Our Team

Winston Damarillo is the Managing Partner of Talino Venture Studios, a global venture studio dedicated to sustainable innovation. Winston is a Silicon Valley veteran with two decades of startup and venture capital experience. He successfully exited three startups and served as a venture capital executive for Intel Corporation. Winston was also a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum and is frequently recognized as a thought leader in digital transformation and disruptive technologies.

Vice Catudio is a digital economy expert with 27 years of experience, including a strong background in financial services consulting. He has helped lead the transition of the Philippine economy towards digital payments, focusing on e-payments and e-commerce solutions. He is an advocate for financial inclusion, driving initiatives to scale e-money adoption and expand access through interoperable digital payment networks. Vice has a proven track record of success as the former CEO of a fintech startup and a co-founder of a technology startup. Currently, he serves as the Chief of Party at USAID SPEED and the CEO of Higala.

Jamey Butcher serves as President and CEO of Chemonics International, where he leads the firm's growth strategy by forging strategic partnerships and expanding into new markets across over 100 countries. Jamey's leadership has driven initiatives that leverage data and analytics to gain deeper insights, identify scaling opportunities across the organization's innovative portfolio, and foster a culture of access, belonging, and connection.

Dexter Genterone is a software architect with 18 years of experience crafting solutions across different industries. He taught himself programming at the age of 10 and has since dedicated his career to building software that simplifies people's lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dexter demonstrated his commitment to public service by volunteering his skills as the backend developer for Relief Agad, a platform supporting the government's social amelioration program, and as the solutions architect for RapidPass, a contactless checkpoint system. He currently serves as the Chief Architect at Talino Venture Studios.

Mark Colentava is a product leader with expertise in AI, fintech, and innovative solutions. As Vice President of Product at Talino Venture Studios, he spearheaded projects such as secure bank-to-bank payment systems at BayaniPay and AI-powered tools for risk detection and e-KYC. He has a proven track record of developing digital payment platforms, improving microfinance access, and crafting impactful solutions for underserved communities. His experience aligns perfectly with Higala's mission to connect rural banks and financial institutions to the digital world, fostering financial inclusion and empowering communities across the Philippines.

Before joining Higala, Francis Plaza founded PayMongo, one of the country's leading online payment processing platforms. Under his leadership, PayMongo successfully raised $31M in funding from prominent investors such as Stripe and Y Combinator. A graduate of MIT with degrees in Computer Science and Economics, he was admitted to the prestigious institution at the remarkable age of 16. Driven by a vision for a digitally connected financial ecosystem, Francis brings extensive expertise in technology and entrepreneurship to Higala.