Parallel World

Filipino-Italian technopreneur Manila di Giovanni makes waves as she creates the world's first-ever virtual economy 

- Maritess Garcia Reyes

Establishing a company from the ground up at a young age is a daunting task, especially for a female entrepreneur trying to navigate the labyrinths of the male-dominated world of technology. But Manila di Giovanni made it, and she did so with flying colours.

At 22, the visionary received, among many other international accolades, the prestigious Monte-Carlo Woman of the Year Award early this year at the annual Monaco Women Forum for her achievements in the digital realm, which included the creation of the first virtual twin of the Principality of Monaco–the first-ever virtual economy in the metaverse. The award, created by journalist Cinzia Sgambati-Colman in 2012, is under the High Patronage of the Sovereign and the Honorary Presidency of HSH Princess Charlene. Di Giovanni is the youngest recipient of the award to date, joining two other winners this year— Zimi Zawacha of Italy and Leanne Robers of Singapore–all of whom are movers and shakers in the tech sphere.

“I have always wanted to do something that could fulfil me in life… To try to help society in underdeveloped and developing countries,” Di Giovanni tells Tatler. This goal she kept in mind throughout her university days, and over time, she carefully studied the factors that could help countries to advance. “I then discovered that human capital formation and infrastructure development could aid development. Not just the roads. Not just hospitals. But also technological infrastructure,” the International University of Monaco valedictorian explains. This further ignited her interest and curiosity in smart cities and how they can be instrumental to progress.