Jake DeLeon
Jake DeLeon is the founder and CEO of Fila Manila, a company crafting award-winning Filipino-inspired sauces and spreads. A former Starbucks executive, he launched the brand in 2020 and later secured a Shark Tank investment.
Jake DeLeon's Bio
Jake DeLeon founded Fila Manila, a Filipino-American food company creating sauces, condiments, and spreads from authentic family recipes. Starting in a home kitchen during the 2020 lockdown, the brand now holds 95% market share in the Filipino condiment category and is available nationally via retail and Amazon, with products including Adobo sauce, Kare Kare peanut sauce, Ube spread, and Banana Ketchup.
DeLeon is a first-generation Filipino-American, born in the Philippines and raised in Camden County, New Jersey. He earned a BS in Digital Media from Drexel University in 2004.
Before entrepreneurship, he held marketing roles at global companies. He was Group Marketing Manager at Spa Esprit Group in 2012, then Marketing & Category Manager for Starbucks' China and Asia Pacific region, leading new product development and expansion into Vietnam and Brunei. From 2015 to 2020, he founded and operated Origin Almond, a cold-pressed almond juice company.
He launched Fila Manila in 2020 using a stimulus check, aiming to represent Filipino cuisine in mainstream CPG. The brand's authentic flavors and clean ingredients attracted national retail distribution and a March 2024 Shark Tank feature, where DeLeon secured $250,000 from Kind Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky for 20% equity at a $5 million pre-money valuation.
Fila Manila continues expanding its product line and reach, sharing Filipino family cooking with American households with a focus on cultural representation and quality.
Career Timeline
2004 — Graduated from Drexel University with a bachelor’s degree in Digital Media, laying the foundation for a marketing career.
2010 — Marketing Manager for Southeast Asia at Blizzard Entertainment, successfully launching new games and products, implementing an e-commerce strategy, and achieving profitability growth.
2012 — Group Marketing Manager at Spa Esprit Group, overseeing brand management, consumer insights, product development, and retail marketing for the company's portfolio of beauty, lifestyle, and food & beverage brands.
2013 — Marketing & Category Manager for Starbucks' China and Asia Pacific region, supporting new product development, go-to-market planning, and business analysis; played an instrumental role in expanding Starbucks into Vietnam and Brunei markets.
2015 — Founded Origin Almond, a cold-pressed almond juice company that offered low-sugar and high-protein almond beverages; operated until 2020.
2020 — Founded Fila Manila, a Filipino-American food company creating authentic sauces, condiments, and spreads inspired by family recipes; launched during the COVID-19 lockdown using a U.S. stimulus check.
2024 — Appeared on ABC's Shark Tank (Season 15, Episode 16) and secured a $250,000 investment from Kind Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky in exchange for 20% equity at a $5 million pre-money valuation.
