Kumusta! We’re The Entree.Pinays.
A collective of entrepreneurial Filipinas working together to bring
Filipino cuisine, culture, and community to the hearts, minds, and tastebuds of Australians on Wurundjeri country.
Our Vision.
We envision a near future where Filipino cuisine, culture and community are adequately represented and celebrated in mainstream Australia.
Our Purpose.
We work to instill pride in our cuisine and culture, dismantling cultural cringe and internalised colonial oppression within our own Filipino communities.
With Filipino food perfectly poised to contribute to Melbourne’s reputation as a world-class gastronomic destination, we invite others to discover, or re-discover, our heritage and Australian-Filipino identity.
With food as a gateway, our broader purpose is to develop, connect and empower a network of talented Filipinos and collaborators of colour in the global diaspora.
Our Mission.
The Entree.Pinays aim to educate the Australian public on the true value of Filipino produce, by sharing the way we cook and eat through a program of unique experiences celebrating our heritage.
We endeavour to lead and support advancement efforts for Australian-Filipinos, in collaboration with leaders and change-makers in government, business, and industry.
Our Name
The Entree.Pinays name is derived from entree, meaning the first course of a Western meal, and pinay, the Tagalog word for female Filipino. Appropriate since each of us are food-loving, enterprising Filipinas.
Media Kit
For further information on The Entree.Pinays’ mission, our events and the incredible people we work with, download our press kit below.
Meet the ladies.
Fides Mae Santos-Arguelles
Co-founder, Strategy, Operations
& Business Development
Fides is an independent business consultant, venturing on her own as Fides & Associates after 15 years at City of Melbourne.
Fides’ work supports small and big business in retail, hospitality, tourism and government. She brings abundant business acumen, industry connections and visionary thinking to her leadership role within The Entree.Pinays.
Grace Guinto
Co-founder, Project Development & Storyteller
Grace brings a wealth of corporate and business advisory experience from her time at PwC in the US and Australia, Coles and currently as the Privacy & Customer Trust Lead at Wesfarmers' OneDigital.
Grace is also chief baking officer and owner of Sweet Cora, a thriving catering business inspired by the food of her late mother, specialising in Aussie and American desserts with a Filipino twist.
Sandra Tan
Media Manager
Sandra is a freelance writer and content strategist, with articles in Indesign, Habitus and Design Anthology magazines.
She is the first editor of DENFAIR, Australia’s premier design exhibition, developing and presenting its 2019 Speaker Series. She has hosted various public events, most notably for Cebu Pacific and Schiavello.
Felis Sarcepuedes
Community Building
Felis is an architectural draftsperson by trade, and Filipino foodie by nature. She is instrumental in group logistics, building connections with creative collaborators for The Entree.Pinays.
Felis’ advocacy for Filipino culture has led to establishing Tala Melbourne, a Tagalog story time for kids, Tagalog language classes for adults as well as her latest venture, Akasya Kape: Melbourne’s first source for single origin Filipino coffee.
Maysie Lecciones
Photographer & Visual Designer
Maysie is a multidisciplinary designer currently based in Sydney. Her expertise covers print and digital design, marketing, illustration, photography and branding.
She utilises her diverse expertise to create successful, thoughtful visual language for brands. Working in a freelance capacity, Maysie contributes her many talents and energy to her role with The Entree.Pinays. Maysie makes us all look good!
Kristina Náray
Culinary Curator
Outside of her day job as Strategic Events Advisor at Diabetes Victoria, Kristina brings valuable hospitality industry experience from her work as a cook and nutririonist, helping to shape our vision for Filipino cuisine at events.
Kristina has run cooking workshops at South Melbourne Market, and runs a catering business on the side, showcasing her great love and careful preparation of the food she grew up enjoying.
Get in touch.
Got an idea? Keen to collaborate? Feel free to contact us directly - we’re always happy to make new connections.