HOPE Founder and President Nanette Medved-Po Receives the Coveted Asia Society Game Changer Award

For her impact on education, agricultural business, and environmental protection, distinguished philanthropist Nanette Medved-Po joins the ranks of Malala Yousafzai, Jack Ma, IM Pei, and more in Asia Society's roster of awardees this year

"We certainly know we are not a giant in this space—we are just little guys trying to make a difference," Nanette Medved-Po once said to Tatler for its December 2019 cover story that was photographed by internationally acclaimed photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani and written by prolific lifestyle journalist Vicki Abary. Back then, Medved-Po expressed how humbled she was by the honour given by Forbes, having her listed in 2017 as one of the Heroes of Philanthropy in Asia. On October 27, 2022, still with much humility, Medved-Po received yet another prestigious accolade, the Asia Game Changer Award from the equally esteemed, Asia Society.

Medved-Po with her dear husband Chris, as well as some friends including the Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations Antonio Lagdameo, Asia Society Philippines chair Doris Magsaysay Ho, distinguished business figures Bobby Cuenca and Shiela Marcelo, among others, attended the Asia Society Game Changer Awards and Gala at Cipriani 25 Broadway in New York.

Above Tatler Philippines Editor-in-Chief with Nanette Medved-Po and their friends at the Asia Society Game Changer Awards and Gala

Marcelo presented the award to Medved-Po, describing her as "remarkable. . .an extraordinary woman who is leading the charge against environmental devastation." The techpreneur went further recalling Medved-Po's career change. From being an actress and model, Medved-Po used her platform as a "means not only to affect social change but to turn the Philippines from one of the epicentres of the plastic pollution crisis to an active participant in its remediation."

"I am humbled by this incredible honour, to be around such a distinguished audience," says Medved-Po as she receives the award. "This recognition goes out beyond me, but to our amazing team who work hard every day to deliver the impact that we do. And it goes to the millions of people, who started with just a purchase of a bottle of water has made the decision to support the education of our youth and try to build the nation together."

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In a short video presentation in honour of Medved-Po's work, Asia Society narrates her story: "In 1991, she was Darna, a Filipino superhero whose mission is to stand up for those unable to fend for themselves—a foreshadowing of what followed. Intended of parlaying her stardom, Nanette Medved-Po founded Generation HOPE in 2012. The group started by working to build much-needed classrooms, with 119 to date. Then they expanded to helping Filipino farmers, as 60 per cent of local coconut farmers live below the poverty line. By distributing quality seedlings, they've been able to help almost 7,000 small farmers have more productive plans. Generation HOPE raised money for classrooms from plastic water bottle sales. But Medved-Po realised that it didn't make any sense to solve one problem, only to create another. . .So in 2019, she founded Plastic Credit Exchange (PCX), securing commitments from local governments and local companies like Pepsi and Nestle and created a new marketplace that recovers and recycles plastic waste so no post-consumer plastics end up in oceans and landfills."

Above This year's awardees of Asia Society's Asia Game Changer, all are advocates and workers addressing the world's problems with climate and environment

I think, a big challenge, across businesses in general, is moving away from the traditional definition of success as being purely profits. . .We witnessed during this pandemic what an incredible force for good businesses can be. Ideally, "a better way to do business" becomes part of our new normal—because "business as usual" has failed so many.

- Nanette Medved-Po -

Above Nanette Medved-Po and Michael R Bloomberg, Asia Game Changer Awards 2022 recipients

Besides Medved-Po, Asia Society also recognised the works of New York's three-term mayor Michael R Bloomberg who "launched major efforts to save and improve lives", Arunabha Ghosh who founded one of Asia's leading and world's best climate think-tanks, poet and arts educator Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner who empowers the youth of Marshall Islands to seek solutions to climate change, Saath's CEO and co-founder Kristin Kagetsu whose passion is for sustainable manufacturing and women's issues, Navina Khanna who is untiringly working toward social and ecological justice through food and farming systems, Ma Jun who led the development and launch of China's first environmental public database, Rockefeller Foundation president Dr Rajiv J Shah, British politician Alok Sharma, and the current Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Janet Yang.

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HOPE Founder Nanette Medved-Po Receives the Coveted Asia Game Changer Award