What began as a simple idea to connect women to remote jobs has transformed into a scalable business reshaping the future of work in the Philippines. Today, Connected Women and its data services arm, Mettamatch, are not only creating meaningful digital opportunities—they’re proving that a business can be both profitable and purpose-driven.
“Bringing opportunities home wasn’t just the idea that started it all—it’s still the mission that drives everything we do,” said Gina Romero, founder of Connected Women and Mettamatch, in an interview with Financial Adviser PH.
The idea was born from lived experience. Having grown up watching her own mother work overseas as a domestic helper, Gina saw how little had changed decades later. Even in 2020, countless women were still forced to leave their families behind in search of income. That injustice became the spark that ignited a mission.
In the early days of the pandemic, Gina and her team launched Elevate AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Data Annotation)—a training program that would teach women to work on AI data projects from home. But the concept wasn’t easy to sell. “When we started training women for AI work, most people thought we were mad,” she recalled. “But a few people said yes anyway. They bet on us, mentored us, and offered whatever help they could.”
That early support was instrumental. “Connected Women wouldn’t exist without the people who believed in the mission before it even made sense on paper,” she said.
Among those who stood by her from the beginning was her co-founder Ruth. “She’s a catalyst for my ideas. She gets me before anyone else has a clue what I’m talking about—and even when she doesn’t quite get it (because I’m excited about something that might happen five years from now!), she’s always had my back.”
Equally transformative was the support she received from home. “None of this would have happened without my husband,” Gina said. “He left his high-level CTO role in Singapore to move back to the Philippines and support my startup. That kind of leap? It made me believe this crazy idea could actually work.”
As the organization began to scale, Gina knew the next challenge would require a different type of leadership. “I’d heard before that the skills to take you from 0–10 aren’t always the ones that take you from 10–100. That’s absolutely true,” she explained. So she made the strategic decision to bring in a CEO, allowing her to shift her focus toward innovation, research, and long-term vision.
Now, Mettamatch delivers high-quality AI data services to global clients, powered by a workforce of trained women from across the Philippines—many of whom had never worked in tech before. “We didn’t set up a non-profit and a for-profit separately because we believe that all business should be a force for good,” Gina said. “Our model is designed to do both: drive profit and create impact.”
That impact isn’t a marketing line—it’s the heartbeat of the business. “For every cent we earn, we know it’s directly tied to the opportunities we’ve created. Impact isn’t a side project—it’s baked into how we operate,” she emphasized. “That’s how we serve both our investors and our community. And we’ve proven that the two can work in harmony.”
With a growing team, a network of global partners, and thousands of women engaged in meaningful digital work, Gina remains grounded by one principle: listen before you build.
“If what you’re working on truly matters, the right people will show up,” she said. “This is a miracle I’m grateful for every day.”
From a bold idea to a growing movement, Connected Women and Mettamatch are changing how women work—on their own terms.
