Maya Gilliss-Chapman Explained

Maya Gilliss-Chapman
Birth Name:Ratha Rath
Birth Place:Kandal, Cambodia
Nationality:American
Alma Mater:University of California, Berkeley
Occupation:Nonprofit executive
Organization:Cambodians in Tech

Maya Gilliss-Chapman (born Ratha Rath) is a Cambodian-American social entrepreneur and startup advisor. She is currently the founder and CEO of Cambodians in Tech,[1] a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Silicon Valley, California. She was Cambodia's representative in international beauty pageants between 2016 and 2017.

Early life

Gilliss-Chapman was born in the Kandal Province of Cambodia. She was brought to the capital city of Phnom Penh as an orphan. The circumstances around her transport from Kandal to Phnom Penh remain unknown. She was brought to the United States in 1991 and resided in the city of Oakland, California.

Education

Maya attended the University of California, Berkeley and graduated with a B.A. in Legal Studies.

Career

Gilliss-Chapman is a technology analyst focusing on emerging markets and sporting technology.[2] [3] After working in Silicon Valley, Gilliss-Chapman returned to Cambodia to help develop the Cambodian technology sector. Later, she broadened her focus to the greater Southeast Asian region.[4] [5]

In 2014, Gilliss-Chapman founded Cambodians in Tech.[6]

Cambodians in Tech

Cambodians in Tech was founded in 2014 to help Cambodian refugees obtain jobs in the technology industry.[7] It was considered the first worldwide technology movement for Cambodians. In 2016, Cambodians in Tech became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Film

In 2019, Gilliss-Chapman was cast as Peuv in the English version of Funan which was sold to Netflix.[8] In 2020, the English-dub version of Funan was released on Netflix.[9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Soeung. Sophat. Initiative Seeks to Build a Bridge Between Silicon Valley and Cambodia. voacambodia.com/. Voice of America. 11 December 2016.
  2. Web site: de Gaumer. Matthieu. Startups turn heads in Silicon Valley. phnompenhpost.com. Phnom Penh Post. 6 April 2017.
  3. News: Facebook's Explore Feed Experiment Is Already Crushing Cambodia's Businesses. Keeton-Olsen. Danielle. Forbes. 2017-11-03. en.
  4. Web site: WHAT CAMBODIA STARTUPS CAN LEARN FROM THE WORDS OF SILICON VALLEY INVESTOR PAUL BRAGIEL. Chia. Cheyenne. Geeks in Cambodia. Geeks in Cambodia. 17 April 2017.
  5. Web site: Promises and pitfalls in Cambodia's online business world. Rougheen. Simon. Nikkei Asian Review. Nikkei Asian Review. 2 July 2017.
  6. Web site: 2016-07-07. Interview: Maya Gilliss-Chapman, Founder of Cambodians in Tech. 2021-04-07. Geeks in Cambodia. en-US.
  7. Web site: Soeung. Sophat. The Cambodians at the Heart of the Technology Revolution. VOA Cambodia. Voice of America. 17 April 2017.
  8. Web site: Maya Gilliss-Chapman. 2021-06-22. IMDb.
  9. Web site: Funan Netflix. 2021-06-22. www.netflix.com. en.