New World Order

The global health crises may have put the world on halt but not the growth of Web3. Sheila Lirio Marcelo, one of the purveyors of digital technology, embarks on a journey to the uncharted world of the metaverse

- Franz Sorilla IV.

The last couple of years have opened the eyes of many to the alternate world of metaverse. It has gone from an arena known only to tech innovators and gamers to a very much part of the vernacular; a world accessible to us all. But questions remain. What else is out there? What else will be possible? And why should those of us outside of the gamer, developer and trading industries care?

Filipino American techpreneur Sheila Lirio Marcelo, co-founder and CEO of Proof of Learn, is keen to dig deeper into Web3 and provide some of those answers. After watching a documentary featuring Lola Virgie, a grandmother in her sixties from Cabanatuan who regularly plays the play-to-earn NFT game Axie Infinity, Marcelo realised that being in her fifties was not a barrier to exploring Web3. “I thought if we can improve the experience, maybe more people can take advantage of this,” says Marcelo. “Plus my line of expertise is the mass consumer market, and I am very passionate about women being in this male-dominated industry. I like pioneering in these ventures primarily because I could help other women get into things.”