There is nothing easy about starting a business, but these 30 men made it happen before reaching the age of 30! Time to get inspired by reading this article!

30 Successful Filipino Entrepreneurs Under 30

30. Janlord Luga, 28, @groombrewbygentle

Janlord Luga is the owner of Groom & Brew, which sells Minoxidil, a scientifically proven solution for people who want to grow a beard. It also treats alopecia, a genetic disease causing baldness for men. He also brews his own grooming products such as pomade, balms and oils, and perfumes.

Janlord shares that he was only using Minoxidil for his own beard to grow, but then found the opportunity to earn profit by selling Minoxidil. That’s when he got into the business. Soon enough, he learned how to brew and started selling his home-brewed products.

Janlord used to be a web developer since he graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. Although he is focused on his business at the moment, he also loves to hang out with his family and friends. He loves sharing insights and business Ideas with them. He is also passionate about helping the people within my circle. “I want to see them earn, too,” he explains. “My desire is to simply become a blessing to them.”

29. Sean Hendrix Romano, 24, @illokalmnl

Sean Hendrix Romano’s business is streetwear clothing, which he started last March 2019. He started the business to promote the local industry and to support the local hiphop scene and movements. “This is also one avenue for me to express myself when it comes to art and graphic design,” he adds.

In his free time, Sean indulges in looking for new artists by randomly listening to their mixtapes. He also surfs the net looking for inspiration.

28. Jairus Ferrer, 29, @jaiferrer

Jairus Ferrer started an agri-tech company called iFarms, Inc. in 2015 and birthed a flagship digital platform called Uma.ph this year, which aims to activate independent family farms and farmer-run cooperatives across the Philippines. Having experienced working across the value-chain from planting to getting it to the market firsthand since he was 17, Jairus has experienced the actual daily challenges of producing food and getting food to various markets, as well as the hindrances that go along with them. This is when he decided to put his efforts and very limited resources to creating iFarms, Inc. “I told myself I have to do something about this and create an avenue of solutions for the people I work with in the agri-sector,” he shares. “Our goal is to dignify agriculture through tech and not to be the biggest, but the most effective agri-tech company in the countryside.”

To get his mind off of the rigorous and unforgiving demands of entrepreneurship, Jairus recently decided to divert his attention to calisthenics. When his schedule permits, he also likes exploring other parts of the country.

27. Matthew Moriles, 28, @matthewmoriles

Matthew Moriles opened Kamayeno Grill three years ago and Mateos Pizza three months ago. He started Kamayeno because he wanted to pursue his passion for cooking. He also opens up and shares that he used to have a drinking problem. “I realized instead of spending hard earned money on alcohol, why not start a business you are passionate about?” Matthew finished multimedia arts and likes to play badminton, as well.

26. Robby Isaiah P. Hernandez, 26

Robby Hernandez owns Dig Deep Ice Cream (@digdeepicecream). After graduating from college in 2014, Robby worked at a local bank; but felt the bad side of routine work two years in. That’s when he decided to think of a business concept that would interest him. That’s when Dig Deep Ice Cream was born.

Robby shares that he loves exploring business knowledge with other business owners. “When I have an opportunity to talk to some of the owners of small businesses, I find a common place that we stand in. It’s what makes me do better and expand my knowledge towards different industries,” he explains.

25. Jonas Karlo Locsin, 28, @brgralleydvo

Jonas Karlo Locsin owns BRGR Alley, a small street burger bar along the street of Loyola Obrero that has been around for two years now. Along with his partner Dianne Margaret Olaguer, they decided to put up this business mainly because they both wanted freedom of time. Jonas also personally has a deep passion for food, and burgers are his all time go-to favorites.

Jonas is a Computer Engineering graduate who decided to shift to the food industry. He loves traveling, surfing, and meeting new people along the way. He is very passionate about two things: food and surf.

23-24. Nathan Solomon Nakar, 25, @natenakar and Randolph Yu, 23, @yurandolph

Nathan Nakar and Randolph Yu co-founded and manage Guerrilla 360 Integrated Solutions, a digital business solutions company focused on Software Development, Digital Marketing and Project Outsourcing. The company aims to provide high impact solutions serving clients in a diverse range of industries both locally and abroad. Nathan and Randolph have always had the passion and knack for learning new things. Their business was founded under the premise that technology simply makes things better. “We like to think that in this industry, our young age gives us the leverage we need to be at the forefront of innovation,” they say. “Whenever we work with a client, we get to understand more about their industry and really see things from several perspectives, but importantly we’re able to help companies realize new methods of improving their strategies.”

Whenever Nathan and Randolph both have time off from work, they enjoy traveling and exploring new destinations with their friends to get their much-needed rest and relaxation, as well to see and learn more of the world. They both also have other hobbies that they are very passionate about. Nathan loves making music and writes songs in his spare time, while Randolph is a gamer and proudly calls himself a geek.

22. Eries Nhoel So Chan, 26

Eries Chan owns Hunger Buster (@hungerbusterph), which  has been around for five years now. Eries shares that starting the business was actually just for fun. He only invested Php5,000, and never thought it would grow this big. “The support from our family and friends has been overwhelming, and our customers have played an important role in bringing us to where we are now,” he says. “Our employees have been with us every step of the way, and I am very grateful to have such a wonderful team.”

