MANILA, Philippines - A woman’s desire to always be at the top of her game makes her powerful.
The many life roles of Karvina Monika Li-Rios give her an empowering voice and brilliant thoughts that motivate her. She juggles her different responsibilities — as a mom, a wife, an entrepreneur — always with poise and style.
Karvina, 25, believes that it is necessary to integrate different segments of her life the way they fit her family’s needs. She is the head of procurement and logistics at Homemark Inc., a real estate development company owned by her husband’s family; and co-owner of Wai Ying Dimsum on Taft Avenue in Manila.
“I am hands-on with my tasks in the different companies I handle, especially in the real estate development business. It’s important that I give a personal touch to the tasks at hand like coordinating with the suppliers and creating positive relationships with the company’s employees,” shares Karvina.
For her part in Wai Ying Dimsum, she handles mostly the financial side of the business. She visits the restaurant twice a week and works together with her sister Kim, who is in charge of the restaurant’s operations.
Karvina, a Legal Management graduate of the De La Salle University, enjoys the rush of handling tedious tasks that her work demands. “The best thing about work is knowing that we are able to help our employees not just financially but also giving them the opportunity to grow professionally. I believe it is important for our employees to undergo training sessions because through those, they feel appreciated. Through the knowledge they get, they gain confidence.”
For Karvina, her family, above all, is what motivates her to be at her best. She recently got married to her long-time sweetheart Noel Rios, with whom she has a two-year-old son. Karvina is also a co-parent to Noel’s daughter, who is also very dear to her.
As a mom, Karvina makes sure she spends more than enough time with the two kids in her life. She meticulously follows a daily routine so she won’t miss out on the kids’ important milestones.
“Family is very important to me. What I’m doing right now is for them, for the kids, especially for my husband, who is very supportive of everything that I do. My husband and I have been together for five years and right now, I’m happy where we are as a family, ” Karvina says.
With a knack for do-it-yourself projects, Karvina fuels her creativity by styling events. In her own wedding, she booked all the suppliers, designed the invitations and did some decorations by herself. She considers event styling as one of her passions that’s why she continuously seeks information about the craft through research and attending classes/seminars, where she learns from the industry’s best.
With hard work and strong conviction to follow her heart’s desires, Karvina exudes confidence that she can tackle life’s challenges. This characteristic is what personal care products line Blackwater Women aims to unleash in every woman with its products like Blackwater Flora. It has four delicate floral scents, which are perfect for women who celebrate femininity and embrace positivity.
Photography by
CLAUDINE CERVANTES CALLANTA • Styling by EDRELYN SANTOS
• Makeup by MARTIN OROSA and hairstyling by EMILY VIÑAS and AIKA DAGANI