Go Negosyo holding women entrepreneurship summit today

MANILA, Philippines - Go Negosyo holds its 4th Women Entrepreneurship Summit and Expo today at the World Trade Center in Metro Manila, a women-empowering event organized in partnership with GMA Network and The STAR.

The one-day summit, themed Babae, Kapuso Ka ng Bayan, features plenary talks and seminars on a range of topics relevant to the needs and challenges faced by women today.

Some of the country’s most notable women have been invited to speak, inspire and mentor, including GMA7 news anchor Mel Tiangco, cosmetic surgeon and beauty expert Dr. Vicki Belo, former lawmaker Cynthia Villar, former Starbucks Asia-Pacific regional president Maria Mercedes Corrales, and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service Grace Padaca.

Meant also to entertain as much as to educate, the summit will have a star-studded afternoon forum participated in by celebrities turned entrepreneurs such as Regine Tolentino, Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, Fanny Serrano, Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano and Miriam Quiambao.

Performances from R&B princess Kyla and Vina Morales, as well as a mini-variety show and Wish Ko Lang segment from GMA7 are also slated.

Go Negosyo and The STAR will also be recognizing the 2012 Women STARpreneurs, awardees whose life and business stories serve as inspiration to all other women in fulfilling their dreams and finding success.

This year’s STARpreneurs are iBus inventor Elma Arboleras, Destileria Limtuaco and Co. president Olivia Aw, The Pastry Bin owner Penk Ching, the Cravings Group and Center for Culinary Arts-Manila president Susana Guerrero, Cabalen president Maritel Nievera, Carolina’s Lace Shoppe owner Lourdes Ragas, Kalinga Brew founder Antuza Refalda, Forever Flawless Face and Body Center CEO Rubby Sy, Mega Publishing Group founder and CEO Sari Yap, and Convergys Corp. managing director for Asia Pacific Marife Zamora. Desiree Duran of the Basuit Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative and Putlih Kumalah Sug-Elardo of Sulu Royal Coffee will be receiving the Woman Social Entrepreneur Award, while Erlinda Bartolome of GMB Franchise Developers will be receiving the Woman Enabler Award.

The summit and expo will also be a chance for existing entrepreneurs to showcase their products or services in the exhibit, while aspiring entrepreneurs can find business opportunities as well as ideas from more than a hundred exhibitors.

The Women Entrepreneurship Summit, first organized in 2009, became an annual tradition of Go Negosyo as a way to help women entrepreneurs, most of whom belong to the micro and small enterprise category, grow their businesses by equipping them with entrepreneurial skills.