Geraldine Roman was chosen to deliver the keynote address at Asia Society's Diversity Leadership Forum last June 10, 2016. Roman became the representative of the First District of Bataan on May 10, 2016, becoming the first openly transgender woman elected into the Congress of the Philippines.

During the campaign trail Roman shared that her family always remained supportive of her, and her father advised her to "remain confident" despite being bullied for her gender identity in school.

Roman was educated in the all-boys Jesuit-run Ateneo High School, then University of the Philippines. She later earned two masters degrees in Spain where she worked as a Spanish-language journalist and editor, then moving to corporate communications in the same country

In an interview with Asia Society, Roman noted that, “Gender and sexual orientation are no hindrances to serving the country. But my entry into Congress and the attention I have received have made me more determined to prove my worth as a public servant.”

Established in 2009, the Diversity Leadership Forum is a two-day conference on best practices on corporate diversity, the global market and leadership. It provides a vital platform for corporations to discuss diversity and inclusion issues in regards to Asian professionals and analyze the influence of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) on global market factors impacting businesses today.