The Philippine startup scene is relatively young and still has great room for growth. Considering the Philippines’ growing economy, its young and digital savvy population, and the increasing attention on the potentials of entrepreneurs in the country, soon having a vibrant startup ecosystem is not far from reality. Various stakeholders and key government institutions have already teamed up for the first Philippine Startup Week, the country’s large-scale multi-sector initiative that celebrates the Filipino startup community.

But more than economic contribution and technological advancements, startups prove to be one of the helpful mechanisms to solve some of the country’s biggest social challenges. One of the over 60 events happening simultaneously in various parts of the country was Impact Hub Manila’s “2050fest.” Here, seasoned and budding entrepreneurs alike— as young as 9 years to over 30 years old— showcased their ingenious innovations for social good.

Welcome to the Impact Hub Community, winners! We are excited to see you and your ideas soar. #Impact2050Program #ImpactHackathon #2050fest #Elevate

Posted by Impact 2050 on Sunday, December 15, 2019

After a round of pitching before an esteemed panel of judges, e-commerce and marketing solution Transfarm was declared National Impact Hackathon Winner. Transfarm aims to bridge the gap between local producers and large scale business consumers to appropriately market their produce and address demand, without wasting any harvest due to oversupply.

Community Building for Innovation

Innovations like Transfarm are powered by strong communities that support innovation. Impact Hub, being one of the leading community builders for entrepreneurs across the globe, gathered some of the industry leaders and seasoned entrepreneurs to create a platform for knowledge exchange.

In a forum on how communities and collaborations drive innovations for social good, I joined the panel to share my story and that of the 2030 Youth Force in the Philippines, together with E3 Entrepreneurs Hub’s Andrew Wong, and Mozilla’s Robert “Bob” Reyes. The panel discussion, moderated by WiTech’s Audrey Pe, highlighted a few things about building a tribe:

·         Building a community—or any project— entails labor pains, and the journey of giving birth and growing a community is peppered with challenges that community builders must power through.

·         A strong community is bound by one vision. It is for community leaders to translate that vision, and ensure that the community is united in a purpose.

·         Collaboration results in synergy and greater impact where every collaborator’s strengths are maximized.

·         Each community is different. What works for some may not work for others.

·         Teams see success by powering through hurdles, making the seemingly impossible possible.

·         Those who succeed are usually those who stay on course, powered by a solid purpose— their “why,” while others stop before they even reach the finish line.

·         Start with what you have and overcome self-doubt. Take consistent steps forward. You will surprise yourself.

The “2050fest”

2050fest was the culmination and final pitching for Impact Hackathon 2019. It was also an official subevent of the Philippine Startup Week 2019. Impact Hackathon was a 24-hour sprint where innovators from across the country created digital solutions to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Look forward to more events engaging visionaries and innovators as Impact Hub Manila rolls out Impact 2050, a multi-year entrepreneurship program powering innovations for social good in Asia Pacific. Stay updated: https://www.impact2050.com/