Nanette Medved

Career

In 2012, she established HOPE in a Bottle , a social enterprise that generates income by selling packaged water known as "Hope in a Bottle," "Hope in a Box", and "(Not Just) Tubig". 100% of its profits go towards improving public school infrastructure across the Philippines, increasing livelihood opportunities, and enabling efforts that conserve our environment. As of 2025, 167 classrooms have been built and 25% of the locations that HOPE builds at are “last mile schools” where sourcing materials, logistics of reaching the remote build site, and navigating safety make project management challenging. It is the first B-Corporation certified company in the Philippines.

In 2014, she introduced the agriculture and livelihood initiative where they prioritize empowering smallholder farmers through initiatives like providing high-quality seedlings and inputs, farm planning, training, market access, logistics support, and a pay-it-forward program. With a goal of having 50% women farmers among the recipients, this initiative is creating greater gender inclusion and expanding economic opportunities for women in agriculture. Through these, our hardworking farmers are able to increase income for their families while also becoming resources with their communities. As of 2025, they've reached a total of 33,504 farmers and planted 2,216,790 coconut tree seedlings.

In 2019, Medved founded PCX, a non-profit plastic credit program. PCX established a Plastic Pollution Reduction Standard and recycles plastic waste with programs that aim to reduce the flow of plastic pollution into nature. She also introduced the Aling Tindera program. A plastic waste-to-cash program that enables women micro-entrepreneurs to manage collection stations and serve as environment heroes in their communities.

From 2007 to 2012, Medved served on the advisory board of Bantay Bata. In 2012, she began to serve on the National Advisory Council of the World Wildlife Fund Philippines and in 2019, she was invited to serve on its board of trustees. In 2017, she received the NGO Leadership Award and Social Innovation Leadership Award from the Philippines Leadership Awards and was also honored as one of Forbes’ Heroes of Philantrophy**.** In July 2019, she began serving as part of the Board of Directors of Winrock International.

Prior to her philanthropic work, Medved had a career as a commercial model and actress. In 1996, she left the Philippines to pursue studies in the United States. In 2002, she decided to leave the entertainment industry to focus on her advocacy work.Since then, the only times that she has appeared on Philippine TV is to speak about her passion projects.

Personal life

Nanette Medved was born in Hawaii to a Russian father and Chinese mother. She grew up traveling throughout Asia but spent most of her primary and secondary education in Holy Family Academy in Angeles City, Philippines. She initially took courses in De La Salle University - College of St. Benilde and later opted to study abroad. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with degrees in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts in 1998. Medved married Christopher Po in South Africa in June 1999 and they have two children.

Recognitions

Nanette Medved has received both local and international acclaim for her work in philanthropy and sustainability. In 2023, Hope and PCX were named among the world’s top 300 impact companies by the Real Leaders Impact Awards, alongside global brands such as Tesla, Ben & Jerry’s, and the Lego Group. That same year, she represented the Philippines at high-level global forums, including the United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution in Paris, the World Trade Organization Public Forum in Geneva, the Forbes Sustainability Leaders Summit in New York, and The Economist Global Plastics Summit in Bangkok. She has also been consistently named among Asia’s Most Influential by Tatler Philippines from 2021 to 2024.

Filmography

Film

• Eastwood and Bronson (1989)
• Bakit Ikaw Pa Rin? (1990)
• Sa Diyos Lang Ako Susuko (1990)
• Biktima (1990)
• Huwag Mong Salingin ang Sugat Ko (1991)
• Humanap Ka ng Panget (1991)
• Sa Kabila ng Lahat (1991)
• Hinukay Ko Na ang Libingan Mo! (1991)
• Andrew Ford Medina: 'Wag Kang Gamol! (1991)
• Darna (1991)
• Narito ang Puso Ko (1992)
• Hiram na Mukha (1992)
• Dito sa Pitong Gatang (1992)
• Dillinger (1992)
• Kapag May Gusot Walang Lusot (1993)
• Isang Bala Ka Lang Part 2 (1993)
• Tumbasan Mo ng Buhay (1993)
• An Lian Ni (1993)
• Iukit Mo sa Bala (1994)
• Hataw Tatay Hataw (1994)
• Pamilya Valderama (1995)
• Pag-ibig Ko sa Iyo'y Totoo (1997)
• Kasangga Mo Ako sa Huling Laban (1997)
• Goodbye America (1997)
• Ang Dalubhasa (2000)

Television

• Love Me Doods (1990)
• Cebu: Revisited (1993)
• Kate en Boogie (1993)
• Compañero y Compañera (2000–2001)
• Cinema Talk (2002)

References

References

1. "Nanette Medved-Po".
2. Lopez, Yvette. (December 23, 2022). "Passionate Nanette Medved-Po". The Philippine Star.
3. (August 4, 2017). "Nanette Medved-Po: From onscreen Darna to real-life hero".
4. (August 4, 2017). "Nanette Medved-Po: From onscreen Darna to real-life hero".
5. "2025 Impact Report - CLASSROOMS".
6. "Certified B Corporation".
7. (2021). "Certified B Corporation".
8. Yalao, Khriscielle. (November 3, 2023). "PCX to join push vs plastic pollution". Manila Bulletin.
9. "2025 Impact Report - ALING TINDERA".
10. "Meet the amazing Mothers for Others".
11. "Meet the pandas".
12. (10 July 2019). "Winrock International - Nanette Medved-Po Joins Winrock International Board of Directors".
13. "From Darna to builder of classrooms: The many lifetimes of Nanette Medved-Po".
14. "Ito ang Balita - 2011/04/27".
15. "Nanette Medved-Po". Tatler Asia.