A relatively unknown to many is the White House Executive Chef, Cristeta Comerford who was born as Cristeta Pasia in the Philippines and grew up in Sampaloc, Manila. She studied at the Manila Science High School and the University of the Philippines, Diliman in Quezon City and majored in food technology. However, she did not earn her degree because she had left school to immigrate to the United States at the age of 23. Her first job was at the Sheraton Hotel at the O'Hare International Airport followed by the Hyatt Regency hotel. She moved to Washington, D.C., and worked as a chef at two restaurants. She also spent six months in Vienna as a rotating chef.
Comerford was recruited by executive chef Walter Scheib III in 1995 to work in the Clinton White House. Scheib resigned as executive chef in February 2005. Comerford was appointed by First Lady Laura Bush on August 14,2005. She is White House's first female executive chef and the first Filipina to hold this position. She reportedly was appointed to this position due to her handling of a large dinner that was held in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Comerford has been retained as the Obama administration' s head chef. She lives in Columbia, Maryland, with husband, John, and their daughter, Danielle.
Diosdado Banatao, popularly known by his nickname Dado, is a well-known Filipino American entrepreneur and engineer working in high-tech industry. Banatao holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Mapua Institute of Technology in the Philippines and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Stanford University. He co-founded Mostron (PC Motherboards), Chips and Technologies (PC Chip Sets, eventually acquired by Intel), and S3 Graphics (originally 2D graphics chips, renamed to SonicBLUE). It is Silicon Valley folklore that he chose the company name S3 to mean "Start-up number 3". He worked on the following technologies as have several hundred other engineers and does not claim having invented or innovated any of these technologies.1. First single-chip, 16-bit microprocessor-based calculator (while at Commodore in 1976. Note: The first single-chip 16-bit microprocessor was the 1976 TMS 9900 by Texas Instruments. Texas Instrument also came with the first pocket calculator in 1972. Was Commodore the first to come up with the single-chip 16-bit calculator?)
2. First 10-Mbit Ethernet CMOS with silicon coupler data-link control and transreceiver chip; got 3Com into the Ethernet PC add-in card business (while at Seeq in early 1980s)
3. First system logic chip set for the PC-XT and the PC-AT (while at Mostron in 1984 and Chips and Technologies in 1985)
4. First enhanced graphics adapter chip set (while at Chips and Technologies in 1985)
5. Pioneered local bus concept for PC (while at S3 in 1989)
6. First Windows Graphics accelerator chip (while at S3 in 1990)- This is debatable
A managing partner of Tallwood Venture Capital. Prior to Tallwood he was a venture partner with the Mayfield Fund. He has served on the board of directors and as chairman of several emerging companies, including Marvell Technology Group, NewPort Communications (acquired by Broadcom), and Cyras Systems (acquired by Ciena Corporation). Together with wife, Maria (a graduate of St. Paul College, Manila), the family lives in Atherton, California.
Allan Camaisa is founder and CEO of Anakam Inc. He is a graduate and alumnus of both the United States Naval Academy and the Executive Program at Harvard Business School.
Previously, Allan founded High Technology Solutions, Inc. that he successfully managed to employ over 400 employees and more than $45 Million in annual revenues. HTS won many awards including INC Magazine's top 500 private Companies in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Allan has a proven track record of success providing the initial seed capital to launch Anakam Two Factor Authentication into multiple verticals by providing the creative vision and energy that fuels Anakam’s growth, recruiting a top flight management team. He currently owns three US software related Patents. Camaisa received the Governor's Small Business of the Year Award, the 1998 Ernst and Young Regional Entrepreneur of the year in the Internet and Software Category and the SBA Small Business Person of the Year. Allan was successful in raising $17 million in Venture Capital in 1999, from GE Capital, Intel, Ford Motor, and JP Morgan Chase Hambrecht & Quist to launch an Internet subsidiary (Eye Velocity) focused on Internet Visualization. He currently owns three US Patents.
Josefina Almeda Cruz was born in Manila to a wealthy Filipino family in the construction business. After graduating from Maryknoll College, Natori went to New York. She attended Manhattanville College in Purchase where she graduated with honors in economics. She worked for Bache Securities and was transferred to a branch office in Manila as the company's sole broker. 
When the Philippines government shut down the office Josie returned to Wall Street where she joined Merrill Lynch in 1971. Natori was the first woman to become vice president of the company's investment banking division. The enterprising Natori started selling embroidered blouses with appliqués from the Philippines. From this business evolved the lingerie concept. She quit her Wall Street job when the business started taking off. Her husband, Ken Natori joined her and left his position as a senior vice president of Shearson Lehman/American Express to become chairman and CEO of The House of Natori. Working side by side, the couple has built a fashion empire and Natori has become a household name.
Natori's creations are products that consumers appreciate - from the luxurious to the casual. She has attributed their success to the Filipino craftsmanship as well as aesthetic consciousness and understanding of the market. From wall street to fashion ramps, Josie has certainly proven that the two can be a match made in heaven.
In 1988 the Philippine government recognized the Natori company with the Philippine Galleon Award for its initiative and success in promoting exports into world markets. In 2007 Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo personally presented Josie Natori with the Order of Lakandula, the nation's highest civilian award.
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