ABOUT US
MISSION
Klapperich International Training Associated (KITA) offers a unique training experience for small businesses and nonprofit organizations by helping them build inclusive learning environments that benefit their leaders and employees.
VISION
We envision a world where learning barriers in the workplace no longer exist.
CORE VALUES
KITA was founded around the following core values. We ask all involved in our organization (partners, employees, clients, vendors, etc.) to practice these values with us:
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Kindness/Kabaitan. We carry a deep sense of love for our community and acknowledge the importance of local values to the people and organizations we serve. We strive to act in a respectful manner that is both culturally appropriate and meets the needs of each individual client.
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Knowledge/Kaalaman. We endeavor to seek and share the knowledge that advances and supports the skill set and professional development of all our shareholders. We hold “a deep respect for intellectual values”* that acknowledges and celebrates the many ways that people learn.*
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Righteousness/Kabutihan. We pledge to live righteously by “committing ourselves to educate to a social awareness which impels to action.”* We promote social and workplace equity and we seek to empower our community by providing services in a safe, non-judgmental environment to all individuals we train.
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Care/Alaga. We tend to the needs of others by providing exemplary customer service to all our shareholders. We give back to our community by helping to erase the barriers to learning and employment of marginalized populations.
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Collaboration/Pakikipagtulungan. We will work together with our clients to find the training solutions that work for them. We value our partnerships and know that we cannot achieve our goals without collaborating with our community partners.
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Responsibility/Responsibilidad. We take responsibility for our actions and work to maintain positive relationships while adhering to our core values. When we make mistakes, we will do what we can to make things right.
*Gwen was educated at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, and to this day she tries to live her life according to the five Sacred Heart goals.
OUR TEAM
Gwen Navarrete Klapperich
Chief Learning Consultant
(she/her/hers/siya)
Gwen is a self-proclaimed learning & development geek who believes that effective job training has the ability to change lives and improve people’s career and employment opportunities. She is admittedly addicted to helping adult learners reach their professional goals no matter the obstacle.
Gwen holds over 20 years of experience in training & development, customer service supervision, and quality assurance initiatives, and has worked in various industries such as retail, healthcare, government, hospitality, nonprofits, and continuing education.
Gwen earned her CPTD® (Certified Professional in Talent Development, formerly Certified Professional in Learning and Performance) from the Association of Talent Development and holds a master’s degree in education specializing in Training & Performance Improvement from Capella University. She has dedicated her career to helping adult learners reach their professional goals through effective job training.
Gem Boquiren
Virtual Assistant
(she/her/hers/siya)
Gem provides virtual assistance on administrative tasks, graphic design, and website management. Based in Manila, Philippines, she is the owner of The Virtual Gem, a virtual assistance and design company. She has helped several female entrepreneurs with their branding and marketing needs for their online businesses.
OUR STORY
We are truly an international family, a blend of Filipino and German cultures with 100% American zeal. We love the warmth of the people and the land of Hawaiʻi. Our business was founded to reflect our commitment and celebration of the diversity found within our family and our community.
Our name came about when Chris asked us what K-I-T-A meant in Tagalog (the main Filipino language). Gwen replied that the word “kita” has different meanings but two of the most common definitions are the word “vision” and the reflexive pronoun that means “From I to you”*. For example, “I love you” is “Mahal kita” and “I give you” is “Binigyan kita” Chris replied with the comment that we should name our company Klapperich International Training Associates, or KITA for short, and thus our name and our tagline were born.
*For more examples of how this word is used, please visit http://tagaloglang.com/kita/
Our logo was created by our cousin, Paolo Gonzalez, and is the word KITA sideways. Its Asian appearance and clean lines are also meant to reflect our commitment to diversity and effective training solutions.