Planting the seeds of entrepreneurship

We believe it’s best to teach entrepreneurship while they’re young. This is why we’re launching again the biggest annual gathering for young and aspiring entrepreneurs, which is now on its third year. From all indications, there are over 200 schools that are sending their students to hear the country’s most inspiring speakers. For those who’ll attend, this may be a life-changing moment that will help them to start believing in themselves and to learn how to be the best that they can be.

Come early to secure seats. We expect thousands of people to attend this event, with close to 400 booths for exhibitors and 100 tables for the students’ bazaar. We also have our Go Negosyo mentoring booth which will be open the whole day. About 10 Go Negosyo Angelpreneurs have signed up to offer free mentoring sessions. Two seminar rooms have been allotted and there are around 30 topics to be discussed on various skills and negosyo topics; and this is apart from the event’s highlights happening at the plenary.

Sometimes, just one special day or an unforgettable experience can make a difference in your life, and the Go Negosyo 2011 Young Entrepreneurs Summit may just be it. It’s true that you can wait to attend next year’s youth summit, but why postpone when the opportunity is already right here before you? You never really know, but this might be your time.

Take it from the 15 Young Starpreneurs, chosen from the 50 young entrepreneurs featured in Go Negosyo’s new book that is soon to come out in October. Go Negosyo and our partner The Philippine Star have selected the most inspiring among them and tomorrow, these awardees will be joining yours truly, The Philippine Star’s Joy Belmonte, Honorable Exec. Sec. Paquito Ochoa, the ultimate corporate entrepreneur Manny V. Pangilinan and Go Negosyo Trustees on stage, as we recognize every one of them for their outstanding performance in their respective negosyos.

Allow me to introduce the 15 Young Starpreneurs.

From the pages of the magazine to the billboards, Xander Angeles’s masterpieces have become so visible in the advertising and fashion industry. At a young age, he has become one the most trusted photographers in the industry.

At a time when coffee shops have become ubiquitous, Peter Chen and Juliet Herrera set up Serenitea instead and have made tea drinks a hit especially among the youth.

With his passion for history and architecture, Ivan Many Dy’s Old Manila Walks has made city-touring a lot more interesting, as he guides tourists through the remains and historical sites of Manila that reflect our rich cultural heritage.

Clang Garcia has a slightly different take that has also made touring more exciting. With Jeepney Tours, her clients are immersed in true Filipino culture for an experience that will surely impress on them.

Victoria’s Secret has become so successful that every woman wants to have at least one set of fancy lingerie, but they aren’t available here. Kathleen Kaye Garcia saw this gap and introduced Hot Pink Lingerie, and now fashionable intimate underwear is available locally.

INDIGOBaby by Denise Gonzales and Monica Eleazar has made “Mommy” wear so fashionable. They’ve made baby carriers that look like trendy scarves, and they’re innovative “Boncho” is a poncho tailored especially for breastfeeding!

Inheriting the entrepreneurial traits of her mother, Cristalle Henares improved on the high-end image of Belo’s cosmetic services. Through Belo Essentials products, the beauty benefits offered by the Belo Medical Group have become more affordable and available to the masses.

Even with only a few branches, Banapple may still sound familiar, especially among the youth. GJ and Maricel Jimenez caught the attention of many, starting with college students along Katipunan, through their novelty and delicious pastries, cakes and other culinary creations.

A true inspiration, Lester Lagos did not let his hearing handicap stop him from starting a negosyo. Although deaf, he has successfully launched his graphics design firm Urban Frog, which also employs other hearing-impaired but very talented individuals.

Kim Lato is probably the Starpreneur other youth entrepreneurs can relate to the most. Just like many young aspiring entrepreneurs, Kim started her business with Multiply.com and now Kimstore has become a steady, revenue-generating online gadget store.

Krie Lopez has already created her own following with Messy Bessy, probably one of the first brands offering household detergents and cleaners that are environment-friendly. It has seen growth in the past few years, and her products are now even available in select supermarkets such as Rustan’s.

Jen Real has always been passionate about dancing, and she used her God-given talent as a means to start her own dance studio. Orange Dance Studio has just celebrated its tenth year in helping other aspiring dancers launch their dancing careers.

With about a decade of experience in hairstyling and makeup and multiple awards up his sleeve, Lourd Ryan Ramos finally decided to go out on his own with Creations Salon. It didn’t take long for his investments to return as his loyal clients followed him to his new salon.

Last year’s batch of youth awardees had social entrepreneurs, and this batch is no different. We’re commending the Twillery group, composed of Martina Manas, Enzo Banson, Katrina Tecson, and Ezra Capucion, for a profitable negosyo that offers fashionable, high-end bags made of newspapers, while also giving back to a community of women who hand-weave these bags.

Another noble enterprise is Antonio Tiu’s AgriNurture Inc. or ANI, which started as a way to help local farmers. ANI has now made its way to the export market.

You’re sure to get learnings and insight from stories like these and more at our Young Entrepreneurs Summit.

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Franchise Expo 2011 is another venue for opportunities, which starts today until Sunday at the SMX. Learn how franchisors can help you jumpstart your entrepreneurial venture.  We found out Rommel Juan’s Binalot Fiesta Foods is offering an innovative franchising system called Company Supervision Scheme (CSS) where they assign their own supervisor to the store to effectively manage operations. This will work well with franchisees with little or no time, nor expertise in managing day-to-day store operations.

Our future is influenced by the choices we make.  Choose to succeed.  Attend these Summit and Expos.

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Contact me at [email protected]