We are thrilled to welcome two dynamic women to the Tinig UK team! Our new business development consultant and our marketing consultant are not only both alumnae of De La Salle University – College of Saint Benilde in Manila, but they also founded their own companies!
Melissa Grace Dizon
Tinig UK’s marketing consultant is the founder and operations director of Interns Online Limited which specialises in finding internship opportunities for Filipinos. Mel brings her dynamism to Tinig UK as we offer more ways for Filipinos to build community wherever they may be physically located.
Mel is a consummate traveller. If she looks familiar, it could be because she was a presenter for Globetrotter Television when the UK show featured destinations in the Philippines in 2018 and 2020.
Online, you can find her moderating the weekly “Talking ng Ina Mo” as part of the Filipino Mothers UK community – an ever-growing network of Filipina mothers all over Britain.
Mel is also currently the Business Development Manager at Martello Building Consultancy and KPO Architecture.
Back in the Philippines, Mel’s passion for introducing innovative, outcomes-based and beyond-the-classroom programs led her to establish WISE (Women Innovating Socio-Civic Events), a livelihood program to empower women in Sampaloc, Manila.
Mel’s parents, E.T. and Victoria Dizon, established E.T. Dizon Travel, the pioneer visa assistance agency in the Philippines in 1965. It’s no wonder that she has a knack for business.
Mel has a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, graduating with honours (cum laude) from De La Salle University-College of St. Benilde. She also holds a master’s degree in Business Administration (with distinction) from San Beda University.
Valenice Balace
“Technological innovations are ubiquitous in daily life,” observes tech entrepreneur Val Balace, Tinig UK’s new Business Development Consultant.
Val is a technology innovator herself, creating Honesty Apps, a dating, community and conference apps platform when she was only in her 20s. Val was named one of Forbes Asia’s “30 Under 30” in 2016 for her exceptional work in consumer technology.
Wanting a more friendly dating app than what was then available, she developed Peekawoo, a no-code, female-friendly dating app in 2013. At that time, she observed that dating apps were mainly catering for men and felt unsafe for female users like her. “I wanted a safe, friendly space for women to find first dates,” said Val.
Currently a product and technical lead at Founders Factory in London, Val guides companies in building and scaling their products. She has also been mentoring Philippines-based tech professionals, equipping them with knowledge of the way UK tech companies operate.
“I love learning and I love a good challenge. I’m looking forward to working with the team at Tinig UK to take the community to even greater heights,” said Val on joining Tinig UK.
Val trained and worked in product management, strategic planning, machine learning and AI. She has consulted for companies in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.
She also holds two patents. She completed a degree in Business Administration from the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde.
