TONY OLAES HUMANITARIAN

Anthony V. Olaes was born (and raised) in San Diego, California to first generation immigrant parents from the Philippines. As a twenty year veteran of the apparel industry, Tony Olaes founded and has grown Olaes Enterprises, Inc. (commonly known as “ODM”) into a nationally recognized firm that designs, manufacturers and ships imprinted wearables that communicate today’s pop culture. The company supplies product to national retailers such as Walmart, Target, Hot Topic to name a few. Currently, Tony is President and Creative Director of ODM and continues to be its primary visionary for future growth. To n y ‘ s t a l e n t i n g r a p h i c s a n d entrepreneurial skills was evident at an early age. Tony began winning awards for art when he was only 16 years old and was given scholarships to various design schools. At age 24 he started working in the industry and by the time he was 27 years old, he became an entrepreneur and started his own business. Prior to 2007, Tony did not understand much about Philippines like many secondgeneration offsprings. That changed when he started reconnecting back to his Motherland through the work of Gawad Kalinga and learned more about his people’s history, culture and heritage. Today, he leads Gawad Kalinga (GK) USA as its CEO and Chairman of the Board a show of his commitment to nation-building. He travels back to the Philippines four times a year to nurture his involvement with local partnerships and programs that are geared towards building the Philippine nation. Tony defines the nation of the Philippines as anywhere the Filipinos are around the world. Tony also sits on the Board of Directors of Gawad Kalinga Community Development Inc. (Philippines). In the USA, he is heavily involved in many activities in support of the Filipino community and its connection back to the Philippines. Tony is a husband and father of three who makes his home in San Diego. GK USA envisions a world where the spirit of bayanihan lives. Bayanihan derives from the Filipino root word “bayan” (country or nation); it is the same root in the word “bayani” (hero). Loosely translated, therefore, Bayanihan is the spirit of communality that binds people together. It is this same spirit of caring, sharing, and helping that fuels the work of Gawad Kalinga: the belief that it is the collective acts of people which makes great and even heroic visions possible. Tony was nominated by Ms. Lou Cabalona