We’ve seen the rise of disruptive creations in the years past. Gone are the days that we have to hail for a cab thanks to Uber. We can now stay in actual residences for vacations in any part of the world for the same price as a hotel thanks to Airbnb. We have seen industry giants adapt to this trend and we now have the perfect model to follow thanks to these pioneers. The world of entrepreneurship is no longer just for businessmen, it is now a platform in which anyone could pitch their ideas, validate them and execute with the help of the skills they’ve learned in their respective fields. The Philippines is no stranger to technology and innovation, and we are slowly embracing the culture of disruption, creating meaningful impact and revolutionizing the way things work which are done to achieve progression.
Startup Weekend aims to do just that – Provide a platform for individuals, teams and aspiring entrepreneurs to put their ideas into action. An event that is held all over the world over the course of many months, Startup Weekend allows both new and experienced entrepreneurs to learn what it takes to turn their vision into a reality. Backed by Google itself, the event is actually a global brand that happens in over 150 different countries, and in the Philippines, it has branched out to different startup communities such as Iloilo, Cebu, Bohol, Laguna, Bataan and of course Manila.
This year’s Startup Weekend will be held in De La Salle University on Februuary 17-19, 2017. It will be a 54-hour event with developers, designers, marketing/sales and business oriented people will gather, form teams, work on their ideas and pitch to an experienced and diverse panel of judges who could potentially help them step their idea up a notch and assist them with the execution long after the event is done. It’s the perfect opportunity to meet your co-founders, build communities and get started on your journeys but putting you in the shoes of an entrepreneur from the onset of the event.
Eighteen of the best mentors from different backgrounds (Marketing, Development, Business, Sales and more) have been invited to help participants polish their work and give them deliverables that would help them bring their ideas to life. In addition to this, our lineup of speakers is a list of widely recognized names, meaning it’s the perfect opportunity to expand your network and gain insight from the best in their respective industries!
The organizers of the event are alumni of last year’s Startup Weekend held in Ateneo De Manila University, where they all placed in the Top 3 of the event. They are passionate young individuals who share the same goal – To create a more entrepreneurial Philippines no matter which field they’re in. The head organizers, Irene Dela Cruz and Russ Malangen come from an engineering background while Dan Arambulo is currently taking up BS Entrepreneurship in De La Salle University. They hope to be able to expose their fellow youth to events like these in order to further their advocacies and provide them with an avenue that helps build their future through this life-changing event. It is open to anyone and everyone, experienced or not. You just have to possess an idea that you just thought of or maybe something you’ve kept for years. This event aims to foster the startup culture. As important as traditional businesses are, it is inevitable for people to explore other options and this is one of them. Their mission is to create a conducive environment in which the participants can be inspired to create something that will be able to impact a lot of lives in the Philippines – and maybe even the whole world!
Aside from our distinguished lineup of speakers and mentors, the event’s panel of judges features some of the biggest names in the local scene:
JUDGES
Joseph Calata, CEO of Calata Corp, the biggest supplier of agricultural products in the Philippines and is touted as one of the country’s youngest billionaires.
Anderson Tan, CEO of Millinillion, Ltd, an enterpriser, angel investor and a mentor to different startups around the world. He currently has 4 exits under his belt, three by his own acquisition and one by IPO.
Francis Simisim, CEO of Social Light Inc, he also co-founded WhenInManila which has become the biggest online magazine blog in the Philippines garnering around 10 millions page views per month with a high social media engagement and following.
Jay Fajardo, CEO of LaunchGarage, he is considered to be one of the pioneers and thought leaders of the Philippine tech startup scene serving as advisor and mentor to many different startups.
Joe Maristela, Board Director of Katalyst.ph, he is a serial entrepreneur, prominent angel, seed, and independent investor based in San Francisco, California and Manila, Philippines.
Jojo Flores, Co-Founder at Plug and Play Tech Center, a Silicon Valley based technology startup accelerator, which he started in January 2006.
Startup Weekend Manila DLSU is sure to be a fun and memorable experience for anyone who wants to put their ideas to the test and learn as much as they can from doing, executing and validating while being able to make valuable connections along the way.
Here’s your chance to be the next big thing! The path to success begins here.
When: February 17 – 19, 2017.
Where: De La Salle University Manila – Henry Sy Building
Who: Anyone interested in startups.
For further inquiries, feel free to send us a message on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/startupweekendmanila/?fref=ts
Tickets can be purchased from: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/startup-weekend-manila-dlsu-tickets-28692205158
FAQ: https://startupweekend.org/attendees/faq
Program Flow, Lineup of Judges, Mentors and Speakers: https://www.up.co/communities/philippines/manila/startup-weekend/10064
See you there!
