SFIO Founder and CEO Jeths Lacson built his career in engineering. But his heart has been in F&B since 2015, when he founded Epiphany Cafe, the flagship brand of our F&B division. Since its opening in Hamilton, New Zealand, Epiphany has scaled nationwide through strategic partnerships and growth partners.
That same ecosystem approach forms the backbone of Starfleet Innotech's philosophy as a global investment holding company.
With over 15 years of experience holding leadership positions across industries, Jeths is a visionary founder and expert in asset management and business development. He is a Chartered Professional Electrical Engineer and Certified Asset Management Assessor (ISO 55001). He led a team managing a multi-million dollar electricity distribution company in New Zealand, and was the Lead Technical Consultant in the establishment of the Waikato Institute of Technology's Polytechnic University in Saudi Arabia. Over the years, he co-founded Epiphany Cafe, Ardent Bakers, Gorgeous Coffee, and A+ Electrical—all of which are now pillar companies in the SFIO ecosystem.
Steven Insalaco is the President of Starfleet Innotech, Inc., a US publicly listed global investment holding company. With over 30 years of experience, he is an integral part of company management, that is structuring Starfleet’s global growth efforts. He is also President/Managing Partner of Calgary Enterprises, Inc., a company he founded in 1988. Calgary is a corporate strategic operating, finance management and Family Office Company that has national and international business agreements, two of which include Steven Insalaco as Principal with Admodum Investment Holdings, a private equity holding company, and Managing Partner/Head of Operating and Risk Management with Leaf Capital Partners, a single-family office.
Steven Insalaco’s thought leadership discipline is that of a profit-focused, problem-solving, solution-implementing, C-Suite management executive focused on improving corporate valuations and returns achieved through M&A, joint venture, and other modalities. In previous positions he has been involved in the capital markets, corporate finance, trust, and investment banking areas including a position as Eastern Region Vice President with Bank of America. Additionally, he has managed a $3.5 billion healthcare financial division, provided financial and management services to Fortune 500 and other public and private companies, including ExxonMobil, Grumman Corporation, and Griffon Corporation. Utilizing diverse skills, he identified and structured over a billion dollars of financings involving debt and equity closing over fifty transactions, identified capital sources for commercial real estate financing/refinancing and managed corporate and other real estate assets to maximize returns for invested capital. He addressed the investment objectives of institutional bond clients improving term, yield, and portfolio quality and increased revenue for a top five US bank’s Trust and Investment banking division by creating and implementing a marketing program for its financial and investment products targeted to a market composed of corporations, private clients, and family offices. He has been interim President of an aerospace company and has participated in forums as a panelist that addressed topics including operating management, capital raising/investment/venture capital and was the moderator of the fixed income segment of an investment forum with panelists that included the Rockefeller Family Office.
Steven Insalaco earned a BA in Social Science/Economics from St. John’s University and an MBA in Financial Management from Long Island University. He served with Army Intelligence Units including the 432nd MID, attached to the Strategic Studies Institute, Army War College, held a Top-Secret Security clearance and was honorably discharged. He is married, a member of the New York Athletic Club and has diverse sports and cultural interests.
Mark is a Chartered Professional Engineer and APEC engineer with over 16 years of experience in asset management and business development. Alongside Jeths, he co-founded Epiphany Cafe, Ardent Bakers, Gorgeous Coffee, and A+ Electrical. Today, he leverages his experience across business development, franchising, distribution, and food manufacturing in overseeing SFIO's day-to-day operations, supporting the conglomerate's growth and managing its bottom-line.
With over two decades of leadership experience in electrical design and project engineering, Richard has spearheaded multi-million dollar projects across Saudi Arabia and New Zealand. As SFIO's secretary, Richard utilizes his Electrical Engineering background to manage the company's efficient administration and ensure statutory and regulatory compliance across the conglomerate's global operations.
Michael is a Certified Public Accountant, Registered SMSF Auditor, and Registered Tax Agent based in Australia. Beginning his career with SGV & Co., a member practice of Ernst and Young in the Philippines, Michael now operates MLV accounting, a Melbourne-based CPA public practice that he has grown 20-30% every year since 2013. Today, MLV accounting is part of the SFIO ecosystem, servicing roughly 5,000 clients across Australia.
Richard is an Asset Manager and Global Corporate Advisor, specializing in cross-border transactions in the lower middle market. With over 30 years of experience in the capital markets, Richard is an expert in business finance engineering, M&A, portfolio management, and strategic corporate investor relations. Richard held Series 7, Series 24, Series 55, and Series 63 FINRA licenses and certifications. In addition to his experience working across wall street investment banking firms, he was the president and CEO of Lebevco Holdings, specializing in the global F&B industry.
