Founder & Leader

Analisa Leonor Balares | CEO, Humansphere Foundation

Analisa Leonor Balares is the Founder & CEO of the Humansphere Foundation. She is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of a number of social enterprises in the educational media, consulting, and technology spaces. She is a producer, innovator, artist, philanthropist, conservationist, and creator of platforms to empower leaders, innovators, emerging leaders, artists and youth globally, to create more inclusive, more sustainable futures.

Analisa is also a Global Collaborator and City Leader for the NASA International Space Apps Challenge, the world’s largest annual hackathon. She is the founding Convenor & Curator of the original Emerging Leaders Summits, Forums and Festival. She has worked on leadership development, innovation, entrepreneurship, conservation, and advancing women and youth in sustainability and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics), producing over 100 summits and programs in these fields.

In addition, Analisa is the Creator and Artist of the Art for Humanity: Vision 125 Global Art Series, a philanthropic initiative for the Humansphere Foundation and a cornerstone of the Foundation’s Art for Humanity Program.

Through her work today, Analisa is building and nurturing interdisciplinary, inter-generational communities of leaders, educators, innovators, artists, entrepreneurs, and students across academia, industry, and civil society, who share the goals of uplifting humanity, inspiring stewardship of the Earth, and exploring and expanding the boundaries of our understanding of human society, our planet, and our Universe.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Analisa previously worked in investment banking at the Goldman Sachs High Technology Group and Morgan Stanley Energy & Power Group, working on and helping execute over $100 Billion in IPOs, secondary offerings, and M&A transactions. She also worked in product management, technology strategy, business development, brand management, and global marketing at Microsoft, Milestone Capital, and Broad Holdings/85 Broads (now Ellevate Network).

She serves on the Advisory Board of Infinity Capital, and has served on Advisory Boards for JPMorgan Chase and L’Oreal. She also serves on an Advisory Board for the President of the UN General Assembly.

RECOGNITION & DISTINCTIONS

In the past decade, Analisa has been recognized with awards and distinctions:

• UBS Global Visionary

• World Economic Forum Young Global Leader

• 100 Most Influential Filipinas in America

• 100 Most Influential Filipinas in the World

• UN Women New York - Distinguished Leader Award

• Society of Foreign Consuls New York - Distinguished Leader Award

• The State of New York - Distinguished Leader Award

• Spelman College - Game Changer Award

• WNBA - Distinguished Leader Award

• US National Minority Business Council - Madam CJ Walker Leadership Award

COMMUNITY & PUBLIC LEADERSHIP

Beyond her work, Analisa serves the public, the global community and local communities through a number of roles:

• NASA International Space Apps Challenge - Global Collaborator

• Office of the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) - Member, Advisory Board on Gender Equality

• UN Women - Action Coalition Partner, UN Women's Generation Equality Campaign

• Women’s Refugee Commission - Commissioner

• International Gender Champions - Champion

• Women Moving Millions - Honorary Member

• Pearson College Alumni Association - Council Member

• Jewish Family Services - Member, Marketing & Communications Committee

EDUCATION

• Harvard Business School - MBA

• New York Film Academy - Digital Filmmaking

• Mount Holyoke College - BA, Economics & Mathematics

• Lester Pearson United World College - International Baccalaureate Diploma

LIFELONG COMMITMENT

Analisa’s work today reflects a lifelong commitment to helping create a better world, work that started in her teens.

Inspired by legendary polymaths like Leonardo da Vinci, Analisa always believed in the unity of all disciplines, and the vital role of the arts and literature in parallel with science, mathematics, business, and sustainability.

Looking up to transformational leaders like Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. since her early years, Analisa similarly draws on spirituality to fuel her work. She likes to quote Dr. King’s challenge, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” and Dr. King’s inspiring call to action: “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve... You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”