at the intersection of tech and media, she has spoken for companies like Deloitte, Disney, and Microsoft, but finds her greatest joy in uplifting her own community.

Born in the Philippines and raised as a 1.5-generation immigrant in Canada and Southern California, Krystl’s passion for advocacy began during her time at UC San Diego, where she became active in survivor justice and policy reform. After leading engineering recruiting in San Francisco’s tech scene, she launched Filipina on the Rise to spotlight the stories of Filipinas breaking barriers across industries—and to inspire the next generation to do the same.

Krystl Fabella, founder of filipina on the rise, sitting indoors with green plants in the background.
Krystl's family portrait featuring two parents and two children. The father is wearing a gray suit and tie, and the mother is wearing a sleeveless mauve dress. They are holding two young children who are dressed in matching floral dresses.
Krystl and two women smiling and standing in front of colorful garments on display in an art or fashion setting. They are at a Filipina On The Rise event

Why did Filipina On the Rise start?

As an avid podcast listener, in January 2019, Krystl was desperately searching for Podcasts of Filipino women, a story she could resonate with. Finding none, instead of feeling disempowered, she saw this as her calling to start telling our stories on a Podcasts about Filipino women represented in the media, government, business, and other surprising industries. Her goal? To tell the world about these hidden stories: our histories, our impact, influence in society, our multi-faceted narratives.

“I’ll be honest and say I never felt “proud about being Pinay” growing up - and while late in my journey, I’m here to change that; for myself and for others. It is my mission to empower our community to see greatness in ourselves, educate the world who we are and celebrate what it means to be Filipina!” -Stay Rising, Krystl

Krystl Fabella sitting on a couch holding a "Podcast Launch" sign, smiling with one arm raised; a small vase with pink flowers is on the table.

Meet the Team

  • A woman sitting on a yellow sofa in a cozy setting with plants in the background. She is wearing a brown cardigan and looking at the camera with a slight smile, resting her chin on her hand.

    Krystl Fabella

    FOUNDER + CEO

  • Person smiling and touching their hair, wearing a black leather jacket and black pants, standing against a white background.

    Stephanie Bautista

    MARKETING

  • Woman smiling, wearing a sleeveless blue dress, with long brown hair, standing against a textured wall, wearing a watch on her wrist.

    Patricia De Leon

    OPERATIONS