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Strengthening Asia's Social Finance Ecosystems
Strengthening Asia's Social Finance Ecosystems
The Social Finance Track connects experienced practitioners with the next generation of social finance leaders. Through strategic partnerships with domestic social finance organizations, the Asian School of Governance's Social Finance Lab engages Gaston Z. Ortigas Fellows as Faculty and Drill Masters for the Southeast Asian Social Finance Coalition – Philippine Hub, mobilizing USD 100 million across 10 sector-specific impact funds.
Named after visionary educator Gaston Z. Ortigas, who championed bringing education closer to the people, this fellowship empowers changemakers to build inclusive and resilient economies.
Your Potential Roles:
Your Potential Roles:
- Teaching Fellow/Drill Master
Time Commitment: 2-8 hours per month, flexibly scheduled
Core Activities
Core Activities
Facilitate Learning Sessions
Work in small teaching teams (3-4 GZO Fellows) to guide Impact First Investing (IFI) Fellows—graduate students from universities across Asia and North America—through hands-on social finance challenges.
Strategic Engagement
Participate in in-person or Zoom meetings with key decision-makers: investors, government officials, development finance institutions, and social enterprise leaders. Help shape fund design, policy frameworks, and ecosystem strategy.
Mentorship & Guidance
Provide targeted advice in your area of expertise—whether sector-specific, place-based, or focused on technical processes.
Choose Your Focus
Choose Your Focus
Sector-Specific: Climate, housing, agriculture, WASH, health, education, blue economy, tech inclusion, social enterprise, or gender equity
Place-Based: Manila, Visayas, Mindanao, or broader Southeast Asian contexts
- Technical: Blended finance, impact assessment, due diligence, investor relations, or policy advocacy
- Strategic Alliance Fellow (Sector- or SDG-focused)
Time Commitment: 4-20 hours per month, flexibly scheduled
Core Activities
Core Activities
Partnership Coordination
Serve as primary liaison between Social Finance Lab and domestic partner organizations. Manage partnership lifecycle from initial contact through active collaboration. Coordinate activities across GZO Fellows, IFI Fellows, and partner stakeholders. Maintain partnership tracking system and ensure alignment with strategic objectives.
Relationship Management
Facilitate regular communication and meetings (in-person or Zoom) with partner organizations, development finance institutions, government agencies, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders. Organize joint activities including learning sessions, fund design workshops, and ecosystem convenings. Maintain partnership health through consistent engagement and proactive issue resolution.
Operational Excellence
Support GZO Fellows in Faculty and Drill Master roles by coordinating schedules, managing logistics, and ensuring access to AI tools and resources. Track partnership performance metrics and deliverables. Prepare reports for leadership and steering committees. Document lessons learned and best practices for knowledge management.
Strategic Planning
Develop partnership business plans, memoranda of understanding, and agreements in collaboration with partners. Identify and vet potential new partners aligned with the Southeast Asian Social Finance Coalition objectives. Support expansion toward USD 100 million fund mobilization across 10 sectoral funds.
Choose Your Focus
Choose Your Focus
Partnership Type:
Academic: MBA/MPA university programs across Asia
Investor & DFI: Development finance institutions, impact investors, commercial banks
Social Enterprise: Associations, incubators, support organizations
Government: DepDev, DTI, SEC, BSP for policy and regulatory engagement
Corporate & Foundation: CSR funds and philanthropic organizations
Sectoral or SDG Focus: Climate resilience, affordable housing, sustainable agriculture, WASH, healthcare, education, blue economy, digital inclusion, social enterprise growth, gender equity
Geographic Scope: Any city or country in Asia
AI-Powered Support
AI-Powered Support
Access premium AI tools to amplify your impact with limited time:
AI teaching assistants for session preparation
Automated research and market analysis
Impact assessment platforms
Smart scheduling and coordination
Document generation tools
Real-time translation for multilingual engagement
Who Should Apply
Who Should Apply
Experience: MDM students and alums interested in impact investing, social finance, social enterprise, development finance, innovation ecosystems, banking, policy, or ecosystem building
Essential Qualities:
Passion for teaching and mentoring
Ability to distill complex concepts
Collaborative mindset for small team work
Cultural competence across Southeast Asia
Commitment to inclusive development
Fellowship Benefits
Fellowship Benefits
Flexible engagement fitting your schedule
Premium AI tools suite
Strategic network across Southeast Asia
Certification as Social Finance Drill Master
Professional development through peer learning and brand-building
Program Structure
Program Structure
Onboarding: Training on AI tools, frameworks, and team formation
Monthly Engagement:
Facilitation sessions with IFI Fellows (1-3 hours)
Quarterly meetings with decision-makers (1-2 hours)
Technical support in your expertise area (1-3 hours)
Team coordination and preparation (1-2 hours)
Team-Based Approach: Small teaching teams organized by sector, geography, or technical focus share facilitation, exchange knowledge, and provide mutual support.
Sample Monthly Schedule for a GZO Fellow
Sample Monthly Schedule for a GZO Fellow
Click here for a sample schedule for a Fellow.
Gaston Zavalla Ortigas (1931-1990)
Gaston Zavalla Ortigas (1931-1990)
As Dean of the Asian Institute of Management from 1986-1990, he supported the pioneering concept of "development management". Under him, AIM opened new programs catering to social issues, such as women in development, agrarian reform, and environmental protection.
As Dean of the Asian Institute of Management from 1986-1990, he supported the pioneering concept of "development management". Under him, AIM opened new programs catering to social issues, such as women in development, agrarian reform, and environmental protection.
.Gaston Z. Ortigas' Legacy
.Gaston Z. Ortigas' Legacy
This fellowship honors Gaston Zavalla Ortigas (1931-1990), Dean of the Asian Institute of Management, who believed in giving local officials, lawmakers, and public servants the chance to learn broader perspectives and develop greater sensitivity to people's needs.
GZO Fellows today carry forward this tradition—sharing expertise generously, mentoring rising leaders, and building institutions that put people's empowerment at the center of development.
Join Us
Join Us
Share your expertise. Shape the future. Build legacy.
The Social Finance Track offers experienced practitioners a high-impact, time-efficient way to contribute to Southeast Asia's social finance ecosystem while mentoring the next generation of leaders.
For interested individuals, click here to fill out the GZO Application Form.
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