Location: Manila, Philippines

Originally from the Philippines, Dinah Salonga is an entrepreneur whose career has spanned technology, marketing, and management for the past 42 years.

Dinah began her working life in information technology. She has worked as a programmer and management trainee for Computer Information Systems. She has also worked as a database administrator for the International Rice Research Institute, amongst other things. She then moved to Oracle Philippines, where she became employee number 1 and eventually secured a position in marketing management. She co-founded SQL*Wizard in 1996 where she served as the company’s managing director from 2003 to 2013. She was chosen as one of the “Ten Outstanding Entrepreneurs” in the Philippines by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2007.

Dinah discovered yoga in 2005 and quickly realised how powerful it could be as a tool for the transformation of personal and professional lives. She became a certified hot yoga instructor and co-founded YogaPlus Inc. where she now serves as the chairman of the board. She is committed to helping others become healthier, happier versions of themselves through the practice of yoga and mindfulness.

Dinah is passionate about mindfulness and its potential to promote not only workplace performance but also overall happiness. Having been through a transformative change journey herself – moving from being an results-orientated, action-focused boss to a more empathic leader – Dinah knows full well how powerful mindfulness can be in improving relationships and increasing self-awareness. She is passionate about helping leaders to develop their emotional intelligence, to recognise that vulnerability is not a weakness, and to learn that wearing one’s heart on one’s sleeve actually brings about deeper connection with other humans, including colleagues. Dinah wants to support others in their transformation and to help her clients create feelings of contentment. She runs mindfulness-based emotional intelligence workshops as a certified Search Inside Yourself Certified Teacher.

In her spare time, she loves to travel, discover new vegetarian recipes, go on retreats, read, and watch K dramas on Netflix.