GENEVA, Switzerland — Angkas founder and CEO Angeline Tham joined global leaders and digital economy advocates at the 16th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Ministerial Roundtable on October 21, held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The high-level session, titled “Making the Digital Economy Inclusive and Sustainable through Cooperation,” focused on how countries can collaborate to ensure that digital transformation benefits all sectors while supporting global sustainability.
Representing Southeast Asia and the Pacific as an UNCTAD eTrade for Women Advocate, Tham stressed the importance of empowering entrepreneurs from developing economies. She said that while digitalization creates new opportunities, it also heightens competition, calling for stronger institutional support.
“Governments and international institutions must support local entrepreneurs during their incubation phase—making business registration easier, ensuring fair taxation, and prioritizing local players in digital infrastructure and procurement policies,” Tham said. “Without such guardrails, promising startups may never reach maturity.”
Citing Angkas’ success in digitally empowering thousands of motorcycle riders in the Philippines, Tham emphasized that supporting local innovation not only drives economic growth but also promotes social inclusion.
“When we protect local innovators, we grow communities. The income that my bikers earn circulates locally—supporting families, education, and neighborhood economies,” she said. “This is how digital entrepreneurship creates lasting social impact.”
Tham also urged stronger support for women entrepreneurs, noting that women-led enterprises often reinvest in their families and communities while advancing sustainable business practices.
“When women succeed, communities rise,” Tham said. “If we protect local innovators, change the mindset of what is possible, and champion women, then digitalization will truly become the engine of shared prosperity for our people and our planet.”
Angkas’ participation in UNCTAD 16 reinforces its advocacy for inclusive digital growth, sustainable innovation, and grassroots entrepreneurship in the Philippines and across the region
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