Santiago is a Columbia University-Trained Multimedia Journalist and a Certified Design Thinking Practitioner from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He was the digital platform editor of Business world, under the Philippine Star Group, helping shape the publication's business and editorial strategy as it transitioned into the digital age. In that time, he's had the unique opportunity to work hand-in-hand with both industry leaders and startup innovators. Santiago serves as an innovation and venture storytelling consultant for startups, conglomerates, and global entrepreneur networks like endeavor.
Chito brings over 35 years of experience in franchise business development, retail site expansion, sales building, customer service, negotiations, and business relationship-building to his role spearheading SFIO's franchising operations. He played crucial roles in the growth teams of F&B giants such as 7-11 and the Jollibee group, with a career taking him across the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, India, and New Zealand.
Jorge is a 25-year veteran in manufacturing and supply chain management. Having led the Universal Robina Corporation as Head of Production Planning and Inventory Control, he was responsible for securing the company's ISO 9002, GMP, and Halal Plant Certifications. Today, Jorge oversees SFIO's coffee roasting operations as the director of gorgeous coffee co.
Katherine is a Global Expert in Hotel Management and Wellness Hospitality, championing Science-based Integrated Health Care Programs. Since 2012, she's led the creation of new business models around integrative medicine and preventive care, taking projects from conceptualization to execution and management. Katherine has spearheaded the development of top wellness resorts and integrative medicine clinics across the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Caribbean. As a pioneer in promoting preventive health through natural medicine, Katherine leads SFIO's wellness-oriented township projects under the Moraya real estate brand.
Elvin has over 25 years of experience in master planning, architecture, and property development, with projects across Singapore, New Zealand, and the Philippines. As the Director of AG Architects, he leverages experience designing award-winning projects like Crowne Plaza — Changi Airport in Singapore, integrating natural environments into interior spaces. His expertise spans residential, commercial, public and urban, industrial, and institutional development projects.
Richard is a serial Tech founder and Venture builder, with over 15 years of global experience in innovation consulting, focusing on startups and conglomerates in Asia and North America. Through the startup ecosystem he's built, Richard has deployed software applications, turnkey website solutions, e-commerce platforms, security audit services, smart contract/blockchain systems, and more. As an educator, Richard regularly conducts workshops and seminars on Web3.0 design, Ethical Hacking, and Cybersecurity. In the Philippines, he has established numerous innovation hubs in public universities—bridging promising tech talent with opportunities across the expansive network he's built in Silicon Valley and beyond.
Jonathan is the CEO and co-founder of the Global Academy, a digital education institution headquartered in New Zealand, with offices in New York, Melbourne, Dubai, and Manila. He is a Professional Educator, having designed programs for over 25 years. Over his career, Jonathan has facilitated masterclass programs in entrepreneurship and business leadership across Asia, the Middle East, North America, and Europe.
Roger is the Chairman of the Board of wine distributor Napa Valley distribution, and of Premier Asia Pacific Real Estate and Development. Most recently, Roger joined the Board of Directors for Bayanipay, a California-based fintech firm bridging millions of Filipinos based in the US with their families in the Philippines. As the CEO and publisher of Asian Journal Publications, Roger will also be providing strategic guidance on our communications efforts. He is also the Chairman of the Board of trending entertainment, an entertaining company focused on immersive streaming platforms.
Jinggoy brings over 25 years of experience across banking, stock brokering, and real estate. He’s a Licensed Real Estate Broker, currently serving as the Deputy Sales Head of SM Development Corporation (SMDC), managing roughly 500 of the company’s organic sellers. Under his leadership, his team at SMDC has generated over $600 million in sales over the past two years.
Stanley is the CEO of Neurosky, Inc. , a Silicon Valley-based Biosensor Solutions company innovating on the frontlines of body and mind analytics. Neurosky’s wearable devices range from smartwatches to brainwave monitoring headsets. It’s this work in mass market brain-computer interface technologies that has made him a global leader in the field, closely collaborating with fortune 500 industry leaders and innovative independent developers alike.
Vince is the founder and CEO of enterprise marketing Firm Media Works (FMW) Corp. Through FMW media works, he oversees the production of new to the street, a business news show that profiles public and private companies for an audience of 83.1 million us households. He is a serial entrepreneur and marketing expert, having led projects spanning fitness, ecommerce, and the metaverse.
Alan is an expert in Hotel Management and F&B operations with over two decades holding senior leadership positions across Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia at companies such as Ascott International. He is a Certified Hotel Administrator and a graduate of Switzerland's famed Les Roches International School of Hotel Management.
Mabel has over 25 years of experience in F&B and hospitality, specializing in chilled and frozen food, ready-to-eat goods, and retail setup and operations. From her stints working with Malaysia Airlines and international FMCG groups, Mabel has built a strong network in shopping malls across East and West Malaysia. She is an expert in sales and marketing, business development, and product and vendor management.
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