Participant Name:	Mary Joie Cruz
Project Location:	Mandaluyong City, Philippines
Program:	Young South East Asia Leadership Initiative (YSEALI)
Term:	Spring 2018
Project Title:	Bayanivation
UConn GTDI Project Award:	Application Accepted & Funding Awarded

Joie Cruz is an entrepreneur, designer, and innovation consultant with more than 5 years of experience in the social innovation space. She is the founder and CEO of Limitless Lab – a design thinking and innovation agency and Bayanivation, a tech startup promoting innovation in local government units. Joie regularly facilitates design thinking and UX workshops, design sprints, storytelling and brand design workshops for progressive corporations, government agencies, and NGOs. Before diving into the world of entrepreneurship, Joie worked as a project lead for the Department of ICT and the Deputy Executive Director of the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. where she pioneered several initiatives including an award-giving body for the digital creatives industry, and an international industry delegation to Cannes, France. Outside of work, Joie spends her time studying more about spirituality, plant-based lifestyle, meditation, and personal growth.

Five-Year Project Goals:

• To create a global platform and community for Bayanivation

Organization Information: Bayanivation

Website: www.limitlesslab.org   or   www.bayanivation.com

Bayanivation, a portmanteau of the words bayan (town), bayani (hero), and innovation, is a nationwide program that aims to spark innovation in local governance in the Philippines. The project is a holistic approach on enabling innovation in local governance, which includes capacity building and retooling of local government employees, and the development of platforms for collaboration between local governments and their constituents.