Daily TribuneStartUp Village’s programs were introduced, including ENGAGE, a five-day immersion trip to innovation centers such as Silicon Valley, and the global accelerator program ‘SOAR,’ which aims to showcase Philippine startups at the Collision 2024 conference, one of the world’s largest tech conferences
Rotary Club of Makati President Bing Matoto welcomes attendees to the ‘Meet the StartUps’ event hosted by the Club at the RC Makati's Clubhouse in Guadalupe Viejo, Makati, calling the attention of everyone to the just-constructed Paing Hechanova Creativity Center whose purpose he highlighted as a future venue for meetings and co-working space for aspiring entrepreneurs and creatives.
RC Makati ROTARY Club of Makati members and officers including (from left) Louie Aseoche, Vince Rocha, Marie Segura and Dir. Rodrigo Segura, Philip Soliven, PP Roland Young, Roger Collantes, and PP David Ackerman, at the ‘Meet the StartUps’ event hosted by RC Makati, through its HATCH Project at the RC Makati Clubhouse in Guadalupe Viejo recently.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF Richard Manilag
The entrepreneurial spirit was abuzz and the air was filled with anticipation as the Rotary Club of Makati, through its “Hatch Project” program led by RC Makati Director Bom Villatuya, hosted the “Meet the StartUps” event recently at the RC Makati Clubhouse in Guadalupe Viejo.
The gathering provided a dynamic platform for various startups which showcased their innovative ideas and connect with potential investors.
The event kicked off with a relaxed atmosphere, complemented by refreshments including whiskey courtesy of past president Roland Young, creating an inviting setting for fruitful discussions and networking opportunities.
Paing Hechanova Creativity Center
RC Makati president Bing Matoto warmly welcomed attendees even as he brought to everyone’s attention the recently constructed Paing Hechanova Creativity Center, highlighting its role as a future venue for meetings as well as a co-working space for aspiring entrepreneurs and creatives.
Mr. Carlo Calimon, president and co-founder of StartUpVillage, took the stage as the event’s emcee, sharing insights into his organization’s mission to support startups, bringing impactful ideas to fruition and elevating the Philippines’ startup ecosystem on a global scale.
He also introduced StartUp Village’s programs, including ENGAGE, a five-day immersion trip to innovation centers such as Silicon Valley, and the global accelerator program “SOAR,” which aims to showcase Philippine startups at the Collision 2024 conference, one of the world’s largest tech conferences.
StartUp Village was endorsed by Baby Rotarian Jay Bernardo and collaborated with RC Makati for this event.
Startup pitches
The evening’s highlight was the series of startup pitches, each presenting a unique and promising concept, namely:
• Packworks by Mr. Bing Tan: An app designed to empower small businesses through scalable and accessible technology, with a vision to contribute to a more progressive and connected Philippines.
• Mylo Speech Buddy (Mylo) by Mr. Vince Rocha: An innovative speech development tool tailored to support children with speech delays, particularly those on the autism spectrum, collaborating with healthcare professionals to address the unique needs of these children.
• Eduksine by Mr. Roger Macua: An app focused on providing educational and socially relevant content through online and offline platforms, aiming to support filmmakers by delivering locally-produced content to diverse audiences.
• BAMBUHAY by Mr. Mark Gersava: Environmentally conscious, BAMBUHAY focuses on a circular economy that utilizes bamboo and technology to address environmental issues like plastic pollution and deforestation while creating livelihood opportunities, and
• Prosperna by Mr. Dennis Velasco: An e-commerce solution provider that assists MSMEs in establishing a digital presence without the need for coding, aiming to empower 100,000 MSMEs digitally.
Hatch Project
The event also featured pitches from two winners of the “Hatch Project” program:
• TB Detect by Dr. Kevin Santos: An AI-based mobile application for detecting pulmonary tuberculosis, and
• KadaKareer by Ms. Gabbie Angeles and Ms. Barbie Mariano: A community-based career development platform for underserved students in the Philippines.
The “Meet the StartUps” event marks the beginning of RC Makati’s efforts to support young entrepreneurs under the Economic and Community Development Areas of Focus.
Future sessions are in the pipeline, leading up to the utilization of the Paing Hechanova Creativity Center as a co-working space and mentoring venue for budding entrepreneurs.
