By Allyana A. Almonte
Through a four-day tech startup conference, the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) featured thought-provoking keynote sessions, personal interactions with global thought leaders, and internships and networking opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
Building Young Tech Entrepreneurs (BYTE), the home organization of ADMU’s B.S. Information Technology Entrepreneurship students, facilitated the conference dubbed as Startup Summit 2022: Launch Your Purpose last April 6 to 9 via Hopin and Zoom virtual meeting platforms.
The summit mapped out the journey towards becoming a tech industry leader. It was attended by around 400 participants in each session who learned the steps to constructing a startup.
Through 10 high-caliber resource speakers from the technological entrepreneurship sector, the summit featured the ideation, development and growth stages that every entrepreneur takes in their journey as a startup founder.
Angkas Founder Angeline Tham, SariSuki CEO and Founder Brian Cu, and MedGrocer Co-Founder and COO Germaine Erika Kaw helped and pondered with the participants in exploring motivations and advocacies that build the backbone of startups on the first day of the summit.
“Issues are opportunities. If there are no problems, there is no business. Expect people to say no to you but press upon them what your belief is to improve the system. Keep to your core the values and purpose to navigate forward,” Ms. Tham said as participants asked questions about the ideation and adversities of a startup. She also mentioned how impactful are Angkas’ viral social media posts in driving sales.
On the second day of the summit, participants discovered more about ensuring a startup’s success by taking a deep dive into the technical aspects and hard skills needed, through learning from the best minds in the industry.
Kinobi Co-Founder and COO Hafiz Kasman, 917Ventures Head of Growth & Programs Group Natasha Dawn Bautista, and DEEPCORE Director of Investment Jin Tanaka discussed the learnings they have accumulated for years of running startups and on how to build one from the roots up.
“Having an entrepreneurial mindset like analytical and critical thinking, with the right balance of crazy, insane, or experimental strategy, are two of the characteristics one startup dream team should have. A startup shouldn’t be obsessing with the solution, but should be obsessed with the problem instead,” Ms. Bautista advised the young entrepreneurs.
The third day of the summit featured four multi-awarded startup founders who delved into the courses of action needed to scale, thrive, and grow amidst the long-term changes inside the startup ecosystem.
Pick.A.Roo CEO & Co-Founder Crystal Gonzalez, Brainsparks Co-Founder Artie Lopez, Great Deals E-Commerce Corp. Founder and CEO Steve Sy, and Foxmont Capital Partners Managing Partner Franco Varona shared their notable experiences as entrepreneurs who made a mark as they ventured into the startup scene.
“Sometimes, the most important validation you can get is a ‘no’, for failure is always a part of the process in ideating, building, and growing a startup,” Mr. Lopez said.
Alongside the talk sessions, the conference became an avenue to present partner startups in Expo Booths as they showcased their innovative solutions.
Participants were GrowSari, a tech-enabled B2B platform that helps the Philippines’ over one million sari-sari stores and other retail outlets transform themselves from simple neighborhood outlets to comprehensive service hubs; Splore, a wellness marketplace that envisions a world where fitness and health are both accessible and attainable; Eskwelabs, an online data upskilling school in the Philippines with the mission of driving social mobility in the future of work through data skills education; Mayani, an agritech startup empowering local farmers and fisherfolk; and Unawa, a regulatory tech startup making ‘ease of doing business’ a reality in the country.
The summit also offered young learners and entrepreneurs with endless opportunities of getting a real-work experience through the activities’ partner companies.
On the last day of the summit, a roundtable discussion served as the post-event and networking night for the participants to make new connections and find the right blend of a startup dream team.
BYTE Heads Camille Go and Justine Ngo wrapped up this year’s summit by appreciating all the sponsors, media partners, and partnered startups and companies for helping make the conference an airstrip where dreams take into flight.
