Young women find fulfillment in business

MANILA, Philippines - Times have truly changed. Gone are the days when women stayed home and men did all the work. Now, more and more women take charge of their lives and chase their dreams. Many of them have found fulfillment in business. Whether it is to follow their passion, to help support their families or to have a creative outlet, women have proven to be great entrepreneurs because of their resilience and their ability to constantly improve themselves.

Here are some of the young, inspiring women who have shown that everyone – no matter what their age, skill, background or industry – can be successful entrepreneurs if they have the heart for it and are willing to persevere and work hard.

Valerie Mendoza took three years to finally come up with a successful negosyo, and patience and hard work were her keys to success. She brought personalized, hand-painted sneakers back in style and back in the streets through her business Y3L Hand-Painted Shoes.

Valerie started the customized shoe business with her friend Jensen Gonzales in order to practice their creativity and share their talent with others. From just five pairs of shoes sold via Multiply, Y3L Hand-Painted Shoes is now a recognized online brand popular among students and yuppies in the country. These days, Valerie aims not just to create and sell sneakers. As a way of giving back, she aims to inspire the youth to become entrepreneurs and encourage them to utilize the talents God has given them.

In the case of Mary Grace Santos, owner of Cartsville and Li’l People, it was motherhood that inspired her to get into business. She knew nothing about negosyo when she started but she needed to find a way to help support her family while still caring for her newborn child.

As a mother, Mary Grace always wanted to make it easier for parents to take their children to the mall and for kids to enjoy the experience. Thus she came up with Cartsville, a service that rents out toy-car strollers in the malls, and Li’l People, an indoor playground for kids while parents do errands. Mary Grace now has branches in major malls in the country, but it’s not just about having a successful negosyo – it’s about being of help to other parents as well as bringing smiles to the little kids’ faces.

In the field of fashion and photography, Tricia Gosingtian is already a household name. At 21, Tricia is one of the most sought after professional photographers in the country. She also proudly calls herself a creative entrepreneur, juggling her time to do what she loves: photography, modeling, styling and blogging.

Tricia is very young but is truly dedicated to her craft. Despite the glitz and glamour of her work, she has kept her feet on the ground and credits her success to practice and hard work. She is living proof that, even with almost no capital, success can be attained by focusing on your passion and talent, being creative, working hard and always giving your best. Tricia is also an inspiration to the youth who dream of pursuing their passions and transforming it into business ventures in the future.

On Sept. 27, Go Negosyo will be recognizing Valerie Mendoza, Mary Grace Santos and Tricia Gosingtian as part of the Go Negosyo Inspiring Young Filipino Entrepreneurs in the 2010 Youth Entrepreneurship Summit at the World Trade Center, Pasay City. The award will be presented by Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion along with the Go Negosyo trustees.