This episode is brought to you by our sponsor, Optinizers (https://www.optinizers.com/) — helping entrepreneurs scale smarter with world-class virtual support.

Erika Casupanan made history as the first Canadian — and first Filipina — to win American Survivor, breaking a seven-season streak of male winners with her quiet, strategic game. A proud Filipina Canadian with roots in Manila and a background in tech and communications, Erika turned a lifetime of being underestimated into her greatest competitive advantage. In this episode, she shows us how the skills many Filipinas develop just to survive and succeed in Western systems are the same skills that can make us powerful leaders, strategists, and game-changers.

In this episode we’ll cover…

- Growing up in a multigenerational Filipino household in Canada and watching her parents navigate “survival mode”

- How being the child of immigrants shaped Erika’s resourcefulness, ambition, and belief that she could “figure it out” no matter the hand she was dealt

- The story of how Survivor became her childhood dream after the loss of her grandfather — and why representation and resilience were at the heart of it

- The real skills that helped her win Survivor: emotional intelligence, reading people, communications savvy, and navigating male-dominated spaces like tech

- How Erika strategically leveraged being underestimated — her size, her identity, her persona — into a winning advantage

- What it means to step into your power as a Filipina, own your story, and see that you already have what it takes to “win” in your own life

🧭 Timestamps:

00:00:00 Breaking Survivor history & Erika’s many “firsts”

00:03:12 From tech & comms to the Survivor island

00:04:53 Growing up Filipina Canadian in survival mode

00:07:41 Discovering Survivor at 11 & dreaming of winning

00:10:07 Noticing privilege, power & being “different”

00:10:36 The high school TV show story & losing an opportunity

00:18:24 Invisible strings, bias & trusting your gut

00:21:26 Overachieving, people-pleasing & career beginnings

00:30:00 Turning being underestimated into a winning Survivor strategy

00:42:00 Emotional intelligence, alliances & making bold moves

00:54:00 Life after Survivor: speaking, media & owning your identity

01:04:00 Creating “Happy to See Me” + advice for underestimated Filipinas

✨ CONNECT WITH ERIKA:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erika_cas

Website: https://www.erikacasupanan.com/

Podcast: “Happy to See Me!” (available on all major podcast platforms)

📣 Follow Filipina on the Rise

Instagram: https://instagram.com/filipinaontherise

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@filipinaontherise

Website & newsletter: https://filipinaontherise.com

This podcast episode is brought to you by OptiNizers, a remote talent agency that connects businesses with highly skilled Filipino remote professionals who help entrepreneurs delegate smarter, reclaim time, and stay focused on what truly drives growth.

👉 Book a free call with OptiNizers and mention KRYSTL

https://www.optinizers.com/contact

This episode features Dr. Khristine Gloria, a cognitive scientist and AI ethics expert, discussing the importance of diversity, representation, and ethical considerations in AI development. We explore how biases in AI reflect societal stereotypes, the role of community input, and strategies for responsible AI use, especially for marginalized communities.

keywords

AI ethics, diversity in AI, representation, biases, responsible AI, Filipino community, media representation, technology for good

key topics

• AI biases and stereotypes
• Representation of marginalized communities in AI
• Ethical data collection and consent
• Diversity in AI development teams
• Community engagement in AI design

titles

• AI and Cultural Representation: Addressing Biases and Stereotypes
• The Future of AI: Diversity, Ethics, and Community Impact

Sound Bites

• "Bias is exponential in AI decision making"
• "Humans have qualities AI cannot replicate"
• "Diverse teams create better AI products"

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to Dr. Christine Gloria and AI ethics

01:14
The Filipino Barbie AI-generated controversy

02:59
Media representation and stereotypes in AI

07:55
Critical thinking about AI and cultural biases

11:23
Human bias in AI training data

12:58
Ethical data collection and regulation

15:24
Diversity in AI teams and decision-making

18:33
Approaching AI with curiosity and responsibility

20:06
Common misconceptions about AI and fears

23:38
Humans' unique qualities in the age of AI

25:04
Connecting with community and upskilling in AI

27:05
The art of articulating AI prompts

27:52
Learning Filipino history through innovative courses

29:54
Cultural adoption of technology in the Philippines

30:36
Diversity and representation in AI development

32:58
Final thoughts and resources for further learning

33:43
Fun with AI: Creating song lyrics

Resources

• Dr. Christine Gloria on LinkedIn
• AI Bias and Fairness - MIT Technology Review

Many of us grow up learning to take care of everyone else first.

For many women — especially Filipina women navigating family expectations, cultural values, and relationships — that can show up as over-functioning, suppressing our needs, and staying in patterns that don’t truly support us.

In this episode, therapist and social worker Lia Mancao joins us to talk about the relationship patterns many people don’t realize they’re carrying — and how to start building self-trust, healthier boundaries, and more balanced partnerships.

Lia shares insights from her work helping people understand how childhood experiences shape adult relationships, why people often forgive quickly to avoid abandonment, and how we can begin reconnecting with our own needs.

This conversation is honest, reflective, and ultimately hopeful — especially if you’ve ever felt responsible for holding everything together.

• how Filipino culture and family dynamics can shape the way many women show up in relationships
• the difference between a “proximityship” and a true partnership, and what self-abandonment actually looks like
• why many women over-function in relationships and struggle to name their needs
• how to start rebuilding self-trust, boundaries, and healthier relationship patterns

Have you ever noticed yourself doing more than your share in relationships — just to keep things working?

What might change if you trusted yourself enough to name your needs?

00:00 Intro & meet therapist Lia Mancao
02:20 Lia’s background and path into therapy and social work
05:00 Why understanding childhood experiences matters in adult life
09:00 Social justice, advocacy, and mental health work
12:05 The difference between functional rest vs restorative rest
13:55 Why some people struggle to truly relax
23:50 Finding micro-moments of rest in busy lives
24:55 Relationship patterns many Filipina clients experience
26:10 How childhood needs affect adult relationships
27:10 Why some people struggle to even identify their needs
28:10 Forgiving quickly because of fear of abandonment
30:20 How to rebuild self-trust through small actions
32:30 Inner child work and what we needed to hear growing up
34:00 Giving yourself the apology you never received
34:45 The concept of a “proximityship” vs partnership
36:30 What self-abandonment actually looks like
37:55 Understanding social currency and external validation
40:00 The pressure to perform on social media
42:00 Adapting without losing authenticity
44:00 Knowing when to step back from productivity
46:15 Navigating seasons of uncertainty
47:10 An inner child reflection practice

Follow Lia and her work:

Instagram
@alyssamariewellness

Website
https://www.alyssamariewellness.com/

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/filipinaontherise

Website
https://www.filipinaontherise.com

If this conversation resonated with you, please consider giving to Filipina on the Rise here: https://www.filipinaontherise.com/donate or leaving a 5-star written review on Apple Podcasts.

It helps the show get discovered, allows us to bring on incredible guests, and supports the mission of uplifting Filipina voices and stories.

Thank you and Stay Rising!