Media Contact:
Isabelle Santiago
Senior Fellow, Foundation for Filipina Women’s Network
+1 415.610.6637
filipina@ffwn.org
SAN FRANCISCO, CA | May 30, 2025 – On June 26, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, we gather at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco to remember, reclaim, and reimagine what it means to be a Filipina woman leader.
It’s a return to where many of our leadership stories began — in Nothern California where generations of Filipina women dared to imagine lives beyond the boxes they were given.
Celebrating Laarni
We come together to celebrate the Ambassador Confirmation Ceremony of Laarni San Juan (U.S. FWN100™ 2007) as she steps into her new role as FWN Ambassador for San Francisco.
A registered nurse, bestselling author, digital strategist, and fierce community advocate, Laarni is no stranger to leadership. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing cum laude from San Francisco State University and a Master of Public Health from UCLA.
With more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, Laarni has seen what it takes for communities to thrive — and what happens when they’re left behind. Her leadership is forged in resilience: through grief, burnout, reinvention, and rising again.
DISRUPTing Northern California D5.0 Book Launch
This evening also marks the Northern California launch of DISRUPT 5.0: Filipina Women Leading with Intersectionality, the fifth installment in the Filipina Leadership Book Series.
This powerful collection highlights how Filipina women leaders rise and thrive at the intersection of gender, culture, and professional excellence.
The event will feature live readings from DISRUPT authors based in Northern California, alongside distinguished guest readers from the community, including youth leaders and elected officials, who will help bring these stories to life.
DISRUPTing Northern California is a testament that the world doesn’t change because we wait. It changes because we DISRUPT.