Eries enjoys traveling and exposing himself to new cultures. He is currently taking his Masters in Business Administration in the Asian Institute of Management.

21. Rosua Fajardo Reyes, 26, @rosuareyes

Rosua Reyes owns R.Reyes Pizza Hub, which opened in April 2016. “We used to sell different basic pizzas before,” he shares.  “I really have the drive to put up my own business. I used to put up a small computer shop before and I saw the opportunity in putting up businesses. I want to earn more to earn better and have a better life.”

Rosua also plays basketball, being a big fan of the sport and a big supporter of Gilas Pilipinas. “I can also say I’m very nationalistic,” Rosua shares. “I also love the sport of boxing. I am a big supporter of Senator Manny Pacquiao and dream of being a boxer one day.”

20. Karl Vasquez, 25, @_karlvasquez

Karl has a new clothing line called Bounce Back PH (@bouncebackph), which began with his struggles in dealing with his quarter-life crisis back in 2017. He opens up: “It was a tough year for me because of the failure, loss, heartbreak, and setbacks that I went through. However, I challenged myself and pushed through life despite the difficulties. The following year, I decided that I will start a passion project that will tell stories of hope to those experiencing setbacks in life. I want to be able to tell my audience that they are not the only one dealing with these struggles. I want to reach many people and tell them that they have the inner strength to bounce back in whatever situation life throws at them.” As a digital creative, Karl’s designs reflect optimism, determination, and resilience incorporated in his apparel. “With Bounce Back PH, I was able to find my purpose,” he says.

Karl is also a part of the core team of Albay Multimedia Arts Convention, the biggest organization in Bicol that celebrates creativity and cultivates the art scene in the whole region. He is also a proud furdad to his puppy, Peppa, and he loves climbing mountains in his free time.

19. Jiro Reyes, 20, @jiroreyess

Jiro Reyes takes the lead in Tipsy Lab Mobile Bar’s marketing, branding, and public relations, a business he and his friends launched in February. Jiro started taking up freelance opportunities and heading Tipsy Lab Mobile Bar’s marketing because he yearned for something that he thought was most important for one to succeed in life: experience. “Together with my partners, we were able to earn quite more than we expected while providing priceless memories to all our clients in every event,” he shares.

During the little time in the week that he has to rest, Jiro more often than not spends that time as a cheerleader of the Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion, cheering on his Alma Mater. “Babble personally taught me dedication, discipline, faith, honor, love, and confidence in one’s self, being the cherry on everything I do in work and school,” he adds.

18. Gerald Perry Marin, 28

Gerald Perry Marin co-founded FoPo Food Powder when he was 23, a business that collects almost wasted fruits and vegetables, and turns them into powder to extend its shelf life by up to two years while saving nutrition by up to 90%. This startup brought him to the United Nations HQ, where they won the 2018 UN MGCY Youth Innovator Award. Gerald shares that he has always been passionate about starting a business, seeing as he comes from an entrepreneurial family in Nueva Ecija. He started his first business when he was 19 (a dessert stall in Ateneo), and then franchised his own milk tea concept stall to two franchisees before flying to Europe to study Masters in Food Innovation and Product Design in four different European universities.

As seen in his business, Gerald is very passionate about the environment. Because of this, he also established Rethink Plastic, an NGO aimed to offer solutions to the world’s plastic addiction by engaging the companies and communities through innovation from the production up to waste disposal. He also previously wrote his masters thesis on nanocellulose crystals extracted from paper ingredients to create a more sustainable packaging in Lund University. In his free time, Gerald does external PhD in Economics on how Filipino returnee entrepreneurs are helping to boost the Manila startup ecosystem.

17. Warren Umlas, 26

Warren Umlas owns 1960 Barbershop, a 60s retro-themed barbershop located in Cavite which started to operate in 2018. He has been in the barbershop industry since 2016, though, when he was still in college. Warren admits that he was a failure in school and this is one of the reasons why he felt like he had to prove himself to his parents. One day, after seeing some of his friends starting businesses, he decided to build his own. “I studied hard for it,” he shares. “I don’t like studying, but I was patient this time around. I read a lot. I asked a lot of questions. I did my research until I came up with a solid plan.” After that, he borrowed some money from his parents to start a business and redeem himself from being the black sheep of the family. “I proved that although I may not be book-smart, I am street-smart. Match that with a bit of thick skin and hard work, and I built a business. I believe that as long as you don’t hurt anyone or step anyone, you can go places. I continue to learn as I go along,” he adds.

16. Hans Kristian Juan, 29, @cyclehans

Hans Kristian Juan owns Group & Boiler Coffee Co., which opened in June. He shares that he started the business because he never saw himself behind a cubicle nor did he want to do anything repetitive in the long run. “I saw putting up a business as a way to accelerate my personal development,” he adds. “Being a provider of jobs is also something I see as fulfilling.”

Hans is also an avid cyclist and fan of astronomy, rocket science. In the long term, he dreams to have a business that plays an active role in the space industry.

Check out our top 15 Filipino entrepreneurs on the next page!