Instead of letting a huge obstacle bring him down, our FBP 161 guest took that same obstacle and overcame it, not only for himself but also for people facing the same hurdle. Ryan Gersava was on his way to becoming a medical doctor until he was diagnosed with a serious medical condition. The realization that he will not be able to achieve a dream caused a momentary setback but Ryan was able to bounce back with a plan to end employment discrimination. He may not have been a doctor as he originally intended, but 2.5 years later, Ryan, together with his team, are saving lives with Virtualahan. Listen to FBP 161 as Ryan Gersava, visionary, founder, and CEO of Virtualahan shares his life story, his goals and motivations, and the admirable group of people behind the company. All About Virtualahan Virtualahan is a tech social enterprise that provides an ecosystem for PWDs, marginalized groups, and those who have been denied of employment due to various medical conditions. The goal is to equip individuals with competencies that will help them get a shot at a decent way of earning, whether as an online/remote worker or as an entrepreneur. Virtualahan originated from “Virtual Eskwelahan” with the original idea of an online vocational school. Nowadays, Virtualahan equips their graduates with competencies in Data Science, Customer Service, Digital Marketing, and Back-office Support. Virtualahan’s formula of developing and empowering individuals has been validated by various awards, citations, and sponsorships all over the globe. The data speaks for itself too: as of writing, Virtualahan has trained 162 skilled workers from 53 cities in the PH with 76% employment rate and with an average income 20-30% higher than the minimum wage. Key Takeaways Ryan, who turned 25 this year, has made it his life’s mission to help those who may have had the same experiences as him. In FBP 161, get to know about: Ryan’s beginnings in Sultan Kudarat His experiences of working online as a way to support himself in college How Virtualahan started with the help of his siblings Why a Pay-it-forward concept benefits everyone Scholarship selection process at Virtualahan The growth of Virtualahan driven by a great team of experts, inspiring mentors, and a community of students who care about the same cause Ways to help whether as a business or as a volunteer coach Quotes On his beliefs: “.. my parents really did a good job in giving us the value system and the moral compass… whatever you do, do it with excellence.” On what motivates him: “Just knowing that people believe in the work that you do, you can do so much more before the problem is so big.” On what keeps him going: “The joy to be able to be a source of people during those times.. That’s what keeps me going and that’s what gives me so much energy… We want to bring people together to fall in love with this vision because the problem is real. It’s doable to solve. We’ve done it in a small-scale but we believe we can do it in a bigger scale. We can contribute to building a future of work where nobody is left behind.” On the key value of helping: “It is always better to not pay-it-back but to pay-it-forward.” Links * Do you want to start working on your digital skills or do you know a potential student? Send us a message on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/virtualahan to learn more or check out the enrolment form at virtualahan.com/train * Interested to become volunteer coach? Are you a business owner who wants to partner with Virtualahan?