About the Company
Chiqui Rodriguez Inc. (CRI) is a philanthropy-based e-commerce company focused on art, collectibles, and partners with KREATTIV aiming to help communities create job security and education through communication design and Artificial Intelligence. CRI shares 20% of its sales proceeds to support these causes.
Chiqui Rodriguez Inc. is headquartered in the Philippines and operates globally.
Our vision as an organization is to be an inspiration and a growth catalyst for communities through art. Inspired by hope, love, and vibrant living, we aim that this platform will be a zephyr that connects people from all walks of life to achieve inclusive progress for all.
Our Story
Chiqui's Journey
Through her 20 years of work in the art and corporate scenes - Chiqui always felt she would do something meaningful in her work. Prior to founding her company, Chiqui found this mission as an executive of two of the world's Fortune 100 company. She thrived in the environment of innovation and found purpose in researching about ways to catalize progress in the creative industry through her doctorate degree, and helping develop and uplift the underserved communities in and out of the Philippines. However, her fast-paced life stood suddenly still in 2020, upon experiencing the black swan that made all economies fall to its knees - COVID-19.
Chiqui describes this time as a ‘period of pause’ and deep introspection, of bringing her down to Earth, from where she realised that no-one and nothing is invincible. Having prioritised work over philanthropy for 15 years, Chiqui began to look closely at her surroundings.
Sowing the Seeds of Art
It wasn’t until witnessing a lot of people being unemployed - even professionals aren't spared. Since then, Chiqui started to question her purpose. Having grown up in the Philippines' art capital Angono, Chiqui was full of inspiration and positive emotions. One of her professors at the Asian Institute of Management advised her that this is the perfect time to repurpose her mission and launch a business that is inspired by art, ignite sustainable working environments, and offer technology infrastructure for the marginalized. This established the foundation of Chiqui Rodriguez Inc.
Nourishing the Seeds
Chiqui dove deeply into researching and understanding every communication channel and technology that will help the company so that it can help others. She began to liaise with her network in the arts, academe, and business only to learn the platform model she wanted didn't exist.
Nourishing Growth
Seeing this gap in the market, desiring this service to genuinely wanting to create sustainability for people, Chiqui began the 2-year lead-up. The first year consisted of bringing together a team of intellectuals to research, review and understand the science behind art, technology, and wellbeing.
The second year was spent conceptualizing the software application designed by Chiqui for the creative industry and its customers. Chiqui was determined to create a software application that was not only based on art, artificial intelligence, but that felt like an easy-to-use platform for the buyer and the seller side so that everyone with a smartphone or a computer can participate. This proved challenging, and Chiqui understood quickly why using further research to achieve the ideal economic outcome can be so appalling. To date, Chiqui and her team are working closely together in the hope to launch a new service that will help bridge that gap.