2013 Honorees – Dado & Maria Banatao

The Banatao name is synonymous with vision and achievement in technology and entrepreneurship. But Dado and Maria Banatao should be just as highly regarded for their philanthropic achievements. Dado and Maria established the Banatao Family Filipino American Education Fund with the Asian Pacific Fund in 2002 to help California high school students of Filipino heritage pursue careers in science and engineering–fields where Filipinos are underrepresented.

“Maria and I hope this will inspire students to dream big and to make the sacrifices needed to continue their education so they can fully contribute to society and make their dreams a reality,” Dado says. “Having grown up in a rural area of the Philippines, my background has made me passionate about education. I know how education can transform lives, because it transformed mine.”

“Setting up a scholarship program has given us a chance to use philanthropy to pass on our family values,” Maria says. “Our whole family is working together on this to benefit the Filipino American community, and the Asian Pacific Fund has been very involved in helping us achieve our goals.”

In addition to the Banatao Education Fund, Dado and Maria have been recognized for their extensive Board service and generous support of organizations like the Center for Information Technology in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), a project of the University of California. Dado is the managing partner and founder of Tallwood Venture Capital. He also serves as chairman for SiRF Technology and current Tallwood portfolio companies. Maria is on the Boards of the Lucille Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, the Ayala Foundation USA, and the University of California, Berkeley Foundation. Dado and Maria’s three children–Rey, Desi and Tala–are all involved in the Banatao Education Fund and share their parents’ views on the value and rewards of giving back to their community.