This week, I’m closing out the season with a conversation that looks a little different. Most of our past guests have been service-based entrepreneurs, but today we’re diving into the product and retail side of things. My guest is Gelaine Santiago, an award-winning entrepreneur who lives and works at the intersection of entrepreneurship, social justice, and cultural identity.

Gelaine is the co-founder and CEO of Cambio & Co., a Filipino jewelry brand, and Sinta & Co., which focuses on Filipino weddings. Both companies are rooted in sustainable livelihoods for artisans in the Philippines. In this conversation, we talk about the realities of running a women-owned, impact-driven business—navigating tariffs, centering cultural identity, and building ecosystems that grow collective wealth and joy.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• How Gelaine winding path—from HR to social entrepreneurship—shaped her perspective
• The challenges of leaving corporate life and the misalignment of HR with worker advocacy
• Real stories of navigating racism, bias, and microaggressions in the workplace
• Why she and her partner started Cambio & Co., and the pivot from a global marketplace to focusing on Filipino artisans
• What it really takes to build a retail brand rooted in social justice and cultural pride

Timestamps:

• [00:05:00] – Growing up Filipino and Chinese, middle child of five, immigrating to Canada at age three, and later reconnecting with Filipino heritage in her twenties
• [00:09:00] – Working in HR and talent acquisition, discovering misalignment with corporate values, and realizing she loved people and branding more than serving executives/shareholders.
• [00:24:00] – Early struggles with slow sales, hustling through pop-ups and farmers’ markets, and facing depression while juggling side jobs.
• [00:27:00] – Discussion of the challenges and myths of e-commerce versus the realities of building a brand.
• [00:29:00] – Building supply chain infrastructure, running logistics in-house, and creating meaningful livelihoods for their team.
• [00:31:00] – Sourcing products that reflect cultural heritage, using significant materials like gold and pearls, tied to Filipino history
• [00:37:00] – Building a values-driven business model, and how it differs from exploitative capitalism.
• [00:41:00] – Launch of sister brand Cinta Weddings, born from the couple’s own challenges in incorporating Filipino traditions in their wedding.
• [00:44:00] – Challenges of balancing both brands, with Cinta sometimes getting less attention, leading to intentional prioritization.
• [00:50:00] – Challenges of running an intentional e-commerce business with small-scale artisans in the Philippines, and the strain of infrastructure gaps.
• [00:59:00] – The importance of community support, and how leaning into values attracted aligned collaborators and customers.
• [01:08:00] – Closing reflections on building ecosystems, not empires, and what it means to create interdependent businesses rooted in collective thriving.

Too often, entrepreneurship conversations center on service-based models, leaving out the unique challenges that come with building product-based businesses—especially ones led by women of color. Gelaine’s story is about more than just business growth; it’s about reconnecting with heritage, challenging stereotypes, and creating wealth that’s collective rather than extractive.