On April 3, 2024, at the Meridian Innovation Center in Pasay City, The Independent Investor concluded its Open Access Event “Vision to Venture 2: Turning Ideas into Reality”. The event attracted a diverse mix of aspiring entrepreneurs, seasoned business leaders, and innovation enthusiasts eager to glean insights, forge connections, and chart their paths to success in the dynamic world of startups.
Watch the full panel discussion here.
The evening kicked off with welcome remarks from the event’s host Meridian Innovation Center Chairman and former Philippines Trade Ambassador Benedicto Yujuico, who highlighted innovation as an engine for economic growth. This was followed by a keynote speech by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Undersecretary for MSME Development Group Cris Aldeguer-Roque, who emphasized the importance of helping micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the country.
The event featured a panel of esteemed entrepreneurs sharing their experiences, wisdom, and lessons learned from their respective startup journeys. The panel included Kaya Founders Managing Partner Paulo Campos, Auro Chocolate Co-Founder and Managing Director Mark Ocampo, Co-Founder and Creative Head of Viajecito Inc. Pia Ugarte Garcia-Morera, and Potato Corner & Tokyo Tempura Co-Founder Jorge Wieneke.
Moderated by veteran HR talent consultant and Paraw Talent Solutions Founder Warren Habaluyas, the panel discussed their humble beginnings, managing teamwork, the challenges of scaling, and more. The panel also answered questions from the audience in an hour-long open forum that ensued after.
Vision to Venture 2’s panel discussion started with Habaluyas asking each panel member what got their entrepreneurial journey going. The result was a mix of answers: Wieneke cited the need to provide for his young family, Garcia-Morera saw a gap in the market she wanted to fill, Ocampo wanted to promote Philippine chocolate after realizing its potential in the world market, and Campos co-founded ZALORA Philippines with his former colleagues.
In Wieneke’s case, Potato Corner was a result of coming up with a concept that he felt had potential with a target market. “Back then it was assumed that fries should always be paired with hamburgers. But I looked at people going into fast food restaurants and I noticed they would order a lot of french fries. So I thought what if it could stand alone? That’s when the idea of innovating it, putting in flavoring, started to form,” he said.
For Campos, there was also an element of nation-building behind his decision to become an entrepreneur. “In my mind, entrepreneurship is synonymous with nation-building. It’s about keeping the country going, and it’s a natural inclination to pursue. Entrepreneurship is the one thing that can expand the pie for all Filipinos and truly move the country forward,” he said.
Despite the varying origin stories, all panelists agreed that their entrepreneurial journeys wouldn’t have been possible without the willingness to ask for help and work with others. “Actually, at Kaya Founders, one of the things we look for in a founder is the ability to take feedback,” shared Campos. “We look at the agility and speed a founder takes feedback and properly acts on it and how they use it to move their business in a positive direction.”
The panelists advised attendees to be discerning when finding business partners. According to Garcia-Morera, entrepreneurs should prioritize a partner’s skillsets. “You need a creative person, a lawyer or two, an accountant or two, and a people person. In my experience a team does best when they have these skill sets and work well together,” said Garcia-Morera.
Once an entrepreneur has figured out who to work with, the panelists stress that there are several ways to grow a business. Ocampo advised entrepreneurs to consider their overall mission before taking just any opportunity to grow. “All companies, no matter how big or small, are working towards a foundation or a core. You need to know what your foundation or core is to scale. If you plan those main pillars then those are your building blocks,” said Ocampo.
Ultimately, the panel expressed their belief in the growing number of opportunities available in the Philippine market. “The Philippines is huge. It’s an incredible market to me,” said Ocampo. “When we started selling chocolate, people didn’t understand why they should get Philippine chocolate vs. chocolate from Switzerland or Germany. I had to point out that those countries don’t even grow cacao, unlike us.”
“None of our competitors were localizing data used to process cacao. We did our science and data collection in the Philippines,” continued Ocampo. “We realized that the Philippines is where you can thrive because this is our home turf and there’s still so many ways for entrepreneurs here to innovate.”
The panel discussion was followed by an open forum discussing how to identify the peak of a company’s growth, the best ways to solve internal company conflict, how to market a burgeoning industry, and where to go to scale a student-led startup. Audience members got insightful advice for their specific businesses, drawing on the years of experience the panel had to offer.
The event concluded with a networking session, creating meaningful connections and opportunities for collaboration among attendees.
The Independent Investor expresses its heartfelt appreciation to its generous partners and sponsors for their invaluable contributions in ensuring the resounding success of “Vision to Venture 2.”
Venue Partner
In support of Filipino entrepreneurs, the Meridian Innovation Center offers a dynamic, state-of-the-art hub for creativity and technological advancement, fostering collaboration among entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry experts.
Platinum Sponsor
Wavemaker Partners, a cornerstone of Southeast Asia’s venture capital landscape, specializes in early-stage investments within enterprise, deep tech, and sustainability sectors. The firm is dual-headquartered in Los Angeles and Singapore and has raised over $600M across multiple funds. They currently have a team of more than 80 people across their various practices. Wavemaker is one of the most active early-stage investors in Southern California and Southeast Asia and has invested in over 400 companies in the last 18 years.
Gold and Silver Sponsors
Other esteemed sponsors also gave invaluable support and contribution to making this event possible. Gold Sponsors include SGV & Co., Coca-Cola Philippines, PICKUP COFFEE, Kraver’s Canteen, UnionBank of the Philippines, and eCarga, while Silver Sponsors consisted of Hearn & Hearn Consulting, and Engkanto Brewery.
Special Donors
We also extend our gratitude to our Special Donors: Espa-fil, Pernod Ricard, and Cocopan, whose generosity enriched the evening.
Community Partners
Finally, we would like to thank our Community Partners: Kaya Founders, Endeavor Philippines, AHG Lab, Embiggen, Navegar, Gentree Fund, DayOne Capital Ventures, Startup Village, Founders Launchpad, National Development Company, and Imaginable Impact, for their invaluable collaboration and support in advancing our shared goals.
The Independent Investor will be back with more events and workshops in the coming weeks and months. For the remainder of April, join us for Sessions with Martin Cu/ 500 Global (April 24) and a one-day workshop on Fundamentals of Hiring (April 27).