She Shapes AI has appointed two women of Filipino heritage—Filipino-British entrepreneur Gina Romero and AI founder

Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo—to its 2025/26 Global Awards Council. The 14-member council will help choose the next group of awardees championing ethical, inclusive, and impact-focused artificial intelligence.

Other members of the council are Galit Ariel, Angela Aristidou, Sheena Bhalla, Ivana Feldfeber, Claudia Del Pozo, Shikoh Gitau, Nnenna Nwakanma, and Susan McPherson. They will be joined by five inaugural She Shapes AI award recipients returning as judges: Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, Alicia Combaz, Branka Panic, Dr. Elizabeth M. Adams, and Jenny Romano.

The She Shapes AI Awards ceremony is set for April 16 at the London School of Economics (LSE).

Romero is a Filipino-British entrepreneur, community builder, and technology advocate. She is the Founder and Head of Special Projects at Mettamatch, a company specializing in ethical data and AI services. Her career has centered on advancing women’s economic empowerment and expanding access to digital opportunities.

From organizing early community initiatives in the UK, she went on to launch Connected Women programs in Singapore and later helped establish Connected Women in the Philippines as a job-matching platform for Filipina freelancers. Since 2020, the organization has broadened its scope to include socially responsible AI outsourcing and data services through Mettamatch, integrating workforce inclusion with responsible AI innovation.

Lamentillo, meanwhile, founded NightOwl AI, a mission-driven enterprise that leverages artificial intelligence to protect endangered languages and address digital exclusion. As a member of the Karay-a ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines, she is developing inclusive translation and learning tools for communities often underrepresented in the digital economy.

To date, more than two million words and definitions from marginalized languages have been digitized through her efforts. Prior to establishing NightOwl AI, she held senior positions across four Philippine administrations, including serving as Undersecretary at the Department of Information and Communications Technology—an experience that strengthened her commitment to aligning public policy and technology for inclusive development.

With its council now complete, She Shapes AI said members will collaborate across regions to honor and uplift women who are driving AI innovations that create social good and measurable real-world impact.