Katrina Razon (DJ Katsu), co-founder, Manila Music Festival
MANILA, Philippines - “I fell into DJing by pure accident. When I was 17 and would travel around the States and hear music such as techno, disco and house music that I would never hear here in the Philippines. So I came back with the mission to try to spread that kind of music around and I started to play my own music.”
Gretchen Ho, volleyball player, multimedia personality
“From sports, I was able to realize the value of self-motivation, which I used when I came up with my business called The Inspire Project. From sports you learn to make do with what you have. As a player, for example, I am given this amount of playing time — what do I do with that to make an impression? Volleyball has trained me to think that way.”
Ann Enriquez and Louie Poco, founders of Gouache
“Crowdfunding — you have a platform, like a website. You pitch to the website and people who buy into your concept will give you funding. When we were starting out, we designed our first bag, took good pictures, made a video, told people our purpose, which is to help Marikina bag makers. Our initial goal was to raise P70,000 for the production of the bags, but we were able to raise P200,000 by the end of one month.”
Tal de Guzman, founder and designer of Risque Designs
“I fell in love with the craftsmanship of people in Paete, Laguna, a town of very talented wood carvers. They’re very good at what they do, but they’re not really tapped to do these kinds of shoes. For me, it’s all about infusing what we have, our resources, our culture, with everyday items that you can actually use and be proud of.”
Dan Matutina, graphic designer and illustrator
“It’s very important for me, as a designer, to look at the other aspects like execution. You have to follow through with good execution, because a good idea can’t stand on its own.”
Melvin Magana, managing partner and chief creative officer, TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno
“The most unadulterated ideas come from the youngest members of the team. It’s so refreshing to look at ideas coming from minds that are not bogged down by rules and as an advertising agency, this has helped us become more collaborative and less protective of our own ideas.”