Linartes Viloria is the National Project Coordinator of the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) Programme of the International Labour Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. The goal of the program is to encourage more girls to choose Technology courses and to help more women working in STEM-related occupations to stay and advance in tech-related industries. The program seeks to strengthen linkages between private sector firms, sectoral business associations, and technical and vocational training centers to ensure greater opportunity through higher entry, retention, and advancement of women workers in STEM-related positions. The program is supported by JP Morgan Philanthropy and is being implemented in three countries, namely, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Before working with the ILO, Lites was the CEO of Edukasyon.ph, an education tech startup that helps young people find the right education for the careers they aspire for. She helped build from scratch this start-up in 2013, back when startups were not yet popular. Six years later, Edukasyon.ph continues to help students and schools, both here and abroad with more than 5 million users. Prior to working in a tech startup, she worked for more than 7 years, as the Chief of the Advocacy and Publications Division of the Institute for Labor Studies, the policy research and advocacy arm of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). At the Institute, she was the focal person for the Joint Programme on Youth Employment and Migration with the United Nations which focused on helping young people get information on fi nding jobs and preparing for these jobs.
Lites holds a BA in Political Science from De La Salle University, a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Philippine Christian University, and a Social Entrepreneurship Diploma from the Ateneo De Manila. She is the first Filipina to be selected for the US Department of State Women in STEM Program, alongside 50 other women from across the world