Inclusion studio Imaginable Impact is all set to launch FoundHer™ Forum, a half-day learning and networking event supporting Filipina founders with the competence, confidence, and community they need to help overcome the present challenges of raising capital for their startups.
The forum, slated for October 26 at KMC SM North EDSA in Quezon City, is co-presented by UL Skin Sciences, Inc., in partnership with InLife Sheroes, PayMongo, Parlon, Marqed Salon, and GoTyme Bank, with venue partner KMC Solutions. Although the inaugural forum is scheduled for October 26, the intention is for it to become a regular series of events.
Founded in 2023 by Niña Terol and Candice Quimpo, Imaginable Impact is dedicated to creating initiatives and products that expand access to leadership, economic empowerment, and opportunities for wealth-building. The studio has so far launched a number of initiatives exploring the role of inclusion in business, including DEI-centric workshops and a women entrepreneurship-focused podcast.
“Unfortunately, many barriers and unconscious biases persist that prevent female founders from growing and scaling our businesses — and achieving the full impact of our solutions. The FoundHer™ Forum is one step we’re taking to connect female founders with the knowledge, resources, and networks they need to move their businesses forward,” shares Terol.
The forum aims to explore the benefits of investing in Filipina startup founders, what makes a founder worth investing in, how the Philippine innovation ecosystem can support female founders, and more.
The event features top Filipino startup leaders such as Katrina Rausa Chan, Executive Director of QBO Innovation Hub and IdeaSpace Foundation, kicking off the forum alongside Jessica de Mesa and Abetina Valenzuela-Mader, Co-Founders of Kindred, who will also share their insights on women’s wellness and femtech.
FoundHer™ Forum also includes an investor panel with Raya Buensuceso, Managing Director of early-stage venture capital firm, Kaya Founders; Joseph de Leon, Founding Partner and Lead Investor of Manila Angel Investors Network (MAIN); Hao-Min Liao, Investment Associate at leading private equity firm, Navegar; Franco Varona, Managing Director of top independent venture capital firm, Foxmont Capital Partners; and Nat Wittayatanaseth, Co-Founder of female-focused angel investing syndicate, Findicate. Advertising strategist and Life by Petto Co-Founder Eileen Borromeo will be moderating the panel.
The forum’s discussions are particularly relevant, in light of data from Startup Genome, which highlights a noteworthy statistic: in the Philippines, over 52% of startups feature at least one female founder, a significant contrast to the global average of just 15%. Despite this promising trend, female-led startups receive less than 2% of available venture capital funding—showing much more needs to be done to champion female founders.
“It turns out that investors in the Philippines are also asking the same question: ‘Where are the female founders?’ It’s time to elevate this conversation and challenge ourselves to address the gaps in the ecosystem. We’re excited to unpack this at the FoundHer Forum and chart an actionable path forward,” added Quimpo.
According to MAIN Gender Lens Investing Committee Chair Tina Di Cicco, FoundHer™ Forum’s work has a favorable long-term impact. “We’ve seen the impact of #investinginwomen on economies on a global scale. Research shows that investing in women strengthens national economies; women in leadership in companies strengthen those organizations. When we invest in women founders, we achieve both — stronger economies and leadership—early in the game, and we can magnify that impact over time,” said Di Cicco.
“Imagine the breakthroughs in innovation and technology, in communities and families, in local and global economies if and when we invest in female founders — enabling the solutions they are building to solve the problems they see as overlooked and important. A diverse startup ecosystem can only mean good things for all of us,” Quimpo concluded.
More information about the FoundHer™ Forum is available at: https://www.imaginableimpact.com/foundher-forum